Skip to Content
 

Mechanic ideas for combining base building with dungeon crawling

6 replies [Last post]
Sun, 09/11/2011 - 22:55
jspence
Offline
Joined: 09/11/2011

I'm creating a game that allows combines base building with dungeon crawling. You play a leader of a base and send a unit out on missions but I want the missions to be played out on a modular tiles. Example there could 8 to 10 locations each with it's own unique set of modular tiles. I would like the modular portion to resolve rather quickly with interaction between traps and a few enemies on the tiles. You gather your resources etc on your mission then return to your base to build based on what you return. The base building part consists of building weapons and buildings for protection. The problem is usually these are made as separate games and it hard to find mechanics that would combine the 2 and still provide strategy.

What mechanic would work for your base building and navigating a modular board. Action points? Mission cards? Are there any games like this that?

Top
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 05:34
#1
Cogentesque
Cogentesque's picture
Offline
Joined: 08/17/2011
Heya jspence, what I would

Heya jspence, what I would say is that in order to have the base building ANd the dungeon have an effect on gameplay so that the base would supply defences and boosts etc - you would have to haver the dungeon AS a modular board itself, and it would need to be regularly attacked. So perhaps every third or fourth "skirmish" must be at your base, which would be variously upgraded by your guys in their day-to-day missions. If you lose this - then you lose permanently.

Alternatively you could have it so that the base building part is on a totally different mechanic to the main fighting. eg. the base building will require X resources and give you certain bonuses throughout the main part of the game (the skirmishes) they could be perhaps based around cards that you could play as you are in the dungeon or in the form of stat boosts to your players. It would be tricky then to work out how you could "lose" your base or how it could be damaged in some way. Perhaps certain mega bosses could have an ability that would be: "If the mega boss kills one of you, then a segment of your base is also taken away"

I would probably go with the modular base idea myself. That way you could add cool parts to the base (different areas and rooms, a training room, quarters) similar to the old pc game Dungeon Keeper - I loved that. Also you could even combine it with the modular skirmishes too: with a training room installed anytime you are assaulted at your keep - you must fight an additional 10 orcs, but all of your heroes gain +1 strength and can use the skill "Hardy Training" in combat. You also gain 3 "WE ARE PREPARED!" attack bonus cards to be used at any time.

Top
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 05:35
#2
Casamyr
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
I was, and probably will

I was, and probably will finish, a game with similar goals - though it was more a tongue in cheek evil villain kind of game, where the base tiles allowed you to grow your cadre of henchmen. Henchmen came in different flavors which are then sent out into the world to rob banks for cash (used to buy new parts of your evil lair) or to steal components to complete the elements of your master plan.

Other evil villains are also fighting to complete their master plan and can recruit Secret Agents to infiltrate your opponents lair.

The way that it would have worked was a central, smallish board of the city, and each player built their modular Lairs based on the requirements of their Master Plan in front of them. Most of the action was to take place on the central city board, while an ever expanding lair should open up more and more options for an Evil Genius.

Hopefully, that might give you a few ideas.

Top
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 05:48
#3
Cogentesque
Cogentesque's picture
Offline
Joined: 08/17/2011
Casamyr, I've always wanted

Casamyr, I've always wanted to play or design a game with a very similar feel to the pc game "Evil Genius" ... if this is your game, please let me see what you have! lol

Top
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 08:03
#4
jspence
Offline
Joined: 09/11/2011
More questions

Hey guys,

Thanks for the great replies. If the game is set to be 3-6 players. Could you realistically have each player exploring a different location yet still have them effect each somehow? Example: Player 1 wants to go to dungeon 1 that has X rooms tiles and but players 2 and 3 are going to dungeon 2. So players could go to the same dungeon or different ones. The dungeons wouldn't be very large 8-12 tiles so hopefully the overall board game space wouldn't be too large.

Also if I wanted to a have a system where there are 8 types of weapons you can build with unique stats and 10 upgrades for buildings/weapons/units and then 8 buildings. Whats a good way to implement that system where you would send a unit out on a mission but the player chooses which one of those types he wants. I would like to have it where you know what you are looking for instead of searching a location and then randomly drawing treasure cards. I could use cards but it would have to be a generic "Get Weapon" mission card. and you'd have to declare which one you are after. Is this a good approach? Or I go could go with a completely different mechant that most games use and have a level system where you need building A to get to building B and so on.

Top
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 08:56
#5
larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
I posted another thread about

I posted another thread about combining games

http://www.bgdf.com/node/5281

I think the best way to make the game feel as a whole game is to make sure other players can for example continue to build their base while another player is on mission. This way, it does not disrupt the flow of the game.

But my question is, why would you want to develop the base. Can it be attacked by other players or random events. Else the base development could be an off-game or pre-game thing. Like it's the case in Blood Bowl team management and Magic the gathering deck building.

Top
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 09:06
#6
jspence
Offline
Joined: 09/11/2011
The base would be under

The base would be under attack every X turns and effected by random events. So you would need to send out units to get the resources you would need to defend against those events/attack. If all the decisions were premade it would limit the decisions you would get to make on customizing your base. I haven't really found a good way to have players attack or help each other but I'm always open to new ideas.

I wanted to have simultaneous actions. Everyone would declare their mission(s) (with whatever mechanic i choose) then after all the dungeon stuff is resolved then all players would be able to simultaneously upgrade/build things in their base before the attack/events happened.

Top
Syndicate content


forum | by Dr. Radut