Craig Van Ness Q&A Thread

[Dad_Scaper]

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.

[Craig Van Ness]

Originally Posted by Dad_Scaper

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.

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.

[GaryLASQ]

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.)

Originally Posted by Craig Van Ness

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.

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.

[Craig Van Ness]

Originally Posted by GaryLASQ

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.

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

Originally Posted by GaryLASQ

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.

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

[wriggz]

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.

[TGRF]

Originally Posted by wriggz

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.

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.

[Craig Van Ness]

Originally Posted by wriggz

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.

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

[Sir Heroscape]

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...

[Dad_Scaper]

Originally Posted by Xorlof

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.

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!

[Porkins]

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?

[Craig Van Ness]

Originally Posted by Porkins

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?

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

[quozl]

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!