In this episode, storied game designer Chris Taylor (Total Annihilation, Supreme Commander) joins Jordan Weisman and Jonathan Grant for a candid conversation about fearless creativity, costly mistakes, and why groundbreaking games often mean never waiting for permission. From pioneering real-time strategy to surviving the brutal highs and lows of independent studio life, Chris shares his boldest bets - and what it truly takes to deliver on ambitious game-design dreams.Check out Chris' web‑based RTS project Kanoogi:https://www.kanoogi.com/00:00 Jordan Weisman and Jonathan Grant welcome Chris Taylor03:10 Chris Taylor's Early Career and Hardball08:09 Transitioning to Boxing Games12:18 Taking the Leap: Leaving EA for Total Annihilation15:08 The Rise of Total Annihilation: A New Genre21:00 Balancing Complexity: The Challenge of Game Mechanics29:00 The Role of Trust in Creative Teams34:37 Subtraction in Design: Knowing What to Remove40:25 Creative Freedom and Game Development43:52 From Cave Dog to Gas Powered Games55:13 Work-Life Balance in Game Development01:00:18 The Pain of Innovation01:04:34 Lessons from Mistakes and Expectations Management01:13:50 The Burden of Expectations & Navigating Failure01:19:01 The Evolution of Game Development01:24:11 The Changing Landscape of the Gaming IndustryFollow Chris:https://x.com/DeathBot9Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/wethoughtpodFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-thought-it-would-be-easy

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