I've Been Diced!

I've Been Diced! episode 34: Ben Hull

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:38:29 PDT

Ben Hull stops by for an in-depth discussion of his wargames, including Fields of Fire, the Musket & Pike series, and his upcoming operational game of the Thirty Years War. Plus, Ben throws in a recommendation for historical fiction buffs at the end. (c) 2012 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 33: Go east, middle-aged man!

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:03:08 PDT

Tom's trek across the continental United States is done, so we're back to blab about boardgames. In this episode, we catch up about the games we've been playing, from fishing fleets in the Atlantic (Upon A Salty Sea) to battling Brits in North Africa (Battle Academy). We find interesting parallels between FFG's A Game Of Thrones and Radiohead. Other games discussed include Mage Knight, Nightfall

I've Been Diced! And now a special announcement

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:48:22 PDT

In which your host explains why we're pressing the pause button briefly, as he makes his way from one side of the continent to another.

Hours of fun per gaming dollar

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:05:35 PST

In the latest podcast, I proposed a measure for the value of games, the ratio of gaming hours per dollar. (Let's abbreviate this ration HPD, for convenience.) The HPD for a game like Mage Knight: The Boardgame is pretty high: out of the box, you get a very good game with a lot of depth. A lot to explore, even if there were only one scenario, but the designer provided several scenarios to explore,

I've Been Diced! episode 32: Mage Knight

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:49:30 PST

We heard that Mage Knight: The Boardgame was mildly popular, so we're providing an introduction to the game. What are the core rules, and how do they work together? What are some tips for beginning players? But first, we bemoan the frequency with which many recent games become unavailable. And later, Tom outlines his theory of gaming hours per dollar. Has that ratio gone up or down over time? Are

I've Been Diced! episode 31: Three player games

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:01:40 PST

Three gamers walk into a bar. So what do they play? We discuss three player boardgames: which ones are good, and what makes them work. Plus, a quick historical overview of Eastern Front wargames. Which is a history of history, really. (c) 2012 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 30: The games that got away

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:39:57 PST

What are the boardgames we regret not buying, when we had the chance? Which ones do we regret selling? In this episode, we discover how light of heart Dave is, and what a great burden of remorse Tom carries with him. Plus, since we've frequently discussed Martin Wallace's Princes of the Renaissance, Tom gives a quick overview of the game and a recommendation for a related Wallace game. (c) 2012

The historical pleasures of playing wargames

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:27:24 PST

We've talked about the dual appeal of wargames, as both games and explorations of history, in both the I've Been Diced! podcast and the blog. Here's another great example by Bruce Geryk from another blog, where he explains how he fell in love with an historical Advanced Squad Leader module about an obscure battle on the Eastern Front.

Are iOS boardgames better for new or experienced players?

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:14:23 PST

Yesterday, I had my first crack at the iPad version of Caylus. Amazingly, I've never played the physical version, even during the stampede of enthusiasm right after its initial release. Just something I never got around to, and now I can. My first impressions are fairly tepid. It may be the game, or it may be the port of the game to the iOS platform. The developer, Big Daddy Creations, did a

I've Been Diced! episode 29: 2011 in review

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:07:29 PST

Our obligatory but spirited take on 2011. What we liked and hated, what surprised us, what disappointed us. Plus, why Pursuit of Glory is both a great game and a great history lesson. (c) 2011 Tom Grant

Excavating the Great Escape tunnels

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:49:11 PST

Probably anyone reading this blog will want to follow this link to an article about the excavation of the tunnels that Allied soldiers used for the largest escape from a Nazi prison camp in World War II. You may have heard of the event. What was that movie called, The Big Escape? The Economy-Sized Escape?

Avalon Hill's magazine The General available in digital format

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:42:34 PST

You may have heard me wax nostalgically about Avalon Hill's "house organ," The General. That magazine was a foundation of Avalon Hill's success, since it helped initiate people into the hobby and kept them engage. The series replay articles, for example, showed you how the game worked and what basic strategies one might employ, easing adoption of even the most complex game. They gave you a "See/

I've Been Diced! cameo appearance on The Dice Tower

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:56:55 PST

The first part of the Dice Tower's 2011 in review is up, and I'm one among many contributors to it. Here's a direct link to the MP3. Many thanks to Tom Vasel for permitting me into such illustrious company. (But what happens if you don't join the Dice Tower network? Do Guido and Knuckles pay you a visit?) You'll hear our own 2011 in review in a day or two. Not only do we provide our usual lively

I've Been Diced! episode 28: Eric Lee Smith

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:27:55 PST

Our game designer interviews continue with Eric Lee Smith. Aside from designing classic wargames like Across 5 Aprils, Panzer Command, Ambush!, and The Civil War, Eric is also the founder of Shenandoah Studio, which is bringing wargames like these to the iPad. Plus, a review of both Titan the beloved boardgame and its iPad version. (c) 2012 Tom Grant

Introductory wargames should teach you something

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:39:37 PST

The introductory wargame is an elusive creature, like the Questing Beast, Nessie, or the informed news anchor. There have been lots of candidates, but nearly all of them have fallen short. For example, Memoir '44 might give someone who has never played a boardgame more complicated than Monopoly a sense of what a boardgame that simulates military conflict might be able to do. Unfortunately, it

Two new episodes of I've Been Diced! on their way

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:50:56 PST

I'm currently doing the production work on two episodes of I've Been Diced!, for publication this week: An interview with Eric Lee Smith, designer of classic wargames like The Civil War, Ambush!, and Across Five Aprils, and founder of Shenandoah Studio, which is bringing these sorts of games to the iPad. Our obligatory "2011 in review" episode. Scott, Paul, Dave (virtually), and I nominate the

Why I don't review games after one play

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:26:36 PST

I've been interested in Eclipse, since I'm a big fan of space empire games. I know that there's a Cabbage Patch Doll-like craze for it right now, since available copies sold out quickly after Eclipse got very positive early reviews on Boardgame Geek. I don't have a white-hot passion for getting a copy of the game right now, so I'll happily wait until April when the publisher, Asmodee, prints more

I've Been Diced! episode 27: An expanding universe of expansions

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:25:14 PST

Tom, Scott, and Paul discuss expansions. When is a game worth expanding? What kind of value should expansions provide -- More complexity? More of the same? A fix for a core game that didn't work? Plus, Tom reviews Elder Sign and two iOS board games, Loot And Scoot and Legion Of The Damned. (c) Tom Grant 2011

At long last, the feeds are fixed

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:56:26 PST

When we started I've Been Diced!, there was only one feed for both the podcast and the blog. While this approach kept things simple, it also meant that, over time, some of the older episodes of the podcast disappeared from iTunes. The more I posted to the blog, the more episodes disappeared from iTunes... No longer. We now have two feeds, one for just the podcast, and one for the blog (including

I've Been Diced! episode 26: Colby Dauch, designer/publisher of Summoner Wars

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:45:01 PST

Colby Dauch of Plaid Hat Games stops by to discuss Summoner Wars, his upcoming game Dungeon Run, the iOS version of Summoner Wars, Heroscape, and more. Plus, a Star Trek/Tales of the Arabian Nights hybrid is this week's Game Off The Beaten Track. (c) 2011 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 25: Genres that do or don't work as boardgames

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:44:56 PST

Summer blockbusters based on comic books are now the norm. Publishers release hundreds of new mystery novels every year. Westerns are still iconic parts of American popular culture. So why are there so few good games based on these genres, and so many better games based on medieval merchants, farmers, and castle builders? Plus, Tom recommends a few superhero games that succeed where others have

I've Been Diced! episode 24: Jim Krohn, designer of Space Empires: 4X

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:44:52 PST

Jim Krohn, designer of the just-published Space Empires: 4X, talks about the history of this game, plus some of the key design decisions that went into it. What started as a two-player monster game became something playable in a few hours. Plus, a new iPad game, King Of Dragon Pass, makes Tom nostalgic for one of his first board games. (c) 2011 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 23: Why we wargame

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:44:48 PST

Paul, Dave, and Tom discuss the distinct appeal of wargames. We play them for different reasons than other boardgames, and we judge them according to different standards. Plus, three classic wargames off the beaten track, and we discuss how Origins: How We Became Human can break your brain. (c) 2011 Tom Grant

Back after a brief hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 13:36:20 PDT

While we've been keeping pace, podcast-wise, I haven't posted to the blog in a while. I've been on the road an insane amount, had other work responsibilities, and some family stuff that needed attention. So, not much time for blogging, but I hope to catch up soon. Meanwhile, we are staying on track for the podcast, so expect a new episode next week.

I've Been Diced! episode 22: Alan Emrich of Victory Point Games

noreply@blogger.com (The I've Been Diced! gang) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:44:44 PST

Alan Emrich drops by to talk about designing games, publishing games, and teaching game design. What's his company, Victory Point Games, working on next? How do you teach game design? Is it harder to design a small game than a big one? What's the plan for getting VPG's titles onto mobile devices? Plus, the strange case of a game that deftly blends politics and war, A Line In The Sand, but didn't