Porto Carthago
Game History
Until the release of Porto Carthago I'll write down every monday some details about the development of the
game or show my visitors a little new graphics.
July, 6th 2010:
First we go back to the roots of Porto Carthago:
In 2005 I've seen a documentary about the rise and fall of ancient carthage in TV.
Especially the harbor made me deeply stunning. It was its time far ahead and was the
major reason, that carthage became such a successful and important nation of economic
and mititary power.
Already during watching the documentary, my brain started to work. A game-idea forced itself upon:
the delivery of goods onto the incoming ships.
Boxprint of one side
The first prototype was created very fast, but before the first testing in a real game
round I tested it uncountable times with myself. In late 2005 the game was almost ready
for the first real tests, which went out very well... As well, that Peer Sylvester gave
Porto Carthago his award for the best unpublished game in 2005.
July 12th 2010:
I was so motivated by this, that I haven't done any game changes. I was very
safe, that a publisher wanted to publish the game like it was.
But the first feedback put me back down to earth: the game is too complicated, full of
little details and much to long! The good thing was that I got this feedback really fast
and also I got some help from them with my rules to write them better and with a bit more
structure.
July 19th 2010:
Today I'll show you two more graphics
Shipcards
July 26th 2010:
Despite the decline, I wasn't tired to work at the game on and on: I wanted to straighten
the game, delete some rule details and tried to make it much better.
Too bad (so I know now!), I haven't seen that I enclosed new details, so the game was not
shorten or even easier... I was too blind in this stage.
We wrote the year 2007 and once again I tried to send Porto Carthago to another publisher
to check it out. At the same time an additional publisher also asked me for the game, so
I did a second prototype to spread to both of them. My hope to see the game published grew
up.
August 2nd 2010:
With one of those two publishers I met during the Spiel 2007 to show them the game and
explain all the details. This publisher showed a lot of interest, but after the test
they told me the game have too many "ifs - thens", also six game rounds are too long
without any progress. So I shorted the game, changed some little things and was in close
contact with them for a while.
The "parallel publisher" gave me a run-around without a worthy feedback.
In early 2008 I got the refuse from publisher 1 and a little later I asked for my game
back from publisher 2, because I heard nothing concrete of them (we have 80 high quality
prototypes here - those lucky guys). I felt empty, like in the beginning.
August 9th 2010:
Today I'll show you two more graphics
Two of the Actioncards
August 16th 2010:
After a few months of frustration, I restarted the work. Now I had a free brain and a
bunch of new energy. Finally I dissolved me from old dragged-in mechanisms: the choice of
the Action cards was full of luck, because a player has only a choice of 4 different
action cards as maximum, which was not that good for a game like this. Sometimes a player
could only do something needless. I found the card choice, like it is now and besides
this I put the privileges directly onto the ship cards - this saved me a complete
game-phase.
The possibility to end the game one round earlier was a new feature and also the path of
intrigue was new. This path should become a big progress:
On one hand it's possible to get 3 additional places in the palace (one more strategic
option), on the other hand this strengthen the double bind around the servant-management.
In additional play tests was shown, that the path of intrigue was used very different:
In one round it was nearly unused, while in another round there grew a kind of group
dynamics, that all places were full.
August 23rd 2010:
Time to show the cover:
Cover Porto Carthago
August 31st 2010:
30.08.2010
At the end of 2008, the work for Peloponnes became the first priority. During the time,
in which I got the first orders for Peloponnes, my head became clearer and clearer, that
Porto Carthago should be the Irongames-game for 2010!
Directly after the Essen fair 2009 I was looking for an artist and stumbled over Oliver
Schlemmer, who was not known in the boardgamescene. I was very convinced of his portfolio,
and after a personal meeting we made the deal. After his big success with Fresco also his
name became a number in the boardgamescene. I hope his graphics for Porto Carthago will
also impress the game-fanatics.
From this day an intensive phase of gametesting also with some external gaming groups
started. Their feedback was almost positive and strengthed me to have another good game
to publish. Until the last moment there were some little changes and I thought my time
would ran out. Peloponnes was ready much earlier. However, I have to thank my beautiful
wife, who made the rules very fast, so we were just in time.
