Jon and Dirk are joined by Julian Gollop, designer of X-COM: UFO Defense (aka UFO: Enemy Unknown) and a game development veteran with 30 years of experience. They discuss Julian's distinguished career, how the design discipline is special and what made X-COM stand above so many games over the decades.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, Jon.Shafer@ConiferGames.comDirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, Dirk@Knemeyer.comJulian Gollop - @Julian_Gollop, www.GollopGames.com, ---------------------------Episode Outline

Julian's early career0:09:50 - The history of X-COM0:23:00 - Life after X-COM0:34:16 - Julian's evolution as a designer0:42:20 - What makes a designer?0:48:38 - Choosing a development platform0:53:06 - What makes X-COM special?1:01:30 - Julian's 'favorite child'

#49: How to Teach Games

Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.