Ask the Elephant - September '24 Q&A w/ Edward of Heavy Cardboard

[@thenewamericanunderground3149]

Crater Lake is a real stunner, one of those "those photos dont do it justice." You think you've seen that blue water but you haven't unless you've been there in person. Was one of the most magical places, especially hiking down and swimming in it. Yosemite is amazing too that valley is do special. Had to hike in to get away from the crowds but found quiet time with the water...

[@ricotruant86]

Always great to watch these Q & A's after they aired. Just too bad that I didn't catch this one live since I would have asked if we would see Capstone's other major Essen release on the channel (Black Forest) and why is it that we do not see some other major publishers' games on the channel like Garphill Games or Devir. Are their games too light or medium for Heavy Cardboard to give them any attention?

[@iTimik]

Tiletum and White Castle are great mid-weight dice games

[@robertm3806]

When took a bus tour down to Grand Canyon from Vegas, the driver said he has tried taking pictures for 20+ years and still hasn't taken one that does it justice. Also impressive, when we drove by the Hoover Dam and realized the bus could fit into the diversion tunnels sideways with room to spare

[@thenewamericanunderground3149]

Did you ever get your hands on a copy of the stellar roadtrip saga Blue Highways? Some of the most colorful, rich and nuanced ethnographic storytelling of roadtripping the US back highways. You'd love it Edward, especially the authors take on greasy spoons and classic diners.

[@iansutton7416]

Re: the plantation. It's good to be honest about history and not over-simplify it to fit our modern outlook / perceptions. There is so much nuance in real life, not the simplified perspective Disney and indeed most of Hollywood presents. Hence exploring the subtleties and learning about them (and learning about ourselves) in the process, helps develop us as humans. It's a shame you had to watch your words as much as you did, as you're right, it's obvious your moral compass is solid. 7th continent or updated version - I presume you mean 7th Citadel. I've not played the latter, but I'm told it offers an improved experience, addressing some of the issues of the original. Pulsar 2849 very much an under the radar game. Theme is pretty loosely pasted on, but it has a super dice (snake) drafting mechanism, that I enjoy, plus a very solid points salad that allows for widely divergent strategies. Solid Medium weight. Also a thought for future games to play - there aren't many, but what about team games e.g. Undaunted 2 vs 2, or Concordia 2 vs. 2 vs. 2 (I know you're not a huge fan of that game, but it has a super team game). Nithrania is indeed a very good channel for how to play. As an alternative to the rather dry style of the leading how to play content creators, I love the quirky style of 'Adventures in Creative Software' a New Zealand guy, who makes great use of graphical tools alongside some superb humour. As for history, if you enjoy a giggle, watch some Philomena Cunk

[@cunbw]

Thanks for the response about AI in board games. I was thinking of AI being used to play-test games. For example “playing” 10,000 rounds of a game within an hour and then giving the developer summary feedback of the results. (Basically testing whether the game is balanced and technically sound.) Also I could see a place for Solo gamers to have an AI run some of the “bot” side of games. I love playing solo but managing the decisions of my turns and the bots can sometimes be overwhelming. The games still have to be fun and engaging. I think at the end of the day creativity of the designer will still be the most valuable part of game design.

[@diceyodds5971]

Glacier National Park is my favorite, it’s in northern Montana

[@Heavycardboard]

We drove the Road to the Sun last year!👍🏼