Preparing For Origins 2012

Origins 2012 is right around the corner--just two weeks away! This year I'll be there from Thursday until Saturday. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making some new ones. Here's my to-do list for the con:

Objective #1 - Talk to publishers about my current prototypes. I will be bringing 4-5 unpublished games with me this year. I just had a nice session playing one of them tonight.

Objective #2 - Spend some time at the Jolly Roger Games booth showing off Family Vacation. The art continues to lag on this one. The working prototype will look very similar to the one I had displayed last year. Maybe next year we'll have it printed and available for purchase . . .

Objective #3 - Spend a bit of time at the Minion Games booth talking about Kingdom of Solomon. We got another nice review today.

Objective #4 - Meet other designers and cross-pollinate. The less said about this the better . . .

Objective #5 - Meet Wil Wheaton! He is supposed to be at the con and he likes Revolution! We'll see how it turns out.

Objective #6 - Buy one or two new games. Play two or three new games.

If you are heading to Origins, let me know. For sure, stop by the Board Room and say hi. It should be a great time!

Gaming with Introverts

Wait--isn't that redundant? Who else plays board games except introverts? Good point. I believe that extroverts (and plenty of introverts masquerading as extroverts) play games, too. The obnoxiously loud table of chuckle-headed fist-pounders ruining your quiet, thoughtful game of Puerto Rico has become almost a cliche. A recent criticism of some modern games is that they are nothing more that multiplayer solitaire. Yet quite a few people seem to really enjoy these games. How does being an introvert or an extrovert play into the world of board games?

I just finished reading a great book on this subject called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.The author delves into the current scientific literature, mostly neurobiology and psychology, to explore the upside of being an introvert (or learning from them if you're not one). By the way, yes, I am an introvert. I'll pause for your to recover and compose yourself after reading such a shocking revelation.

I'm probably a little better at hiding it than some, but I do hit almost all of the basic indicators: reflective, cerebral, bookish, unassuming, sensitive, thoughtful, serious, contemplative, subtle, introspective, inner-directed, gentle, calm, modest, solitude-seeking, shy, risk-averse, and thin-skinned. If you don't see yourself in this list, maybe you are an extrovert: ebullient, expansive, sociable, gregarious, excitable, dominant, assertive, active, risk-taking, thick-skinned, outer-directed, lighthearted, bold, and comfortable in the spotlight.

While reading through the book, I noticed a few ideas that might apply to the world of board games. First, let me share a few interesting tidbits. Some of the most engaging research comes from Jerome Kagan. He divides people into two groups: high-reactive and low-reactive. And he can identify these two types in very small children and babies. High-reactive babies cry more and wave their arms when confronted with a variety of new and confusing stimuli. They become introverts. Low-reactive babies don't really bat an eye at new experiences. They become extroverts. Some of his long-range studies have tracked his predictions over the years and, sure enough, he was correct. Some of his students extended this research to track the early participants well into adulthood. These types remain quite constant as people grow older.

This relationship exists because of the relative sensitivity of a person's nervous system, specifically the amygdala. In introverts, the amygdala is triggered more easily causing them to become over-taxed by the surrounding environment. Too many strange people or loud noise begins to drain them of energy. They must be alone to recharge themselves. Extroverts, on the other hand, gain energy from being around other people. They begin to wilt during extended times of solitude.

Those loud tables of Munchkin/Werewolf/Resistance/ attract higher numbers of extroverts. The introverts gravitate towards the more strategic euros and wargames. Of course, lots of people play both, but everyone has a sweet spot of comfort.

Another interesting difference is how the two process dopamine, the pleasure-inducing chemical inside the brain. Extroverts tend to experience rewards in a much more powerful way. They can be called reward-sensitive. When extroverts achieve a goal or experience pleasure (or even consider the possibility of doing so), their brains go crazy with dopamine. However, introverts experience a much less-intense rush during pleasant activities. It takes far more to get them excited. This is why introverts are often better at poker. Extroverts can't keep cool as easily with all that dopamine flooding their system.

Studies show that introverts will work on a puzzle much longer than extroverts. They concentrate longer and in a more focused way. However, extroverts work more quickly. They don't "waste" brainpower assessing the situation surrounding the task at hand--they just do it. Introverts take longer because they are always asking "what if".

I think this explains why some games rub me the wrong way. I usually don't like time pressure in a game. I want time to ponder my options--like chess. Other people run away from games like that--they're far too boring for many extroverts. This introvert/extrovert dynamic can cause friction in gaming groups. However, we can also find that we can share wonderful experiences with people of the opposite temperament.

There were a few more insights related to game design and some indications about what gaming situations different people might enjoy, but I haven't had enough time to think through them yet. I highly recommend this book if you are at all interested in the topic. It was encouraging to have often-overlooked strengths pointed out and praised. Our gaming groups and opinions would also benefit from such analysis.

Catching Up

Last week was an absolute blur. We got an offer on our house, looked at houses, put in a new kitchen floor, had the offer retracted and have now been working through additional logistics and house-prepping. What a nerve-racking process!

Despite all this, I've managed a little game-related activity. Isabel and I attended the Axis & Allies Spring Gathering here in Cincinnati. Usually this venue features other games besides Axis & Allies. And other people who are between games and want to play something shorter. Not so much this time. I showed some prototypes around and snagged another playtester, but I didn't actually get anything played except 7 Wonders and a poorly-explained game of Munchkin--my first and probably last time playing it.

In other news, I've been seeing bits and pieces from my upcoming AEG release, Courtier. Go to the BGG entry and become a fan today! Here is a sneak peek at the board, posted on Twitter by Todd Rowland:

Also, I've just heard about an interesting deal involving Kingdom of Solomon and possible foreign language versions/distribution. It will be really cool to finally turn a profit on that one . . .

FYI, I'm still finalizing plans for Origins. Anyone have half a hotel room to spare?

Happy Easter

WARNING: This post does not contain any game-related content. Since it's Easter, I thought I'd post something concerning the Resurrection for those who may be curious.

Five Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

1. The Roman executioners certified His death. His friends also agreed that He was dead. Jesus was buried in a sealed tomb guarded by soldiers.

2. The empty tomb was discovered by women. This fact would have been embarrassing to the patriarchal culture of the day and would have been changed/skipped in a fictional version.

3. The disciples went from hiding behind a locked door to openly and boldly proclaiming the risen Messiah, eventually suffering death for their belief in Jesus.

4. The Jewish authorities could have squelched the fledgeling Christian movement by producing the body of Jesus. They do not even attempt to produce a fake body, let alone the real one. They did pay the soldiers to lie about falling asleep at the tomb.

5. Over 500 people saw the risen Jesus. The earliest manuscripts of the Gospels date back to within 30-50 years of Jesus' crucifixion. Eye-witnesses were still living at this time and could have corrected a false version of events. Non-biblical historians from that time verify much of the factual information found in the Gospel accounts.

Those are just a few reasons why I believe in the Resurrection. Thanks for taking the time to read them! Game-related posts will resume shortly.

Tempest Revealed

Finally I can talk about one of my secrets: Tempest from AEG. My new game (tentatively called Courtier at the moment) was mentioned on BGN today along with the other two more finished games in the series. I'm actually supposed to be writing some articles about the design process, so lots more on this later. Stay tuned!

Interview

 In case you missed it, I was recently on The Little Metal Dog Show talking about games. I thought it turned out very well. My only regret was that I never got to mention the time my wife and I got to visit the UK a few years ago. Best. Vacation. Ever.

Secrets . . .

As I mentioned on Twitter this morning, I am currently in possession of a number of cool secrets about upcoming games. I will now attempt to discuss these secrets without revealing them. :)

1. I recently worked on some new Wizkids projects, some of which made me very excited. Unfortunately, my designs were not selected. :( But it was still a positive experience and lots of fun. Also, the NDA agreement I signed with them would diminish my fortunes significantly (something approximating indentured servitude) if I spilled any of their beans.

2. I recently signed a new contract with AEG. It turns out that one of my games fits their upcoming product line. If you've ever played my game called Henry the Great, that will give you a good idea of what's coming. Except the theme has changed somewhat and the mechanics have been super-charged. If you don't recognize that game, you'll have to wait until the announcement and my series of articles on the subject! The final testing should be happening sometime in the near future on the secret AEG playtesting forums. Also, I might actually get paid for this one . . .

3. The art for Family Vacation is coming along very slowly. But what I've seen looks really good! Maybe I'll post some of these sketches in a few weeks . . . if more art gets finished. Jacob Walker is the artist for this project. We're currently aiming to have a finished (or nearly finished), fully-playable prototype on display at Origins. We will be launching the Kickstarter for this game around this time, if not sooner.

4. Yesterday I got some Revolution!-related news. I sent them a few new ideas and one is currently being explored. I think it could be very awesome! If you were at the Revolution! tournament the other night, you might have gotten a little sneak peek. So just pretend you didn't see that. :)

5. Finally, I'm currently in the final stages of development for a new game that's been cooking since the summer of 2010. It's really starting to take shape and come together. Rough edges are being smoothed and shine is being applied. To assist me with this crucial phase, I've been quietly recruiting a team of elite playtesters and set up my own super-secret forum. If you would like to be considered for this team (to work on this and future projects in exchange for glory and swag), sent me an email.

One last bit of non-secret news. The next big shipment of Kingdom of Solomon should be in transit and arrive sometime in March. We've had some really good reviews so far. This one by Ender on BGG is probably the best. Happy gaming!