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A podcast about topics in game design featuring the many people who come together to make games possible.

Jul 17, 2014

Editor's Note: due to its length, this is the first part of a two-part interview with Rob Daviau. The second part will be released on the 26th of July.

Star Wars Epic Duels is a miniatures released by Milton Bradley/Hasbro back in 2002 during the disappointing Star Wars prequels. This game is originally meant for kids but brought my friends and I hours of entertainment because of its simplicity and short play time. In this game, you choose a main and minor character miniature pairing (these pairings are preset), along with a deck of cards for that pairing. Have your friends do the same, and you are ready to rock the universe. This game allows you to have any duel you can imagine within the Star Wars Universe. Do you want to watch Mace Windu fight Luke Skywalker? Go ahead. Have you ever wondered who would win between Darth Maul and Jango Fett? It would be Darth Maul because Jango is terrible. I think you get my point.

Our discussion in this half of the interview with Rob focused on how he came to work for Parker Brothers (who eventually morphed into Hasbro) and how he spent his time there. After Rob's years of experience, his insight into the mass market gaming world is a treat to hear. We also discuss what he has been playing lately while my internet decided to skip out for a spell (don't fret, I return), and we begin our talk about Rob's work on Epic Duels. Rob cites Craig Van Ness as a key creator for the game that I fondly gush over. Listen to the second half when it comes out for more about Epic Duels.

If you want to learn more about Star Wars Epic Duels, please visit the fine people over at Epic Duels Wiki at PB Works where you can find fan created decks for basic characters, house rules to spice up the game, and fan created expansion material to broaden your enjoyment of this excellent game. If you wish to learn more about Rob, please visit The Game Design Round Table where he discusses game design topics, or his homepage at RobDaviau.com. Finally, Rob can be found on Twitter at @robdaviaugamer.