Re: MG details (response to MS)

["boardgamesbook" <dhohls@...>]

--- In piecepack@yahoogroups.com, Karol Boyle <karol@m...> wrote:
> On 1/4/04 5:48 PM, "Mike Schoessow" <mikeschoessow@c...> wrote:
> 
> > Hey Karol, the new products look very nice! Best wishes for 
increased sales in
> > 2004! This is truly something that is a win for all of us. I get 
the feeling
> > that piecepack is sort of "turning a corner" if the number of 
posts is any
> > indication, and the new product releases can only help.

> Authors can expect to hear from me privately about upgrading the 
look of
> their games on piecepack . Org as I did for the MG rulebook, with 
the added
> benefit of my digital camera for shooting images of set up. This 
would
> benefit the entire community - though I do have a hidden motive 
which is the
> betterment of the MG rulebook! (not so hidden)
> 
> > Now that the quantity of games has grown so much, I think it may 
be a good
> > idea to organize them a bit more in the future (looking at things 
from the
> > viewpoint of future Mesomorph customers really; we piecepack 
veterans know
> > what's out there no matter how they are listed).  I think it 
would be a good
> > first step to categorize the games by type. An example of 
categories would be,
> > abstract games, race games, dexterity games, thematic games. This 
shouldn't be
> > very controversial I would think. Further breaking down of the 
thematic
> > category would also be possible. 
> 
> I've wanted to categorize the games by type for a long time - 
haven't had
> the time, if someone wanted to volunteer to do this for us that 
would be
> awesome! We could post in on the piecepack site as well as on the 
CD and
> Rulebook for MG. 

[various other issues snipped]

Karol

Add in my 2c to say that I think the quality of products available 
for piecepack fans is really superb.  Hopefully some of the newer 
game designs will take  advantage of the expansion sets now 
available...

With regard to game classification, let's not lose sight of the great 
work already done by people like Iain - see 
http://www.ludism.org/ppwiki/TaxonomyOfPiecepackGames

As far as the "look of the games rules" goes, Ken Rice and I are 
about halfway through the process of converting all the current rules 
to DocBook (XML) format.   (more on this later in January).  This 
format will allow for any person or group  to then create their 
own "look and feel" for the rule sets, if so desired.   Obviously, MG 
can pursue whatever approach they deem best for their business, 
but it would be nice to be able to cooperate on this if at all 
possible.

Thanks
Derek

PS I would also like to work on a uniform  "look-and-feel" for the 
graphics, that does *not* rely on bitmap images, but will first work 
on finishing off the rules project.