Quick tips for things to consider when testing for balance:

• Take notes throughout, but act upon the final result.
• Good balance isn’t just fairness, but an approximately equal set of choices.
• Always keep your design goals in mind.
• Test with the same data before making changes.
• Balance testing cannot truly begin until the mechanics are completed.

http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/09/14/balance-testing/

Colby Dauch (@PlaidHatGames) joins the All Us Geeks podcast (@AllUsGeeks) to discuss running an up-and-coming board game publishing company, the indie gaming industry, Kickstarter and more:

http://www.allusgeeks.com/2012/09/episode-11-geeks-wear-plaid/

Donald X. Vaccarino discusses deck building, designing expansions and promos, and more on the Little Metal Dog Show (@idlemichael):

http://littlemetaldog.com/2012/09/12/episode-45-hordes-and-awards/

“When you do a game, you just take a little bit of life and just put it on the board. The better life experience you have, I think the better game designer you will be.”

— Antoine Bauza (@toinito)

The Syracuse Game Designers’ Guild meets for the first time on Friday, Sept. 14, 2012:

http://www.purplepawn.com/2012/09/syracuse-game-designers-guild/

What publishing and distribution options are available in today’s board game industry, and what are the pros and cons of each?

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/observations-about-changes-in-game.html

An open, limited-time offer to create free art bits for board games:

http://www.bgdf.com/node/7068

“

Game designers need to have courage to throw ideas to the bin and start right from the beginning. 

That what game design is - no mercy.

”

— Ignacy Trzewiczek (@trzewik)

How to be taken seriously by publishers:

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/getting-foot-into-professional-tabletop.html

James Ernest (@cheapassjames) on the biggest obstacle to becoming a game designer:

There are two definitions of “game designer.” They are “creator” and “developer” or maybe “inventor” and “refiner.” These are both important jobs and you don’t usually find them both in the same person.

“Refiners” need their adult brains turned on. They need to be critical, ask questions, test, and fix broken games. As such, people who tend to live in their adult mode all the time make better refiners.

“Inventors” need their adult brains to shut up. When you’re making something new, everything needs to be awesome. You need to stop second-guessing every spark before you manage to light the fire. You need to stop fixing the leaks before the ship is built. So people who can think with their child brains make better Inventors.

I’d say the biggest obstacle to your becoming a well-rounded game designer is your natural tendency to spend all your waking life thinking with your adult brain.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/zq14c/im_james_ernest_president_of_cheapass_games_and/c66rnwz

The Boardroomers (@Boardroomers) discuss Kickstarter from the perspectives of publishers and consumers.

Topics covered include stretch goals and exclusives, running multiple campaigns, engaging with backers and promoting a campaign.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oYIvUyYic4&feature=plcp

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU0zfY712RA&feature=plcp

Ignacy Trzewiczek (@trzewik) of Portal Publishing discusses gaming in Poland, surprising themes for board games, designing asymmetric games and more, on the G*M*S Magazine Podcast (@gmsmagazine):

http://www.gmsmagazine.com/podcasts/the-gms-magazine-podcast-episode-57portal-with-ignacy

An open offer to copy-edit your rulebook:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/854618/dont-send-out-grammatically-crappy-misspelly-ruleb

Gaming Industry Personalities Discuss Kickstarter

http://agamemag.com/archives/2087

“Just as with sport, the drama in a good board game is not created by focusing on the “referee”–or rules–of the game, but can only really happen when the rules take a back seat to the gameplay.”

— Jeffrey D. Allers

Examples of cards with awesome graphic design:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/853365/examples-of-cards-with-awesome-graphic-design

“Call all the local game stores in your town and find out which ones have a “board game night” and then go to it. Having a community of game-lovers at the ready that gather on a regular basis makes playtesting with a wider range of individuals a whole lot easier.”

— Ian Steadman, G.U. Games

“Consider submitting to a publisher if only to hear their feedback and consider it. The publisher’s feedback is more often valid than not.”

— Richard Garfield

“Go the extra mile and really get a diverse set of independent playtesters. Be aware that even feedback from people you don’t view as being in the target market can positively influence your game.”

— Richard Garfield

Galen Ciscell, designer of Atlantis Rising, shares some lessons learned about working with a publisher on his game’s artwork and components:

If you find yourself doing the art direction for your game, know what you want ahead of time, communicate that clearly to your artist both verbally and, if possible, visually, and work with your artists from the beginning to realize your vision.

Be willing to adapt and experiment with new ideas you hadn’t considered. Publishers and artists know the business and know what is doable and what could be improved!

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/12580/designer-diary-atlantis-rising-or-how-atlantis-ros