Hi All,
I had an inspiring idea about a bicycle racing game, and now I'm somewhat stuck since I don't have anyone to bounce ideas off of (my gamer friends are good playtesters, but original ideas get blank stares). Any comments or criticisms, or ideas would be appreciated. Here goes:
TOUR DE FRANCE the game
Players race across the French countryside, pedaling hard and conserving their energy by drafting behind other racers. The racers try to win as many of the legs of the race as they can to be declared winner.
Each player is given a set of cards numbered 1-10 twice, for a total of 20 cards. And each player’s bike is placed at the starting line. Next each player secretly selects a card to start off the race with, they are revealed simultaneously.
The player with the highest value card goes first, and moves his bike that many spaces ahead on the board (board would be a straight section of road with a grid on it). The next highest moves next and so on until all of the racers have moved forward the initial number of spaces. If players should reveal the same value of card at this “starting line” tie breaker numbers should be observed. The loser of the tie breaker may move directly behind the winner of the tie breaker or may move parallel to that player. Played cards are discarded.
Every round after the first, the player in the lead must place his race card down first. The second place player second and so on until the last player plays a card. Players may also play 2 cards simultaneously if their total does not go above 10.
After the first round, drafting is also possible. In drafting, a player directly behind another player may keep pace with that player even if the drafting player plays a lower value card (maximum 2 points lower). For instance. Lucky Pierre is in the lead with Crazylegs Smith right behind him. Pierre decides to play a 7 value card(s) and moves ahead 7 spaces. Smith only has to play a card(s) worth 5 to stay directly behind Pierre. If Smith were followed directly by another racer, Furious Fritz, he too could take advantage of drafting and only need play a five value card or cards (sorry it isn’t a cumulative effect).
Crashing can occur when a drafting player plays a card value equal to the card value of the person they are drafting. Ie. Pierre plays a 9 and so does Smith who wishes to remain behind Pierre. If the subsequent player plays a card with a number that beats the previous player a wreck occurs.
Once a single player had eight spaces between himself and the next closest player, he has won that leg of the race.
(this could be compatible with the staircase mechanic; adjusting 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for each leg of the race; winner moves up one, loser moves down one)
The overall winner is the one to win the most legs.
I'm glad you brought that up DSfan and thanks for your input Brykovian.
I don't think there would be a runaway leader problem at all since a player in the lead will have to use all of their cards at face value, and allow drafting players to spare their high cards till after the lead players are already exhausted. Trying not to be in front, but not too far behind is the desired effect. But it is or course untested.