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Need help finding an appropriate mystery...

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Sat, 05/08/2004 - 21:22
Joe_Huber
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Last month a friend challenged me with the words "Mystery Bridge". I've always enjoyed a challenge (the other challenge that caught me at that time was the design of a game in which every card was exactly the same; I had one example - called Nix of course - ready two days later), and have a number of ideas I'd like to try.

The difficulty is that I need a mystery to use as the basis of the game. It needs to have four suspects as well as a case in which no one is guilty (natural causes, or some such). Unfortunately, I'm not a big enough fan of mysteries (particularly historic mysteries) as to have any subjects in mind. Anyone have a good idea?

Thanks,

Joe

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Sun, 05/09/2004 - 02:46
#1
IngredientX
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Need help finding an appropriate mystery...

What a shame that Jack the Ripper has already been done!

I wonder if you can squeeze the Kennedy assassination in there. The complexity and over-analysis of the case would match Bridge's extra "heaviness" compared to Rummy. The suspects could be assassins hired by... oh, I dunno... the KGB, Fidel Castro, the GOP, and Marilyn Monroe. (Obviously, I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject... perhaps someone who knows a little more can supply more credible suspects.) The fifth "no suspect" result would mean it would be just have been Mr. Oswald and his Magic Bullet.

Here's another idea: this was the idea to my Doomed Civilization entry, which never made it into playtesting. The world is potentially facing doom from four sides: a virus outbreak, an alien invasion, a global flood, and the sun going supernova. If the world is going to end, it will be caused by one (and only one) of these events. The players control media outlets, and must choose a) figure out if the apocalypse is coming, and b) if it is, which event will bring it about. The first player to choose correctly wins.

Will this play well as a Bridge variant? Who knows; I don't have the faintest clue how Bridge works! But hey, you said you wanted a challenge... ;)

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Sun, 05/09/2004 - 13:26
#2
Joe_Huber
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Need help finding an appropriate mystery...

IngredientX wrote:
I wonder if you can squeeze the Kennedy assassination in there. The complexity and over-analysis of the case would match Bridge's extra "heaviness" compared to Rummy. The suspects could be assassins hired by... oh, I dunno... the KGB, Fidel Castro, the GOP, and Marilyn Monroe. (Obviously, I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject... perhaps someone who knows a little more can supply more credible suspects.) The fifth "no suspect" result would mean it would be just have been Mr. Oswald and his Magic Bullet.

I'd considered the Kennedy assassination, but it didn't fit particularly well, and is a bit too familiar - any licence taken with the facts and perceived facts will distract from the game, I fear...

Quote:
Here's another idea: this was the idea to my Doomed Civilization entry, which never made it into playtesting. The world is potentially facing doom from four sides: a virus outbreak, an alien invasion, a global flood, and the sun going supernova. If the world is going to end, it will be caused by one (and only one) of these events. The players control media outlets, and must choose a) figure out if the apocalypse is coming, and b) if it is, which event will bring it about.

Hmmm... now this has potential...

Quote:
Will this play well as a Bridge variant? Who knows; I don't have the faintest clue how Bridge works! But hey, you said you wanted a challenge... ;)

Absolutely! Actually, the real challenge is going to be playtesting - many gamers don't play Bridge, and most Bridge players I know are reluctant to try something new, particularly when closely related to Bridge but not Bridge.

Thanks,

Joe

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Sun, 05/09/2004 - 14:23
#3
Scurra
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Need help finding an appropriate mystery...

IngredientX wrote:

Here's another idea: this was the idea to my Doomed Civilization entry, which never made it into playtesting. The world is potentially facing doom from four sides: a virus outbreak, an alien invasion, a global flood, and the sun going supernova. If the world is going to end, it will be caused by one (and only one) of these events. The players control media outlets, and must choose a) figure out if the apocalypse is coming, and b) if it is, which event will bring it about. The first player to choose correctly wins.

Did you read about "The Fate of Atlantis"? ;)
That's basically the idea I took (although I used five "suits" to make it a little different) but ended up sticking with Rummy as the underlying game because I didn't really want a trick-taking game.
But I liked the idea of making only one of the "suits" significant at the end of the game; the method Atlantis uses is somewhat too random for my liking, but it works because it is used for two aspects of the game.

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Sun, 05/09/2004 - 14:37
#4
Scurra
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Need help finding an appropriate mystery...

Joe_Huber wrote:

Absolutely! Actually, the real challenge is going to be playtesting - many gamers don't play Bridge, and most Bridge players I know are reluctant to try something new, particularly when closely related to Bridge but not Bridge.

This one strikes me as being a very key point. Whereas a "Mystery Bridge" game could work, it's not the same as creating a variant of almost any other card game simply because of the difficulties of persuading players to try it. (Me, I think I'd start with the simpler approach of "Mystery Whist" instead :))

As for a background plot? That's much harder. I'd seriously consider taking something that we do know about, but offering some "alternate history" explanations: the Titanic was sabotaged by Russian anarchists, or perhaps it was accidentally sunk by an early submarine?

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Sun, 05/09/2004 - 18:33
#5
sedjtroll
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Need help finding an appropriate mystery...

When I think Mystery, I think Sherlock Holmes. I guess you could go with Hercule Poirot if you want to be less mainstream. Perhaps a system where the idea is not to win the number of tricks you bid on, but rather to win tricks with the cards you think will win the game... then at teh end you see who won...

This could be done by using 2 decks of cards or something, removing a certain number from the game face down, playing a Bridge variant to win the truicks, the point being to win the tricks with the cards that match the face down cards, whose identity you deduce via bidding.

This could use a custom deck, rather than 104 cards, so that the bidding and deducing portion is less difficult.

Another option: This is what I was going to say first, but the above came out...

Have a stack of Mystery cards (not unlike 221B Baker Street) with the basic win conditions on the card (the mystery to solve). This makes the game different every time. Not only are the hands different, but the goal is as well. In abstract terms, the card could determine the Trump suit, or just give bonuses/penalties based on the trump suit, have a minimum number of tricks to win, have specific cards to win, or specific cards NOT to win. The game could be point based and played over anumber of rounds, or it could be a short thing with a winner and then you could play again. Probably would still be a team thing. It'd be cool if it could be 6 player (3 teams).

- Seth

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