I have created this board game about Greek Mythology. The objective of the game is to fully populate three ancient cities of Greece while maintaining them and fighting others to gain a city territory. Population increases to full capacity over the course of time.
There are sea vessels, god cards, hero cards, artifact cards, and "newly added" mission cards. Because the game is not an annilhilation game, we are finding that turtling occurs and battles are sometimes a cat and mouse game (e.g. If I fight, it leaves me vulnerable to other players to attack me on my departed city) that could go on forever.
I have resorted to mission cards for each play over the course of four rounds to give each player a minor objective, usually a battle or build a shrine. If this private mission is not complete, there are consequences for that player. Things get complicated when players react to their own mission and foil the original intent of another players mission.
It gets more complicated when 4 players are playing. I like my main objective, but how do I encourage battle without turtling and the cat and mouse effect? Remember, aside from dice, this game should be a strategy game
