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Which idea looks better?

Author Topic: Feedback on player numbers idea please!  (Read 6018 times)

Jubal

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Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« on: February 02, 2015, 02:14:25 AM »
So I've been playing around with some ideas for a new game. Not going to give away much yet beyond that it involves bloody struggles for power between oligarchs in a city.

What I'm not sure of, as a general point, is this: should I have a smaller number of players (say, four) and keep it constant through the game (essentially, have some system whereby if the player dies there's always a way back/they instantly jump back in with a different character) or should I make it much more bloody, and start with as many as eight or nine players but actually have them kill one another off as the game goes on?
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Glaurung

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2015, 07:42:21 AM »
Interesting one.

The murder-fest sounds like the same sort of dynamic as Monopoly or Risk. That style of game doesn't seem to be commercially popular for new games these days; I don't know if that's a consideration for you. If you do go for the murder-fest, I'd suggest that there shouldn't be any murders until, say, at least half-way through the game, so that everybody gets a reasonable length of play.

Respawning players sounds like Vinci, if you've heard of it (a bit like Risk, but with strictly limited military power, and respawning countries). Respawned players come back as new characters, possibly with slightly different game aims, and the winner is based on total points rather than being the last one alive.

Either way might appeal to people; you could perhaps even set the game up so the players can choose which mode they will play. I think my preference is probably for respawning, though.

Tom

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2015, 06:42:35 PM »
I had to vote for murder fest as I am very competitive as is my family so a game which is very competitive appeals to me. I think that as Glaurung said having a period of time before people start dying off would be appealing to more casual players. Perhaps have players need to consolidate their power base or something before they can start to take out rivals? I don't really know too much about boardgames though so take these suggestions with a pinch of salt.

Jubal

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2015, 07:18:08 PM »
My current thoughts, which may be too complex, are now moving towards a halfway point - essentially, the "dead" players get into a secondary game whereby they are individual characters trying to complete their secondary objectives before the main game ends. This is still very much tied into the main game - they act as sort of "hero" characters who can significantly affect events still without having the resources of the remaining "oligarch" players.
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Tom

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2015, 05:43:44 PM »
Ok sounds interesting. I think it really depends on who you're aiming this at, casual board gamers may be put off by the complexity of the rules so you have to keep that in mind.

TTG4

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2015, 09:21:23 PM »
There are benefits to both I think. On the one hand being eliminated sucks because you just sit there and watch the others play. But then having the risk of being eliminated makes it more intense. I think your idea of two tiers is nice, but I agree with Tom that it could get complicated.

Jubal

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2015, 10:16:51 PM »
I'm going to test out the two-tier system, I think, and see if that works. The function of the secondary characters works fairly similarly to the primary ones so it should stay streamlined - we'll see.
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Silver Wolf

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Re: Feedback on player numbers idea please!
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2015, 01:03:53 AM »
I like the idea of eliminating other players for good.  :D

And I also agree with Glaurung. Those eliminations should only start occurring about half-way through the game.
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