In reading the rules, I’m really struck by how many of the concepts and systems are very similar to other games that you have worked on as well as other FFG titles- the order stack mechanic Warrior Knights, the resource mining is very similar to what we saw in the WarCraft board game, and there’s undoubtedly a little Twilight Imperium in there as well. To what extent did you feel the influence of other FFG titles and to extend the question, how do you feel about the game designer as auteur- in other words, do you think it’s significant that designers have idiosyncratic, identifiable styles? How would you classify your style?

It is inevitable that the games we play will influence the games that we design. While there are obvious similarities in mechanics, most of them were not intentionally copied or imitated. As I evolve as a game designer, I find certain types of mechanics that work and they inspire me to create new and innovative mechanics. For example both Warrior Knights and StarCraft use cards in their dice-less combat system, but both are resolved in extremely different ways. It is very important to us (FFG) to always be pushing the envelope of innovation and creativity. While we are not afraid to be inspired by older games, we always strive to find new ways to overcome old design obstacles.

The board looks a bit different to say the least.

Are there any plans to expand StarCraft or for further games set in the StarCraft universe? Where do you see StarCraft in five years- particularly with the long-awaited sequel to the PC game looming large?

While we do not yet have plans for an expansion, I think that we can all assume that it will happen if the game does well. The fact that StarCraft II has been announced was a great surprise for us and will definitely help all aspects of the license. Should we decide to make an expansion, I have a plethora of ideas that I would love to implement. If I had to make a wild guess about the future of StarCraft in general, I would say 5 years from now people will be playing StarCraft: The Massive Multiplayer Online Real Time Strategy Game, and a StarCraft movie is announced to be in production.

It just wouldn't be a Fantasy Flight game without event cards.

As a final thought, how do you think board game designers and publishers could better attract and interest gamers who aren’t even aware of games like those published by Fantasy Flight? So many people in the board gaming hobby are convinced that it’s an unwinnable “battle” against the BioShocks and HALO 3s out there and still others seem to want to keep the hobby some sort of elitist, “members only” sort of clique. How do board games stay relevant, modern, and vital in this environment?

Personally, I think that video games actually help the board game community. I play plenty of video games (BioShock is amazing), and think that video games and board games are not mutually exclusive. I think that having board games in different mediums (such as Xbox live) make people more aware of board games. Declaring a champion between board gaming and video gaming is like making everyone use left handed scissors; it wouldn't work for everyone.

I think that board gaming today is more relevant and alive than it was ten years ago. At the same time that technology is improving, the quality of game components and design are also improving. Board games design is evolving in the same way that the single core processor had to be invented before the quad core processor could exist.

I also believe that when the term "board game" is mentioned to a non gamer, they immediately think of Candyland or Monopoly. By making people aware of the current state of board games, I think that we can expand our audience and continue to grow as a community.

We'd like to thank Corey for taking the time to talk with us about about the game. For more information on the StarCraft board game, head over to the FFG website

Questions or comments for Michael? Send them along to gameshark.feedback@yahoo.com .

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