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Ice-Hockey Shooting Mechanic

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DarkDream
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Joined: 12/31/1969

I am working on a ice-hockey board game and working on a shooting mechanic to determine when a player shoots the puck at goal whether it is a goal or not.

The basic idea of my shooting mechanic is that:
- A shot closer to the goal is easier to shoot on net and score.
- A shot from a bad angle will be harder to score.
- Wrist shots will be accurate but easier to save by the goalie.
- Slap shots will be inaccurate but harder to save by the goalie.

The rink is composed of squares where each square will have two numbers. The first number indicates the shot difficulty and a second number will indicate the save difficulty modifier.

The power of a shot is calculated by the a shot's strength (slap shot is 8, wrist shot is 6) minus its distance to goal in squares. So for example, a slap shot made from 2 squares from goal will have a shot power of 6.

So the first thing is to see if you shoot to hit net. This is done by rolling a d20 (plus modifiers) which equals or exceeds the shot difficulty.

If it is determined that the shot is on net, the next step is to see if the goalie saves the puck. This is done by taking the shot power adding the save difficulty modifier and rolling a d20 to either equal of exceed this number to make the save.

For example, a skater shoots a wrist shot from 2 squares away. The shot difficulty on the square is 4. The skater must roll 4 or more. He rolls a 7, and the shot is on goal. The shot's power is 4 which is wrist shot strength 6 minus the distance of 2. The save modifier on the square is +3. So three is added for a save difficulty of 7.

The opposing player rolls the d20 and gets an 8 which results in a save.

What do you guys think of this mechanic?

I have tried to keep it really simple and fast, as one of my design goals is to keep it fast as hockey is a fast game :)

The next thing I am working on is when a goalie makes a save, how to calculate a degree of success whereby if the goalie just saves there is a rebound directly in front, a better save to one of the diagonal squares in front, a better save which goes behind the net to the side and finally a good save where the goalie gets the puck with no rebound.

Any ideas on how to translate a d20 roll for a degree of success to translate it to where a rebound goes or no rebound?

Thanks,

DarkDream

ElKobold
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DarkDream wrote:What do you

DarkDream wrote:

What do you guys think of this mechanic?

I have tried to keep it really simple and fast, as one of my design goals is to keep it fast as hockey is a fast game :)

I like how the modifiers are printed on the squares.
However, I wouldn't use rolling D20 with modifiers here.

I would go for custom dice. With 'hit' 'miss' 'save' faces.

The number on the square would indicate the number of dice rolled. The slapshot would ignore the 'save' results. But require at least 2 hits to score.
The wrist shot would need just one hit, but any 'save' would mean a failed shot.

Or something along those lines.

You will be able to combine the hit/miss + save roll in one. And the math would be easier for the players that way.

DarkDream
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Developing Idea

Hi ElKobold,

Thanks for the suggestion. I went ahead yesterday on developing your idea. I wanted to make things as simple of possible and just used two dice with the custom die faces of 'hit' 'miss' and 'save.'

I tried various combinations in what face beats what, but settled on the following:

- If a hit and miss are rolled, the result is a miss.
- If a miss and save are rolled, the result is a save.
- If a hit and save are rolled, the result is a save.

Using a small program I wrote (which would simulate thousands of rolls), I tested the various results if you have differing number of hits, misses and save faces on the dice.

For example, one die would have faces of: hit, miss, miss, save, save, save and another: hit, hit, miss, miss, save, save. This would result in a goal x% of the time, a save y% of the time, and a miss z% of the time.

I am still working on it, but it is quite difficult to find the right die combinations which give the results you want.

As an example, a wrist shot in front of goal two squares away (approximately 30 feet) should register a goal around 25% of the time, and a miss around 20% of a time, and a save the remaining 55% of the time. To get these percentages to fit with two custom dice you need to experiment with replacing various faces on either die to try to get the percentages you want or simply try different dice and hope they come close to the percentage you want.

I may find I need to have many different custom dice to get all the percentages based on difference -- but this seems quite unpractical.

As a side note, your suggestion of making a roll of a hit and save a hit for a slap shot, is also difficult to do as making that small change can drastically change the percentage of scoring.

Another thing I noticed is that I feel it will be difficult to add modifiers. For example, a great shooter has a better chance of scoring.

The one advantage of the system I proposed with a d20 is the fine granularity and the easy way of adding modifiers.

As for having multiple dice, I think that may compound the problem I am experiencing with two dice. So besides knowing that a save take precedence over a hit, does two hits over a save turn into a save? Things like that.

Any thoughts, or more suggestions?

--DarkDream

ElKobold
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You could also have your dice

You could also have your dice color-coded, with different sets of faces, attached to a specific player.

So one player would be better at saving and 'stealing' a puck from another player (not sure about the correct term for this in English, sorry) while another would be better at hitting and passing and the third would miss all the time :)

You can also have passing as a 4th action. Both Hit and Pass can be used to actually pass the puck, but only Hit can score a goal. So it will make sense to position your best shot at a better place, pass the puck to him with a player who is good at passing and then have a better chance to score.

This way you can throw the modifiers away (apart from number of dice you roll, which are printed on the board). It will speed up your game.

I would have dices something like this:
#1 Save Save Save Hit Hit Miss - Potential goalkeeper
#2 Save Save Save Hit Pass Pass - Alternative goalkeeper
#3 Save Save Hit Pass Pass Pass
#4 Save Hit Pass Pass Pass Pass
#5 Save Hit Hit Pass Pass Miss
#6 Save Hit Hit Hit Miss Miss - Forward. Full of himself. Will never pass.

Save - rolled to prevent enemy from scoring a goal OR to prevent a pass to a nearby enemy. Equals miss when passing or trying to score. You roll a maximum of 1 dice for each player who can attempt a save.
So you roll 1 dice with your goalkeeper + 1 dice for each assisting defender.

Hit - rolled to attempt to score a goal OR to pass a puck to another player.

Pass - can only be used to pass the puck to another player.

Miss - is a miss.

If you need more variation, you can mark some of the saves and hits with * which would mean that this roll is ignored if some conditions are met. Like for example you will still be able to try and score over the entire field, but out of your Hit Hit* Hit* Save Miss Miss you will have only <18% chance to score, minus all the defender rolls.

Wrist shot VS slap shot can use this as well.
Slap shot - ignore Save* results of the defender. Can only be used if the player controlled the puck during the previous turn and there are no nearby enemy players.
Wrist shot - roll normally.

You will need quite a few dice though - i imagine 3-4 of each.

Just my 2 cents.

ElKobold
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DarkDream wrote:As an

DarkDream wrote:
As an example, a wrist shot in front of goal two squares away (approximately 30 feet) should register a goal around 25% of the time, and a miss around 20% of a time, and a save the remaining 55% of the time. To get these percentages to fit with two custom dice you need to experiment with replacing various faces on either die to try to get the percentages you want or simply try different dice and hope they come close to the percentage you want.

So if you have a goalkeeper with Save Save Save, and an attacker with Hit Hit,
you need to set the number of dice rolled by the attacker to 2-3.

In any case, you can change the number of the dice rolled, until you'll get the ratios you are happy with.

Zag24
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Joined: 03/02/2014
I think you'd add some more

I think you'd add some more fun and drama if you introduce rebounds. If the goalie needs, say, an 8 or higher to make a save, then 8-13 is a save but there's a rebound, and 13+ is a clean save with no rebound. If there's a rebound, then you need some rules for where it bounces to, and the offensive team might get another shot, based on some other roll.

I don't know how much like real hockey you're trying to get, but of course, screens, tipped shots, and passes to the opposite side are very important. I don't know if you even want to try to capture those.

questccg
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This is not specific to your OP ... but

I wanted to say is IF you design a game, try to design something that can be used with REGULAR HOCKEY CARDS. If you could design a game with dice and maybe some stats from the hockey cards themselves...

Children would love you! :D

Instead of just collecting the cards, you could use card stands to place the players on an ice rink.

I think it would be GENIUS to REUSE collectible cards. Not for the collectible aspect - but to give kids something TO DO with those cards.

Player positions could be important and maybe you can use CARD SLEEVES to introduce stats... That's another idea. Not sure what kinds of stats you find on the cards themselves. I will dig into this a little bit, just to give you some more ideas.

Cheers and best of luck with your game!

questccg
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Double Post... sorry

Sorry accidentally double posted this message...

DarkDream
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Another Interesting Idea

ElKobold,

Thanks for the alternative idea. I did go ahead and try with my simulation program to get the percentages I wanted.

In the particular example you gave, a goalkeeper die with three Saves (other sides are blank), and a shooter with a Hit, Hit, Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss would need two dice to get the percentages close.

A roll of a save regardless of the shooters roll is a save. If no save is rolled then a roll of a hit scores as long as the number of hits are equal or greater than the number of misses rolled.

If you do that, then the goal percentage is 29%, a miss percentage of 22% and save percentage of 50%. Fairly close.

With a shooting die with an extra hit replacing a miss, then you would need to just roll one shooting die. This turns out to be a goal 25% of the time, a miss percentage of around 25% and a save percentage of 50%.

However, to get other percentages turned out to be quite difficult.

I am considering of having to roll different numbers of die (all with the standard sides of 1-6) where a certain number rolled is considered a hit. The goalie would similarly have to roll a set of other dies which if each die is rolled a certain number would register a save. If the number hits exceed the number of saves then a goal is scored.

So far have investigated this option a little bit and it does not look so good as well. :(

Any other thoughts?

--DarkDream

DarkDream
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Great Thoughts and Feedback

@Zag24
Yes. Definitely, I will have rebounds. Right now I am trying to use the degree of success of a save to determine whether there is a rebound or not and if there is a rebound the location it will go.

For example, using my original idea, if you need to roll a 5 or more on a d20 it is a save. Up to the first increment which let's say a 3, then a roll of 5, 6, or 7 will be a rebound directly in front of the goalie, the next increment for a 8, 9, 10 will be in front diagonally, another increment of 11,12,13 will be diagonally behind the goal, while a 14 or more is a save with no rebound.

Right now the increment amount is calculated by taking the shot strength minus the distance from goal.

I am still working on this rebound aspect. If you have any way to make this simpler or any other suggestion, I would appreciate it.

Definitely, I would like to add as much real hockey aspects but right now I am trying to capture the fundamentals: passing, shooting, rebounds, skating. My theory is if I get those down and tight, I can consider to add the other aspects.

@questccg

That is a great idea to use existing hockey trading cards, and possibly standing them up on a board. I don't really know how well it would work in my case though. My board dimensions are 7 squares by 14 squares. Each square is around 2 by 2 inches (so as to be able to have two 1 inch diameter miniatures fit in one square). Right now the board will be minimum of 14" by 28". To have cards would have to make an already large board bigger.

I am definitely want to have modifiers like +1 for this or a special rule for star players and so on. I don't have any hockey cards so if you have any suggestions or some cards yourself then please share them. :)

Thanks for all the great responses!

--DarkDream

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