Episode 261: Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975 with John Poniske

[Rob Zacny]

Bruce concludes his three-part series with game designer and Vietnam veteran John Poniske. The pair discuss John's game Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975 and its inspiration and design decisions.

 

Hearts and Minds at Boardgamegeek.

 

Listen here.

[DukeofChutney]

This is a really interesting interview. John has a very clear and interesting opinion on the history and his game.

 

Are you going to look at the forth coming Fire in the Lake by GMT games at all? I'm sure either Mark Herman or Volko would gladly talk about it, also you could get any of the other COIN game designers.

 

I have not actually played any vietnam strategy games. I think the only Nam game i've played is the PC shooter Vietcong, which is more of a Hollywood approach to the war.  I do however have a copy of VPGs Korean War sitting around. 

[spacerumsfeld]

Duke, you can hear my interview with Volko Ruhnke at

http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2014/05/09/qt3-games-podcast-bringing-vietnam-table/

[DukeofChutney]

sweet, thanks 

[hexgrid]

It was a great interview. With respect to the Stalingrad vs. Vietnam thing, though, I assume part of the reason games showed up so quickly for Stalingrad is that the US wasn't directly involved.  I don't imagine the Russians or the Germans were making many games about Stalingrad for quite a while afterwards.

[spacerumsfeld]

It was a great interview. With respect to the Stalingrad vs. Vietnam thing, though, I assume part of the reason games showed up so quickly for Stalingrad is that the US wasn't directly involved.  I don't imagine the Russians or the Germans were making many games about Stalingrad for quite a while afterwards.

 

I guess I used a poor example - D-Day and Bulge games came out around this time as well, in which the US was directly involved.  But good point about Stalingrad.

[spacerumsfeld]

Now that the Vietnam series is over, would you guys be interested in another series of interviews with game designers on a single topic?  Or is it just too much of the same thing?

[Gormongous]

Now that the Vietnam series is over, would you guys be interested in another series of interviews with game designers on a single topic?  Or is it just too much of the same thing?

 

No, I think it's really interesting to have grouped series of interviews with developers working on similar subjects and systems. Would it be possible to have something pre-modern as the next one? I would love to hear people talk about ancient or early modern warfare (or politics or economics or anything).

[hexgrid]

Now that the Vietnam series is over, would you guys be interested in another series of interviews with game designers on a single topic?  Or is it just too much of the same thing?

 

More please.  Sets of three or four are probably about right, but there's lots of scope for interesting comparisons. Setting (ie: like your Vietnam series) is interesting; other conflicts would make interesting subject matter, but so would (for instance) comparing the Junta board game with the Tropico series.  Or different models of electoral systems or political campaigns.

 

Mechanics would make an interesting common thread as well.

[DukeofChutney]

I'm definitely interested in a series on a similar subject.

 

Part of what made this series so good was that both the hosts and the guests had a personal perspective on the subject matter, and that perspective mattered. I come here mostly to listen to game analysis and discussion but i like a strong human experience element to it as well. I guess this will be harder to replicate because Vietnam was an emotive subject for many involved and is still within living memory. I also liked the discussion that carried between interviews, particularly around victory conditions, could the US win? These two threads made the podcasts feel much more like a series of connected episodes.

 

I'm not sure what topics would work best. I don't think the series necessarily has to be historical. I do think the designers have to have faced some similar design decisions and gone in differing directions, and i think the designers need some sort of personal perspective on the subject matter.

 

some easy marks might be;

 

WW1 - its under represented for a long time. It is emotive, there are different views on the history

 

Colonialism and how it is represented in games - this allows you to do both PC and board formats quite easily and lighter games. Its emotive.

 

ACW, napoleonics, Romans, Sengoku Japan etc all could be done but i think its harder to find a focus in such broad topics as what the games on these topics are trying to represent is much more varied. You could do the Peloponnesian war though, i think there are at least 3 games on the subject that deal with it at a similar scale including designs by Craig Besinque, Tom Daigliesh, Mark Herman and a Spanish euro game design.

[MikeO]

John is a wise man.  I would love to play his game, but I didn't kickstarter it, and haven't found it available yet. Soon, I hope. Thanks for this excellent interview about the game and the war as a whole, Bruce.

[MikeO]

Now that the Vietnam series is over, would you guys be

interested in another series of interviews with game designers on a single topic?  Or is it just too much of the same thing?

Bruce, it's a bit of an overlap with your Vietnam interviews, but I'd love to see a series on counterinsurgency games. I've really been fascinated with the topic lately. I don't know if you have played any of Kim Kanger's games, but he is a terrific interview. He has a new game on Dien Bien Phu coming out soon, and he has designed very interesting games on the French/ Vietminh conflict in Tonkin, and the French/ Algerian war.

Of course, Brian Train is another good candidate, co-designer of A Distant Plain, and he has a game on the Algerian conflict of his own. (Along with other counterinsurgent designs)

[spacerumsfeld]

You read my mind on Kim Kanger , Mike. I'm going to finish A Savage War of Peace before I talk to him. Look for it later in the year. I really like Tonkin and Ici, c'est la France.

[Vampiro]

My first post

Bruce, I would like to thank you for this fantastic series. I would like to see more, be it on a specific conflict or game mechanic. I think a series of 3 or 4 is about right. It gives you different perspectives. Since there has always been a «regular» 3MA podcast between the parts of the series, it is for sure not an overdose

What I particularly liked about the series was that you and your guest brought in a lot of expertise and historical and political background information (and how it might be reflected in the game). Also the short explanations (eg for a specific offensive in the current podcast) were very much appreciated.

Personally, I am interested in all types of topics I'd like to suggest the First World War, the French-German War 1870/71, the (Spanish) Conquest of the New World or the different take on very specific offensives such as the Battle of the Bulge. I'd also enjoy, if possible, to include one PC Game.

Thanks a lot for the Podcasts.

Ben