I JUST WANNA BE DONE WITH IT! I'VE BEEN DOING THIS TOO LONG! IT'S SO CLOSE! IT'S BEEN SO CLOSE FOR A YEAR! I'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH PAPER AND I JUST WANT IT TO BE DONE!
But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I just HAAAAAAAAAD to implement that huge feature. I just HAAAAAAAAAD to make it modular and replayable. MY PLAYTESTER LIKED IT BEFORE I DID ANY OF THAT! I DIDN'T NEED TO GO BACK!
Treading water! I'm just going back and forth, trying to iron out a single wrinkle... except that's not true. The game isn't even DONE. I mean it's *playable*, and I could stop where I am now and start giving it out, but then there would be only 3 factions instead of the standard 4 minimum factions that every single board game with factions has.
AND MY THIRD FACTION! The stupid Snowman faction. It was funny! It's STILL FUNNY! WHY IS IT SO FINICKY?! I'm working on an accursed DICE-BASED BOARD GAME, so OF COURSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A HIGH DEGREE OF LUCK INVOLVED.
*eugh eugh* "I want it to be balanced" *eugh* IT'S DICE! IT'S ALL DICE! I'm trying to balance a meteor shower or a rainshower, IT'S UNPREDICTABLE
Except it IS predictable, *probabilities* exist, but I'm only going to uncover them in this complex context through EVEN MORE PLAYTESTING AND PAPER.
I hope my sheer *screeching* is coming through your computer screen. Turn your internal reading voice all the way up for the rest of these:
HOW COULD THIS GAME BE SO CLOSE TO DONE FOR SO LONG?!?!?!
That's it, I'm gonna use bold. Dark Dash is asking for it... I don't have the heart for it. I love this game; I think it's so fun. I just want other people, to have fun, like I do, when I play this game,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
And what that needs is a balanced Snowman, and that balanced Snowman needs to not have such UNPREDICTABLY EXPLOSIVE POTENTIAL. I'm going bold. UNPREDICTABLY EXPLOSIVE POTENTIAL
I think it can be countered using the present rules, but the opponent needs to know that they're capable of this. I think I need to include a strategy guide inside the rulebook, because these lazy, unthinking players are going to go, "Oh, he can move 13 cells in one turn? How am I supposed to stop him with my conventional tactics?!" USE THE UNCONVENTIONAL TACTICS. Just block the goal! Just hockey goalie it!
It's been so close for so long; I just wanted to yell about it for a second. Got the blasted, confounded, explosive potential off RNG... grumble...
I didn't even mention the fourth faction! It's not even done! I haven't even started! I started drafting ideas for their cards and they're ALL BORING. and they need the necessary wall-opening ability which will probably just copy another faction's ability, probably the robots because aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I wanted a simple, *little* game. Just run and shoot, that's it. I don't think there's four factions of depth in just run and shoot. The fourth faction is run and run extra and shoot and shoot extra. Is that exciting? It's supposed to be. It's different from the other 3 factions, but I think the extra is going to have to be the same. I need to review this "Design Space" we've been talking about: audit my options.
All right I'm calm now
Comments
Thanks for helping with the Probability problem...
I gather you are working on a Wargame?! Because you mention a 4th Faction or is this like a Minis Game?? Share a bit and maybe we can help you out. I'm not against you not making any progress. Yes the "Design Space" can help you figure out both Trivial and Deterministic abilities that you might have. Even trivial abilities can serve a purpose.
Like IF you Factions have units with Health Points (HP), one Faction could be a Nature-Bound Faction which has abilities to HEAL HP.
That may sound TRIVIAL and well it is... There is a lot more you can do with such a Faction.
Can you explain a bit (in broad lines) what your EXISTING three (3) Factions have as a general "feel" for their play-style???
Maybe then I can help you out... If you still need some help.
Cheers mate.
In board game designer,
In board game design, smaller and simpler does not mean easier.
Think of it as tight restrictions is not making it easier to design. Is like trying to furniture a very small room, the smaller space the more challenging.
Else you have to consider the diminishing return value. Your game will never be perfect. At some point, to improve a game, you need to put much more effort than before into the game to make the game better. So you will have to determine when it is enough and try to see if putting more time on the game will really increase the quality.
There is so much crappy games out there that making better games is always recommended. I am cheating and using computer simulations to push the testing further. It you can do partial digital simulations, I would recommend it.
Else, you might need to take a break and come back to it later. Your subconscious might come with some new ideas.