Vox Republica: Podcast of The Cardboard Republic

The Legend of the Five Rings CCG has long been known for including player input in its game development, tying its community together in a unique way. This week we go behind the scenes to see what that design process entails.

Length: 42:50

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Ryan and Erin talk briefly about Erin's experience with a 'mega game' and other recent games before Ryan and Dave sit down with L5R player-turned-designer Chris Medico to chat about what goes into designing a card game with a 20-year history.

GUEST: Chris Medico and Dave Gordon

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Watch The Skies
• Sentinels of the Multiverse
• Cash N' Guns
• Inkognito
• Cthulhu Gloom

QUICK TOPICS:

• What is a 'mega game'?

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• Designing cards for Legend of the Five Rings CCG
  • Chris's history with L5R as a player before joining the design team
    • How did that happen, and how long has he been at it?
  • What goes into the process of designing a card
    • Some personal favorite cards or mechanics?
  • How L5R balances story with mechanics and overall card development
  • How exactly does the game incorporate player input into game design
  • The impact and influence of a game being 20 years old
  • Current and upcoming information of L5R sets and events

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

There are so many small gaming publishers in existence that it can be difficult keeping track of them all. Luckily, in this week's episode, we're only focusing on one - Terra Nova Games. Coincidentally, they just happen to be the folks publishing Ophir, our May Indie Spotlight game!

Length: 29:33

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Ryan and Erin talk briefly about bringing our legacy-style review of Tuscany online and more about Ophir, then they launch into an in-depth chat about the past, present, and future of Terra Nova Games with co-founder Justin Schaffer.

GUEST: Justin Schaffer

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Ophir
• Tuscany
• Witness
• Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective
• Mysterium

QUICK TOPICS:

• What is a legacy-style review?
• Ophir Giveaway Contest!

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• Learning all about Terra Nova Games
  • Justin's gaming background and interests
  • What led to the creation of the company?
  • How Terra Nova got founded
    • co-founders in separate states
  • Kickstarter experiences
  • Ophir's effect on Terra Nova
  • What's next?

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Now that we're no longer buried under six feet of snow and remember what the color green looks like, it's once again safe to go outdoors. But what if we want to bring a game or two outside with us? Which kinds of games lend well to not being at the kitchen table?

Length: 39:54

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Ryan and Erin discuss playing games outside. Now that it's spring and the weather's so nice, it seems like a good time to move your game day to the back yard. They also talk about Cards Against Humanity and the a number of games they've been playing lately.

GUEST: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Versailles
• Ophir
• The Siblings Trouble
• Sentinels of the Multiverse
• Android: Infiltration

QUICK TOPICS:

• Cards Against Humanity was a topic of conversation again
• We Reviewed King's Forge
• Ryan was a recent guest on the Whose Turn Is It Anyway podcast, discussing the role of board game media

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• Most tabletop games can be problematic trying to play outdoors
  • How often is this even done?
  • Dealing with the elements of temperature, rain, lighting, etc.
    • Lack of even surfaces and wind are huge for choosing game
  • Common traits of games we don't mind to bring outdoors
  • Some of our personal suggestions to be able to bring out into the sunlight

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Regardless of how endearing or entertaining a game is to us, it's sometimes hard to ignore a thematic element or rule that doesn't quite make sense. Yes, it's almost a guarantee that even our favorite games still have something that keeps it just shy of perfection for one reason or another, and this week we share a few our ours.

Length: 38:28

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Ryan and Erin are joined by Sean McNamara from our playtest group to discuss what they hate about the games they love. Gaming pet peeves aren't uncommon, but what aspect of your favorite game just irks you? We dig into a few of ours.

GUEST: Sean McNamara

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Viticulture & Tuscany

QUICK TOPICS:

• A legacy-style review?
• Ophir by Terra Nova Games is May's Indie Spotlight Game

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• No game is perfect, and even the best games can still cause hangups in one or two areas
  • When mechanics don't mix with the theme
  • Issues of iconography / rules interpretations / ease of accessibility
  • Setup vs Time ratios
  • Min/Maxing as optimal play
  • Solvable games
  • "The slow death"
  • And more!

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

For many of us, the appreciation of today's games result from the games of our past. Many of those games pale by today's standards, and yet we often have fond memories of them. We look at what effect, if any, that nostalgia has on gamers and the hobby in general.

Length: 41:49

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Ryan and Erin explore games of the present before diving into their past. This week is all about nostalgia in games. Plus, we also dive into the Origin and Dice Tower Award nominations.

GUEST: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Samurai Spirit
• Viticulture
• Abyss
• Hyperborea
• Camel Up
• Disaster Looms!

QUICK TOPICS:

• Origins & Dice Tower award nominations

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• How nostalgia applies to gaming overall and how nostalgia has different effects
• Nostalgia for our youth
• Pixel art and 8-bit style games
• Nostalgia for theme exists, but does nostalgia for mechanics?
• Nostalgia for the earlier eras of modern gaming
• Throwback to the 70s and 90s
• Overlap with nostalgia for youth, depending on age
• Nostalgia in general
• Idealized versions of the past color appreciation of past gaming experiences
• Is popularity of games set in certain historical eras due to nostalgia?
• You don't see too many modern farm games

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

What makes a game an automatic purchase? Curious what factors go into making something a Number One grab for people? Then this episode is an instalisten for you!

Length: 42:36

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Erin and Ryan talk about what makes a game an "instabuy", or the type of game you grab off the shelf no matter what. They also discuss what they’ve been playing lately and go into their views on invitation only conventions.

GUEST: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Penny Press by Asmadi Games
• Champions of Hara
• Hyperborea
• Alchemy

QUICK TOPICS:

• Invitation-Only Conventions
• Penny Press Contest

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• What exactly makes a game an auto-buy?
  • Known designers or publishers?
  • Themes?
  • Specific Mechanics?
  • Player count?
  • Price?
  • Popularity?

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Erin and Ryan are back! Having just returned from the picturesque shooting location of Middle-Earth known as New Zealand, they've decided to celebrate that fact by talking all about Lord of the Rings games.

Length: 34:12

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Tolkien's Middle-Earth setting has lent itself to dozens upon dozens of games over the last few decades. With myriad games embodying the tales of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (or simply borrowing the theme), Erin and Ryan look at the good and the bad of Tokien-based games over the last 40ish years.

GUEST: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• Does trying not to go crazy after being on planes for 20 hours count as a game?

QUICK TOPICS:

• Penny Press Contest

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit games have been around since at least 1970
  • Common themes of Tolkien games
    • Earlier games revolved around hex-based wargame or Roll And Move mechanics.
    • Newer games are more diverse.
  • Most of them were designed and released around movie releases
    • How much of that was coincidence and how much was deliberate?
    • The difference in quality between licensed and book-based games.
• What are the best games based in Middle-Earth?

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Note: Podcast hosts Erin and Ryan are currently enjoying a holiday away. They offer their episode from last season's recorded episode for Couch2Con, originally posted on 8/12/14.

In Erin and Ryan's Couch2Con episode, they talk to Cory Jones, Jason Tagmire, and Makenzie Cameron about pitching games at conventions.

Length: 31:50

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: This special episode was recorded for the Couch2Con project, used as a means to get people into walking practice for convention season. Erin and Ryan talk to a number of industry folk about pitching games at conventions.

GUEST: Cory Jones of Cryptozoic Entertainment, and game designers Jason Tagmire, and Makenzie Cameron.

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• N/A

QUICK TOPICS:

• Couch2Con

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• Being a designer looking to pitch at a larger convention.
  • Which approaches work to catch the attention of publishers? And which don't?
  • Are there any helpful organizations for up-and-coming designers?
  • Are conventions even necessary for designer success?
  • Red flags to avoid in a pitch.
  • How to maximize your pitch's effectiveness.
• Being a publisher being pitched to at a convention.
  • What qualities they look for when designers approach them.
  • The difference between a scheduled and unscheduled pitch.
  • Does a publisher's personal game preferences impact your odds of success?
  • The three essential questions a designer has to be able to answer in a pitch.

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Note: Podcast hosts Erin and Ryan are currently enjoying a holiday away. They offer one of their more popular episodes from the Vox Vaults, originally posted on 7/10/14.

Erin and guest Sean McNamara have drummed up lists of five video games every board gamer should try for one reason or another.

Length: 33:12

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Sometimes the best ways to learn about the influence of board games is to approach it from the outside. After coming back from the Fourth of July break, Erin and Sean dive in to chat about ten different video games every analog gamer should try.

GUEST: Sean McNamara

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• See below

QUICK TOPICS:

• Potato Salad

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• The nature of what video games can teach board gamers and why.
• Sean's Five Video Game Suggestions:

  • Final Fantasy Tactics

  • Guns of Icarus Online

  • Orcs Must Die

  • Civilization 5

  • Hearthstone

• Erin's Five Video Game Suggestions:

  • Plague, Inc.

  • The Guild series

  • The Tropico series

  • X-COM: Enemy Unknown

  • FTL

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.

Erin and Ryan talk about the criteria and logic of choosing games to travel with, the recent HABA Games announcement, and the unfortunate news of the shuttering of 5th Street Games.

Length: 26:29

Show Links: RSS | iTunes | Download Episode

Welcome back to Vox Republica, the Cardboard Republic Podcast!

We post new episodes every Thursday, with each episode being about 20 - 30 minutes long.

DESCRIPTION: Games have a wonderful knack of being capable of being played anywhere, whether it's at home, on the go, or even in line waiting for something else. Since they're about to do some traveling of their own, Erin and Ryan talk the pros - and cons - of traveling with games.

GUEST: None

RECENTLY PLAYED GAMES:

• None. No, really. Not a one. We are quite ashamed.

QUICK TOPICS:

• HABA Games gets a widespread US distributor.
• The demise of 5th Street Games.

LENGTHY TOPIC:

• Gaming on the Go: bringing games with you on a trip.
  • Are there down sides to bringing them with you?
  • Does the type of trip matter?
• Deciding on the types of games to bring.
  • What criteria should be considered. Is one style better than another?
  • The role that classic and digital games have in the conversation.

We’d love to hear from you! You can send questions or feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also reach us social media, including Twitter and BoardGameGeek.

Audio Credits: Intro music track is "Swing!" by Bargo!, used under Creative Commons license.