To start off im completely new to board game design and suspect that the project I want to create (my first project) is overly ambitious... Nevertheless I like a good challenge.
I seek to create a game with a friend of mine which is essentially a mix of a computer RTS, Axis and Allies, Risk, Traders of Genoa, and Sim City. This game will hopefully allow at least 4 players, you and your friends, to design your own land masses (probably islands) from which you will build cities and armies with which to takeover each others landmasses. Obviously i wont ask for advice online how to solve most the problems i expect to run into or have run into but one problem is perplexing me to no end. This is the matter of privacy.
The problem im anticipating is that if all country affairs are completely private, almost everyone, even the most honest of players will fudge the numbers in their favor. However i wish to incorporate the element of surprise into the game. I want victory to depend most heavily upon strategy. Which makes privatizing country affairs seem impossible. So how do you keep a players private movements honest, yet not expose his or her movements to the rest of the players, while still allowing grace for honest mistakes?
A couple of solutions have been brought forth...
The first came from my friend who's quite familliar with Dungeons and Dragons. He suggested setting up a sort of DM for the game. He would essentially watch over what each player does to make sure they dont cheat.
The problem is first that it would be a huge bore.
The second is that it would be a huge job. Whoever was "DM" would have to watch over at around 4 people in a timely and smooth fashion, so the game flows.
The third is that refs are usually not considered players so even if the first two could be overcome it would be hard to find someone willing to ref.
Other ideas mostly involve points in time where the privacy is shattered and at least one other player gets to check up on the honesty of his or her fellow friend.
Any ideas? solutions? thoughts? comments?
I want to reply to all of you and thank you all so ill do so in the order the responses came....
1. Sorry about the lack of information it does seem i need to throw in more details...
At this point as i said the game map is designed by the individual, however each city has a map of its own. And each player can build as many cities as his landmass can hold (there are limits on how close cities can be together), Within the city map are squares where a player, when he has bought a building, places the building he bought. Just as in an RTS like AOE or Warcraft 3 There are three basic buildings where you get your resources each turn. Farms for food, Mines for stone, and Lumber mills for wood. Then obviously there are millitary buildings you can buy which spit out units as you buy them. This system presents the problem of how to make an "Economic fog of war". In which every player makes the resources they build buildings for but they dont get more resources than thier buildings warrant.
The game is also designed as a millitary game. So when you build up your massive, highly developed force you can send it out to smite your enemy. Although this game may turn out to be simply blob warfare as in risk I would like to incorporate more strategy into the game as you might see in real warefare for example having a seige over an opponents city, or the possibility of betraying each other by pretending to send an army one way but really sending it another. By allowing for surprise flanks and surprise attacks from behind. So i need a way to create a "millitaristic fog of war"
2. I thank you and value your advice. As you said one thing i do need to work on is simplifying the game. A couple ways iv been working to do this is through establishing turn orders and Forms of organization for everyone to follow, so instead of having a blob of things to look at at once only the most relevant information stands before a player at a time. It may be that i have to remove some of the game mechanics to make room for strategy as you said so ill be looking out for that.
In response to your second paragraph i obviously cant do that for everything as almost everything will be pertinent the very moment it happens but your advice may be useful for hiding other aspects of the game...
3. lol your english is probably better than mine. I also tend to respond very lengthily so it doesnt bother me. Although my game has very little to do with cards i may be able to use the basic premise to create an economic fog of war... i'll have to wrestle around with the idea....