Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 10

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Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every few weeks.

In the tenth episode we talk about how strategic action - in essence the art of creditable threats or promises to deter or compel other players to alter their actions within a board game. Highlights include a discussion on how to apply these tactics to Setters of Catan and the question whether or not people what to play games with players who are good at using these tactics.

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 9

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every few weeks.

In the ninth episode we talk about how players respond to uncertainty and information within games.  Highlights include a discussion on the benefits of holding asymmetric information and tactics to counter your opponent's information edge.  Can players provide a creditable signal in your game or is everything just cheap talk.

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 8

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every few weeks.

In the eighth episode we talk about games with mixed strategy nash equilibrium.  Highlights include a discussion on the effectiveness of mixed strategy nash equilibrium when other players cannot do math and the growing importance of knowing game theory at the start of the design process when players are going to repeatedly play your game. 

I cannot help but also point out we took some time in this episode to rip on our good friend Keith Ferguson whose game Santa's Workshop is coming out December 2017.  (Great game, you should buy it).

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 7

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every few weeks.

In the seventh episode we talk about zero sum games with mixed strategy nash equilibrium.  Highlights include a discussion on if a mixed strategy equilibrium takes away meaningful decisions from the players.

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 6

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every few weeks.

In the sixth episode we talk about games that combine simultaneous and sequential move games as well as about strategically switching between the game types.  Highlights include a discussion on how players can drastically change a game outcome outcome by sutley switching a game from a simultaneous game to a sequential game or vice versa.

Below is a link the Sumo Wrestling paper brought up in the discussion.

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

You can find our next discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 5

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every two weeks.  

In the fifth episode we talk with Douglas Schulz about his blog post on if the authors of Game of Strategy consider a solo game to be a game.  Douglas's post was inspired by the first episode of the Paul Owen & Dr. Wictz Colloquium on Games of Strategy.

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 4

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every two weeks.  

In the forth episode we talk about continuous simultaneous move games and criticism of Nash Equilibrium in Chapter 5 (there are some differences between editions).  Highlights include a discussion on how certain sequential Euro games are really slow moving simultaneous games and game theory's solution for strategic discussions when there is no Nash Equilibrium.

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

You can find our next discussion on Games of Strategy here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 3

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every two weeks.  

In the third episode we talk about their initial discussion on simultaneous move games in Chapter 4 (there are some differences between editions).  Highlights include a discussion how creating simultaneous games creates a false illusions it solves the challenges facing a sequential board game design and how certain sequential games are really a simulations game. 

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here.

You can find our next discussion on Games of Strategy here. 

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 2

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every two weeks.  

In the second episode we talk about their discussion on sequential games in Chapter 3 (they are the same in all editions).  Highlights include a discussion on the limitation of anticipated payouts predicting player behavior and ways to ensure a sequential board game is unpredictable enough to remain relevant for players. 

You can find our previous discussion on Games of Strategy here and the next episode here.

You can also find a write up of Paul Owen's notes from our discussion here.

Colloquium on Games of Strategy: Chapter 1

Click here to directly download the MP3

Click here to watch the unedited version on Youtube

Welcome to the Colloquium on Games of Strategy.  Games of Strategy is a textbook on game theory written by Dixit (not the game), Skeath, and Reiley that we are reading to help improve our analysis of board games and board game design.  Paul Owen (owns 3rd edition) and I (own the 2nd and 1st editions) record a discussion about a chapter or two from the book every two weeks.  

In the first episode we talk about Chapter 1 & 2 (they are the same in all editions).  Highlights include a discussion on the importance of mutual awareness amongst players, signaling, and cooperative vs noncooperative games (Game Theory Style). 

You can find additional notes about the topics and our discussion from the first episode in this post from Paul Owen's Man Overboard blog.

You can listen to the next Colloquium Game of Strategy episode here.