Hey there, designers. I'm going to put my Mechanic of the Day into a blog so I don't end up flooding the Mechanic Forum within a couple weeks... So, without further ado.....
Oio, meeples. Today's look at mechanic is about resource generation. Here's a few for you to mull over.
-Generation related to action. This is not to say, 'I mine for gold.' Say in a market crafting game where players turn resources into things to sell, selling a gold item creates more gold from the board; the demand rises, and so does production. You just add the specified resource to play from the general supply.
-Random generation with diminishing return. That sure is a long title for 'custom dice to indicate when a mine runs out'. Each turn, you roll a set number of dice for each mined resource. Lets say, 3 at the start of the game. Each time the dice are rolled, whenever a special symbol is rolled, you move the 'mine countdown timer' forward. As the timer reaches certain thresholds, the number of dice rolled is diminished until 'the mine is dry', or there are no dice left. Otherwise, place the amount rolled on the dice into play from the general supply.
-Draft what is generated. Players choose what is generated, and in what amounts. This is not to say that a player will *get* what he chooses to generate, it merely lets players dictate what is produced by the board. Resource trading, anyone?
-'Loot and Burn'. In a combat-styled game, the resources could be taken by force, with the amount gained specified on say, a village you conquer. But insodoing, you destroy the village that was producing resources for the board to give to everyone. Short term gain and screw everyone, or leave the poor, weak, pathetic villagers be?
That's all I have time for right now.
Keep on designing, yo!
Phil
