I’ve been working on new ideas for my F5 game and here are the latest ideas:
-Roll a 2d6 and have tornados form randomly on 1 of 6 spots on the board (mostly southwest corner).
-Tornados will move 0-4 spaces across a square gridded board (25x25). The direction will either be N, NE or E and 60%-75% of movement will NE.
-Players will play cards to move one or two cars along roads and try to film tornadoes. Cards can move 1-6 spaces depending on highways or local roads.
-Cards will have movement points on them as well as how far they can film. Not sure of exact configuration yet, but for example, a 6 movement card cannot be used to film, a 4 and 5 card can film one grid space in any direction, 2 & 3 two spaces, and a 1 card three spaces in any direction. The tradeoff with card selection will be travel speed versus how far it can film a tornado.
-Scattered around the board will be landmarks like schools, trailer parks, hospitals, etc. If a tornado makes a direct hit on one of these, a medical chit will be placed on it and the first person to reach the chit and assist will get points. I was thinking the chit would have four point values on it and you can rotate it four times, each time scores less points the longer players take to reach it.
-Once a tornado crosses a road, a debris chit will be placed there adding to the cost of travel, perhaps one or two movement points.
-I would like players to have the opportunity to peak at a movement card two turns before it reaches its destination so they have a better chance at intercepting the tornado. Thematically, it would be a sort of weather update on tornado movement. I was thinking each tornado would have two upcoming movement cards face down (replenish cards as they get used) at all times. Not sure if this will be too fiddly or how players would be able to choose this card at the expense of another action.
Does this seem like it could be fun?
Any suggestions on how cards are drawn? Perhaps a draw pile with some face up cards? Two piles for slow and cards?
Interaction will be limited to (always open to other suggestions) reaching storms and medical chits first. Players are trying to film "exclusive footage" of each tornado so the first person be within video range will score points. I'm hoping the value of movement points and video range will produce some tension in racing to certain spots. For example, let's say someone plays a 2 and 3 for movement points and on their next turn they can reach the tornado and film. But then someone plays a 5 card on a highway and then a 1 and is within filming range stealing it from another player.
Not sure about hand size or draw pile yet. Maybe a hand of 5 and three draw piles consisting of movement, medical assistance, and weather "peak" cards?
Think of any other mechanics to spice things up?