Finally getting to write this up!
So the first test was more successful than I'd expected. There were five of us playing, with knockout rules.
The game started quite slowly, with people often opting not to play cards so they could move around and gather resources. It was noted that money inputs from players' estates were far more popular than pieces, at least to begin with - the cash "felt" like more money.
Eventually people started playing cards. An early question, provoked by an attempt to murder me in the council place, involved whether trials could block attacks or were just played later - I'm going to rejig the cards to clarify this, and it'll be different for different trial cards.
The trial and election mechanics proved extremely good fun, particularly the system of naming penalties, which I was happy about. I'm concerned about just how deadly the system could get when it gets down to two players - it would end up being a very swingy "shootout" - so I feel like dead players need to be kept in somehow, or the last two players have to get an extra worker released or something like that.
To give an idea of the sorts of events that could happen, the last turn involved one player worrying that the next was going to try him on trumped-up charges. He responded to this by using a card he had to try and militarily occupy the law courts. He failed, however, to defeat the two other players in the law courts, who brought bodyguards. As the Archon, I ordered an immediate trial for hubris in attacking more prestigious citizens than himself, and he was promptly exiled, knocking him out of the game.
Anyway, I definitely felt it was a positive start.
