So I'm having trouble working out how missions... work out.
As I have it outlined right now, players choose 3 missions (out of 4-6) to complete during the course of the game. Missions are kept face down until completed, so no one really knows what the player is trying to attempt.
Examples I have outlined (these were jotted down before I started solidifying things):
- Clean House: Defeat ten monsters
- Let's get out of here!: Select a player in the same location you are. Reveal this mission if that player agrees to help you. You both win.
- Sacrifice to the Dark Ones: Select a player in the same location you are. Reveal this mission if that player agrees to help you. That player is sacrificed and you win.
- "Typical Mission": Discard (Item) while at (Location) and (Perform Task) to complete this mission. Ex - Discard the Banana in Room 120 and perform two [Blue Search] to complete.
Problem #1:
I really want missions like "Let's Get Out of Here" and "Sacrifice to the Dark Ones", but 1) these state win conditions and 2) I have a feeling everyone is going to assume the worst and never agree to help out another player because they think ANYONE trying to help out is just hiding a card like Sacrifice.
This kind of interactivity I was to preserve, if at all possible.
Problem #2:
I also want the missions to play out like a story, since I want storytelling to play a big part. I first thought I could have the missions branch out, like depending on if the first one is successful, then that dictates what the second mission will be, and then the third mission will have the win condition based on the success/failure of the second mission. While this helps tell a story, it's pretty limiting. And as above, it would suck to have your win condition entirely dependent on another player.
So these are my objectives:
- Missions open enough to interact with other players
- Optional, plot based missions, but not so specific that you can't frame your own story around them.
- Completing the mission should be the win condition, not missions stating how you win
- If missions are interactive, something in place to prevent other players from locking out your victory
One possible solution:
Players select missions as normal, but they select something like four. Each mission has a variable VP reward based on difficulty. Players don't need to complete every mission, just enough to meet some VP condition (Ex- Four mission total up to 8 VP, but you only need 6 to win).
My worry with choosing mission 'stacks' is that it removes a little of the storytelling element in favor of locking the player into something. I'd rather have the player choose 3-4 cards, look at them, and think, "Now how am I gong to weave this into story?"