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DESIGNER NOTES

Designer Notes #57: Rob Daviau – Part 1. Posted on April 25, 2021. by Soren Johnson. 1. In this episode, Soren interviews board game designer Rob Daviau, best known for his work on Risk Legacy and Pandemic Legacy. They discuss bluffing his way through his first game job interview, how he designed Betrayal at House on the Hill without

either

APRIL | 2021 | DESIGNER NOTES In this episode, Soren interviews board game designer Rob Daviau, best known for his work on Risk Legacy and Pandemic Legacy.They discuss bluffing his way through his first game job interview, how he designed Betrayal at House on the Hill without either starting or finishing it, and why Risk Legacy bombed in Germany.. Games discussed: Candy Land, Impossible Mission, Dungeons and Dragons PODCASTS | DESIGNER NOTES 2014. The Game Design Round Table on Offworld Trading Company (Nov) The Game Design Round Table on Offworld Trading Company (Aug) The Game Design Round Table on Dynamic Campaigns. Three Moves Ahead on Building vs Battling. The Game Design Round Table on Development Streaming. The Game Design Round Table on Pathfinder. WRITINGS | DESIGNER NOTES The Civ4 Afterword One Civ, Many Worlds AI Game Programming Wisdom 2 Design of the Times #1: Seven Deadly Sins for Strategy Games #2: 2D

vs. 3D #3:

HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER A small word of warning about the Mod Team suggestion. Game modding is a terrific way to get your hands dirty and understand game development, but I’d be very hesitant to suggest that diving right into a mod team is necessarily a great path. GD COLUMN 5: SID’S RULES GD Column 5: Sid’s Rules. The following was published in the January 2009 issue of Game Developer magazine. Most game developers are familiar with Sid’s dictum that “a good game is a series of interesting choices.”. In fact, my co-columnist Damion Schubert started his recent article on player choice (October 2008) by

referencing this

DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

“FEAR AND LOATHING IN FARMVILLE” GDC 2010 is now in the books, and it will be a hard one to forget because the whole conference seemed to be obsessed with one thing, which I summed up in this tweet.Or, as Sirlin puts it here: “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.”Off the top of my head, here are the highlights and lowlights of this fixation: GD COLUMN 4: DESIGNING FOR FREE The following was published in the November 2008 issue of Game Developer magazine. In China, a new MMORPG with a very aggressive business model, entitled ZT Online, has gained significant popularity.With an ARPU of $40/quarter spread over one million paying users, the game has made its publisher, Giant Interactive, one of the most profitable online entertainment companies in China. A HISTORY OF FALL FROM HEAVEN (PART I) Fall from Heaven is a dark fantasy Civilization IV mod, built by a team headed by Derek Paxton. The first version was released on

December 16th, 2005

DESIGNER NOTES

either

vs. 3D #3:

INTERVIEWS | DESIGNER NOTES Oct ’20: GameReactor on My Career Apr ’20: Rock, Paper, Shotgun on Old World Apr ’20: Polygon on Old World Apr ’20: PC Gamer on Old World Apr ’18: Rock, Paper, Shotgun GD COLUMN 4: DESIGNING FOR FREE The following was published in the November 2008 issue of Game Developer magazine. In China, a new MMORPG with a very aggressive business model, entitled ZT Online, has gained significant popularity.With an ARPU of $40/quarter spread over one million paying users, the game has made its publisher, Giant Interactive, one of the most profitable online entertainment companies in China. A ONE MAN BOARD GAME BUYER’S GUIDE (PART II) After a mere four-year wait, here is Part II of my Board Game Buyer’s Guide. Look for Part III around 2021! (Link to Part I)Dominion One can debate whether or not Dominion is a great game, but there can be no doubt that it is an important game as it casts a long shadow over a growing list of imitators. Designer Donald Vaccarino’s great insight was that the deck-building meta-game of Magic DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

OTC DESIGNER NOTES #13: BLACK MARKET (PART I) The following is an excerpt from the Designer Notes for Offworld Trading Company.The game, an economic RTS set on Mars, releases on April 28, 2016, and is available for purchase here. Although the black market is one of the defining features of Offworld, it was not part of the initial game design.The idea originated, after the basic free market gameplay was already in place, from an offhand GD COLUMN 18: THE END OF GAMES? GD Column 18: The End of Games? Posted on August 7, 2011. by Soren Johnson. The following was published in the May 2011 issue of Game Developer magazine. In a GDC speech from March 2010, ngcomo’s founder Neil Young described the advent of free-to-play gaming in the West as “the most significant shift and opportunity for [game

developers

GD COLUMN 19: TAKING FEEDBACK The following was published in the Nov 2011 issue of Game Developer magazine “You have to design for success, plan for failure, and then know how to rebound from that failure. WHAT MICROSOFT SHOULD HAVE DONE The biggest story of the upcoming console generation is that Microsoft has, within a month of the initial Xbox One announcement, already bowed to pressure and reversed its attempt to cripple the importance of physical discs. The Internet is currently doing a victory lap.. The transition from physical to digital was sure to be rocky, but the start to this console generation is now a lost WHO NEEDS A PLAYSTATION? Hey Soren, this is iko (Henrique), we met at the party at SBGames and talked a bit (I was the one blaming you for all the classes I skipped to stay home and play CIV4).

DESIGNER NOTES

either

vs. 3D #3:

HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER A small word of warning about the Mod Team suggestion. Game modding is a terrific way to get your hands dirty and understand game development, but I’d be very hesitant to suggest that diving right into a mod team is necessarily a great path. DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

GD COLUMN 5: SID’S RULES GD Column 5: Sid’s Rules. The following was published in the January 2009 issue of Game Developer magazine. Most game developers are familiar with Sid’s dictum that “a good game is a series of interesting choices.”. In fact, my co-columnist Damion Schubert started his recent article on player choice (October 2008) by

referencing this

DESIGNER NOTES 42: DAVID SIRLIN In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer David Sirlin, best known for his work on Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Yomi, and Puzzle Strike.T hey discuss how many hit points are too many hit points, whether his work is post-modernist, and how to make the first move in Yomi.Also, listen to see if Soren can successfully pronounce iconoclast. “FEAR AND LOATHING IN FARMVILLE” GDC 2010 is now in the books, and it will be a hard one to forget because the whole conference seemed to be obsessed with one thing, which I summed up in this tweet.Or, as Sirlin puts it here: “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.”Off the top of my head, here are the highlights and lowlights of this fixation: GD COLUMN 18: THE END OF GAMES? GD Column 18: The End of Games? Posted on August 7, 2011. by Soren Johnson. The following was published in the May 2011 issue of Game Developer magazine. In a GDC speech from March 2010, ngcomo’s founder Neil Young described the advent of free-to-play gaming in the West as “the most significant shift and opportunity for [game

developers

DESIGNER NOTES

either

vs. 3D #3:

HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER A small word of warning about the Mod Team suggestion. Game modding is a terrific way to get your hands dirty and understand game development, but I’d be very hesitant to suggest that diving right into a mod team is necessarily a great path. PODCAST | DESIGNER NOTES In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Meg Jayanth, the writer on 80 Days.They discuss how fan fiction is similar to modding, if 80 Days is a criticism of the Bioware companion system, and why it’s important to do your work.. Games discussed: SimTower, Grand Theft Auto, Savoir-Faire, All Roads, Choice Of Games, Samsara, 80 Days, Sunless Seas, Sunless Skies, Horizon Zero WRITINGS | DESIGNER NOTES The Civ4 Afterword One Civ, Many Worlds AI Game Programming Wisdom 2 Design of the Times #1: Seven Deadly Sins for Strategy Games #2: 2D

vs. 3D #3:

DESIGNER NOTES #57: ROB DAVIAU In this episode, Soren interviews board game designer Rob Daviau, best known for his work on Risk Legacy and Pandemic Legacy.They discuss bluffing his way through his first game job interview, how he designed Betrayal at House on the Hill without either starting or finishing it, and why Risk Legacy bombed in Germany.. Games discussed: Candy Land, Impossible Mission, Dungeons and Dragons A ONE MAN BOARD GAME BUYER’S GUIDE (PART II) After a mere four-year wait, here is Part II of my Board Game Buyer’s Guide. Look for Part III around 2021! (Link to Part I)Dominion One can debate whether or not Dominion is a great game, but there can be no doubt that it is an important game as it casts a long shadow over a growing list of imitators. Designer Donald Vaccarino’s great insight was that the deck-building meta-game of Magic DESIGNER NOTES 42: DAVID SIRLIN In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer David Sirlin, best known for his work on Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Yomi, and Puzzle Strike.T hey discuss how many hit points are too many hit points, whether his work is post-modernist, and how to make the first move in Yomi.Also, listen to see if Soren can successfully pronounce iconoclast. OTC DESIGNER NOTES #13: BLACK MARKET (PART I) The following is an excerpt from the Designer Notes for Offworld Trading Company.The game, an economic RTS set on Mars, releases on April 28, 2016, and is available for purchase here. Although the black market is one of the defining features of Offworld, it was not part of the initial game design.The idea originated, after the basic free market gameplay was already in place, from an offhand

ON THE VAULT

Great talk! For your last question (about if you expose to many rules then it might become solvable), I feel that it would’ve been a good opportunity to tie your answer back into what you saying earlier in the talk about “pre-randomness” (or pre-luck), like how you might have some parts of the game are given to you randomized (like all the tiles and placements of everything in Civ) and GD COLUMN 19: TAKING FEEDBACK The following was published in the Nov 2011 issue of Game Developer magazine “You have to design for success, plan for failure, and then know how to rebound from that failure. WHAT MICROSOFT SHOULD HAVE DONE The biggest story of the upcoming console generation is that Microsoft has, within a month of the initial Xbox One announcement, already bowed to pressure and reversed its attempt to cripple the importance of physical discs. The Internet is currently doing a victory lap.. The transition from physical to digital was sure to be rocky, but the start to this console generation is now a lost WHO NEEDS A PLAYSTATION? Hey Soren, this is iko (Henrique), we met at the party at SBGames and talked a bit (I was the one blaming you for all the classes I skipped to stay home and play CIV4).

DESIGNER NOTES

either

vs. 3D #3:

HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER A small word of warning about the Mod Team suggestion. Game modding is a terrific way to get your hands dirty and understand game development, but I’d be very hesitant to suggest that diving right into a mod team is necessarily a great path. DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

referencing this

developers

DESIGNER NOTES

either

vs. 3D #3:

HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER A small word of warning about the Mod Team suggestion. Game modding is a terrific way to get your hands dirty and understand game development, but I’d be very hesitant to suggest that diving right into a mod team is necessarily a great path. DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

referencing this

developers

PODCAST | DESIGNER NOTES In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Meg Jayanth, the writer on 80 Days.They discuss how fan fiction is similar to modding, if 80 Days is a criticism of the Bioware companion system, and why it’s important to do your work.. Games discussed: SimTower, Grand Theft Auto, Savoir-Faire, All Roads, Choice Of Games, Samsara, 80 Days, Sunless Seas, Sunless Skies, Horizon Zero WRITINGS | DESIGNER NOTES The Civ4 Afterword One Civ, Many Worlds AI Game Programming Wisdom 2 Design of the Times #1: Seven Deadly Sins for Strategy Games #2: 2D

vs. 3D #3:

ON THE VAULT

DESIGNER NOTES

either

PODCASTS | DESIGNER NOTES 2014. The Game Design Round Table on Offworld Trading Company (Nov) The Game Design Round Table on Offworld Trading Company (Aug) The Game Design Round Table on Dynamic Campaigns. Three Moves Ahead on Building vs Battling. The Game Design Round Table on Development Streaming. The Game Design Round Table on Pathfinder.

ABOUT SOREN

worked at EA Maxis as a designer/programmer on Spore. worked at EA2D on browser-based games (try Dragon Age Legends ). founded Mohawk Games in 2013 to build innovative strategy games. is a friend to cats everywhere. knows what he wants but doesn’t know how to get it.

PRESENTATIONS

Answering the Designers’ AI Wish List (GDC, 2010) Strategy Games: The Next Move (GDC, 2011) Designing for Free: How Free-to-Play Games Blur the Line Between Design and Business (GDC, 2012) Open Game Development (GDC, 2015) Civilization 25th Anniversary Panel (DICE,

2016)

I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WRITE THIS POST I Shouldn’t Have to Write this Post. Posted on November 1, 2020. by Soren Johnson. I have voted for a Democrat in ever election in my lifetime, and while I express my political view from time to time, it’s important to acknowledge that plenty of Republicans GD COLUMN 17: WATER FINDS A CRACK GD Column 17: Water Finds a Crack. The following was published in the March 2011 issue of Game Developer magazine. “This is what games are for. They teach us things so that we can minimize risk and know what choices to make. Phrased another way, the destiny of games is to become boring, not to be fun. Those of us who want games to be fun DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

“FEAR AND LOATHING IN FARMVILLE” GDC 2010 is now in the books, and it will be a hard one to forget because the whole conference seemed to be obsessed with one thing, which I summed up in this tweet.Or, as Sirlin puts it here: “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.”Off the top of my head, here are the highlights and lowlights of this fixation: DESIGNER NOTES 30: STEVE GAYNOR In this episode, Soren interviews Steve Gaynor, co-founder of The Fullbright Company and best known for his work on BioShock 2, Minerva’s Den, and Gone Home.They discuss whether audio diaries need to make sense, why the Gone Home family is made up of barefoot vampires who hate showers, and why Fullbright made Tacoma.. Games discussed: Minerva’s Den, Bioshock Infinite, Gone

LOOKING FOR TESTERS

So far, I have talked very rarely about 10 Crowns, my upcoming return to historical turn-based strategy gaming, and that’s going to continue for the moment. However, we are looking for alpha

DESIGNER NOTES

either

ABOUT SOREN

PRESENTATIONS

2016)

time

“FEAR AND LOATHING IN FARMVILLE” GDC 2010 is now in the books, and it will be a hard one to forget because the whole conference seemed to be obsessed with one thing, which I summed up in this tweet.Or, as Sirlin puts it here: “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.”Off the top of my head, here are the highlights and lowlights of this fixation: DESIGNER NOTES 30: STEVE GAYNOR In this episode, Soren interviews Steve Gaynor, co-founder of The Fullbright Company and best known for his work on BioShock 2, Minerva’s Den, and Gone Home.They discuss whether audio diaries need to make sense, why the Gone Home family is made up of barefoot vampires who hate showers, and why Fullbright made Tacoma.. Games discussed: Minerva’s Den, Bioshock Infinite, Gone

LOOKING FOR TESTERS

So far, I have talked very rarely about 10 Crowns, my upcoming return to historical turn-based strategy gaming, and that’s going to continue for the moment. However, we are looking for alpha DESIGNER NOTES #57: ROB DAVIAU In this episode, Soren interviews board game designer Rob Daviau, best known for his work on Risk Legacy and Pandemic Legacy.They discuss bluffing his way through his first game job interview, how he designed Betrayal at House on the Hill without either starting or finishing it, and why Risk Legacy bombed in Germany.. Games discussed: Candy Land, Impossible Mission, Dungeons and Dragons GD COLUMN 23: HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER The following was published in the Nov 2012 issue of Game Developer magazine People enter the games industry for many different reasons. For some talented artists, programmers, and musicians, a games job is a great way to employ their talents in a vibrant and creative field. GD COLUMN 5: SID’S RULES GD Column 5: Sid’s Rules. The following was published in the January 2009 issue of Game Developer magazine. Most game developers are familiar with Sid’s dictum that “a good game is a series of interesting choices.”. In fact, my co-columnist Damion Schubert started his recent article on player choice (October 2008) by

referencing this

LOOKING FOR TESTERS

So far, I have talked very rarely about 10 Crowns, my upcoming return to historical turn-based strategy gaming, and that’s going to continue for the moment. However, we are looking for alpha GD COLUMN 15: START MAKING SENSE The following was published in the November 2010 issue of Game Developer magazine First, read the following paragraph carefully. “The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange t DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Designer Notes 43: Clint Hocking – Part 1. Posted on November 24, 2018. by Soren Johnson. In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss how his early

time

ON THE VAULT

Great talk! For your last question (about if you expose to many rules then it might become solvable), I feel that it would’ve been a good opportunity to tie your answer back into what you saying earlier in the talk about “pre-randomness” (or pre-luck), like how you might have some parts of the game are given to you randomized (like all the tiles and placements of everything in Civ) and DESIGNER NOTES 42: DAVID SIRLIN In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer David Sirlin, best known for his work on Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Yomi, and Puzzle Strike.T hey discuss how many hit points are too many hit points, whether his work is post-modernist, and how to make the first move in Yomi.Also, listen to see if Soren can successfully pronounce iconoclast. DESIGNER NOTES 30: STEVE GAYNOR In this episode, Soren interviews Steve Gaynor, co-founder of The Fullbright Company and best known for his work on BioShock 2, Minerva’s Den, and Gone Home.They discuss whether audio diaries need to make sense, why the Gone Home family is made up of barefoot vampires who hate showers, and why Fullbright made Tacoma.. Games discussed: Minerva’s Den, Bioshock Infinite, Gone

THE ROAD TO ZYNGA

The Road to Zynga. Posted on May 28, 2012. by Soren Johnson. So, I’ve got a new job, which was revealed publicly in an interview at GamesIndustry International. I’ve actually been at Zynga for nine months now, so most of my games industry friends (and regular friends, for that matter) had known about it for quite awhile, making this move

DESIGNER NOTES

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game designer David Dunham, best known for his work on the narrative strategy games King of Dragon Pass and Six Ages.They are joined by writer and designer Meg Jayanth, best known for her work on 80 Days.The three discuss whether the advisors in Dragon Pass lie to the player, what Six Ages and 80 Days have in common, and whether the anthropomorphic PODCASTS | DESIGNER NOTES Designer Notes (Playlist) #56: David Dunham (with Meg Jayanth) #55: Meg Jayanth #54: Jon Ingold (Part 2) #53: Jon Ingold (Part 1) #52: Roger Keating** #51: Michał Drozdowski and Przemysław Marszał

ABOUT SOREN

hails from a little town called Centralia in beautiful Washington State. earned a BA in History and a MS in Computer Science from Stanford University. (Here’s his spartan Stanford Home Page.)

PRESENTATIONS

Slides Don’t Blow It: Successful Franchises (GDC, 2004) Playing to Lose: Prototyping Civ 4 (GDC, 2006) Work in Progress (AIIDE, 2007) Playing to Lose: AI and Civilization (GDC, 2008) Can G GD COLUMN 17: WATER FINDS A CRACK On the topic of ‘bad’ knowledge, I had used the ICS strategy in Alpha Centuri specifically to avoid micro-managing. Establishing 4 or 5 great cities and then a low-efficiency research/income ‘farm’ on the rest of the map generally let me focus on my core while willfully

neglecting the

DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Kelly tried to recruit Pryor to Oregon when he coached there,Air Max 1 Wholesale, lost to him in the Rose Bowl, and now gets the chance to face him in the NFL when Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles visit the Oakland Raiders.”Terrelle was always driven to “FEAR AND LOATHING IN FARMVILLE” GDC 2010 is now in the books, and it will be a hard one to forget because the whole conference seemed to be obsessed with one thing, which I summed up in this tweet.Or, as Sirlin puts it here: “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.”Off the top of my head, here are the highlights and lowlights of this fixation: DESIGNER NOTES 30: STEVE GAYNOR In this episode, Soren interviews Steve Gaynor, co-founder of The Fullbright Company and best known for his work on BioShock 2, Minerva’s Den, and Gone Home.They discuss whether audio diaries need to make sense, why the Gone Home family is made up of barefoot vampires who hate showers, and why Fullbright made Tacoma.. Games discussed: Minerva’s Den, Bioshock Infinite, Gone

LOOKING FOR TESTERS

DESIGNER NOTES

ABOUT SOREN

hails from a little town called Centralia in beautiful Washington State. earned a BA in History and a MS in Computer Science from Stanford University. (Here’s his spartan Stanford Home Page.)

PRESENTATIONS

neglecting the

LOOKING FOR TESTERS

So far, I have talked very rarely about 10 Crowns, my upcoming return to historical turn-based strategy gaming, and that’s going to continue for the moment. However, we are looking for alpha I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WRITE THIS POST I have voted for a Democrat in ever election in my lifetime, and while I express my political view from time to time, it’s important to acknowledge that plenty of Republicans have served their country honorably in government. DESIGNER NOTES #57: ROB DAVIAU In this episode, Soren interviews board game designer Rob Daviau, best known for his work on Risk Legacy and Pandemic Legacy.They discuss bluffing his way through his first game job interview, how he designed Betrayal at House on the Hill without either starting or finishing it, and why Risk Legacy bombed in Germany.. Games discussed: Candy Land, Impossible Mission, Dungeons and Dragons GD COLUMN 23: HOW TO BECOME A GAME DESIGNER The following was published in the Nov 2012 issue of Game Developer magazine People enter the games industry for many different reasons. For some talented artists, programmers, and musicians, a games job is a great way to employ their talents in a vibrant and creative field. GD COLUMN 5: SID’S RULES “Double or cut by half” This is ironic since on a macro level he’s up there with Madden for making the same game over and over again. I know Sid doesn’t personally = Civ, but over the course of almost 20 years, 4 iterations, and multiple add-ons, Civ has added, let’s see, culture, civics, religion, and moved espionage from a unit to a menu activity. DESIGNER NOTES 43: CLINT HOCKING Kelly tried to recruit Pryor to Oregon when he coached there,Air Max 1 Wholesale, lost to him in the Rose Bowl, and now gets the chance to face him in the NFL when Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles visit the Oakland Raiders.”Terrelle was always driven to

LOOKING FOR TESTERS

So far, I have talked very rarely about 10 Crowns, my upcoming return to historical turn-based strategy gaming, and that’s going to continue for the moment. However, we are looking for alpha

ON THE VAULT

THE ROAD TO ZYNGA

So, I’ve got a new job, which was revealed publicly in an interview at GamesIndustry International.I’ve actually been at Zynga for nine months now, so most of my games industry friends (and regular friends, for that matter) had known about it for quite awhile, making this move one of those “worst-kept secret” things. DESIGNER NOTES 30: STEVE GAYNOR In this episode, Soren interviews Steve Gaynor, co-founder of The Fullbright Company and best known for his work on BioShock 2, Minerva’s Den, and Gone Home.They discuss whether audio diaries need to make sense, why the Gone Home family is made up of barefoot vampires who hate showers, and why Fullbright made Tacoma.. Games discussed: Minerva’s Den, Bioshock Infinite, Gone WHO NEEDS A PLAYSTATION? Hey Soren, this is iko (Henrique), we met at the party at SBGames and talked a bit (I was the one blaming you for all the classes I skipped to stay home and play CIV4).

DESIGNER NOTES

SOREN JOHNSON'S GAME DESIGN JOURNAL

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THIS OLD WORLD

Posted on May 4, 2020 by

Soren Johnson

Reply

My next game, _Old World_, releases on Early Access tomorrow (May 5th) on the Epic Games Store. This might come as a bit of a surprise to some as we have not been discussing the game very often, but that is changing quickly! _Old World_ is a 4X strategy game set in the Mediterranean during Classical Antiquity. Each turn is a year, and your leader is mortal and will eventually die – passing on the crown to the next in line. I discuss the major new features here on the Mohawk blog: https://www.mohawkgames.com/2020/04/14/old-world-first-post/ For example, here is a description of the Orders system: _Orders are a resource used to issue commands across your nation. Instead of moving every unit every turn, as is traditional in 4X games, each unit can be moved as many times as desired, until the player runs out of Orders. There are many other ways to spend this resource: Combat, Construction, Events, Diplomacy, and so on. _ You can find more information on the game in these interviews: * Rock, Paper, Shotgun

:

_In the end, after a few more hours of “one more turn” (it’s taken that much from Civ, at least), I could only conclude that Old World is entirely its own thing. And I like it very much._

* Polygon

: _The

build I’ve been playing is certainly not the finished article, but it’s engrossing and fun, and I love its attempt to bring more story elements to grand strategy._

* PC Gamer : _But

once I started amassing soldiers I would run out of orders without moving half my units, and realized how much more tactical I was going

to have to be._

* I also discussed the game with Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron on the latest Game Design Round Table podcast Check out our game webpage, mohawkgames.com/oldworld , for more info and important links, including our press kit and Discord server . We will be streaming _Old World_ from the official Mohawk Games Twitch channel on release day starting at 10AM ET. Hope to see you there!

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DEV GAME CLUB ON CIVILIZATION 3 Posted on March 4, 2020 by

Soren Johnson

Reply

I was a guest on the Dev Game Club Podcast, with Brett Douville and Tim Longo Jr., talking about the history of _Civilization 3_, which took me back a long time to my first full-time job in the industry. (Indeed, I believe I started at Firaxis exactly 20 years ago this month!) It was a great conversation, and we had a little bit of discussion on my next game, which is the first time I’m returning to historical 4X gaming since _Civilization 4_. Thus, I have a lot of thoughts about what ideas in _Civilization 3_ are still worth pursuing and which ones are (or perhaps should be) dead ends. http://www.devgameclub.com/blog/2020/3/4/dgc-ep-201-bonus-interview-with-soren-johnson

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DESIGNER NOTES 51: MICHAŁ DROZDOWSKI AND PRZEMYSŁAW MARSZAŁ Posted on February 14, 2020

by Soren Johnson

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In this episode, Soren and Leyla Johnson interview Creative Director Michał Drozdowski and Art Director Przemysław Marszał of 11 Bit Studios, best known for their work on _This War Of Mine_ and _Frostpunk_. They discuss why _This War of Mine_ does not judge the player and why _Frostpunk_ does. GAMES DISCUSSED: _Anomaly_, _Anomaly: Korea_, _Anomaly 2_, _Funky Smugglers_, _Sleepwalker’s Journey_, _This War of Mine_, _Frostpunk_ https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/michal-drozdowski-and-przemyslaw-marszal

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DESIGNER NOTES 50: ALEX HUTCHINSON Posted on December 18, 2019

by Soren Johnson

1

In this episode, Soren interviews game designer Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director at Typhoon Studios and best known for his work on _Spore_, _Assassin’s Creed 3_, and _Far Cry 4_. They discuss how they both would have screwed up _SimCity_, how working at Ubisoft is like _Brewster’s Millions_, and what happened with _Spore_. GAMES DISCUSSED: _Pepper 2_, _Sensible Soccer_, _SimCity_, _The Urbz_, _The Sims 2_, _Spore_, _Army of Two: The 40th Day_, _Assassin’s Creed 3_, _Far Cry 4_, _Journey to the Savage Planet_ https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/designer-notes-50-alex-hutchinson

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LOOKING FOR TESTERS

Posted on November 21, 2019

by Soren Johnson

Reply

So far, I have talked very

rarely

about _10

Crowns_, my upcoming return to historical turn-based strategy gaming, and that’s going to continue for the moment. However, we ARE looking for alpha testers, so if you are interested, please apply here: https://forms.gle/AZ4oncefj66U4Fuy8.

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DESIGNER NOTES 49: ADAM SALTSMAN – PART 2 Posted on October 31, 2019

by Soren Johnson

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In this episode, Soren interviews game developer Adam Saltsman, who co-founded indie publisher Finji and is best known for his work on _Gravity Hook_, _Canabalt_, _Hundreds_, _Capsule_, and _Overland_. They discuss how _Mario_ speed runs are the original infinite runners, why _Canabalt_ is in 6 shades of grey, and when does Permadeath make

sense for a game.

GAMES DISCUSSED: _Canabalt_, _Captain Forever_, _Jetpack Joyride_, _Alone_, _Hundreds_, _Portico_, _Overland_, _868-HACK_, _XCOM: Enemy

Unknown_, _XCOM 2_

https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/adam-saltsman-part-2

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DESIGNER NOTES 48: ADAM SALTSMAN – PART 1 Posted on October 14, 2019

by Soren Johnson

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In this episode, Soren interviews game developer Adam Saltsman, who co-founded indie publisher Finji and is best known for his work on _Gravity Hook_, _Canabalt_, _Hundreds_, _Capsule_, and _Overland_. They discuss how _Cave Story_ showed him that he could make games on his own, why he thought he worked with the guy who invented _Boggle_, and his many failed attempts to join the video games industry. GAMES DISCUSSED: _Super Mario Bros. 2_, _Wolfenstein 3D_, _Doom_, _Cave Story_, _Tower Blocks_, _Boggle_, _Gravity Hook_, _ThrustBurst_ https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/adam-saltsman-part-1

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DESIGNER NOTES 47: BRENDON CHUNG – PART 2 Posted on August 4, 2019 by

Soren Johnson

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In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Brendon Chung, best known for his work on _Atom Zombie Smasher_, _Thirty Flights of Loving_, and _Quadrilateral Cowboy_. They discuss why Xbox Live Indie Games didn’t take off, what exactly happens at the end of _Atom Zombie Smasher_, and how streaming game development made him work harder than ever before. GAMES DISCUSSED: _Flotilla_, _Air Forte_, _Atom Zombie Smasher_, _XCOM_, _Thirty Flights of Loving_, _Quadrilateral Cowboy_, _Cursor

10_

https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/brendon-chung-part-2

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DESIGNER NOTES 46: BRENDON CHUNG – PART 1 Posted on June 29, 2019 by

Soren Johnson

2

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Brendon Chung, best known for his work on _Atom Zombie Smasher_, _Thirty Flights of Loving_, and _Quadrilateral Cowboy_. They discuss how to make an adventure game inside of Doom, why he won’t read text popups but will read the back of cereal boxes, and what does the ending of _Gravity Bone_ mean. GAMES DISCUSSED: Sierra Adventure Games, _Doom_, _XCOM_, _XCOM: Enemy Unknown_, _Planescape: Torment_, _Hexen 2_, _Strife_, _Thief_, _Company of Heroes_, _Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers_, _The Lord of the Rings: Conquest_, _Gravity Bone_ https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/brendon-chung-part-1

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DESIGNER NOTES 45: RAMI ISMAIL Posted on June 5, 2019 by

Soren Johnson

3

In this episode, Soren and Leyla Johnson interview independent game developer Rami Ismail of Vlambeer, best known for his work on _Super Crate Box_, _Ridiculous Fishing_, _Luftrausers_, and _Nuclear Throne_. They discuss why he started a company with someone he couldn’t stand, how to make games in a place without electricity, and why the world “inclusivity” can still be exclusionary. GAMES DISCUSSED: _StarCraft_, _Urban Assault_, _Final Fantasy XV_, _Nier: Automata_, _Star Wraith_, _Evochron_, _Super Crate Box_, _Serious Sam: The Random Encounter_, _Ridiculous Fishing_, _Luftrausers_, _Nuclear Throne_ https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/rami-ismail

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