Untitled Board Game WIP
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:04 pm
As I've rabbited on about in the new game ideas thread, I'm working on a concept in a board game format. I'm making this thread now to throw out ideas as I work on the idea and try to turn it into a working game, and so people can give their own feedback and suggestions.
The Game
In order to give feedback, you need to know how the game works. So here you go.
This will be a game designed for 4-6 players, I think. If it was an actual board game it would use cards and six sided dice.
Players will move around a board, collect items, and defeat enemies to collect prizes. The first player to collect a certain number of prizes and then return with them to the centre of the board wins the game.
Gameplay is turn based, with each player taking 2 or 3 (TBD) actions per turn. These actions can be:
- Move
- Search (roll a die, receive an item on a successful roll)
- Use a special ability (once per turn)
Certain places on the board will be occupied by enemies. These will all have a value, indicating the die roll required to defeat them. Roll results can be modified by items in your hand, or by discarding items. Defeating an enemy rewards one prize.
In addition, the game board will be divided into "areas", which will include multiple positions and paths. Players who are in the same "area" of the board - even if they do not share the same position - will be able to interact using special abilities.
Character Class
This is the thing that should make the game interesting and fun. Each player picks a character class to play as. These characters all have special abilities, some of which helps them toward their goal, and some which hamper other players from attaining their goal.
There will probably be 6 classes total, so that a game of 6 players has one of every type.
At the minute these abilities are just concepts, and I'll have to do a lot of trial and error to work out what works and what doesn't. Below, I am going to list all of the ideas as they currently stand, and I request your feedback and suggestions - if you see something that seems like it'd be too powerful, or not very good, tell me.
Ranger
- Special Ability: Arrow to the Knee - Injure another player in the same area, preventing them from moving on their next turn.
or (less powerful)
- Special Ability: Trapper - Place a trap on your current position. The next player to enter this position will be trapped, requiring one action to free themselves.
I'm also considering:
- Special Ability (passive): Fleetfooted - You may take an additional Move action per turn
Thief
Special Ability: Yoink! - When another player in the same area completes a Search, you can attempt to steal whatever they find. Can only be used once per round.
Wizard
Special Ability: Sleight of Hand - You exchange an item in your inventory for one item in the inventory of another player in the same area. "How did that get in there?"
Special Ability: Teleport - You travel instantly to any unoccupied space on the board. You cannot take any other actions when Teleporting.
Cleric
Special Ability (passive): Blessed - You are immune to the negative effects of other players' abilities.
Other ideas, more experimental, less likely to make it into the final game:
Barbarian
Special Ability: Bar Bar Bar - Your foreign speech confuses and befuddles another player in the same area, reducing their chance of successful actions on the next turn. (All dice rolls reduced by 1.)
(I like that one purely for the joke, but not sure I can make the Barbarian character work.)
Tinker
Special Ability: "I Can Fix This" - You retain one item that would have been consumed or discarded.
Paladin
Special Ability (passive): Altruist - You come to the aid of any other player engaging in combat in the same area. (Add your attack roll to theirs.) Any reward or penalty from combat is taken by both players.
The Game
In order to give feedback, you need to know how the game works. So here you go.
This will be a game designed for 4-6 players, I think. If it was an actual board game it would use cards and six sided dice.
Players will move around a board, collect items, and defeat enemies to collect prizes. The first player to collect a certain number of prizes and then return with them to the centre of the board wins the game.
Gameplay is turn based, with each player taking 2 or 3 (TBD) actions per turn. These actions can be:
- Move
- Search (roll a die, receive an item on a successful roll)
- Use a special ability (once per turn)
Certain places on the board will be occupied by enemies. These will all have a value, indicating the die roll required to defeat them. Roll results can be modified by items in your hand, or by discarding items. Defeating an enemy rewards one prize.
In addition, the game board will be divided into "areas", which will include multiple positions and paths. Players who are in the same "area" of the board - even if they do not share the same position - will be able to interact using special abilities.
Character Class
This is the thing that should make the game interesting and fun. Each player picks a character class to play as. These characters all have special abilities, some of which helps them toward their goal, and some which hamper other players from attaining their goal.
There will probably be 6 classes total, so that a game of 6 players has one of every type.
At the minute these abilities are just concepts, and I'll have to do a lot of trial and error to work out what works and what doesn't. Below, I am going to list all of the ideas as they currently stand, and I request your feedback and suggestions - if you see something that seems like it'd be too powerful, or not very good, tell me.
Ranger
- Special Ability: Arrow to the Knee - Injure another player in the same area, preventing them from moving on their next turn.
or (less powerful)
- Special Ability: Trapper - Place a trap on your current position. The next player to enter this position will be trapped, requiring one action to free themselves.
I'm also considering:
- Special Ability (passive): Fleetfooted - You may take an additional Move action per turn
Thief
Special Ability: Yoink! - When another player in the same area completes a Search, you can attempt to steal whatever they find. Can only be used once per round.
Wizard
Special Ability: Sleight of Hand - You exchange an item in your inventory for one item in the inventory of another player in the same area. "How did that get in there?"
Special Ability: Teleport - You travel instantly to any unoccupied space on the board. You cannot take any other actions when Teleporting.
Cleric
Special Ability (passive): Blessed - You are immune to the negative effects of other players' abilities.
Other ideas, more experimental, less likely to make it into the final game:
Barbarian
Special Ability: Bar Bar Bar - Your foreign speech confuses and befuddles another player in the same area, reducing their chance of successful actions on the next turn. (All dice rolls reduced by 1.)
(I like that one purely for the joke, but not sure I can make the Barbarian character work.)
Tinker
Special Ability: "I Can Fix This" - You retain one item that would have been consumed or discarded.
Paladin
Special Ability (passive): Altruist - You come to the aid of any other player engaging in combat in the same area. (Add your attack roll to theirs.) Any reward or penalty from combat is taken by both players.