Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Do you have a question for Craig Van Ness, the lead designer of Heroscape? If so, this is place to ask!

Since he's new on the site and there may be some pent up demand in wondering about this-or-that, I ask you all to use your good judgement and not flood him with too many questions too quickly. He tells me most any question is fine, but if he can't answer something, I'm sure he'll tell ya that.

Welcome, Craig!

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hello Craig! Tell us about the genesis of Heroscape. Did it begin as an idea that you conceived and pitched to Hasbro? Did Hasbro direct its creation? Or was there some other path to its inception?

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

"Welcome back; your dreams were your ticket out."
--Welcome Back, Kotter

Will you be needing any play testers for Shifting Realms, your first product?

It sounds great! (;) I note that my board game collection includes Risk 2210, Star Wars Queen's Gambit, Heroscape, and MTG:AOTP.)

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hi Craig, and good to have you with us!

I realize WotC still has the rights to HS (to the best of my knowledge), so bringing it back isn't likely. I was struck by an idea though:

Bringing HS back might be out of the question, but what if you were to create a game using minis in the same scale as HS? Then all we/you would need to do is make custom cards for them. Boom! HS is back!

The difference between that and normal customs is that they would belong to a game that is being promoted, meaning they could be bought in stores like HS figures used to be. That way, the game you create would have an instant following, and HS would get restored, at least partially. You'd basically be designing two games with one, and collecting a following for each, rather than for just one game.

Do you think that's viable?

~TGRF, who admits he is a game developer in the realm of the mind only. For now.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hey Craig, very excited to have you around. I still show off the Raelin card you signed for me in 2011 all the time. I finally met Rob this year at Gencon, so I'm acquainted with two of the creators of my all-time favorite game.

My question: how much Heroscape do you play/have you played? Did you do a lot of the testing yourself as waves came out or was there a design/development divide like I've heard about in Magic and other games? Did you/do you have a playing group where you play Heroscape for fun semi-regularly?

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hi, Craig.

It seems to me that Heroscape attracts a special community. You see it at Heroscape tournaments and you see it here on this site. I don't know why we're different but we are. As a guy familiar with Heroscape, with the broader gaming community, and with the industry, Craig, why is it, do you think, that we're better than everybody else nicer than everybody else different?

Thank you for offering to answer questions, and best of luck on your exciting new Thing.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

I don't have a question, but I do have Thanks.

Back around Christmas 2007 my life was not as amazing at it is now. I was in a bad relationship and had drifted from friends and family. I had seen Heroscape since it was first released, but for some reason that Christmas I figured I would treat myself and I bought both master sets (even though I really had no-one to play with). Over the following months I found this online community and an offline one. I collected more units and learnt everything I could about the game. Whenever I was down I still had my hobby to keep me sane.

It has been Years now, and I reconnected with my friends and family, got married and a new son that I can't wait to introduce Heroscape Too. As cliché as it seems, the game you designed helped me get through some tough times.

I'm more grateful than I can express here, and just wanted you to know.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

I'm glad the community created by HS had that effect, Wriggz. Even though I don't believe we've ever encountered each other on this forum before, I'm proud to be part of a community that can do such a thing.

I also have thanks, and inspired by the above, would like to share it. Those that know me know that I spend a lot of time in the Fan Fiction forum, and have for many years. I've been honing my skill as a writer, and plan to start publishing novels in the near future. Without HeroScape, the fan site created by it, and the incredible community that has been created, I would be no closer to that goal than I was when I first joined, six years ago (actually only off by 6 days there).

Thanks Craig. Thanks for creating HeroScape, a game that has brought so many people together from all over the place to create the best online community I've ever seen. And thanks for indirectly helping me to become a writer. HeroScape has impacted my life in more ways than one.

~TGRF.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hey Craig, it's great to see you officially join us here. We're all excited for you and here to support you.

I have to admit, reading @The Grim Reaper's Friend 's comment really excited me. I think that's a brilliant idea, and could help you get started on your feet b/c as he said we'd be there to buy those figures for a dual purpose. Who knows, maybe you could pair up with the C3V/SoV team to create customs for the figures you release...assuming of course your games will be using miniatures...

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

In similar contexts, I have seen people make a serious effort to confine their posts to questions, so as not to burden the guy who graciously volunteered to answer them. Please, either (1) ask a question, or (2) post your thoughts somewhere else. Maybe a different thread about what Heroscape has meant to you, or something.

But let's keep this thread focused on questions and answers, please. I think that would be easiest for Craig & the rest of us to read.

Thank you!

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Many of the designers at Hasbro at the time we were pitching Heroscape were playing miniature games. We had pitched miniature concepts before but Heroclix was in mass market with their DC and Marvel line. I think this is why this time we were successful in pitching a miniatures concept like Heroscape.

We came up with several ideas for Game Systems using miniatures. I think the plastic terrain made Heroscape stand out. Alan Roach created this stop motion video of the terrain being built in different ways, we knew we had something. Stephen Baker, the designer of Heroquest and many other fun games, came up with the idea for the terrain. We worked together on the core engine of the game. We wanted to create an easy to get into immersive mass market miniatures experience. Many miniature games require you to stay in a group or move with a group. I wanted squads, but I wanted the ability to treat then very similar to how the heroes worked to keep the rules simple. We tried to keep it as simple as possible, always making rules that made common sense. All the designers, especially Rob Daviau, and non-designer playtesters kicked in and helped out. With a game system like Heroscape there are so many cards to design and test. Rob Daviau, Chris Schubach and I worked on the story in the beginning.

I hope that answers your questions.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Probably a Hasbro IP question, so if you can't answer, that's OK:

We've heard rumors. Is it true that Star Wars Heroscape was developed and never released?

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Shifting Realms is pretty close to being finished concerning the game play. However, we are currently working on the next group of games, one of which will include the first expansion for Shifting Realms. We are looking for playtesters. For now, if you have a group of playtesters and you want to help out contact me through Heroscapers.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Given the number of tabletop miniature games that were readily adaptable to the use of Heroscape terrain tiles, was there ever any discussion about marketing packages of just the terrain tiles?

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

I'd like to know about the connection the Arena of the Planeswalkers game has to Heroscape. Obviously, that game built off the Heroscape foundation and then went in a slightly different direction. Were you involved in those design decisions and can you elaborate on why those decisions were made?

Thank you!

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Welcome Craig!

Is there any special terrain that was designed and never released? I mean both because it didn't work or because production was halted.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

TGRF
Interesting idea. I think this would be a confusing message for a new game- A new game that can be easily customized to work with Heroscape.

If you want Heroscape back, I would think this would be something that you might try negotiating with Hasbro Inc.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Lately, I have been playing mostly the games we are designing for Soaring Rhino. While working on Heroscape, I play tested all the time. Early on, I had a playtest forum that allowed me to communicate with many different playtest groups around the country. We also used the forum to track changes. Many of the people on my original playtest forum are now very successful in the gaming industry and they almost all came from Heroscapers.com.

There was no divide between design and development.

Now, I play Heroscape with my kids. It is so fun to pull out the bins of terrain and let them run wild with their terrain creations. And when I say bins, I mean many bins.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

The customization wouldn't have to be part of the game promotion. It would be a game just like any other. It would just 'happen' to have figures that could fit in the HS universe. I'd imagine the many custom groups here on HS would be glad to take on the entire customization part if necessary.
This could of course work with multiple games, given how diverse HS is. A game about robots, one about aliens that resemble marro, one with fantasy creatures... then we would take those minis and create custom cards for them. All the HS players on HSers would then buy those minis for their compatibility in HS, and in the process probably get hooked on your other games as well. Win-win.

However, you know vastly more about game design and promotion than I do, so this is just a thought of mine.

~TGRF.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Craig,

Why does Taelord cost so much?

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

I think Heroscapers.com plays a big role in creating a friendly fun environment where people contribute creatively and continue to make a game more than just a game.

Also, I think Heroscape has a big father/son following which tends to make it more about having fun with the family, less about destroying and humiliating your opponent in every tournament game.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Donald X. Vaccarino has posted extensively about the creation and publication of Dominion. One of the things that has most interested me about that story is that, until recently, all of the cards and expansions that were published were more or less already created and planned out when DXV brought the game to the publisher. Heroscape had a very different formation, since it was created internally within Hasbro. Nonetheless I'm curious--how far along were the game's later releases when, say, RotV went to press?

--

In a similar vein, several of the units in the game were released before the units that they synergized with. In some cases, we know this was on purpose (e.g. the gladiators). I'm curious: did you ever intentionally design and publish units that had synergy with other units that did not yet exist WITHOUT having anything pinned down for them to synergize with?

--

Do you have any advice to aspiring game designers? Or, separately, advice to aspiring creatives of any kind?

--

I am so excited to see you posting on these boards. I hope you feel comfortable sticking around for a while. Heroscape was the first board game I got really into and is my favorite board game to this day. I look forward to when my kids are old enough that I can teach it to them.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hi Craig!!!

Did you really think / feel Marvel was supposed to be mixed and that it was a good idea to do so??? :-P

Totally kidding ;-) ..............mostly

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Have you checked out the insane amount of projects we have on this site? From C3V to C3G to HoSS to BoV to SoV to Heroes of Fiction to WoS to Fan Fiction Contests to the Unit Battle Royale to Online Heroscape (now in Season 25), there's a huge body of effort and creativity across this forum.

You've really helped to inspire it all. So thanks.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Hello Craig and welcome to Heroscapers.com! (As weird as that feels; saying "welcome" to someone who was primarily responsible for the existence of the game that this forum revolves around.)

My son and I started playing on Christmas Day of 2004 (when he was 8 years old) and we are still playing it. Thanks for creating such a great game.

No questions yet ... just wanted to say hello :)

Edit: Oh wait, it's a Q&A thread, so I better ask something...

Was there ever any discussion at Hasbro about changing how expansions were packaged for retailers, so that store owners could order x-number of boxes that just had copies of Uniques in them, and order x-number of boxes that just had Commons in them? I remember way back in the day, running around from store to store, unsuccessfully trying to find more "Road to the Forgotten Forest" sets, only to see piles and piles of unsold "Orm's Return" on the shelf. I later found out that this was because each box the retailer got had 3 sets of Orm's and 1 set of RttFF in it.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Thanks for sharing wriggz. Your story put a big smile on my face!

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

We did create many army cards for the Star Wars Heroscape.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Yes, many discussions. I think we could of done a much better job giving the hobby market a piece of the Heroscape line.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Any chance we could get a Craig Van Ness custom as a National Heroscape Day surprise some day? ;)

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

We worked on several MTG boardgames before landing on the one that is similar to Heroscape. That was the game WOTC liked the most.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Here is one question I cannot answer completely. Yes, we developed lots of different kinds of terrain that did not make it to market, but Hasbro still owns those concepts/ideas, so I don't think I should share.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

This question made me lol.
Do you really want me to answer this? Not sure if you still have old heroscapers pod casts available, but I think I answered this question many many years ago.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Thanks for answering so many questions! It's really great to learn so much about Heroscape. I've enjoyed this game with my dad for more than half of my life, and it is really fun to read the thoughts of someone who made that all happen.

Which figures are you proudest of releasing? Or happiest with the end product?

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Dominion. My dominion cards are worn from playing that game.
When RotV went to press I think we had waves 1,2, and 3 in the works.

Not sure I completely understand this question. We wanted to create lots of opportunities to mix and match armies in different ways. We also wanted to create a couple ways to field what I would call standard armies. The marro, orcs, and samurai are examples. It was a planned process, but we also flexed a bit when needed. Sometimes, if players thought an army card was over costed we would look for ways to synergize that card with future army cards or planned armies.

Game Designer Advice- This could be a long answer, I'll give you the short one.
Get a mentor if you can.
Get to a playable prototype as soon as possible, then surround yourself with players that want to contribute and are good at contributing. Play, Improve, Play, Improve, keep going until you are happy or you want to try designing a different game.

Don't waste time or money on art until you have designed a game that you are very happy with.

Advice for creatives of any kind-
Work hard. Do your best. Have fun. That's what I tell my kids everyday before they go to school. If you are doing something creative, you are probably already having fun.

I've always been here, just not posting... Thanks for the kind words.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Rÿchean- good to hear from you!

We always kept them separate when we would get together and play. While designing, we did playtest them against each other to make them balanced if players wanted to mix the worlds.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Craig,

First of all I can't even begin to thank you for the countless hours I've spent with friends, nephews/nieces and my kids playing this incredible game over the years.

I bumped into Rob, bungee & co at gencon this year and when they recognized the heroscapers.com logo on the shirt I was wearing he introduced himself. Poor guy...I went total fanboy on him to thank him as well.

In 2007 I asked you to autograph an entire set of RotV cards to give away on this site.
http://www.heroscapers.com/community...ad.php?t=11543

In 2008, I bumped into you again and asked you to do the same for a SotM...
http://www.heroscapers.com/community...ad.php?t=20863

I forgot to keep one for myself. Any chance of getting an autographed Drake card?

...and was this Evil Raelin ever considered for production?

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...l%20RayRay.jpg

Again-

Thank you for this game and best wishes on your future endeavors with Soaring Rhino.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Proof! From the designer himself. Those who lack the desire should not force those with the desire to feel sub-human!

Hi Craig,
What was life like on a day-to-day basis working on Heroscape? I have a hard time picturing the every day grind.
~ET86

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

:-D

Well that was worth the effort to get you to post here for the first time in over 2 years!

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Time for a lighthearted silly question:

If you could make a perfect crossover between Heroscape and any other boardgame, what would it be?

Mine would be PandemiaScape (Pandemic + HS) or Assault of Valhalla (Imperial Assault / Descent + HS)

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

superfrog
I just started to check out this section. Honestly, while I was at Hasbro, I would avoid the forum section Custom Heroscape Creations. I didn't want to look at the ideas for cards because I thought it might add a filter to the way we were designing armies and army cards. But now that I am doing my own thing, this section is crazy! There is so much creative content!!! It is going to take me a long time just to catch up with everything. I thought about designing some customs, but for me, to do it right, I feel like I would need to be familiar with all the cool customs that are on the site already.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Make sure you don't miss this one. :)

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

GaryLASQ
Wow! I'm sure heroscapers helped to keep your interest going all those years. Thanks for the compliment.

Yes. Many many discussions. That's one of the reasons I left Hasbro. I wanted more control over everything.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Not this soon. I need time to look at all the cool customs that have already been created.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Ok, I will pick 5.

That's a tough one. My first thought was Sgt. Drake Alexander, the first one, because he is named after my son Drake and Rob's son Alex. Plus I have always liked WWII minis and the story we created was really about his journey.

The next one I thought of was Sonlen. It's named after one of the talented designers of who worked on Heroscape, Chris Nelson. The sculpt is pretty awesome, and his powers are cool.

Realin, the first one.

Kaemon Awa. The sculpt and the paint job on this guy is insane and he is a solid hero to field.

Krug. Krug good. Krug strong.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Back in the day there were occasionally blurry pictures of something like a shelf with unreleased and unannounced heroes and squads. Did you ever lurk those discussions and get a kick out of the wild speculation that was tossed around?

Fangirl
 

Thank you so much for the hard work you put into this game. It has provided me with many hours of entertainment and introduced me to this wonderful community who has been a positive impact on my life. I am happy I got to run into you at Gencon 2015 and I am super happy I have a signed Ashigaru Harquebus card.

Question that goes in an opposite direction from vegie. What's your biggest regret designwise or something you wish you had done differently?

~Dysole, feeling like she could probably ask many more questions

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

On a similar vein, would you ever mix Arena of the Planeswalker with Heroscape? The 500-600 point limit and similar attack and defense values on the units seem to suggest it would be somewhat balanced, and lots of people have given the experiment a try with varying results.

Re: Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread
 

Craig,

I just wanted to let you know that I bought a Master Set One for my son's 7th birthday in 2007. I bought it on a whim. We have been hooked ever since. We have made new friends that are now like family. It actually reunited me with an old friend and his kids, he is now my best friend and like a brother.
this game is more than a game to us. It has given us a "father and son" gaming night to a lot of us here.
We have amassed a collection of epic proportions here at my house. SO MANY memories with family and friends over this game.

Thank you for your creation and what it has done for us! Good luck with your future endeavors, sir.

-Chachi

PS- I won't bother with the "where is HS2.0" and other things. It would be epic if something happened, but we are grateful for what we have.

PSS- I won't plug my design site here, but if you ever need an artist for anything, let me know ;)