DVG moving to Matrix?

[JD Walter]

Hi Dan,

Glad to hear you & Derek are partnering with Matrix to bring Hornet Leader (HL) to the PC.

HL is one of my favorite GMT boardgames. I am looking forward to the conversion and what you & Derek can do in the way of updates and automation of mechanics.

Does this herald a new direction for Dan Verssen Games (DVG) in its strategic partnering?

I ask because Battlefront is also one of my favorite companies, and am concerned about the current spate of rumors surrounding its bringing ToW to market and its financial investment therein.

Hopefully they will recoup their costs and turn a nice profit, to allow continued development of new titles and new releases on their end as well. Matrix is clearly on a roll, with a current line-up that's left many gamers (myself included) with an overabundance of great new games to play! [:)]

[StormcloudCreations]

Thanks for the nice words, Def Zep!

The mechanics are quite automated in the PC version now, so it leaves the player to do all the strategic planning and decision making that makes the board game great without all the book-keeping!

[Dan Verssen]

Hello Def Zep,

Thank you for the kind words!

I'm handling the computer game designs like I have the tabletop designs. Different designs are best matched with different companys. When I come up with a computer game design I start contacting the companys that I think it is best suited for, and hopefully one of them says 'yes'.

-Dan Verssen
www.dvg.com

[JD Walter]

Thanks, Derek & Dan, for your responses.

It's great to see HL coming to the PC. I am confident the combination of Derek's programming skills and Dan's well-constructed boardgame design will produce a solid title for Matrix here. Wonderful to see you two working together on this project. The PC's great for solitaire gaming, and HL is a premier design! [:)]

The mechanics are quite automated in the PC version now, so it leaves the player to do all the strategic planning and decision making that makes the board game great without all the book-keeping!

Excellent! Always admired your insight & vision, Derek, and I think your philosophy here is (once-again) right on track.

I'm handling the computer game designs like I have the tabletop designs. Different designs are best matched with different companys.

Very good approach, Dan. I work in the contracts field for a major Fortune 500 company, and we tailor our strategic partnerships on our projects with the right companies for the job. Your approach is logical and sound.

Best wishes to you both on this effort. I look forward to it and will definitely be picking it up when it's ready!

[cdbeck]

I for one would like to see Down in Flames Dragons and Down with the Empire put into PC game format (from the Vassal). I like the original Down in Flames, but the pics of the other two looked really neat! We need some more fantasy and sci-fi wargames. Any thought to these?

SoM

[SlapBone]

ORIGINAL: Son_of_Montfort

more fantasy

I don't think fantasy jives with the powers that be. It has never been said outright, but after 7 years , it's pretty obvious.

[David Heath]

Well I like the fantasy women but I can't figure out how to make a game that we could get away with publishing [:D]

[cdbeck]

Memo:

Matrix Games to publish new tactical fantasy game by Boris Vallejo! Use enchanted weapons! Command legions of Sea Creatures (mildly NSFW)! A mix of sword versus gun in this exciting steam-punk gameplay! Play your cards right, and you might just ascend to Godhood! Coming soon!

I think that just might be the way to do it David! [;)]

Seriously though, I don't see that the "powers that be" have any problem with Sci-Fi Fantasy. Some of my favorite Matrix games are Sci-Fi (and they have genre fields for them in the listings).

SoM

[StormcloudCreations]

I had actually offered for Matrix to perhaps publish my "Arcadia" game (would bring it a much wider audience than I could on my own), and its a sim/strategy title, and Matrix basically inferred that they weren't that fond of "fantasy" based games, so...who knows. [:)]

[cdbeck]

I'm intriuged about this "Arcadia" game. Care to elaborate (either here or on a PM)?

That is too bad, for a while Matrix was publishing a run of sci-fi games. Starships Unlimited (which is great simple fun), Titans of Steel (the game that brought my attention to Matrix), Supremacy (ok, this one I didn't care for, but it was a good idea on paper). I think Matrix would have a lot of their fans buy fantasy games, many of us like games such as Fantasy General (IMHO better than the Panzer General series) and Dominions (we have several Dominions 3 fans here).

Incidentally Derek, do you have a website for Stormcloud Creations? And, pardon my ignorance, how are you related to DVG?

SoM

[David Heath]

Hi Guys
 
We are big fans of Sci-Fi games.  We are interested in Fantasy games but we really have not found one that we feel match our customer base.  We would be interested in a Fantasy General but to be honest we have not found one yet.
 
David
 
 

[StormcloudCreations]

SoM: I do have a website. Just type Stormcloud Creations in nearly any major search engine, and it should be right at the top. [:D]
It details all my stuff.
 
I'm not "related" to DVG company wise, aside from us working together on this Hornet Leader PC project. But it looks like DVG and I will be doing more stuff together in the future.

[cdbeck]

Thanks Derek! I looked you up, and I think I have played some of your games before! Small world...

David, I wasn't implying that you all don't like Fantasy games. Just that you haven't published one in a while. I know it is hard to please all of the "grumpy grognards." I mean no offense when I say, I am sure I can't be the only one that is a little tired of World War II... [:D]

That is why Hornet Leader and Guns of August appeal to me. Nice to see a change of pace and a required change of tactics. To tell you the truth, in recent time, Fantasy ANYTHING hasn't been real great (with the exception of a few RPG's and about one or two RTS, and Dominions).

SoM