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Hello from Holly

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Sat, 12/08/2012 - 21:51
Holly Verssen
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Joined: 11/29/2012

Hi, my name is Holly Verssen and I work with DVG (Dan Verssen Games). I've been developing games for many years. I could not imagine a better career!

I have a degree in Archaeology, specializing in ancient weapons and battle tactics, and... my parents said I would never be able to USE my education in the real world. HA!

I've developed mostly solitaire, military combat games, including: Field Commander: Napoleon, Thunderbolt/Apache Leader, Frontline, and the Down in Flames series.

I look forward to bouncing ideas around with fellow developers and designers. I'm very excited to have found this site.

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Sat, 12/08/2012 - 23:02
#1
Stormyknight1976
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Joined: 04/08/2012
Welcome

Glad to have you aboard the community forums. My parents say the same things about my creations and designs of my games. They say there is no money in it and its just a hobby. Yeah. Thanks for the support. Ugh. Oh well. I still continue with my game work. I may not be rich with my games, thats okay. Because I am rich in imagination.

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Sun, 12/09/2012 - 13:18
#2
emalegia
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Joined: 11/28/2012
hello from another archaeologist

Hello Holly,
it's perfect you have combined your studies with the career of your dreams! Archaeology studies can be useful in the real world after all...
I am also an archaeologist, specialised mostly in ancient Athenian topography and working currently in the secondary education. I love games as an alternative teaching method and lately I have designed a game about ancient athenian history-archaeology, which is based on storytelling and mystery solving.

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Mon, 12/10/2012 - 01:05
#3
Holly Verssen
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Joined: 11/29/2012
games and school

I think bringing games into the classroom is fantastic. Whenever my kids are studying a history chapter that lines up with one of our games, I send the game to school with them.

The students can look at the maps, learn how much the world has changed since that leader or battle has taken place, and maybe (just maybe) learn that old battles can still be exciting today.

I would love to learn more about your game.

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Tue, 12/11/2012 - 13:36
#4
emalegia
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Joined: 11/28/2012
games in the classroom

Hello Holly,
I have visited your company's webpage and have seen your published games. Which ones do you usually recommend for use in a history class? What are your kids impressions after playing the games in the classroom?
In my game (unpublished), players have to solve separate mystery stories taking place in different historic periods of ancient Athens. Moving on the athenian Acropolis and in the heart of the ancient city, they make their investigations in order to find the real guilty persons of several crimes. At the same time they get immersed in the everyday life of ancient Athenians and learn about ancient Athenian history and archaeology.

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Thu, 12/13/2012 - 04:26
#5
Holly Verssen
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Joined: 11/29/2012
classroom

Field Commander: Alexander is the most fun in the classroom. The maps show the actual course he traveled throughout his life. There are counters with his personal advisors. His focus on the oracles is an interesting part of his life.

In general, the kids don't play the games - which are designed for moderate to advanced skilled gamers - but they learn that history can be both informative and entertaining.

I think that anytime kids can see history brought into the real world, it is a good thing.

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Thu, 12/13/2012 - 05:32
#6
Lockeout
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Joined: 12/13/2012
Welcome

You designed Thunderbolt Apache Leader? That's awesome, it's one of only 3 games on my wishlist at boardgamegeek.

One of the game mechanics I'm having the hardest time designing in my projects is the AI for solitaire play, so I'm looking forward to whatever advice on the subject you may have for the forum. Welcome!

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Thu, 12/13/2012 - 10:58
#7
emalegia
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Joined: 11/28/2012
Field Commander: Alexander

The game sounds very interesting by its description. I like very much the fact that you took into consideration several aspects of Alexander's personality, life and campaigns and I can imagine teachers' and students' interest in playing it. I wish it existed in greek too (...that sounds funny I admit!)
Generally I think games and whatever else can provoke the active engagement of students in a history lesson - a lesson that keeps them passive and bored often- can contribute a lot to learning and positive attitude towards historical thought.

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Thu, 12/13/2012 - 11:07
#8
Black Oak Games
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Joined: 11/07/2012
Welcome, Holly!

(History major, here :)

You might want to check out the list of current games by people here http://www.bgdf.com/node/7511 (and add your own, if you wish).

Hope to chat with you soon.

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Thu, 12/27/2012 - 10:31
#9
Holly Verssen
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Joined: 11/29/2012
Thanks

I listed my current development projects on the list page. It looks like there are some really great games being made.

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Thu, 12/27/2012 - 10:46
#10
Holly Verssen
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Joined: 11/29/2012
Thunderbolt/Apache Leader

I didn't design it, but I did develop the game. It was one of the most challenging development projects I have ever worked on, but the game came out great. It took 7 months of daily development to make it just the way we wanted it.

Thunderbolt was a re-design, first published in 1992 through GMT. Years later, when the rights reverted back to us (I had married the designer Dan Verssen by then) we decided to reprint it.

We figured it would only take a few weeks to touch it up and add better graphics. Good Grief we were wrong! By the time we were done, the game was hardly recognizable. I'm really glad we made all the changes. It came out a much better game.

Every time we played we would launch into a flood of "What if we do THIS?"
The hardest part was to say: "STOP! The game is done!"

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Thu, 12/27/2012 - 16:06
#11
Jimmy Moore
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Joined: 12/26/2012
Please share more information about submitting games for review.

Hi Holly,

My name is Jimmy Moore and I work with Cleverhouse Games and Toys LLC. When you have a moment, would you please read my introduction post to BGDF and see if we may have some potential to work together? It appears that we share a like interest in having board games in a classroom enviornment and that you may have an interest in games that fulfill that need. Our Chess King Board Game and Curriculum may be something that you might consider. I would also like to have a bit more information on the "Accepting Game Submission" process by DVG to share with our ownership. Thank you in advance for your response.

Jimmy

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