Currently working on a CDG about the Syrian Civil War.
I've played Twilight Struggle and like it. I have decided to make this game a CDG and don't know where to start. I know the scope will be much smaller that TS and will not be using the same number of cards, nor will all the cards be event driven, but numerically based.
Where I am at:
-I made a deck of 9 event cards which will be placed at the top of the board, face down, and will be used as a timer, 1 per round. Each event will harmfully effect either you or your opponent (or both!) each round.
-I've created about 18 cards for the "attack deck"so far and I am not sure if I should duplicate some cards (i.e. more than one infantry, more than one air strike, more than one anti-tank weapon, etc.) or make all the cards different in some way.
-Each player will hold a hand of 8 "attack" cards per round (I selected that number simply because TS does) and will play them in order to move military, add influence, add military, or attack or defend against the enemy based in the numerical value of the card. I would imagine that in a 9 round game each player will go through a deck several times.
Question: How does one tackle a CDG? Is it wise to make both players draw from the same deck? How many cards are sufficient for a deck? Can I get away with duplicating the cards? How do you even start playtesting something as complex as a CDG?
Can this question even be answered due to my horribly short and shoddy explanation of the game?
BTW, the map is area movement and the goal is to obtain morale points (ie. VP) by obtaining control of a territory.
Thanks.
