A new designer offers 10 takeaways from his first time pitching to a publisher:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1215917/10-takeaways-pitching-well-known-publisher
“Player incentive and motivation concerns are a huge part of game design. An action in a game can be highly advantageous, but if it doesn’t look advantageous to the players, they won’t try it and will never learn its true value. As a designer, you have to manage the appearance of contingencies as much as the reality of them.”
Money and its use in board games:
http://drwictzboardgames.blogspot.com/2014/08/market-mechanic-lecture-money.html
Nick Bentley on catchup mechanisms, emergent complexity, goal-oriented design and more:
http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/32438/designer-diary-caught-catchup-or-my-attempt-deep-m
Why you should try to streamline your game:
“Before you say that your game will lose something if you try to streamline it, be reasonably sure that there isn’t a way that will make it easier on your future players and virtually the same when it comes to the feel of the game and the number of options it provides.”
How to create a sell sheet to get publishers interested in your game:
http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/how-to-build-a-sell-sheet-for-your-game/
Adding flavor to your game through rules, art and text:
http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/adding-flavor-to-your-game/
Basic probability for game designers:
http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/probability-for-game-designers/
The pros and cons of an “upkeep phase”–think “feed your family” or “paying income”:
http://oakleafgames.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/pros-and-cons-of-an-upkeep-phase
Stonemaier Games is holding a Design Day on Nov. 15, 2014, in St. Louis:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DLe28bNYmQ3cjnp_sm-R9J_cntN57hOtLdKH2gU5xBA/viewform
When to quit working on a design: “The sooner you can realize that a game isn’t deserving of your time, the sooner you can design one that is!”
http://boardsandbarley.com/2014/08/05/when-to-fold-em-quitting-on-your-designs/
“If you have no patience, you will fail.
You need patience while testing game.
You need patience when improving the game.
You need patience when balancing the game.
You need patience when your first game is released and – believe it or not – not the whole world will praise you.
You need it to give you strength to begin work on your second game. And third. And fourth…”
The top six things you need to know about running a Kickstarter project:
http://stonemaiergames.com/the-top-6-things-you-really-need-to-know/
Using online comments to build a brand and fan base:
http://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/192744-ep-223-building-a-crowd-with-comments-guest-jamey-stegmaier
