tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046699676074993791.post3702282836708562380..comments2023-07-01T04:55:45.022-05:00Comments on iSlayTheDragon | Board Game Reviews, Guides, Articles: When Game Terminology Is TerminalAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16943069743769638883noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046699676074993791.post-56842553863370242782012-11-09T23:36:21.920-06:002012-11-09T23:36:21.920-06:00I think the answer is, "Sort of." For m...I think the answer is, "Sort of." For me, the quintessential example is <i>Belfort</i>. When I read the rules, I recognized a lot of mechanisms I'd seen in other Euro games - indeed, part of its appeal is its clever blend of some of those mechanics. Everything had a new name, but the functions were recognizable and the concepts transferable.<br /><br />In my house, it is my customary role to read the rules and then explain the game to my wife, Kathy (who as often as not beats me in the first session or two). I specifically remember explaining the "Recruiter's Desk" in <i>Belfort</i> by simply saying, "It's like 'Family Growth' in <i>Agricola</i>." Right away she knew what I meant. I just needed to add that the "Recruiter's Desk" costs two gold to use, unlike "Family Growth," which is free.<br /><br />I genuinely believe that designers are afraid that if they borrow a mechanism and call it the same thing as a term that is used in another game, it will give the impression that the game is simply copied, or a variation on a theme, and not a whole new game. My current work-in-progress is "East India Company," which includes a strong pickup-and-deliver process. If I used all the same terminology as <i>Merchants of Venus</i>, then "EIC" might give the impression of just being a knock-off. Moreover, players might ignore the key elements of "EIC" that do make it unique.<br /><br />I'm reminded of a recent controversy regarding the game <i>You are the Maniac</i>, which by many accounts is a thinly-veiled copy of <i>Guillotine</i>, right down to the text on many of the cards. There's a difference between game design being inspired by other games, and a game being what amounts to a re-implementation of another game.<br /><br />But I think this quest for originality and legitimacy may be at the heart of why you see different names for the same concept in different games.Paul Owenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260814589584723033noreply@blogger.com