Last week, I printed my Event Cards for the first time. One card had a mistake. The backside was designed in a wrong way. etc. etc. Mistakes to learn from.
But that got me thinking again. I really enjoyed having more professional cards in my hands. And that for only €0. That's right, 1 deck cost me only $0 or €0.
There are more good reasons to go for a card game only:
- no dice
- no complicated board
- no 2k pieces
- no box to put all the things in
To put things short. A card game only would be something that I would really enjoy.
But there is a problem. The rules regarding such a simple game. Are going to be simple.
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The mechanic that I have in mind would deal with a couple of problems with card games.
The little guys, that are numerous. Are no more. They are put together. In fact, a squad of soldiers will equal a group of tanks in their stats. No imbalance regarding this.
This will cut in the number of cards or in extra tools to help keeping track.
No speed or range effects.
No special effects (just yet, the vanilla must be completed)
A simple compare of numbers is the goal. Some calculations are allowed.
RPS is key.
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This is what I have in mind:
Pretending it is my board game with a hexagon worth of 3000 credits. Well, this means 30 rifle infantry, or 5 light tanks. I am sure you have seen this example before.
Why 3k and not 3600? For simplifying reasons. The stats that a player will see are:
Rifle Infantry
H 30
A 1
M 30
D 1
Light tanks
H 180
A 36
M 5
D 36
Players have to compare their D with the opponents A. If the opponents A is less then D, you use A. If not, you use D instead.
Now, multiply your D with your M. This is the total damage.
Compare it with the opponents H. If it is equal or more. The opponent is defeated.
If it is less, you need more cards for defeating the opponent. You may stack all other cards.
I feel, this is still way to complicated.
I tried €600 cards. Then we get this:
Rifle Infantry
H 6
A 1
M 6
D 1
Light tank(s)
H 36
A 36
M 1
D 36
Flame tank(s)
H 36
A 36
M 6
D 1
An unwanted side effect is that I have way less options for expansions etc.
To understand how many "balanced" cards the vanilla design can have. Calculate all factors on the €/100. And put this to the power of 2.
In case of 3000, I can have 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, and 30. That is 8. Resulting in 64 vanilla designs.
In case of 600, I ca have 1, 2, 3, 6. That is 4. Only resulting in 16 vanilla designs.
With production facilities, defences, walls and resource managment. This number can be multiplied by 3.
No air added yet. But to put things in simple terms. The vanilla deck is only 48 cards. No vanilla expansions possible!!!
€1000 isn't better; 1,2,5,10= 16 vanilla designs.
€1200 has 1,2,3,4,6,12=36 vanilla designs.
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First, I don't know if the mechanic is simple enough. There is no tracking health. You have to calculate things.
Second, the mechanics also show how many cards can beat other cards in one go. There are really a lot of cards that need support. So stacking is needed. This requires one more step in calculations. Which normally uses tracking, but this time it isn't there.
I have put this idea in the drawer again. I have gotten closer to my dream of a very simple to play war/card game. But what I have now, is considered a fail.
Not only that. But it really boils down to having names for armor types.
If that is the case. I get a copy of existing games. While just putting in my own idea's.
Erm, that is not going to happen.
I want to reduce calculations. Yet still use numbers.
Would it be an idea to allow 1 more tool?
Which one?
-Calculator?
-Chits?
-Dice?
The last 2 require a calculator when there is too much on the table.
If I where to choose numbers. I could remove the H and M. And simply use the calculated numbers.
I would go from A/H/M/D to for example H/D1/D2/D3/D4/D5/D6.
Now D is compared to H. And H would be placed on the left side at the right height. While all the D's are placed on the right.
For comparison, you can place the cards on top of each other. And you see the right D's at the same height as the H you want to destroy.
Realising that I will be limited to a fixed set number of armor types. I should think of which ones I want to use.
Any way, in short, FOR EXAMPLE, the cards would have this.
With the addition that I use the levels 1,2,3,4,6 and 12.
Rifle Infantry
H 30, placed at Spot 1.
D1 30
D2 30
D3 30
D4 30
D5 30
D6 30
Light tank(s)
H 180, placed at Spot 5.
D1 5
D2 20
D3 45
D4 80
D5 180
D6 180
Flame tank(s)
H 180, placed at Spot 5.
D1 30
D2 30
D3 30
D4 30
D5 30
D6 30
I have considered this before with the singularity design. But also with the stacked design.
It looks so fabricated. And that list of 30 doesn't really suit my tastes. Could there be another way to do this?
Further, the design asks for 12 cards of one type to destroy the complete opposite type.