Archive for Bernd Eisenstein
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Bernd Eisenstein
Germany
Berlin
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Introduction by designer Jeffrey D. Allers:
I'm not someone who becomes enamored with one particular game – or even one game system. By nature, I enjoy variety, and if anything I like to look at new game systems more for exploring the possibilities of expanding them or changing them. Likewise, although I like Dominion and admire the originality in the design, I was not drawn into the "deck-building" craze it inspired on both sides of the Atlantic.
My friend, Bernd Eisenstein, however, thought that the system might work with a conflict-oriented game he was working on, and soon it was the backbone of yet another game set in his favorite theme: antiquity. It also featured another of Bernd's favorite game elements: players starting from different positions with civilizations that have varying special powers (as in his first self-published title, Peloponnes).
As this game developed, I began to call it "Eurotrash" as it seemed to combine the victory-point scoring and elegant rules so typical in German-style games, with the direct "take that" conflict and battle mechanics of so-called "Ameritrash" games popular on the other side of the ocean. I'm not as big of a fan of the latter, but the game has grown on me over its playtesting period, especially as Bernd has improved the design. I am quite amazed at the way he can balance so many elements, especially when every player has a different starting position. And with the addition of all-out conflict and the mythical creatures, this little game should have a wide appeal.
Pergamemnon is scheduled to be released at Bernd's Irongames stand in Essen in 2011 and what follows are his design notes. - Jeff
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In the beginning of 2009, I began to design a card game based on the browser game Grepolis. This game idea fascinated me for a long time. The mechanisms were somewhat similar to the deck-building of Dominion, but without as much card shuffling and with more interaction due to direct conflict. Added to that were civilizations with different advantages and disadvantages to make the game more variable.
At the beginning, I drudged through the process for a long time with rules that were much too complicated concerning the counterstrikes and distance shots for each battle. In order to simplify the game, I removed the extra rules for the different weapons.
Cards from the prototype
In addition, powerful mythical creatures could take several hits, and each needed several cards to record each wound. The bookkeeping involved was also too fiddly and complicated. Once this was removed, it was necessary to refine the strengths of each creature without making them too overwhelmingly powerful. To balance them better, I made some have the special ability to escape a losing battle, while others have "secure" victory points.
Once the final mechanisms were discovered, I entered the most difficult phase in the game's development: playtesting the civilizations against each other to make certain they were balanced. Each nation needed to have an equal chance at victory, although the strength of that nation was dependent each time on the particular strengths of the nations played by the opponents that game. After testing every combination many times, I believe I achieved enough of that balance.
Cards from the prototype
I showed the prototype to Matthias Catrein (illustrator for Peloponnes and one of several for Dominion) and he was immediately enthusiastic and could not pass up on the opportunity to produce the fantastic illustrations for the cards.
Should the game find its target audience, there is nothing standing in the way of expansions, such as further civilizations and mythical creatures!
Bernd Eisenstein
(Editor's note: First published on Allers' Berlin Game Design blog on August 26, 2011. —WEM)
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Bernd Eisenstein
Germany
Berlin
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Introduction by designer Jeffrey D. Allers:
I enjoy very much the opportunity to see and play the creative game ideas that our group of designers brings to the table each week. Some people I've met do not care too much for playing "unfinished" games that might have game-breaking flaws, but I like to see the potential in each idea, and I savor my role in providing feedback that will spur the designer on to realize that potential.
Even so, there are very few games that I get excited about after the first playing as much as this card game by my friend, Bernd Eisenstein. In fact, I eagerly looked forward to playing the game in each iteration and was bitterly disappointed on those evenings when he did not even bring the prototype with him. When we did play it, we almost always played a second game back-to-back. It's that addictive.
Yes, there were some challenges at the beginning – especially making sure the different elements were balanced. Since the tension of determining a Roman or slave revolt victory was at the heart of the game, Bernd had to get this right for it to work, and it was never guaranteed that it could work with the other mechanisms he had developed. But we can all thankful for Bernd's persistence, as this will undoubtably be one of my favorite strategic card games from now on, heavy enough for my Spielfreak friends, but with enough luck to keep it from becoming a brain-burner.
The game is scheduled to be released at Bernd's Irongames stand in Essen in 2011 and what follows are his design notes. - Jeff
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During the time between the Spiel game convention in October 2010 and the end of that year, I had a relatively simple idea for a card game. The main concept was for a multi-player game about a two-sided conflict, with the winner of that conflict determining the winning conditions for the players. Because I am a fan of games about antiquity, I chose the theme of the Spartacus slave revolt against Rome.
I was inspired by Scripts & Scribes in designing my card-distribution mechanism: Each turn, a player draws three cards – one at a time – and decides for each whether to add it to his hand, add it to the market, or slip it back under the deck. Then he can buy cards from the market, add cards from his hand to his display (for a price), and collect income.
I finished the first prototype in lightning speed, and the first playtests that I conducted by myself showed much promise. In fact, for a time, I focused almost exclusively on Partacus, which was my working title for the game back then.
Cover of the prototype and a sample card
After having high hopes to have the game ready for Spiel 2011, however, further playtests with others showed weaknesses and the design did not progress to my fullest satisfaction. Instead, I focused more on my other card game, Pergamemnon, as the next Irongames release.
For a long time, the main problem was getting the card combinations right and balancing their special powers. After reaching a breakthrough in this area, the next challenge was to achieve a balance in the conflict between Rome and the revolting slaves. I knew that Rome always needed to have the possibility of winning, so that the slaves could not count on their own victory. It also had to be possible to intentionally play for a Roman victory, and it also had to be possible for the other players to try to prevent this.
Cards from the prototype
As this slowly came together through extensive playtesting and design tweaks, my hopes were restored for a 2011 release. Even so, I was still balancing the game up until shortly before the delivery of the illustrations by Klemens Franz (illustrator for Agricola, among many others) to the printer.
And just before the game was sent out, during another playtest round at the Spielwiese gaming café in Berlin, a notable guest inspired another last-minute change. Mariano Iannelli of Italian publisher What's Your Game? suggested the better title – PAX – and fortunately it was not yet too late to change it.
Bernd Eisenstein
(Editor's note: First published on Allers' Berlin Game Design blog on August 23, 2011. —WEM)
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Cards from the prototype
Cards from the prototype
