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Mad Scientist Game

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Some Random Dude
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Joined: 01/30/2014

Hey Folks! (WARNING: Wall of text follows)

Well, Heist has passed its "conceptual" phase and is definitely in a playtesting phase, which means there isn't much I can do UNTIL I get a playtest going. So I come to you all today with a new idea: a game about Mad Scientists!

I still haven't picked a name (since Mad Scientist is already taken), so let's just call it that for right now. In this game, each player takes the role of a globe-trotting mad scientist who moves from their base of operations around the world to gather resources, influence, and money to build inventions and use them around the world. However, the more inventions you build and use, the crazier you become!

Goals I have for this game:
A) THEME!!! I love this theme, and I think the game should ooze theme!
B) Visually striking. This is more of a production thing, but I want to make sure I make the artwork distinct, and fit the theme well.
C) Mechanically sound. There doesn't have to be any overly intense mechanics or anything convoluted. Right now, it's simply move, gather cubes/tokens, spend cubes/tokens, and take cards.
D) THEME!!! I know I already said it, but if this game doesn't feel like a group of mad scientists running around the world causing mayhem, I'll be disappointed in myself.

The game is made up with a board a la Pandemic, with many different cities with connections between them to signify available movement. Each city also has a number of symbols by it, signifying the different actions/resources available. While a player is in a city, they can use an action to either Gain Influence (essentially VPs), Harvest Resources (alloys, uranium, energy, etc.), Build an Invention (more on that later), or Earn Money (which can buy resources if you don't have the means to gather them).

Each player starts the game with a character card with a lot of unique information on it, such as: character portrait/name, starting city/HQ, starting Inventions/resources, special abilities, and even a biography.

On one side of the board there is spot for a deck of unique cards (Invention deck) and a track of 5-7 spaces. The top cards of the deck are placed face up in those spots at the start of the game. Throughout the game, players may build these Inventions by paying the appropriate costs in resources and place the card in front of them. When they do that, a new card is drawn and placed in that spot.

Each Invention has game text that explains what it can do. There are a variety of different Inventions (as this is the core of the game) ranging from Death Rays and Earthquake Machines to Teleporters and Mind Control Devices. You could build a Giant Death Robot or Genetically Engineer Gorillas. Literally anything you could think of as something a Mad Scientist would make, that's something I'd like to make a card for. Inventions will also have "subtypes"/keywords such as Weapon, Utility, Minion, etc.

Each time you use (maybe use or build) an invention, you draw a number of Madness cards from a separate deck, as indicated by a symbol in the bottom corner (some Inventions will make you draw as many as 3 or 4 cards). These Madness cards are also pretty all encompassing, with Megalomania, Paranoia, Multiple Personalities, Aggressive, etc. in there. These cards have a variety of effects as well (Paranoia means you can't go where another scientist is, maybe, where Aggressive means you always use your weapons in combat). I haven't decided yet if they will all be unique (making the deck smaller) or if there will be copies, with some sort of added effect/penalty for getting duplicates.

Finally, Combat. If any scientists are in a city together, they have combat. I'm not sure how it will work exactly, but I have one idea: Players may spend influence (think of the mechanic as bidding) in order to force another player to leave. If a player feels like that's enough, they can back away to any connected city, and the player who won the conflict loses that much influence. Thematically, they are using their influence (calling in favors) of political/business leaders to have police shut down their operations, etc. A Mad Scientist could choose to use a weapon during the combat (all scientists start with one), and the damage value of that weapon can be used in this bidding war. However, if someone uses a weapon, they draw a Madness card. Things could quickly escalate, where a simple territorial dispute leads to one scientist aiming a Doomsday Device at a Giant Death Robot, going madder and madder with each second.

donut2099
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Joined: 01/09/2014
Do it

Do it

ruy343
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Joined: 07/03/2013
Yes.

I really like where this is heading. I was thinking of making a similar game myself, but more focused on building the machines themselves. However, I really like the idea of madness as a result of the players' actions. It would be a really great way to have a player who is losing be able to make a comeback if the madness cards provided some tactical disadvantages that a losing player might exploit. The fact that the catchup mechanic is built so seamlessly into the game is truly beautiful. Well done.

However, I'm concerned with the idea of resource collection. How exactly will scientists collect their resources with which they build these devices? territory control? placement of resources onto spaces on the board somewhat at random (a la pandemic, but the cubes are something you want to mine as resources? Whoa... That's interesting in its own right...)

Regardless, I like it. I led you my service, such as it is.

Some Random Dude
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Joined: 01/30/2014
Thank you, donut and ruy, for

Thank you, donut and ruy, for your kind words.

ruy343 wrote:
I really like where this is heading. I was thinking of making a similar game myself, but more focused on building the machines themselves. However, I really like the idea of madness as a result of the players' actions. It would be a really great way to have a player who is losing be able to make a comeback if the madness cards provided some tactical disadvantages that a losing player might exploit. The fact that the catchup mechanic is built so seamlessly into the game is truly beautiful. Well done.

However, I'm concerned with the idea of resource collection. How exactly will scientists collect their resources with which they build these devices? territory control? placement of resources onto spaces on the board somewhat at random (a la pandemic, but the cubes are something you want to mine as resources? Whoa... That's interesting in its own right...)

Regardless, I like it. I led you my service, such as it is.

I never really thought of it as a catch-up mechanic, which is probably a good sign! I don't like catch-up mechanics, but you're right, that's what it is.

My thoughts on resource collection were: Each city will provide resources, and some will provide more and different kinds than others. There are two options on how they get the resources:

A) They gather the resources in the city they are in.
B) They gather the resources of each city they have influence over (control).

It is definitely not part of the game that I have spent a lot of time, as I've been more intrigued by the inventions/madness cards.

ruy343
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Joined: 07/03/2013
Resources

Well, what do evil geniuses always do in the movies to keep their reign of terror intact? They make threats and demands! Perhaps certain cities are more vulnerable to threats, and perhaps some evil inventions can help you threaten certain kinds of cities, but overall, your idea of control and influence holds strong. However, maybe there could be missions (or objectives) that each player can work towards to better execute a particular demand.

Maybe you need to go to a certain city and control it to exert influence over another city. Maybe you need to capture a dignitary. Maybe you need to have machines in four cities to threaten to blow up the planet! maybe you need to control a place with nukes to make a weaker nation give in to terror. Maybe a toxin to plants will make farming areas more vulnerable to your influence. Or a toxin to animals would work too. or a toxin to humans for populated areas.

EDIT: Also, a name? Madness.

Some Random Dude
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Joined: 01/30/2014
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I was leaning towards Megalomaniacs or Maniacal.

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