Twenty Questions:
An Interview with Jim Ward
The National Gamers Guild recently had a chance to talk with
gaming guru Jim Ward. Mr.
Ward has been designing games for over 20 years and is currently working
with Elemental Designer Games (EDG – http://www.chessmage.com)
on their new game Chessmage. Members
of the NGG are on the play testing crew and have been watching this game
develop from the ground up. Stay
tuned for updates on that as we start to beat each other up with our
beta-test decks! Not one to
let an opportunity pass by, I asked Mr. Ward for an interview.
He was glad to comply and share his wisdom.
By the way, when I started, there were only 20 questions, but you
know how interviews go. So,
sit back…and enjoy!
First of all, thank you for agreeing to do this interview.
It is an honor to be talking with you today.
Thank you.
Name some of the games or gaming systems you have authored or
designed.
Metamorphosis Alpha, which has its 25th
Anniversary in April, Many AD&D (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons)
products…Deities And Demigods is one, Dragonball Z CCG (it was a lot of
fun to sit and watch all of the episodes to get that one worked up),
Dragon Dice, Spellfire, Greyhawk and many others.
I can email you my resume, which would have a complete list if you
like.
This is pretty good. A
complete list would probably be quite long.
Well, yes. It
would be about a page or so.
What was it like to work with Gary Gygax?
It was a lot of fun. Gary is
a very imaginative man. Good
at working with people and getting the most out of them.
He was very territorial, wanting things his way.
But it was successful. Of
course, he is responsible for creating a whole new gaming genre.
Gary created the Role-Playing game.
That is big.
Who would comprise your “dream group” of adventurers?
That is, whom would you like to sit at the table with you when
Role-Playing?
Gary to DM. Mike Gray (designer at Hasbro), Rich Borg (freelance
designer), Tom Wahm, Dave Conant (TSR), myself, as the Wizard of course.
If you could play any character in an RPG setting, what
would it be? And do you feel this character is anything like yourself?
Wizard Type. Lusting
after magic. Wealth means
nothing. The next big magic
item is what I want. I’m
definitely a Chaotic Good player. When
things are going slow, I have to do something to spice it up.
My friends have learned to duck when I am playing.
What was your favorite RPG character you played?
Lidabmob (that’s Bombadil backwards).
He was my wizard that I got up to 14tth Level in D&D 1st Edition.
1st
Edition…Things have changed a lot since then.
Yes they have.
Another is Wren, a 10th level Thief.
I have worked him into a lot of my products.
You are well known for your contributions in the RPG
community, how is it that you became involved with CCGs?
That just became the next big thing.
We watched Wizards of the Coast become big with Magic: The
Gathering. I suggested we
needed to do something about it. I
talked my corporate people into Spellfire.
Game was good and interesting, but didn’t have the staying power
of Magic. CCGs became big and
I just started to get into the industry.
Do you have any advice for would-be game designers?
That’s tough. A quote comes
to mind, “The Glory Road is filled with rocks”. That’s from Glory
Road by Robert Heinlein. Another
one is “There are more successful astronauts than successful game
designers.” It’s not easy
to do and fraught with peril. It’s
an ugly road to travel. The
best advice would be to read as much as possible.
What do you feel is the biggest advance in RPGs and CCGs
since you became involved in the industry?
The biggest concept is the idea of writing the game with the total
beginner in mind. Early
D&D was written thinking that someone would teach new people to play.
Nowadays, you have to open the box, read the material brand new,
have no idea and still get it to work.
It encourages new gamers. Anyone
who doesn’t do that is doomed to failure.
What is your favorite movie? What is your favorite book?
There are two favorite movies. Forbidden Planet was my favorite for a long time.
Then…did you see Groundhog Day with Bill Murray?
Yes. That is a good one.
That would be another favorite of mine.
My favorite book would be Time Enough for Love by Robert
Heinlein. That is the only
book that ever made me cry.
Who was your biggest influence?
Robert Heinlein and Roger Zelazny. They have contributed the most to my design skills.
I feel comfortable going from Sci-Fi to Japanese Anime and back due
to their influence. I read a lot.
We are working on the same project together, Chessmage.
How do you feel that is going?
Rough draft is done. Play
testing is ready to start. I
always love my babies. Steven’s
great idea, combining chess with a CCG...I just love it.
It makes for a wonderful marriage.
People are going to discover a whole cool new world.
This game has the potential to be as big as Magic.
I think it’s been amazing since you came
on board. It seems we were
tossing around ideas, starting to put ideas together, and then Steven
announces, “The esteemed Mr. Ward is coming on as part of the design
crew.” Then, BAM!
We have test decks and a rulebook.
It all happened rather quickly after that.
(Laughs) Well, that’s what they pay me for.
If you could be a superhero, which one would you be, and why?
Oh, that’s a good question. (Pause) Superman.
The range of powers that he has.
Definitely The Man of Steel. I
am a big comic reader. Another
would be Mangus Robot Fighter. He
was trained in the martial arts to fight evil robots.
Anyone I would be would have to fight evil.
What is different about today’s gamer compared to 20 years
ago?
We are deep in the Nintendo generation.
If it doesn’t squeak and beep, it’s supposed to be a bad game.
Gamers don’t want to spend 2 or 3 hours playing a game, they want
to do it in 20 minutes. The
day of the 20-30 day RPG campaign is gone.
That is a design challenge. You
pretty much have to design a game that is done in 20-30 minutes.
What is different about today’s game company compared to 20
years ago?
There are more of them now. Anyone
with a Mac and desire can make a game. There are tons of little companies out there that there
weren’t before. We used to
have loyal followers. They
would pick up the TSR theme and buy every one.
Today, there are much fewer loyal followers.
They are more splintered. It’s
hard to be loyal when you can’t identify the company.
Most companies don’t stick with consistent themes.
Magic: The Gathering, as big as it is, doesn’t use consistent
themes. We knew when we
bought Ravenloft, for example, what we were getting.
That doesn’t happen anymore.
What is it like to have spanned a generation of Gamers?
I remember buying Deities and Demigods off the shelf and now my son
and I like to play the Dragonball Z CCG.
It allows me to sit on my high horse and observe what is happening with an
experienced eye. It is nice
to have the experience with so many game products.
The quality is out there in the industry.
There are a lot of new ideas being tried.
The game industry has improved through the years as they become
savvier as to what people want to play.
Are you able to choose a game that is your favorite?
As a matter of fact, I have it right here.
Condottiere by EuroGames. It’s
About Italy and the Renaissance period.
Armies going out to conquer all of Italy.
I like a game with good strategy but which also allows the players
to come up with new things. 2-6
players about 30 minutes. Highly
recommended.
Quovadis – A political game by Reiner Knizia.
Another wonderful game. I
play lots of games. I try to
play a new game every week.
Do you have a favorite type of game?
(Board, CCG, RPG, Miniature)
Poker. My dad taught me how
to play poker and took my allowances for many months.
If I had my druthers, I would play that the most.
I like the stakes. There
is something about wagering cash against other people.
It puts a stronger significance on the game.
Is there anything new out there, which has impressed you?
That’s a fair question. The
Lord of the Rings CCG has some very good elements.
I would have liked it to be a little more complex, but I like that
you sometimes play the good guys, sometimes you play the bad guys.
Have you visited the NGG site? What did you think of it? (More of that shameless
self-promotion.)
Yes. I love it.
There is a ton of great information there.
And last, but not least, Boxers or Briefs?
(Laughs) Briefs
Mr. Ward thanks again for your time.
It has been a great pleasure.
You’re welcome. Now, have
you had a chance to play some Chessmage yet?
No. We
haven’t gotten our test decks yet.
We are hoping to get them soon though.
Well, they are ready to go, so I don’t know what is holding Steven up.
Maybe I should give him a call next?
I would.
Interview by Bill Albanito
(Posted 02-26-02)
Are you a big shot in the
gaming industry?
Maybe a little shot? If you would like to be considered
(or nominate someone to be considered) for our "20 questions with
___" please e-mail
Mr.
Albanito directly! Thank you!