Ask Jay: More on Ra, and Retirement Plans

Ask Jay: More on Ra, and Retirement Plans

Jay Tummelson of Rio Grande passes on very small hints about a few Essen games and sees nothing but clear skies ahead in terms of RGG’s future. As always, you can submit questions to Jay as comments at this end of this post or through the BGN Contact page.

Q; In your opinion, what are a few of the most underappreciated or underrated games that Rio Grande has ever published? (For example, you mentioned Evergreen as one of your favorites for the year in a recent Boardgame Babylon interview.)

A: Actually, I trust in the player community. If they do not like and buy a game, then it is not a good game. Or, rather, if a game does not become a great success, it is not great. I have published a lot of good games that have sold well, but not greatly. Had they been great, they would have sold greatly. My opinion is just one and to suggest that there was a great game that many people did not find great is not realistic.

I do publish games I like, games I think my customers will like, and games I think deserve to be published. If a game becomes very successful, I am very pleased. If not, I am happy to have done the game for those who did like it. I do not try to anticipate what game will be great—just wait and see like everyone else.

Q: Will Bonnie & Clyde be labeled as part of the Mystery Rummy series, or will it stand on its own with no mention of the series?

A: More like Wyatt Earp.

Q: What will the rule change(s) be for Ra? Will the new rules be usable with older editions?

A: Reiner has asked that I add a variant, but the base rules will remain unchanged.

Q: Can you tell us anything about the variant? Will it require new pieces? Will there be official two player rules independent of the new variant?

A: Not yet, no and no—but I will ask Reiner if he wants them.

Q: Along with Chinatown, what are other non-RGG games that you would strongly consider republishing?

A: Well, there is Manhattan.....

Q: When expansions appear as an insert in a magazine, does the magazine pay you or vice versa?

A: No, and no. I pay for the insert, of course. and they pay to insert it and ship the magazine with the insert.

Q: Is it really true that science fiction/space games don’t sell well? Was that a concern with Race for the Galaxy?

A: The “standard” German feeling is that they do not sell well in Germany. I have no such feeling in the U.S., and that was not a concern at all of mine for RftG.

Q: What will make the Great American Train game great? How will it vary from Stephenson’s Rocket?

A: Primarily, the name :-) It is a new map with a few rule changes, but is otherwise SR. We just liked the name.

Q: Can you tell us any more about Veritas? Is it a gamer’s game?

A: I think it can be said to be a light gamer’s game.

Q: Since you and your wife are the only employees of Rio Grande, what are you going to do with RGG when you retire for real (as compared to when you retired the first time at age 50)? Since it seems that dealings with German companies are done on trust and simple contracts, will you try to groom someone to carry on the Rio Grande line, sell out to a competitor, or just fade away and let some other enterprising individual (or company) take up the cause? You probably aren’t thinking that far out, but what is your gut feel?

A: What makes you think I have not retired for real. I am doing what I want to do—AND making some money doing it. I cannot imagine doing anything else right now. If that changes, then I will do something else, but otherwise, I have not really thought about it.

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