City of Black: My new CCG and a discussion on multiplayer mechanics

[Wisp]

I've been trying to eliminate the need to keep track of different variables in my game using counters or dice. At the moment it has resources, influence, character damage and territory damage which all need to kept track of, but I'd want to make it so that only one (or maybe 2) things need to be kept track of. Here are some of my solutions.

1. Resources: I'm making it so that the cards themselves are used to represent resources. At the beginning of your turn you generate resources by moving that many cards from the top of your deck into a resource pool. You then move cards from you resource pool to the bottom of the deck to pay for costs and any destroyed locations get put into the resource pool.

2. Character damage: Damage disappearing at the end of each turn like M:tG, or at the end of battle if it becomes too much to keep track of. Or any other combat system you can think of.

Can anyone think of a way of eliminating the need for damage counters on my territories? Any comments on what I've done so far?

How's that template looking dragoon?

[Cyrus]

Dude! This looks like its coming along well...

I like the resource idea but mainly because its stolen from my favorite ccg of all time, star wars. I've tried to avoid using it for years, but the real solution may be to just use it. I say go for it.

If you want some character damage to stick around you could maybe implement some sort of 'wound' system? It gets confusing, though, if there's already a lot of tapping being done. You could have a character card be turned upside down (like tapped, then tapped again the same direction) to indicate that they're wounded. To simplify tapping wounded characters you could just disallow it, and thus give some added incentive to heal your dudes.

Just some thoughts. I like where this is going, keep fighting the good fight!

[Wisp]

I was wondering when you were going to drop by. I had an epiphany a few weeks ago and since then the game has been coming along leaps and bounds. Now I know what the feel is like (i played some sample games using M:tG cards with my friends, to find holes in the mechanics) I'm just streamlining everything.

The wound thing could work, but to be honest I'm not too worried about having damage stick around. I'll just have to re-balance the combat system. Trying to make this game as counter-free as possible. And yes, it's thanks to you that i know about the star wars CCG so thank you very much. I tried to put the card draw mechanic in there as well but it didn't work so well when i was testing.

How's it hanging?

[Wisp]

I made some alterations to the rules and generally cleaned up the OP. The biggest difference is the lack of a stronghold card (I hope that doesn't inconvenience you dragoon, sorry).

EDIT: Keeping strongholds in for the moment, until i find a better solution anyway.

[Wisp]

Another improvement on the rules. I added a section for the resource mechanic and explained a few other things better.

EDIT: It has been really hard for me to balance the system of playing territories, drawing cards and resources but i think i finally have it right.

The first problem was territory flooding. Before, I found out that the best tactic was to play as many territories as you could, not worry about protecting them until they were nearly dead, and then use your vastly superior resources to crush your opponent all at once. It wasn't what I had in mind for the game, and got especially boring once both players started doing it.

The other end of the spectrum was being too generous with starting resources. This invariably lead to people using all their starting resources to just destroy their opponents stuff, rather than build their own, and gave their opponent nothing to attack to attack (since they weren't building any territories).

As it stands you can only afford to play 1 territory per turn. Not only that, but it costs you nearly all of your resources to play a territory, leaving you with only as much pending power as you had on turn one. What I'm aiming for is a general plateau at about 3-4 territories, with players only attempting to build more than if their goal is to win via supremacy, rather than destroying opposing locations.

[Dragoon]

Wisp,

New version of character template. Not finished and no icons yet.

[Wisp]

That's amazing.

I like the way the stats are now, but it would be cool if you could play around with where they are placed, just to see what it looks like. I like the idea of having stats on the left so you can see them easier when looking at your hand, but I think there's a danger of it not looking very good. Good work!

How do the stats look rotated 90 degrees, so they take up more of the brown space and less of the picture?

[Dragoon]

Looks better imo

[Wisp]

Yeah that looks better I think. Maybe the border on the left could be narrower.

[Wisp]

Big update in the first post!

1. Simultaneous turn structure

2. Consolidated the territory mechanic with idea of strongholds that begin in play. Now each player begins with uncontrolled territories which must be brought under control and protected as the game progresses.

3. Small changes to the win condition (which yudencow wont like lol)

4. Addition of the threshold mechanic

[Wisp]

Call of Cthulu LCG

This is basically perfect in terms of lay out, though not necessarily the style.

EDIT: Fantasy Flight Games do make some really nice templates.


Lord of the Rings LCG


Star Wars LCG

[Wisp]

I'm planning to some play-testing this weekend/next week. Any comments you'd like to make on the game before I do?

[Wisp]

Another update to the first post.

I changed the theme slightly, and the gameplay to suit it.

In the world of the city of black pollution has made most of the earth uninhabitable, and the only water supply left happens to be in this 1 city. Instead of accumulating influence to win you are accumulating water. Who ever controls all the water, controls the city.

[Wisp]

If anybody cares, my play-testing session revealed what I feared. Although it played fine, well even, it played too much like the ccgs that inspired it, with some taked on mechanics. I'm going to have to redesign it with my new mechanics at the centre if I want it to have an identity of its own. Back to the drawing board.

[Dragoon]

I guess that means the card templates are put on hold? I currently have a 2-week holiday (finally!), so I can work on the templates.