tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post2244503323039409824..comments2024-03-28T08:40:42.144-04:00Comments on Daniel Solis: POLL RESULTS: Familiar Themes vs. Familiar MechanicsDaniel Solishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07683491911441126187noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post-67196023959990255392012-12-28T10:49:42.140-05:002012-12-28T10:49:42.140-05:00If I do pursue more odd themes and mechanics (whic...If I do pursue more odd themes and mechanics (which I probably will), I should probably include solitaire rules variants for the reasons you state. It gives players who like novelty a channel for fun even if they can't convince anyone else to give the game a try.DanielSolisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post-68013103154661308672012-12-28T10:24:06.177-05:002012-12-28T10:24:06.177-05:00It might be most useful to think about Reiner'...It might be most useful to think about Reiner's advice in terms of what makes an enduring and widely popular game. Lots of gamers might well be interested in trying out a game with novel themes and novel mechanics, but a publisher or design is much less likely to create something timeless and evergreen by going that route. How many novel design are played once, then stored while their owners go back to Settlers or Fluxx for another dozen plays? Or, think about which movies endure in the mainstream, versus which indie masterpieces the intelligentsia bless. Reiner is essentially the Michael Bay of board gaming.<br /><br />(This effect is probably even worse in games than in movies, since you have to generally convince others to play a game with you, but you can watch an idiosyncratic movie by yourself, if you're so inclined.)Jeff Tidballnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post-24818476784890137382012-12-23T02:09:47.528-05:002012-12-23T02:09:47.528-05:00"I expected the #2 response to be much greate..."I expected the #2 response to be much greater given Knizia's advice." - I think more truthful data would have reflected this. I bet those who say they want both unfamiliar theme + mechanics mostly play games that are such. Otherwise the wilder indie games would be more successful than they are.Jack Everittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post-77664936658164354572012-12-21T17:15:52.211-05:002012-12-21T17:15:52.211-05:00Yeah, my sample is probably more skewed towards no...Yeah, my sample is probably more skewed towards novelty than the mainstream. Still, surprising to see unusual mechanics beat unusual themes so handily.DanielSolisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post-841167043518257802012-12-21T12:51:40.297-05:002012-12-21T12:51:40.297-05:00I suspect that what people say they want and what ...I suspect that what people say they want and what actual works for them are not identical.Paul Tevishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13871385215743480164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1818073417709561773.post-14591942532613778002012-12-21T10:37:27.373-05:002012-12-21T10:37:27.373-05:00i missed the poll, but unfamiliar x2 seems to be t...i missed the poll, but unfamiliar x2 seems to be the cult of the new to me. i know that i for one have played many a game over the years, and when a new game comes out, i'm looking for something radically new. i wonder why, since videogames seem to churn out fps after fps, with few changes other than theme it seems to me... i feel that the knizia comment is more directed at a sort of mass commercial audience, giving them enough of something new, but nothing too scary either.jan waebennoreply@blogger.com