Ludology

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses shuffling - A little of the math behind it, how online shuffling works, and a brief glimpse into the science of thermodynamics. Not bad for five minutes!

Ryan and Geoff interview Dr. Luke Rendell of the University of St. Andrews.  Dr. Rendell's team conducts research on social learning and the spread of ideas and culture throughout society. To assist in their reserach they ran a tournament in 2009 where anyone could submit a strategy to play a game based on social learning. Dr. Rendell is now sponsoring a new tournament with some added depth to the game, this time with a 25,000 euro prize. for the best solutions. We invited Dr. Rendell to join us to discuss the role of gaming in research, what they have learned from the prior tournament, and possible pitfalls. If you are interested in learning more about the competition, including full game rules, please check out the link here. Note that this time they are having a special 1,000 euro prize for the best performing strategy submitted by a a school class (through high school), so if you are a teacher this may be an excellent project for a group of interested students.

Back in 2009 Geoff interviewed Scott Nesin, builder of a Dice Tower capable of rolling 1.3 million dice per day. What inspired him to take on a project like that? Check out the video before listening to the inteview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n8LNxGbZbs

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff are joined by special guest Norbert Brunhuber, who is very active in the Warmachine/Hordes community.  The discussion centers around two topics: 'Monogamers' - those who play only a single game or game system (not gamers who have mono!). What is necessary in a game that will hold someone's interest for years? Why do some people prefer a single game system and others want to play a different game every week? Miniature Gaming - what is the appeal? What are the differences between board and miniature games, and where is there crossover?

Back in 2008 Geoff talked about a tournament to learn about how individuals interact within a social group.  He and his family submitted an entry, but sadly did not win the 10,000 euro prize. However there's a successor tournament with more options and more strategies to explore. In this week's Ludology we replay the original segment, and give a quick review of some of the changes this time around. If you're interested in the finding out more about the tournament, check it out here: Social Learning Strategies Tournament.

Ryan and Geoff look deep into the heart of cooperative games to figure out why some work and some don't.  What special problems face the designer of a coop?

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about streakiness in dice rolling in The Settlers of Catan. How often should it occur? And what effect does a 'Dice Deck' have on the game?

Fresh off of their visit to Gencon in August, Ryan and Geoff talk about the subcultures of gaming, their similarities, differences, and the ways they interact.

Original research from the GameTek Laboratories! Geoff looks at the Cube Tower from Wallenstein/Shogun and experiments to see if there is any pattern to when the cubes fall out. Take your Shogun game to the next level!

Ryan and Geoff finally resolve the cliff-hanger back from episode 12 and reveal the game they think brought dice back into popularity as a design tool not just a randomizer but as an integral part of gaming mechanics. They discuss a variety of techniques that have been used to incorporate dice into modern games, and speculate on what the future will bring.

What is involved in localizing a game into a different language? Geoff talks with the team who worked to translate Agricola from German to English and finds out.

This episode we are pleased to be joined by Mike Elliott. Mike is the designer of Quarriors and Thunderstone, and also worked for many years with Wizards of the Coast doing design work on Magic and other CCGs. We discuss the specific design issues that arise for deck-building games and collectible card games.

Can you outguess your opponent?  Geoff digs into some experiments that may give the answer in this classic GameTek episode.

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff explore dice, and dissect the history of their use in games.

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff takes a look at the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors, and what it tells us about game theory.

Ryan and Geoff discuss Family Games - What are they and what makes them work?  Ryan goes back to his educational theory studies to break it down.

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff takes a look at abstract games, and attempts to solve them by computer. And does it matter if they are?

Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to be joined this episode by special guest Scott Nicholson, of On Boardgames, and Boardgames with Scott.  They discuss complexity - different types of complexity, when complexity is called for, and how it can be managed.

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff takes a look at research that was done on the fairness of dice. How 'unfair' can standard off-the-shelf dice get?

Ryan and Geoff discuss the differences between turn-based and simultaneous-action games. What are the advantages of each type of design?