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Combining Action-based turns and resource/deadline management

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JuKarasawa
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Joined: 09/18/2014

Hi, guys, it's me again!

I have a game that has resource and deadline management as basic mechanisms. In this game, need to progress through the game spending resources (cash and people) to perform the required tasks, as well as dealing with events - which consume resources and have also a deadline to be dealt with (otherwise it's game over).

I'm thinking about having action-based turns. Each player starts with 2 actions (spending resources/cash or using active perks) and then, as the game progresses, they might gain another action or gain a "special action" (for using active perks only).

What I'm trying to mimic here is the RL human limitation on processing and decision-making. You can only deal with so many problems at the same time and direct your resources as well as take actions yourself.

What are your thoughts?

MarkD1733
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Joined: 07/05/2014
can't say without understanding the theme

Lots missing to give you a solid answer. What you have sounds like standard economics mechanics. So, on the surface, I would say "yes" it makes sense. Whether it accurately mimics RL human processing/decision-making limitations, not sure. I am not a neurologist. But to say whether action-based turns make for engaging or intriguing play with the resource/deadline management is another question as it is probably a function of the theme as well.

If starting with 2 actions, can they be the same, one of each, or what limitation? For each action choice, are there many options on which to spend resources or use perks?

Is the deadline a race for all players cooperatively? Or individually, ala player elimination? Does it mimic some RL deadline, or is it more Real Time in terms of game time? Is the deadline based on turns or on some other feature of the game, such as "when the money runs out."

JuKarasawa
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Joined: 09/18/2014
Well, there are many details

Well, there are many details I sincerely didn't think about clarifying (including some of the questions you asked, so, that's good feedback for me :) ).

About your questions, they can do whatever combination they so choose between spending resources or using perks. The action for spending resources or using perks counts per target, so allocating resources to X and allocating resources to Y counts as 2 actions, using perk on X and using perk on Y also counts as 2 actions.

The (proposed) deadline is a race for everybody, as it mimics a RL deadline. If the deadline isn't met, game over. Money runs out is another game over condition.

Would it be too complicated to incorporate the deadline into the cash mechanics? I mean, each complete round (i.e. when all players had they turn) a certain amount of cash from the pool is "burnt", mimicking sort of an "upkeep cost". - Like the way you spend money on things but still have to pay fixed expenses (like rent/mortgage, utility bills, etc.)

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