Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede

[kettlefish]

So in the following posts I will write down the interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede.

Question from the members: BLUE

Answer from Klaus-Juergen Wrede: GREEN

some comments from me: MAROON


The interview takes place on 15 02 2014 in Leipzig.
We were talking more than an hour and later he signed some autograph cards, tiles and more.


Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=629.0

[kettlefish]

Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede - Part 1

But please tell Klaus-Juergen to keep up the good work and make more spin-offs but also more expansions to the original Carcassonne.

Yes I will do my best to create more spin-offs and expansions for Carcassonne.

I would like to know how much is left surprised at the success of Carcassonne, how this has changed his life and especially if you would have expected.

I never expected that Carcassonne would have so much success and that the people have so much fun with it.
I stayed so as I always was.
sometimes I have problems to find the right English words. I am not sure if the translation make sense...

Which Meeple colour is your favorite when you play CC?Or some of the new colours?

I play with 
and I play with the new colour: violet

I would like to know other games played by him.

I like to play new games.
Actually I play games which were introduced at Spiel 2013 in Essen:
Russian Railroads, Rokoko, Concordia, Steam Park
at CarcF we have some more information - translation follows

if he has ever shared photos of his original prototypes of the game.

Yes, but it is long time ago.
at CarcF we have some more information - translation follows

- considered making any unique expansions for online games - something which isn't possible with static printed tiles.

That is an interesting idea, but I didn't thought about it yet.

- other hobbies/interests that inspire new game ideas

I am traveling around the world that inspires me for new game ideas.

[kettlefish]

Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede - Part 2

I hope that you have again some time to sign landscape tiles for the community.

It is a pleasure for me to sign some more tiles for the Carcassonne fans.

Signed tiles would be an amazing collectible.

After the interview I will sign the tiles for your collection.

My house rule for a signed landscape tile:
10 points for the player who placed that tile.

Yes, I agree with you, these special signed tiles need many bonus points.

At the members meeting the people got also some signed landscape tiles

After the interview he signed around twenty landscape tiles for the community also autograph cards and stickers.

[kettlefish]

Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede - Part 3

He said his favorite expansion is the Princess & Dragon...

Wow, this surprises me. I never would have guessed that to be his favorite.

Yes I like the princess and the dragon. The dragon is my most favorite figure. The dragon is always hungry.

- if he has ever played MEGA-CARCASSONNE.

I play Carcassonne with only one or two expansions. I prefer to play 2 -3 short games at a gaming day than one long game with all the expansions.
Sometimes I play Carcassonne with only some parts of an expansion.

I wonder if he has much to do with designing expansions now?

Yes, I am still designing all the expansions.

Do you think any are his original ideas?

Yes of course these are still my original ideas.

Or is there an HiG team that comes up with them? Or a combination?

The ideas are complete my own.

[kettlefish]

Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede - Part 4

- did the theme of a castle came first, or the gameplay mechanics?

I visited the region around Carcassonne and also the City of Carcassonne, I was looking for history of the Cathars and then the idea of this great game Carcassonne was born.

- did he design the game with expandability in mind, or was the opportunity to make so many great expansions a happy coincidence?

When I have designed the Carcassonne game I hadn't in mind to expand the game. But some of my ideas of the prototype are included in the first expansion.

I'd like to hear his thoughts on 1st Edition Farm scoring vs 3rd Edition Farm scoring. If he was saddened to see his original design changed. Does he think Farm scoring is overpowered now? How does he play the game?

Yes it was a bit saddened for me to change the original farm scoring. But for people who don't play many games it is easier to learn the game with the 3rd edition farm scoring.

Also, I'd like to hear his thoughts on the two-tile city. Should it be worth 2 points or 4 points in his mind? How does he play?

Originally I created the game with the special rule (only 2 points for a small city with two city segments). But with the coming out of expansions and more different rules, it was more logical to change the rule for the small city into 4 points.

[kettlefish]

Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede - Part 5

- does he pay any attention to the enthusiasm of the community?  Fan-made expansions, tuckboxes to organize the expansions, the rainbow of meeple colors, etc...

Yes I know about the enthusiasm of the community. The people have fun to create fan-expansions because of the open game mechanics. The tuckboxes are nice also the new colors of meeple. I like the creativity of the Carcassonne fans.
I have shown him a tuckbox, that he could see what you meant.

I'd like to know what were those fan-expansions he already played and how did he like them.

I don't know many fan-expansions. But I really like the fan-expansion birthday in the land of Cockaigne from the Carcassonne-Forum.
He also likes the Campaign from whaleyland. We talked about it some months before.

[Whaleyland]

Interview with Klaus-Juergen Wrede - Part 5

- does he pay any attention to the enthusiasm of the community?  Fan-made expansions, tuckboxes to organize the expansions, the rainbow of meeple colors, etc...

Yes I know about the enthusiasm of the community. The people have fun to create fan-expansions because of the open game mechanics. The tuckboxes are nice also the new colors of meeple. I like the creativity of the Carcassonne fans.
I have shown him a tuckbox, that he could see what you meant.

I'd like to know what were those fan-expansions he already played and how did he like them.

I don't know many fan-expansions. But I really like the fan-expansion birthday in the land of Cockaigne from the Carcassonne-Forum.
He also likes the Campaign from whaleyland. We talked about it some months before.

Yeah he does!

[kettlefish]

I printed some stickers for the Community.
Klaus-Juergen Wrede singed the stickers.
But I still have only a picture with a mascot on it from the Carcassonne-Forum.

I don't have a picture of a mascot from the CarcassonneCentral forum.

I am still hoping that someone of the CarcC authors
will present a mascot for CarcassonneCentral...

[Andrew the Ambo]

This is an interesting article.  It is great that w can access him through you.

[evmillan]

Thank you kettlefish and Klaus-Juergen Wrede for satisfy our curiosity!

[Scott]

Signed tiles are worth 10 bonus points upon placement? That should go into the next version of the CAR.

[kettlefish]

Signed tiles are worth 10 bonus points upon placement? That should go into the next version of the CAR.

But we need a name for this expansion.
HiG knows also about the signed tiles.
I have some more signed tiles...
(also some signed tiles with La Porxada)....

[Scott]

I don't see it as an expansion because each tile is different. It is more of a special rule.

[Whaleyland]

Signed tiles are worth 10 bonus points upon placement? That should go into the next version of the CAR.

But we need a name for this expansion.
HiG knows also about the signed tiles.
I have some more signed tiles...
(also some signed tiles with La Porxada)....

.:sigh.:. I want La Porxada. The rarest "expansion" of them all.

[kettlefish]

Signed tiles are worth 10 bonus points upon placement? That should go into the next version of the CAR.

But we need a name for this expansion.
HiG knows also about the signed tiles.
I have some more signed tiles...
(also some signed tiles with La Porxada)....

.:sigh.:. I want La Porxada. The rarest "expansion" of them all.

Whaleyland,
you can get one, but I still need a post card from you...