Name: Mark Royer

Genius: ??? (What's Genius?)

Bio: Additional designs, awards, past credits, recognitions or other accomplishments? with dates if possible...

A: War of Resistance is my first published effort for a complete game. I also did an Europa scenario "Operation Weserubung" which appeared in The Europa Magazine #30 several years ago. That scenario covered the invasion of Norway at standard Europa scales (unlike the game Narvik which covers the campaign at smaller scale).

Q: Current job (and title): What do you do for a living?

A: I'm an electrical engineer for Hewlett Packard Co. My department develops custom electronic and microwave test equipment. I just finished up equipment to test the guidance systems for the Hellfire and Longbow missiles. Next, on to equipment to test the emerging cable modem technologies that will put internet on regular TV cable. As you can see, we're all over the map in my department - if you need it tested, we'll provide the equipment :)

Q: Where did you get the inspiration for War of Resistance?

A: Well... I'm a long-time Europa player and have played that system for quite awhile (since the late '70s). I've always looked to Europa to illuminate the obscure. When I heard that Europa was moving to the Pacific in the form of their Glory series, I got excited that there finally would be a game on China, the most massive of the obscure. However, I subsequently heard (true or not) that GR/D wasn't planning to do a China game. So, in an effort to show that China was not only possible at Europa scales, but could be very interesting, I unilaterally undertook the task putting together a couple of small scenarios on China. The scenarios appeared an the small, now-defunct, Europa newsletter "Combined Arms" in the 1993-94 timeframe. Once I got rolling on researching the OBs and maps, momentum just kept me rolling until, before I knew it, I had the rudiments of the entire theater for 1937-38. I took this primitive version of the game to Europafest at Origins '95, set it up, and four of us had a great time playing through the weekend. GR/D saw the effort and approached me to design a full-blown version for publication as part of their Glory series. I was stunned. I had only hoped to show that China was a feasible project so that GR/D might take it on - I never dreamt that they'd offer to have me do it! Now I was on the hot seat.

Q: In creating War of Resistance, how did your design philosophy evolve? Did something trigger the proverbial lightbulb to light up over your head during design and testing?

A: My design philosophy actually remained pretty constant, throughout. I had two main goals: (1) be completely Europa compatible and (2) depict a very complex situation as simply as possible. There were innumerable small "lightbulbs," so to speak, as I designed some of the sub-systems. But, since the core system was the tried-and-true Europa system, there was no overall revelations during the design process.

Q: What do you believe was the greatest success of the design? The most noticeable flaw?

A: Surely the ground-breaking subject matter of War of Resistance has to be its greatest success. Coming to grips with the myriad complexities of the Chinese Theater, boiling it down, and shoehorning it into the Europa/Glory system was quite a challenge. While this game is by no means a simple game, I think I have achieved the simplest mechanics that also remain a true simulation of the conflict.

Hmmm.. "noticable flaws.." I have worked very hard to get rid of all noticeable and unnoticeable flaws, so, of course I'm not aware of any yet. If I were, I'd have fixed them. It remains for the gaming public to show me where any are. My biggest fear is that there is some as-yet undiscovered twist that will unravel the entire fabric of the game. I have constant concerns about the victory point system. I have worked very hard to insure that the victory criteria works out to about 50-50 chance for either player to win. However, early in the game it appears that victory for the Japanese player is virtually impossible - but, it must be kept in mind that the game a long haul. I hope that this doesn't turn off too many Japanese players too early.

Q: What were some other influences as you developed the series?

A: The playtesters were of paramount importance. In all, about 5 different groups playtested WoR, and the feed back was invaluable in shaping the design details and getting the game to "work right."

Q: How long did War of Resistance take from inspiration to final boxed product? Did you get any faster as you continued? As you came out with the modules?

A: The earliest kernel of effort was in Sep 1993 when I began to look into the first scenario for "Combined Arms." I certainly had inspirations long before this, but Sep '93 was the first tangible effort in a continuous development process that culminated with War of Resistance's publication in Jul 1998.

Q: When in design mode, what's your favorite snack food?

A: I do all of my design work early in the morning. Getting up at 5 AM, I work to about 7:30 when I go to my real job. So, I generally don't eat snack food while in design mode. However, I did develop a rude vice - what my wife calls "sugar water" - that of General Mill's International Coffees. Barely worthy of the name coffee, these products have addicted me during the course of WoR's development.

Q: Do you play computer games?

A: None. I spend way too much time on computers professionally to want to spend time playing games on them.

Q: What type of system do you have?

A: I have an HP Vectra 90 MHz system at home and an HP Vectra VL 233 MHz on my desk at work.

Q: What piece of hardware--real or imaginary--would you add to it?

A: Hmmm... It serves my needs fine the way it is. Eventually, I'd like to boost its speed up a bit. One of the things I've discovered about the computer industry in general is that if you have something working acceptably, don't touch it! Otherwise you'll be spending long nights and weekends trying to get it to work again. I have lots of better things to do than dork with my computer - a concept that computer geeks who run the industry have not yet come to grips with.

Q: In general, do you think board wargames make the leap to computer screens effectively? Why or why not?

A: For me, no. I always feel too limited by the computer CRT. I just can't get the big expansive picture. Another problem is in mechanics. Many board game mechanics result from the fact that they are just that - board games. To simply rehost those mechanics on a computer is a bit limiting and non-sensible. Usually, a computer can accomplish the same mechanic better in a different manner - thereby fundamentally changing the game. For example, why would you want hexagons on a computer? Computers can handle unit positioning in a much more resolved manner - but in doing so you've changed a fundamental mechanic of the game and so its not the same game any more. To me, rehosting board games on a computer is of dubious value. Better off to just write a new game specifically for the computer and thereby fully use the power of the computer. On the flip side, I'm becoming more interested in computer aids to board gaming. With available, face-to-face gaming partners becoming increasingly scarce, aids to PBEM may be welcome. For example, Aid-de-camp. I hear somebody (Gary Shell I believe) is doing an ADC module for WoR.

Q: How would you like to see War of Resistance presented on a computer screen, if at all?

A: I haven't even thought about it and I don't really know.

Q: If you were going to be represented on a computer screen by an icon, what would it be?

A: A graphic of the letters "MARK ROYER". Simple and clear.

Q: Computer games are becoming an extension of Hollywood--games based on movies or movie characters. Do you believe the Hollywoodized games to be better, worse, or about equal to ones created from original material? Why?

A: I don't know. I am totally unaware of the computer game industry and didn't realize that they were becoming "Hollywoodized."

Q: What was the last movie (theater) you watched? Last videotape rental?

A: I only get to perhaps one movie a year. I saw "Stormship Troopers" last year in the theater. My wife and I rented "Chasing Amy" earlier this year, perhaps in March.

Q: Is there a movie you'd like to do a game of?

A: No.

Q: They say everyone needs a hobby. How do you decompress outside of game designing/playing?

A: I've run road races for years. I use to play soccer quite a bit, but haven't in the last couple of years.

Q: Where was the last place you visited on vacation?

A: My wife and I went on a trip to Canyonlands Nat'l Park in SE Utah. Renting a 4-wheel drive we decended the canyon wall (a knuckle-whitening experience) and camped along the canyon bottom for 5 nights. At one point we were more than 100 miles from a paved surface. Our progress was often limited to 1 or 2 mph due to the roads being so broken, narrow, and hazardous. More often than I care to think about we crested steep embankments only to look down several hundred dizzying feet into a river while not being able to tell whether the road turned left or right without getting out of the truck. My wife loves dangling over cliffs; for me, it challenged my baser fears... All in all, though, it was a wonderful experience. There's nothing quite like relaxing on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River in complete silence except for the warm desert wind whistling along the canyon walls.

Q: What's your next vacation spot?

A: Haven't planned one yet. Perhaps Maine in the fall.

Q: If not bound by time or space, where would you go...and why?

A: I'm happy here. Trans-siberian rail trip on the Orient Express might be interesting. I'd like to see China someday, as well.

Q: Excluding your own creations, what three games (of any type) would you take with you to the proverbial desert island? What three books?

A: Chess, Avalon Hill's Advanced Third Reich, and the Europa Series (can I count a series as one game - if you combine it into the elusive Grand Europa it could be considered one game). Books is tougher. I tend not to read books twice. So, whatever I happen to be reading at the time would go.

Q: We see the emergence of online gaming as putting the social aspect (and the smarts of a real-live opponent) into gaming on a world-wide scale. Good or bad? Why?

A: Its good. Especially for someone like me who is involved in a niche of a niche; Europa board gaming that is. Through e-mail, the Europa list and other web mechanisms I feel connected to a Europa community that I would otherwise not even know the existence of.

Q: Do you have a favorite poster or cartoon hanging by your desk? What is it and what makes it your favorite?

A: No.

Q: What epitath would you want encoded on your digital tombstone?

A: Life was fun, now it's done.

Q: Short bio of accomplishments outside game design:

A: Born Mar 11, 1959, I'm 39 years old. Haverhill High School (Haverhill, MA., USA) NHS, Football, Tennis, Chess, Mathletes University of Massachusetts at Amherst, BSEE, Judo Team Won New England High School Judo Championships Competed in US Judo National's (got wiped out) 16 years as an electrical engineer working with Raytheon and Hewlett Packard. Played for town and corporate soccer teams Ran for corporate road racing team Married Joyce Seabold - Feb. 13, 1996 (Valentine's eve) Had baby boy, Cole Royer - Apr 26, 1998 (the day pre-order cards for WoR were mailed)

Designer Notes: War of Resistance (extensive)