I have a game I've been working on that involves collecting and spending points in three categories.
First, the player adjusts how many points they will receive in each category on a sliding scale (i.e. set the first category to 7 points, the second category to 5 points, and the last category to 6 points). These points can be spent on different actions and items in the game depending on which category the player spends from.
At the beginning of each turn, the player checks to see what their sliders are set at--in this instance category 1 is set to 7-- and then proceeds to collect that number of points. If they don't spend all of the points they received, they get to keep them and add the number of the slider the next turn (i.e. a player spends 3 points in category 1 so they have four remaining. next turn they add 7 more for a total of 11). The game involves many instances where the player adds or subtracts in each point category.
The problem I have is trying to simplify the way I keep track of the points. At first I tried numbered chits but that got to be complicated and time consuming (players often have 50+ points in three categories and spend them on several things each turn). Those chits were everywhere. Currently, I have an abacus like system where each player has a card with a ones and tens column and little markers to indicate where they are on the scale. It works but it seems to slow the game down considerably when people have to do the math and move the little abacus markers.
I would like to try and figure out how to simplify this system without changing the game too much. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi everyone and thanks for the replies. I have played Caylus and my game uses a similar victory point system along the edge of the board already
I have no idea what sort of game this is, but maybe if the costs were streamlined/ reduced it would be easier to keep track of too.
Yeah I was thinking this as well but I was having a hard time streamlining. This game is about survivors of a plane crash trying to last until help arrives. The different points represent tracking ability, gathering, and a generic wits category. Each of these points can be spent on different actions and resources that are specific to which types of points you spend. The game goes through a year and the players can adjust their sliders each season to basically plan for a new strategy in the coming season (i.e. food is harder to come by in the winter so the players will want to adjust gathering to a higher number).
Early in the game most of the points will be spent the turn they are received (i.e. player gets 7 gather points and buys three goods at a cost of two points each). Players will begin to acumulate points as they focus on certain actions more than others in order to surive the next season (i.e. a player has 5 tracking points to go hunting but notices that water is becoming scarce. the player forgoes hunting this turn in order to gather water. Then, the player gets five more hunting points next turn because of the slider)
Typically players will only get to about 20 max in a category unless they are forced to take a different strategy route. For example, a player plans to go exploring for items left over from the crash so they boost their tracking points for the season. Another player steals the first player's food so the first player will have to go gather food and exploring will have to wait. Meanwhile, the first player's tracking points will accumulate until he gets to adjust his slider next season. This number can get quite high in that scenario.
Do you think it might be worth it to redesign the points system rather than the method of counting?
So, as for your game, the thought would be that each player could have their own small card like this (the Dwarves board is only about 8" x 6" made of a cheaper paper material that is folded for packaging), and a different color wooden token or chip for each resource. Then, they merely move the token to the appropriate number on the board to mark how much of that they will have. If wood is too expensive, then you can use cardstock counters, but it sounds like you don't need too many, so you might be able to go with little wood counters and some paint (at least for a prototype).
Each player already has a card that keeps track of a different of things using little wooden counters. Right now on the card I am using three ones columns and three tens columns to represent the three kinds of points. Just numbering from one to 50 or so could replace that section and simplify it as well.
Thanks for all of you suggestions