Ok, first of all, I´m really new to board games in general, so, If this idea is already out there somewhere, please let me know.
"Stop the Goblins" is basically an idea of a somewhat tower defense board game. I´ve done some searching and I know this kind of game is best played in a computer/videogame, but I'd like give it a try. I really hope that I can make myself clear...
To get the idea, you could start thinking in a board game for the "Orcs Must Die" computer game. (hope that something like that does not exist already...)
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Game theme: 1 up to 4 heroes have to defend the Mage and his magic Cristal from the hordes of the "Evil Master". He will send waves of creatures, mostly goblins, trying to destroy the cristal.
So, a game for 2 to 8 players.
The game would use a modular board composed of 4x4 tiles.
One of them is the Mage with the Cristal , the place where the goblins have to get to.
One up to four of them are the starting positions for the invading creatures. (according to the number of players)
And linking the start to the end, the 4x4 tiles could be straight coridors, corners, bridges...
If 3 goblins for each defending player gets to the Cristal, the Heroes lose, and the Evil Masters wins.
If the Heroes survive 10(?) waves, they win.
Each "Hero" player have a character and may, right before the start of each wave of enemies, place traps anywhere on the board.
First wave starts with 3 goblins. each next wave adds a goblin to the horde, and possibly more...
Movement can be done to any of the 8 adjacent spaces, so Heroes and goblins may move diagonally. Each space can hold only 1 creature, Goblin or Hero.
Goblins aways move towards the Cristal if possible. And the player controlling them aways moves them from the closest one to the Cristal to the last. Regular goblins may move 1 or 2 squares each time, but have to aways end their movement one step closer to the Cristal.
If a goblin at any time is adjacent to a hero, he must hit that hero before being able to move further. (so, that is a way the heroes can prevent the goblins from simply running to the cristal).
So, the GOBLIN´S TURN:
1) Atack adjacent hero, if any.
2) Move towards the Cristal, if adjacent heroes were hit.
3) Activate traps.
Traps are set by the heroes, occuping some of the little squares on the 4x4 board pieces. ( Basically heroes put a trap marker on the board meaning that if a goblin stops his movement there, he may be hit)
Each trap has its own rules, but basicly te hero player that set the trap rolls a d6, and checks if the goblin is hit or not. EXAMPLE: A regular goblin ends his move on top of a Spike trap (set by the Heroes, on 1 of the squares of a 4x4 board piece). The hero rolls a d6. 4+ means the Goblin is hit, dies and is removed from the board. 3- means the goblin avoided the trap.
Heroes can move and attack in whatever order they want. They move up to 4 spaces each turn.
Combat is pretty much the same. Goblins hit heroes on 5+, and Heroes Hit goblins on 4+.
Regular goblins die with 1 hit.
Heroes are mainly divided as Ranged/melee heroes.
Melee heroes must be adjacent to a goblin to atack, and have 3 "hit points"
Ranged Heroes can atack goblins as far as 2 squares away, but have only 2 "hit points"
Each hero player would have his "Gold Pieces". Each Hero player starts with 10 Gold.
Each regular goblin kill generates 3 gold pieces. Each wave without a goblin getting thru generates gold equal to the wave number (1 to 10)
Basic traps cost 5 gold, better traps cost more.
The Evil Masters gains "Vengeance points" after each wave. With this points he may buy more power powerfull goblins to help him to achieve his goal. For example he could buy a "Goblin Chicken-Rider" that would move up to 4 squares each turn, avoiding most of the traps.
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Well... I think that that is the most of it.
I hope you could understand at least up to some point how the game would work, and help me to make it better.
Thank you for your time and patience! :)
Please ask anything you want to know about it, and criticise! all help is appreciated!
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The board layout will probalby influence the outcome of the games more than anything since there will be a few "bottlenecks" where goblins are cut down like wheat. Were you thinking of a random board design or will there be some tiles that are in a fixed position? Will there be a system that helps ensure the final board layout is playable?
So far, I thought that the board should be arranged with some rules, but not entirely at player´s choice, nor completely random.
So far, I´ve come up with these possible layouts of each 4x4 board pieces: (It will be hard to explain without pictures, how can I add them by the way?)
Corridor: wall on the sides.
Corner: walls on the bottom/top and one of the sides.
Bridge: narrows the 4x4 space to 4 spaces then 2 - 2 - 4 again.
"S": as it sounds, you have to move between 2 walls, moving in an "S" shape.
How do you set them up? My initial idea is this: First the Hero player selects one board piece and put it adjacent to the end or the beginning. Then the Goblins´s player do the same. After 4 board pieces have been placed, the game is set ( so you have the "start" piece, then 4 selected board pieces, then the end).
This is the tricky part (that i´m not sure whether to keep it or not) : each defending player should have a path of 4 board pieces leading to the end. So, if you´re playing with 4 Hero players, the board would somewht resemble a cross, and each player would be "responsable" for a path. They can, however, set lots of traps in one or two of them, and gang up on the others.
What I don´t like of this setting is that it does not favor teamwork. It would take too long to get from one side of the board to another, to help your friend in need.
Also, there is the problem of the choke-points. I want them to really help the Heroes, but I don´t want to leave the action all in one place. It would be cool for the heroes to have, let´s say, 2 main choke points but have to run to each other to make sure no goblin gets past.
Forced attack on adjacent heroes is probalby a good idea; it also forces the players to protect their heroes rather than using them as battering rams to kill goblins.
Can Heroes buy anything other than traps with their gold?
I´m thinking of upgraded weapons, so that the heroes can hit not only with 4+, but 3+, or maybe play 2 dice and select the higher, but im not sure yet.
Since the movement of goblins is predictable, and Heroes will build their traps along these movement paths, will the goblin player know what the trap is before they step on it or will it be secret? If the goblin players knows in advance, they can select the appropriate goblin to defeat the trap.
After the trap is set, it woul be visible fro all players. I´ll explain why in a bit. :). And, so far, I think that after the trap is set, it will remain in play, activating every turn that a Goblin ends their movement on it. Until it be destroyed.
Do the Hero players know where the goblins will enter or is that a secret until the first goblins arrive?
So, say we have 4 players, there will be 4 possible entrances. The Goblin player must place his goblins as evenly as possible, but this may also change, as I will explain.
Is the number of Vengeance points earned between rounds fixed or can the goblins do things that earn them more points?
Note sure yet. Probably both. I don´t want the goblin player holding everything up till the last turn so that he can launch a massive atack. Because all other turns woul be just "fillers". So I think they should get a fixed amount + some more based on how many goblins died, and even more if a goblin got thru... Maybe the player will also have a maximum to store up.
Do players alternate moves or do all of the heroes move followed by all of the goblins?
For easy playing, I think that there should be the Goblin´s turn then the heroes's turn, but each player among these can be chosen as the team likes. So the archer may wait to se if the warrior kills the goblin and he can run to the other path, or if he has to help his comrade.
Sounds like you are off to a good start!
Thanks! That really keeps me motivated!
So, the tweak that I was thinking of was adding 2 decks to the game.
The heroes´s deck, and the Goblins´s.
Every wave, each player would draw a card. And the powers of that cards can be many, and should be kept secret from the opposing team players.
One of the cards could be something like:
"Now THIS is a trap!": Discard this card to place a trap anywhere on the board. It activates as soon as it enters the game. You still need to pay its costs.
-- so the Heroes´s team can really surprise the goblins.
And the Goblins would have cads like:
" No, you fools! That Way!: discard this card at the start of a wave to move 3 of your goblins from one starting point to another.
-- So the goblins can exploit a weakened path!
"Rust": Select one of the 4x4 board pieces. All traps on that board piece don´t activate till your next turn. (or maybe during the hole wave!)
-- Making the Heroes afraid of setting all traps in one choke point.
Also, maybe each player can even buy an additional card each wave, by paying 5 gold.
Thank you very much so far.
Lets keep the brainstorm! :)