   Early Prototype for turn-based strategy game - Feedback Appreciated
  This has been a work in progress for a couple of years now and much of it has been changed (and changed again) by inspiration from posts found in these forums. Lately, the skill allocation, tech vs. magic, and how to implement magic threads (a little older, but still a favorite).The general concept of the game places various characters on a planet that has become a combination of both magic and technology due to a complicated past (I currently have 2 different storylines to try and explain it). But basically, there are characters on this planet with different motivations for fighting and you happen to be one of them. Ultimately, the game is strategy-based with an RPG feel as you develop your Avatar. Much of the work is done pre-battle as Resource Piles are constructed to be used in the game (not unlike TCGs such as Magic: The Gathering). What I'm looking for now are general perceptions of the initial game design document. If it's too hard to understand, what concepts I may have taken for granted, etc. Also, any glaring holes in the rules system or potential for abuse would be appreciated. I coded the first iteration in Java using Swing but I'm currently trying my hand at Java 3D to hopefully get a much more interesting look and feel. I've included some screenshots of working examples from the 2D version.This obviously isn't as well formatted as the Word doc I copied it from so let me know if I should organize it differently for readability here. And I have no idea what l33t speak is, so if any of it's in here, I apologize for being too old to know better :-)World of Ea (Working Title) Game DesignObjectiveDefeat your opponent by depleting their life force before they defeat you.OverviewThe World of Ea is a turn-based strategy board game. A player customizes a character and a resource pile. The player uses these two assets in tandem to defeat their opponent.Game boardThe game is played on an octagonal game board. Characters start on opposite ends of the board and each character occupies one board location.Some resources that are played throughout the game will occupy an empty board location and some will augment a resource or character that is already occupying a board location.ResourcesResources are in-game assets that a character uses in combination with their unique attributes and skills to defeat their opponent.Resources include:-Allies that can be recruited-Items that can be deployed-Magic spells that can be cast-Briberies that can temporarily remove allies from participation in the game-Other objects or events that affect the outcome of the gameSome resources are played on the game board. The ones that are not played on the game board are deposited in the lost pile after they resolve. CharactersCharacters are the means by which players access The World of Ea. All characters start with the core attribute statistics of their chosen race. Core AttributesThe core attributes are:-Constitution-Strength-Dexterity-Intelligence-Magic-CharismaDexterity determines how accurate your Avatar is with spells/weapons and also has some influence on speed and movement.Intelligence can be used to make puzzles easier and opens up the use of Psionics. This gives you some spell-like abilities without the resource point restriction. It also makes mental powers such as mind-control available that can potentially reduce charisma modifiers for recruiting and retaining allies. Characters with a higher intelligence are also more immune to powers that may affect their mental state. Allies that can be recruited and retained depend on the charisma rating. They also require resource points but some allies may have charisma pre-requisites.Weapons and melee damage depend on strength.An Avatar’s constitution determines how much damage it can take as well as resistance to effects such as poison.Magic is strong, but it takes a heavy toll on the user. Its use affects both mental and physical health and over time can be debilitating if wielded haphazardly.The current races are:-Human-Troll-ElfAn elf starts out relatively meek. They have very little strength (2) or constitution (2) but higher magic (8), dexterity (7), and intelligence (6). They are also pretty (Charisma – 7) Over time they become very powerful psionics and/or mages but it’s a tough road getting there. Elves also have enhanced vision and begin with a Rune (4:1 Exchange Rate).Humans are of course average across the board and get 5s for everything (5:1 Exchange Rate).Trolls are big and strong but slow and stupid with very little magical ability. They have infrared vision but gain runes at a slower rate (6:1 Exchange Rate) and of course, are ugly but most standards (awwwww). Strength (10), Constitution (10), Dexterity (2), Intelligence (2), Magic (2), Charisma (2)Yes, I realize how cliche these are. But they're cliche because they work, so they'll function as a starting point until someone helps me develop some more denizens for Ea.Other important statistics of each player are:-Level-Experience Points-Skills-Runes-Resource PointsLevelA character's progress is gauged through experience gained in matches. As a character evolves (increases in level) new skills, arenas, attribute points, and resource points become available to the character.Experience PointsExperience Points (EP) are acquired through various in-game actions such as:-Defeating an opponent-Defeating an opponent's ally-Completing an ObjectiveEach character has a pre-defined amount of EP that must be earned before the character advances to the next level.SkillsSkills are best categorized as things that the character can inherently do as either passive or active actions. These may include "powers" (Fire Resistance) or learned skills (Detect Trap).Skills are ranked between 0 and 10. A zero indicates that a character has never attempted a skill while a ten indicates perfect mastery of that skill. Skills can be added in two ways:-Automatically through the leveling up process - some races will receive automatic bonuses as they evolve-Repeated use of the related resource in game - constant use of the Detect Trap resource will eventually enable a character to learn this skillRunesMagic in Ea is accessed through Runes. Each spell resource will require some Rune or combination of Runes for it to be cast. If a player has not already acquired the Rune needed, they will not be able to cast the spell. Once a Rune is acquired it is always active.There are a total of 25 Runes that can be acquired. Resource PointsResource Points (RP) are used to play resources. Each Resource has an RP cost that must be paid to play it. A character generates a set amount of RPs at the beginning of their turn. The RPs available to use are referred to as the RP Pool. Characters can earn additional RPs by evolving, playing Resources that enhance RP generation, or trade RPs in for Runes (see Character Customization).All players start with 8 Resource Points (except elves, which get 5). Resource points can be traded for Runes at the race’s exchange rate (4 for elf, 5 for human, 6 for troll)Creating a CharacterCreating a character consists of 3 steps:1.Choose a name2.Choose a race3.(Optional) “Exchange” Resource Points for RunesCharacter CustomizationAs characters progress, they are assigned additional Attribute Points (AP) that can be used to enhance their character’s core attributes. Increased core attributes can unlock resources that were previously unavailable. Characters also receive additional Resource Points (RP) that allow the character to play more or better resources each turn.RPs can also be “exchanged” for Runes at a character’s “exchange rate”. The exchange rate for a character is determined by their race. For example, elves have an exchange rate of 4 to 1. This means that any elf character can permanently remove 4 RPs in exchange for 1 Rune. Character Customization Screen Constructing a Resource PileResource Piles are exactly 60 Resources. Multiple copies of a Resource may be used. GameplayStarting the game-A player is randomly chosen to go first-If playing a match, the loser of the previous game goes first-Each player starts with 7 Resources in their Resource PoolThe TurnEach turn consists of the following phases:-Refresh-Main--Deploy--Combat---Declare an Attack---Declare Attacker(s)---Declare Target(s)---Assign Damage--Move-CleanupThe Refresh Phase refreshes the character’s Resource Point Pool. Any unused RPs from the previous turn do not carry over.The Cleanup Phase is where any “End of turn” affects are triggered and the player has the option of drawing more Resources from the Resource Pile. Each Resource drawn costs 1 RP.The Main Phase is broken into three sub phases that can occur in any order any number of times:-Deploy-Combat-MoveThe Deploy Sub Phase is when any Resource can legally be played.See Combat.See Movement.Players can only deploy, combat, and move on their turn. DeploymentHow to play a ResourceEach Resource has an RP cost associated with it. This is the number of RPs that must be expended from the RP Pool before the Resource can be played. For example, if a Sword has an RP of 1, it requires one Resource Point to be expended before it can be played. Some Resources may also have other prerequisites that must be met before they can be played. An example would be a Resource that included the text “Can only be played by Elves”. This Resource would only be able to be played by an Elf Character. Resources can only be played if all conditions are met.Resource Types-Character --Avatar – Player specific character-Spell-Item-InstantAll Resources have the following characteristics:-Name-Type/Subtype-Game Text-RP CostCharacters also have Attack, Defense, and Bribery attributes.Spells also have a Rune Cost.Some Resources are unique. Only one of these Resources may be in play for each player at a time. If one player already has one in play, the new Resource will be played as a ‘Doppleganger’.Examples of various ResourcesTroll ManCharacter - AvatarAttack - 10Defense - 10EmmataiCharacter - AllyAttack - 3Defense - 4 (Can be bribed by gold)Pay 5 life: Emmatai may perform one additional attack this turn. FireblastSpell - InstantTarget Character is dealt LD4 Fire Damage and LD4 Electrical Damage.CombatDeclare an Attack The active player announces an attackDeclare Attacker(s) The active player chooses attacker(s)Declare Target(s)The active player chooses all targets to be attacked by the attacker(s) declared in the last step. Melee - can only attack characters in adjoining spaces Ranged - can attack up to the maximum range of the attack. Must have a clear line of siteAssign Damage  Assign damage, duhA Character assigned damage "remembers" damage dealt to it in subsequent turns. So if a 2/2 Character is dealt 1 damage, they will be a 2/1 until further damage is assigned or they are healed.    Characters cannot gain more life than their starting defense value.Movement1    All characters can move a total of one space by default2A character cannot move into or through any space that is already occupied3Unless otherwise stated, moveable Resources can only be moved to adjacent board locations at the cost of 1 RP.BriberyMany Characters have an icon that represents a particular vice that Character has (Beer, Babes, and/or Gold). At anytime, an opponent’s Character can be removed from participating in the turn by bribing them with the appropriate Bribery Resource.Gameplay Screen (Early Prototype)GlossaryActive Player - The player currently taking their turn.Avatar - The physical representation of the player’s Character. The Avatar occupies one space on the game board.Character - Any Resource or avatar that is played on the board.Game board - The collection of octagonal pieces that all of the Characters move and fight on.Lost Pile - Where all depleted Resources are put.Player - The human that controls their Avatar.Resource - Anything the Player’s Avatar uses to win the game.Resource Pile - The collection of Resources that an avatar can potentially pull from. Think of this as a deck of cards.Resource Point - Used to pay the RP Cost of Resources. Resource Point Pool - The number of currently available Resource Points that an Avatar can use.Resource Pool - The collection of Resources that an Avatar currently has at their disposal. Think of this as the cards in your hand.Terrain - Each space on the game board is covered by mountains, water, etc. These different environments provide bonuses and penalties to some Characters.Token - How each Resource is physically represented as a real-world object so that it may be conceptually manipulated.   
  I'll read through this at work, looks like some good stuff in there.  Perhaps a little long for most to digest though!   ;  Wait, you're making a board game?Why are you worrying about how to implement skills in a board game?Seriously. That's not a rhetorical question. Why skills? How often are there going to be locks to pick, really? And if there are, why not have a "pick lock" resource? But if you really do want skills, then I'd recommend using skill points. It's a board game. "Realism" isn't an issue. Transparency is.Kudos for making a board game, by the way. It's the kind of design that a solo developer can actually afford to implement, while still having the potential to be lots of fun.   ;  Yes, it has a board. But think of it as a scaled down MMORPG for those of us that don't want to spend 10 hours at a time wandering around some other world. The board is the vehicle to facilitate movement and provide a context for spacial orientation between resources.As it is currently designed, Resource Piles are only a size of 60. This provides a finite amount of resources that would eventually prove limiting to gameplay as a character progresses. I only used lockpicking as an example because I knew it was something everyone could relate to. A more adequate example for me would be Detect Trap. The more you use the Detect Trap Resource, the more proficient your Avatar becomes in detecting traps your opponent may have set in various board locations. Eventually, you would acquire the skill at a high enough level that you could remove it from your Resource Pile and replace it with something else.I'm hoping to catch the RPG feel of progression and character customization without imposing the time constraints of traditional RPGs. Personally, I've become quite fond of the type of games I can sit down and play 15-45 minutes.   ;  Looks pretty good. You don't see many games of this genre anymore. Where did you get the art? It looks awesome.   ;  Most of it I jacked from somewhere else to give people an idea of what I'm going for but I've done a lot of the character development in 3D modeling software. I'm hoping to be able to use those models to add some eye candy features. As for the genre, seems like anything that's not an MMORPG or FPS is considered antiquated at this point.   ;Quote:Original post by darkpegasusYes, it has a board. But think of it as a scaled down MMORPG for those of us that don't want to spend 10 hours at a time wandering around some other world. The board is the vehicle to facilitate movement and provide a context for spacial orientation between resources.Eh... can't I just think of it as a board game with RPG elements? Unless I misunderstand it, you don't have a persistant world of any kind, and any given match is between two players. I don't really see any MMORPG-ness here. Which is, as far as I'm concerned, a good thing.Quote:A more adequate example for me would be Detect Trap. The more you use the Detect Trap Resource, the more proficient your Avatar becomes in detecting traps your opponent may have set in various board locations. Eventually, you would acquire the skill at a high enough level that you could remove it from your Resource Pile and replace it with something else.So the Detect Trap Resource doesn't always work -- it depends on your skill? Or it always works, but after you've used it enough times, you don't need to use it  any more? In that case, are traps just automatically revealed, or do you still have to do something? If it isn't playing a resource, what is it?Quote:I'm hoping to catch the RPG feel of progression and character customization without imposing the time constraints of traditional RPGs. Personally, I've become quite fond of the type of games I can sit down and play 15-45 minutes.I think this is a great idea, and I'm sure there are a lot of people who'd like to play this sort of game. I do think that you may be sticking too closely to how progression works in a "traditional" RPG, but without a clearer sense of how the game plays, it's hard to judge.   ;Quote:So the Detect Trap Resource doesn't always work -- it depends on your skill? Or it always works, but after you've used it enough times, you don't need to use it any more? In that case, are traps just automatically revealed, or do you still have to do something? If it isn't playing a resource, what is it?Here's how I have it set up right now. Before you ever use the Detect Trap Resource, your skill is 0%. Detect Trap is normally a passive skill, so at 0% you will NEVER detect one until it is too late.If Detect Trap reads something like "For the next 3 turns, your probability of detecting a trap is increased by 10%". Now just by moving around you have a 10% chance of detecting a trap. You've also started learning how to detect traps.Let's say you do this 10 times and increase your Detect Trap skill level to 1. Now you ALWAYS have a 10% chance to detect a trap even if you never play the Detect Trap Resource again. But assuming you don't like those odds, you can continue to play the Detect Trap Resource so that you now have a 20% chance of detecting a trap. You can continue using the Resource until you get to skill level 10, or until you decide you no longer wish to pursue trap detecting because the metagame has dictated that nobody uses traps anymore these days.[Edited by - darkpegasus on September 13, 2007 7:26:03 AM];Quote:Original post by darkpegasusYou can continue using the Resource until you get to skill level 10, or until you decide you no longer wish to pursue trap detecting because the metagame has dictated that nobody uses traps anymore these days.I think this might explain something about why this sort of progression doesn't make sense to me: You're actually reducing the complexity of your game over time, by offloading resources (about which the player must make strategic decisions) into your Avatar's skills (which just automatically let you do stuff). And then the resources become obsolete, either because the player has the equivalent skill (i.e., Detect Trap) or because they know their opponent has the skill necessary to automatically defeat them (i.e., Set Trap).I'd be interested to see a design where the resources themselves were upgradeable, instead of giving the player skills to replace them. And I wouldn't base it on usage, because it's more interesting for the player if they get to choose. Maybe give the winner of each match an "upgrade point," and have each upgrade cost a  number of points, as necessary for game balance. That way the player is motivated to win, not just to use the resources they'd like to see upgraded.   ;Quote:You're actually reducing the complexity of your game over timeThis is exactly what I want to do. As characters evolve and become more god-like, things they've done in the past are easier. Calculus may be tough when you start, but after awhile it becomes "why was that so hard in the first place?"And some skills will still require Resource Points so they're not completely free. I may know how to set traps, but I need to commit some resources to actually doing so. My ultimate goal is to give you the chance for progression to a character that is more than human, elf, etc. New Resources are constantly introduced to the game that diversify old strategies and create new ones. As for the skill point for a match win. I understand what you are saying about being given the choice to upgrade specific skills by choice. My main problem with the reward by win is that once a character gets too powerful, it makes it tough for some people to ever get any wins to increase their character. Sure you may still lose to a guy stronger than you, but at least you got some credit for trying.   