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Vieux Carre - New Orleans parade game

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chris_mancini
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French Quarter
Playtest game board

I'm working on a game set in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I'm a huge fan of the city, it's culture and music, so my thought is to create a game which brings to life the fun, color and music of the "Vieux Carre."

Here are some thoughts I have so far...
The board would be a map of the French Quarter.
The object is to assemble a "first line" band and create the longest "second line" of paraders...basically have the longest contiguous line occupying the board.
How you plan your route, going past certain landmarks, affects whether you gain or lose paraders.
Occupy the most streets with your parade line once the city is full to win.
The art would be bright, bold and full of life like the city itself!

Or it could just be a push-your-luck crawl down Bourbon Street, trying to make it from end to end without getting robbed by pickpockets, hexed by a Juju witch doctor, lured away by "dancers" or falling down drunk...actually that sounds pretty fun too :)

Soulfinger
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Sounds like a good idea. Also

Sounds like a good idea. Also quite marketable. The parade idea is far better than the crawl. Players can keep track of victory points with strings of beads. Also, African juju bears no relation to the voudun practiced by houngans and mambos, not witch doctors, in New Orleans.

chris_mancini
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I agree

bringing the soul of the city to life through a game would be more fun than going with the seedier/darker side. Put on some Dr. John, mix yourself up a Sazerac and let the party begin!

Do any existing games spring to mind given the object of the game described here? I suppose Hex is kind of similar, with the goal being to create a line from one edge of the board to the other. Tantrix is kind of similar, and I suppose you could be creating several parade lines which "occupy" parts of the Quarter instead of a single long one...either way I'm definitely going to keep working on this one.

Also thanks for clarifying the spiritual specifics...I was just spit-balling, but it's good (and certainly a requirement when really designing the game) to be true to the subject matter whenever possible.

Incidentally I really enjoy reading all of the care and thought you put into your responses, Soulfinger...you're indeed a big part of this community and I for one am grateful for that!

comfused
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I'm also a big fan of the

I'm also a big fan of the initial idea.

Why not some kind of pickup & delivery mechanic ?
Where you need to pass certain bars / locations.

Orangebeard
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join the parade!

This idea seems like it has a lot of potential...

I think I prefer the idea of longest parade line over number of streets occupied for a victory condition; maybe the game ends when a line is so long that all other traffic is stopped?

Does the first line define the "core" of the players parade line? For example, would a first line that contains drums and dancers attract a different type of parader than would, say, a rolling beer wagon and magicians?

Will second line paraders abandon their parade to join a better parade?

Do landmarks, bars, locations, etc. have a fixed number of possible paraders or would the number of people that could potentially join be random?

Again, this sounds like a great idea - good luck with your design!

chris_mancini
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Great ideas!

Thanks for responding! I think the "longest parade line" has the most potential and makes the most sense...giving players just the one to focus on and grow.

In the "pick up" and "steal" mechanics, yes it should be your first line which determines which paraders you attract. I like the idea of luring opponent paraders away based on the attractions you build into your first line, which could be boiled down to color or icon.

I'd like to tie some significance to the locations and the paraders you might attract, as that would offer strategy in planning your route. Perhaps the paraders too have "types" which correspond with the locations...for instance you can easily attract a lot of bar-hoppers, but they're much more fickle and will leave your line randomly. Pass Preservation Hall with a big band, and music lovers will stay with you till the end...unless a better band (your opponent) comes close by! Families in souvenir shops love floats and more circus-like attractions but they're on a schedule and can only stay for a fixed number of rounds...etc.

Need to identify the balance of 5 or so parader types with their first line attractions...not to mention how players physically move their parade as it gets longer...maybe magnetic pieces?

Anyways thanks all for your valuable opinions!

fayinsky
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Longest parade line is fun.

Longest parade line is fun. But what if we put some "weight" on each street/block so that certain street/block should have more priority? For parade, the "weight" could be fans, which may make the city life even more alive I assume. So if you're first to be there, you "collect" those fans as VPs. Also, you can use dice to somehow randomise the "weight" to make it a different game every time. Just my two cents.

chris_mancini
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I agree streets must have

I like the idea of "populating" the city before playing, so you can see potential paraders you may pick up. This would give the starting board, and the city, some "life" before players begin their parades.

Randomizing would be key so that play the start is always unique. Perhaps it's a s simple as dropping (10) paraders pieces onto the board, placing those on the space on which they land and removing those which do not find a space (say, on top of a building or street dividing structure.) A chaotic start for sure, but somehow fitting the feel of the city, excess and "laissez le bons temps rouler!"

I agree streets must have significance to require players to strategize their route...so far my thought is that certain streets feature more attractions which satiate paraders of a certain type, and that, as a scoring device, the player with the most paraders on a given street at the end wins a certain number of additional points. The longest parade is one major scoring device, but not the only one...

The overall goal so far is to attract and keep your different "categories" of paraders happy by:
(A)maintaining a certain First Line, or lead parade, and
(B)passing by attractions that interest them, lest they wander off to find them themselves (often into opponent parade lines)! If you do not do this, you lose paraders...but only on that street, which offers incentive to "snake" your parade around the board in order to help control your line.

Everything comes down to categories of paraders, and categories of attractions which they find enticing and keep them in your line.

Here are those categories so far:
Revelers: Out for the party, you must pass bars to keep them in the line.
Artists: Stay in line unless you pass a cultural landmark or another parade line.
Tourists: Have a range of attractions they want to see and therefor must pass to keep them in line.
Musicians: Stay as long as a minimum "first line" requirement is maintained, but you lose them top other musical attractions or opponent parades.
Locals: Never leave the line...score fewer points, but give you safety in numbers.

Again, players only lose those paraders of a particular category on the street currently occupied, not ALL of them in the entire line.

Sorry if this sounds confusing, as I'm thinking a bit out-loud. These are all just ideas without a firm backbone...there's a ton to figure out and the game is FAR from complete...but I'm really diving into this one and appreciate all your guys' input! At the end of the day, I want this to be simple and accessible, but with enough strategic meat to make it intriguing...a game which shows the range of characters which NOLA attracts to its streets, encounters all of those "faces" of the city, and leaves players satisfied as though they were actually there for a fleeting moment!

Orangebeard
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More thoughts

I also like the idea of poplulating the city randomly before the parades start.

I had a few more random thoughts about this game...

Can one parade line permanently or temporarily block progress for a different parade line?

Can parade lines run in parallel on the same street or must one be in front of the other?

Can a parade line become "double wide" and occupy both lanes of a street?

Are line 2 paraders basically generic or do some of them have unique abilities?

Can line 1 paraders become line 2; can line 2 become 1?

chris_mancini
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Nothing is off the table

Here's where I'm at in regard to your thoughts...

"Can one parade line permanently or temporarily block progress for a different parade line?"

Yes I think a crucial part of the play will be players' ability to block off streets, forcing opponents to go around. Paraders may cross their own lines, however.

"Can parade lines run in parallel on the same street or must one be in front of the other?"

Currently I think that only 1 parade ma occupy a street at a time, though the most infamous of streets (Bourbon) could feature 2 lanes for parades to occupy...this offers great opportunity to stealing/trading paraders, assuming that mechnic requires proximity to one another.

"Can a parade line become "double wide" and occupy both lanes of a street?"

Interesting thought...guess it depends on the ultimate "purpose" of having a double-laned street...do players want to run paraders along side of an opponent's?

"Are line 2 paraders basically generic or do some of them have unique abilities?"

Line 2 paraders are broken into categories, based on what they want out of their NOLA experience. I noted these in a comment above: Revelers, Artists, Tourists, Musicians (may drop this one and lump into Artists) and Locals. They all basically have different requirements which you must meet to keep them happily parading in your line, or risk losing them. Loss is limited to only paraders of that type on the street currently occupied, not ALL paraders of that type in your line.

"Can line 1 paraders become line 2; can line 2 become 1?"

Still thinking through the mechanics of Line 1...thoughts have been card drafting of Characters and Events which force players to mix up and manage their Line 1 throughout the game...say an Event Card says, "all brass musicians get called away for a gig." Players draws new Line 1 cards, but they may be floats and clowns. Good for Tourists, bad for Artists. The Line 1 cards affect your Line 2 paraders. Could have a row of face-up Line 1 characters to choose from, kind of like Ticket To Ride...choose or draw.

The relationship between the Lines is a critical one and I'm not 100% sure which way to take it yet...thoughts of course are more than welcome!

Orangebeard
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game imagery

I think to capture the vibrant colors, culture, sounds and activity of the parade, you would need a good bit of artwork so I agree the composition of line 1 is probably represented by a card. Line 2 could also be represented by cards, but I would think they are more generic in nature (1 image on all reveler cards for example; 200 unique pieces of art for 200 cards would probably send production cost through the roof); perhaps they line up under the line 1 card that attracted them?

Moving lots of little parade pieces around on the board might be difficult for players; especially if they are also moving cards between players. It might be possible to mitigate this with some kind of "fill in" mechanic where the lead piece (represents line 1?) moves forward and any newly attracted paraders fill in the gap created by the movement of the lead piece. If lost paraders were taken from the end of the line, you would only move a small percentage of the line each round, yet the whole line would seem to move.

I suppose this implies that line 2 on the board is represented by a single color of generic piece and that the actual type of parader is represented by a card?

This could also lead to some interesting game play situations in which the lead piece outpaces the rest of the parade and it becomes easier for other paraders to pick off line 2 stragglers.

I like your idea of some single and some double lane streets; lots of possiblity for strategy here...

chris_mancini
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Scale

Yeah the artwork could get WAY out of hand...not to mention the size of the board if using illustrated character tokens, which would require a minimum of a 3/4 inch square to be decently readable. The current total space count is 291...so you can see how scale can quickly get out of hand! More on how that number came about below...

Using color-coded mini-meeples or cubes significantly reduces the size which the paraders need to be, the spaces they occupy, and thus the overall board. I like the idea of having one larger meeple to represent the entire First Line set of cards in a player's possession...one which players can move independently of the parade in strategic ways.

Staying true to the main streets of the Quarter creates a grid of
13 streets x 5 streets. This leaves the 4 main boundary streets (Rampart to the N, Decatur to the S, Canal to the W and Esplanade to the E) as player organization areas for their First Line cards, extra parader pieces, etc.

Within this grid of 13 x 5, I currently have a total of 291 spaces which player pieces may occupy. You can see how the parader pieces now much be scaled appropriately! With each "type" of parader being a different color, I think the board will still certainly be bold and appealing as the game progresses...and the colorful character art can be confined to the First Line cards...who are the real stars of the show anyways.

"Moving" the parade will have to occur from the front, rear or small spaces within the middle...definitely not the entire line. That would be a huge hassle! I really like your thoughts on that...giving the illusion of movement without actually moving each piece.

Lastly for tracking your line VS opponents...if the paraders are color coded by type, and all players share in the same pool of paraders, the game will need a simple way to know whose line is whose as they grow larger and snake around the board. As the rule stipulates that you cannot cross an opponent's parade line, this should help avoid confusion. The simplest would be, as each player starts from a different side of the board, to trace the line back to your side. Doesn't seem like an issue that breaks the game...but interested in any thoughts on this in particular.

chris_mancini
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Bonus parader type...The Occultist

I've thought of another parader type that could be fun to play with...in addition to the Revelers, Artists, Tourists and Locals...the Occultists want to see the haunted underbelly of the Quarter. Landmarks like Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo, the Lalaurie House and other creepy locations.

Still working through the core game mechanics, but this seems like a fun opportunity to add the darker side of the city!

What do you think? Should these simply be lumped in with tourists, looking for historical landmarks...or should they be their own group delivering a touch of the sinister within the game?

Orangebeard
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more thoughts

Maybe not a sinister element, but something more along the lines of the spiritual or mysterious side of the city. In this case, an Occultist seems like a Tourist with a twist.

This might muddy the waters, but maybe Tourist have different types? Tourist-History Buff, Tourist-Ghost Hunter,etc. It may be simpler to keep it as is though...

Maybe Occultist is a negative-parader? Like an Old Maid card?

A couple of other thoughts on core mechanics...without something to drive them, I think most players would avoid coming into contact with other parade lines; as such, the game might benefit by having a "parade route" deck that players use to determine where they are headed next; this will naturally cause players to cross from time to time. Maybe there is an incentive for reaching the route destination?

This could potentially be a game objective; first to reach 3 destinations or maybe each player starts the game with 5 route cards and must reach them all? possibly in a fixed order or possibly in any order that makes sense?

In addition, players might need some kind "parade event" card or "performance" card that affects their own line or others lines. For example, if you have musicians in line 1 you can play the 'Popular Song' card that prevents any of your paraders from leaving on that turn. Or possibly, 'Rowdy Revelers' can be played if you have more than 5 Revelers in line 2; this might allow you to steal 1 Reveler from any other parade line within 2 blocks?

Orangebeard
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chris_mancini

chris_mancini wrote:
Characters and Events which force players to mix up and manage their Line 1 throughout the game...say an Event Card says, "all brass musicians get called away for a gig." Players draws new Line 1 cards, but they may be floats and clowns. Good for Tourists, bad for Artists. The Line 1 cards affect your Line 2 paraders. Could have a row of face-up Line 1 characters to choose from, kind of like Ticket To Ride...choose or draw

Agreed, I think players would want to manage line 1 in an effort to better shape the outcome in line 2

chris_mancini
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Great thoughts

Orangebeard you're rocking this thread! Thanks for getting into the vision of the game. Yes for now I think keeping the haunted sites in the Quarter as a general interest of the Tourists is better...especially considering I have a lot of work to do on the core mechanics and adding another Parader type is likely premature at this point.

I like the addition of event cards...these either help or hinder players at random. Things like minor street closures which wipe all paraders from that block of street, reroutes, or as you wonderfully suggested, affect your line based on how you have it currently constructed.

I also considered an Objective Deck which players secretly draw from at the beginning...but perhaps it's better with common objectives, you can choose any you want, though another player may be trying the same thing. For instance, having the most Revelers on Bourbon Street sounds like a natural objective. Perhaps a mix of secret and common???

In regards to gaining Paraders:
1. Players gain the number of particular paraders shown on the First Line cards. This would give a fixed number each round and offer a bit of hand management within your First Line.

2. Additionally, if a player ends their turn in front of a landmark favoring a particular type of Parader, say a bar for Revelers or a museum for Artists, they roll to see how many of that type exit the venue and join their parade. If however there are Paraders of the same type within range, they'll naturally want to enter the landmark which interests them...

3. I also played around with 2D6 rolls adding Paraders. One die for the number, the other for the color/type you gain at random. Basically I like the thought of dice in the game, because as they say, "let the good times roll!"

One more thought for a "wild card" event is the random appearance of the Voodoo Priestess, who mysteriously whisks a number of paraders away if her path crosses theirs. Perhaps she sweeps through streets, her path determined by a die roll, or her movement is triggered by cards in the Event Deck...seems fitting to make her appearance an Event.

The board itself is serving to help design the game, as I'm trying to stay true to locations. There's room to tailor the board to the mechanics, but the major landmarks are where they should be...and that's crucial to the experience in my mind.

chris_mancini
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The Priestess

Runaway train of thought here...but if the function of the Voodoo Priestess is to interrupt your parade line and form a break in the chain, this could be a great opportunity for other players to connect their line to the broken chain and gain significant control/points.

This also gives players reason to stay in the area of other players rather than outright avoid them...the Priestess WILL appear several times over the course of the game, and you want to be close and take advantage if you can!

The Priestess appears randomly in the Event Deck, and these cards note on which street, and which direction, she moves...limiting her movement to one or two blocks as to not create too much havoc! She then disappears along with the paraders she comes into contact with until her next Event is drawn.

Orangebeard
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chris_mancini

chris_mancini wrote:
Orangebeard you're rocking this thread! Thanks for getting into the vision of the game.
Honestly, I've been trying to work on my own designs and suddenly I see your thread and BAM! the Muse descends :)

chris_mancini wrote:
Yes for now I think keeping the haunted sites in the Quarter as a general interest of the Tourists is better...especially considering I have a lot of work to do on the core mechanics and adding another Parader type is likely premature at this point.

agreed

chris_mancini wrote:
I like the addition of event cards...these either help or hinder players at random. Things like minor street closures which wipe all paraders from that block of street, reroutes, or as you wonderfully suggested, affect your line based on how you have it currently constructed.

agreed; re routes and street closures would be great, themed event cards

chris_mancini wrote:
I also considered an Objective Deck which players secretly draw from at the beginning... Perhaps a mix of secret and common???

personally, I like a secret goal in games; for something like this, I would think line 2 composition would be a good hidden goal; for example, Celebration - The People! gives bonus points for having the most Locals or Celebration - The Culture! gives bonus points for having some of each?

chris_mancini wrote:
Players gain the number of particular paraders shown on the First Line cards.

by default, or in the presence of a location that has that type? So for example, if my front line has Musicians, they could attract 1 Local, 2 Tourists or 1 Reveler; however, Tourists are only found at locations and Revelers are only found at Bars?

I think this would mesh up with your line 1 management ideas; if I am heading to the bars, I want the heavy Reveler attractors up front

I forget, are the number of paraders at each location, fixed and pre-determined? is it a dynamic number?

chris_mancini wrote:
3. I also played around with 2D6 rolls adding Paraders. "let the good times roll!"

maybe this is how bourbon street works? you can get any type of parader, but it's random

chris_mancini wrote:
One more thought for a "wild card" event is the random appearance of the Voodoo Priestess, who mysteriously whisks a number of paraders away if her path crosses theirs. Perhaps she sweeps through streets, her path determined by a die roll, or her movement is triggered by cards in the Event Deck...seems fitting to make her appearance an Event.

I love this idea, but maybe it is two different ideas; as an event card, each type of parader could have a counter card; in your example, if someone plays voodoo priestess, then all of your tourists run and you must discard them?

I do like the idea of some piece on the board that blocks parades and moves randomly.

chris_mancini wrote:
The board itself is serving to help design the game, as I'm trying to stay true to locations. There's room to tailor the board to the mechanics, but the major landmarks are where they should be...and that's crucial to the experience in my mind.

definitely; a good board design is a big first step!

Orangebeard
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chris_mancini wrote:The

chris_mancini wrote:
The Priestess appears randomly in the Event Deck, and these cards note on which street, and which direction, she moves...limiting her movement to one or two blocks as to not create too much havoc! She then disappears along with the paraders she comes into contact with until her next Event is drawn.

one more random thought...what if the priestess was a unique piece as you describe and she bestows some kind of blessing on your parade?

chris_mancini
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Blessing or a curse

I like the idea of her either helping or hindering you, depending on some factor which you can plan for. Perhaps you have to maintain a certain number of Locals, which stand to reduce final score, but give you security from her cutting your line in 2...or you must have a particular balance of characters in your First Line.

Speaking of that, I currently have 5 core "types" of First Liners:
Rhythm, Brass, Singers, Dancers and Floats. Still working on the specifics of the relationship between these and the Paraders, but it's feeling right thematically.

What I think think will work for First Line setup is this: At the beginning of the game, players draw 3 First Line cards at random. These cards show a number of Paraders which they give you, as well as a total number of Paraders they can entertain (the max. number of Paraders of a type which you may have in your line under that character).

Basically, a bigger First Line (up to 5 cards) allows you to grow a longer Parade Line, and "better" First Line performers attract and maintain a bigger crowd.

Gotta play this out, as I don't want the experience to be a bunch of constant counting...but there's plenty to think about on the table!

Orangebeard
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Line 1 and Line 2

chris_mancini wrote:
First Liners:
Rhythm, Brass, Singers, Dancers and Floats. Still working on the specifics of the relationship between these and the Paraders, but it's feeling right thematically.

I watched some Mardis Gras videos today; this sounds like exactly what I saw :)

chris_mancini wrote:
What I think think will work for First Line setup is this: At the beginning of the game, players draw 3 First Line cards at random. These cards show a number of Paraders which they give you, as well as a total number of Paraders they can entertain (the max. number of Paraders of a type which you may have in your line under that character).

Sounds like a great start for playtesting

chris_mancini wrote:
Basically, a bigger First Line (up to 5 cards) allows you to grow a longer Parade Line, and "better" First Line performers attract and maintain a bigger crowd.
I think you have your first "golden rule" here...

Just summarizing some info here...
Line 1 Types: Rhythm, Brass, Singers, Dancers and Floats

Line 2 Types: Revelers, Artists, Tourists and Locals

Line 1 slots = 5 (3 filled to start)
Line 2 slots = defined by Line 1 (any to start?)

Event card (some good, some bad; do you start with any? how do you get more?)
Voodoo priestess (good? bad? both, but random?)
City map
Map locations

Possible Component list - (just starting this now since it has a big impact on production cost should you choose to publish/kickstart this on your own)
board
meeples
cubes
multiple decks

chris_mancini
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Components

The biggest cost impact will by far to be the number of mini-meeples or cubes needed to represent the paraders. I no longer think going until the board is full is a viable option, rather game ends once the final parader is placed. These pieces must be 3D, as the spaces on the board must be kept relatively small given the number of them (319 spaces at 1/2 square each creates a board roughly 22" x 18.50" including border). 3D pieces are also easier to move, and the parade line movement mechanic is coming along very nicely!

Components are as follows...numbers are approximated:

Parader mini-meeples/cubes (200...limited distribution by type)
Voodoo Priestess meeple (controlled entirely by Event Deck cards)
First Line Deck (30)
Objective Deck (30...players may share same objectives)
Event Deck (30)
Parader Dice (2D6? random determination of Paraders gained)
Game Board (size: 22" x 18.50")

Hundreds of Paraders!! That's undoubtedly where I'll get a few off glances from publishers...but if it plays and the game obviously needs that number, the discussion can continue.

As a toy inventor, my business model is to create products with the goal of licensing them to companies...and I'll likely continue that with these games. I regularly pitch the "majors" like Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, etc. This is certainly NOT their kind of game however, and it's not meant to be. This one will require some work on my part to reach out to smaller, more "gamer" companies, certainly at an upcoming Con.

I've had success meeting and pitching smaller companies at New York Toy Fair (Buffalo Games and Blue Orange have taken in games for further review) so I'm sure I'll be successful given other opportunities.

All of the above pending vigorous, bourbon-soaked hours of play testing, of course!

Orangebeard
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chris_mancini wrote:Hundreds

chris_mancini wrote:
Hundreds of Paraders!!

Are line 2 paraders represented by cube only, or is there a matching card in front of the player?

I agree, if the game is solid, a publisher isn't going to balk at 200 little wooden cubes.

If you need help playtesting, feel free to send over a rules draft!

chris_mancini
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Second Line

Would be represented entirely by the mini-meeples/cubes, color-coded by type. The cards in front of the player would be First Line performers only.

Pieces are on their way from Meeplesource...I should be running some preliminary tests next week!

Thanks for the kind offer of proof-reading a rules draft...I'll be happy to send one along once I have things feeling streamlined. My hope is that this is no more complex to learn and play than say a game like Pandemic, which has an 8 page rulebook (large format which could be condensed, I'm sure). If I can do it in 4-6, I'll be happy!

COMPONENT CORRECTION: The board is actually 13"x18" in its current layout...not sure where I got 18.5"x22" previously. Anything that saves a little cost is key!

chris_mancini
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First Line/Second Line relationship

I've begun asking the simple questions...like what EXACTLY happens on a turn? and Have run into a mechanic which I'd love to get your opinion on, OB, et al.

It involves management of your First Line performers, and how they maintain significance throughout the game. I found that with players having them set for lengths of game time, rounds could go by without any real reason to change your First Line.

There is a chance of these cards becoming less and less significant after the first round where they grant you a set number of paraders to place. Sure, you can add another performer down the line, which then adds a few more paraders, but then what do they do? It is becoming that you only pay attention to your First Line every now and again...whereas constant management would be far more engaging...and thematically appropriate.

I think that more frequent, "small" additions to parade lines (say, 3-5 paraders at a time) is better...with players gradually and consistently building up round after round, rather than less frequent, but much larger, additions.

Also there was the issue of once you swap out one performer for another, how does that effect the paraders which that performer gained you? Why would a player do this, given the risk of a blind draw? Even if a few First Line cards were visible (like Ticket To Ride), the play then becomes about upgrading cards to gain more paraders...which inherently throws the deck into unbalance as it requires cards to have a range of power.

One solution is to go with a "cash-in" mechanic, whereby players draw new First Line card(s) every round, and can use specific groups of those cards to exchange for more paraders. This way, the cards can be more or less even individually, however in select groupings, they stand to gain considerable power. Perhaps certain performers only play with certain others or suffer a penalty...or if you match a particular singer with a particular float, she gains you a bonus.

You can see how this system really enhances the personalities of the performers, brings them to life and gives them dimension...making them a key part of the overall experience.

From a game flow standpoint, First Line hands are now constantly evolving, and there is a concise core relationship between the First Line and Second Line.

Of course you may also keep First Line cards indefinitely if their power is useful to you...like, the Bourbon Cart float which keeps all of the Revelers happily sloshed and insures they won't leave your line. I like the idea of keep-some/swap-some...more player control and strategy, especially with a hand limit. The more you keep, the less you can swap!

Time to think about specifics of those cards!

AzemOcram
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Joined: 06/04/2015
Wow! Your game sounds so fun

Wow! Your game sounds so fun and unique!

I read through this thread and I think the idea is great and will be tons of fun to play! I am not sure if this fits in with your vision/ideal, but maybe have some of the pieces be different shapes, most would still be meeples but maybe have floats be relatively thin rectangles (either solid colors or with little stickers) and bands might be be represented well by squares. Individual performers (like singers) and small groups (like dancers) would still be best represented as meeples.

I am not sure if you thought of this (I read the first 1/2 thoroughly but started skimming towards the end) but maybe have not only the local parade goer but also the occultist tourist have an effect on how the Voodoo Priestess reacts to your parade. Maybe the occultists leave (without breaking the line) if she is nearby (but not close enough to break the line) but she is more likely to curse your parade if you have occultists, which might be partially counteracted by locals. That means if your parade is mostly typical tourists with some locals joining in, the effects of the Voodoo Priestess are lessened than if you have little-to-no locals and a few occultist tourists.

However this game ends up, I would love to play it!

Zag24
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Joined: 03/02/2014
I love the basic concept of

I love the basic concept of setting a game in New Orleans and trying to capture the city's spirit. Easier said than done, I'm sure, but I would definitely give a try to any game that claims it. I strongly encourage you to pursue it and to keep us updated, here.

Do try to include something about the great food. To me, that is as essential as the jazz. (If you can throw in a "Show me your tits" card, that wouldn't hurt, either. :D )

Orangebeard
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Joined: 10/13/2011
chris_mancini wrote:It

chris_mancini wrote:
It involves management of your First Line performers, and how they maintain significance throughout the game. I found that with players having them set for lengths of game time, rounds could go by without any real reason to change your First Line...whereas constant management would be far more engaging...and thematically appropriate.

I think that more frequent, "small" additions to parade lines (say, 3-5 paraders at a time) is better...with players gradually and consistently building up round after round, rather than less frequent, but much larger, additions.

I agree with all of this; I think a steady addition rate, with infrequent large increases is the way to go.

The steady rate could be driven by the default values of line 1; for example, my parade line is 1 block from a bar, I have musicians in line 1 so I get 1 Reveler. The large increases would probably be the result of getting things to line up perfectly. For example, my parade line is between a bar and a museum, I have the loudest parade, the second most colorful parade and I just played an event card which doubles my paraders gained this round.

chris_mancini wrote:
Also there was the issue of once you swap out one performer for another, how does that effect the paraders which that performer gained you?
Initially, it probably doesn't affect the parders, but later, if your line is close to another line or location that has a high attraction rate, your lack of line 1 performers for that group may cause your paraders to leave.

chris_mancini wrote:
Why would a player do this, given the risk of a blind draw? Even if a few First Line cards were visible (like Ticket To Ride), the play then becomes about upgrading cards to gain more paraders...which inherently throws the deck into unbalance as it requires cards to have a range of power.

Perhaps there is no choice? If your parade is required to move forward 1 block each round, and the players really only control the direction, then players need to time the composition of line 1 to maximize results several turns later

chris_mancini wrote:
One solution is to go with a "cash-in" mechanic, whereby players draw new First Line card(s) every round, and can use specific groups of those cards to exchange for more paraders. This way, the cards can be more or less even individually, however in select groupings, they stand to gain considerable power. Perhaps certain performers only play with certain others or suffer a penalty...or if you match a particular singer with a particular float, she gains you a bonus.

Two thoughts on "cash in"; if there is a neutral pool of performers, and people you remove from line 1 go back to the pool and become accessible to other players, then there is some strategy into hanging on to your line 1 people.

What if line 2 cashed in for line upgrades; for example, if you have 10 Locals, one of your line 1 performers can upgrade; or possibly draw from an upgrade deck?

I agree that synergy between performers could be cool. Maybe there is a line 1 upgrade deck that contains better basic performers, but also unique characters; King of Mardis Gras? Voodoo Priestess? Top Jimmy and his Rhythm Pigs?

How much modification to Line 1 do you permit in a turn? This limit could easily drive your strategy decisions as a player.

chris_mancini wrote:
Time to think about specifics of those cards!

What are the basic concepts of Event cards?
Line 1 change? Line 2 change? Alter gain/loss? Alter effective attraction rates? Alter movement? Could a single card be used for/against a player or are "good" card physically separate from "bad"?

chris_mancini
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Joined: 05/01/2015
I've atatched an image to the

I've attached an image to the original post of the first-pass game board, with some of my discoveries...curious to know what you guys think about it! Still working on the cards and balances, but things are progressing pretty well I think...

I'm also thinking that the straight-forward name of "Second Line" is better than the euro-esque title of "Vieux Carre," which most people will likely not know how to pronounce.

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