[Disclaimer: Every instance of the word football is referring to American football.]
I have implemented a mechanic that I'm not to happy with, but seem to have 'writer's block' in finding ways to fix it.
I guess I'd better describe a bit of the game so give an idea of what I'm trying to do.
I've been working on a football game. The focus of this game is not about a single game, but rather the course of multiple seasons - you are trying to build a football dynasty. So you aren't going to call a fullback dive on 4th and inches, but rather you may have a team the has a strong inside running game. You will draft and improve players, manage trades and injuries, and pick your overall team play strategies. The goal is to be first to win a total of 3 superbowls.
So this means the resolution of individual games must be quick, yet I'm still trying to capture the flavor of what might happen in a game based on the skillsets of your players. The number of individual games will vary depending on how many people are playing. A 4 person game would require every player to simulate a game with all the other players. The two teams with the best record that season then play a superbowl game. So in that case, 6 (+1 superbowl) games are played, but 2 games can be played at the same time, meaning that the time taken per season will be the length of 4 back-to-back games. So I'm aiming at about 5 min per game (10 at the absolute max)
I have a system in place right now that, while seems to work, I'm not all that happy with. It just seems a bit... inelegant.
There a number of small player cards. These are different athletes that you draft and fill your team with. I initially wanted to give players a number of different stats, like speed, strength, etc. But the thing was, that everything eventually boiled down to: how well does this player perform his position role on passing plays, and on running plays. So why not just reduce the stats into those 2 categories?
Right now each player has a position they can play, and just 2 stats. 0-4 stars on running plays, and 0-4 stars on passing plays. (these are weighted in regards to their position) Finally, I have a separate stat representing a more intangible quality to that player. A 'playmaker' stat. Most players have 0 while some have a 1, and rarely have 2. This usually results in good (but somewhat unpredictable) things, and less frequently, bad things.
So I'm simulating a game in 4 phases corresponding to the quarters of the game. In each phase, both teams have an offensive and defensive match-up, and the number of points each offense is able to score is calculated each quarter.
A quarter might go something like this: One team puts down his offense in a certain formation with select players, then the defense responds in kind. Then the offense chooses to run or pass, often backed up with a particular team strategy card. (This represents the overall game-plan that was focused on that quarter.)
Then, based on the players, formations, and strategies, an interaction is produced to grant 'scoring opportunities'
Right now this is implemented by comparing your fielded team's run or pass points to the defense's run or pass points. These points may be modified by your formation and strategy card you selected to use, and the presence of 'playmakers'. The resulting difference is converted into a number of die rolls that give the possibility of scoring.
What I don't like is that there is a bit of counting, and it seems to become a fiddly mathematical exercise. It's not that it takes too long, its just kind of uninteresting and uncreative.
After reading another thread, I seem to have a ACTION-RANDOMNESS-RESULT mechanic. Perhaps this is an instance where RANDOMNESS-ACTION-RESULT would be welcome?
I've been using the playmaker stat to grant a number of event cards each game quarter. These may give additional scoring opportunities, or penalties (subtract scoring opportunities), injuries, and special action cards to use later in the game or season. It seems like this might be ideal RANDOMNESS to move before the ACTION.
However, it still doesn't fix the fact that your team comes down to a comparing of numbers to convert into scoring die roll opportunities.
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On an unrelated note, I've been considering a 4th stat - Discipline. Similar to the playmaker stat except is is bad to have. It could compound penalty events, and perhaps worsen the effects of a scandal event (player caught doing drugs in a motel sort of thing) But these temperamental players may be much cheaper to hire, so maybe you can get away with having a few.
@Willi,
Just to be clear, I don't have pre-made teams with built-in strengths and weaknesses. The game players obtain players through drafting or trades, and collect team strategy cards, cards that basically represent some sort of strength or characteristic of the team's play style. Hopefully, you have collected players with the appropriate skills to work that strategy.
@Brykovian,
That's exactly the feel I'm shooting for when it comes to game planning.
As far as scoring, I'll definitely give some thought to non-dice methods, but perhaps I should mention that the scoring die have custom faces, and aren't just simply numbers, and certain strategy cards may open up or negate different die faces.
But if a game is reduced to just a win/loss situation, that basically removes any adjustment mid-game. Sure It can be broken down into quarters or halves, but how would you resolve team A won the first half, team B won the second half? Is that a game tie? Might there be an overabundance of ties in such a system? Quarters would possibly reduce game ties, since every quarter can give a win, loss, or tie, where most wins will win the game. But really, all this is, is an obfuscated score since mathematically it really represents something akin to 2 points for a quarter win, 0 points for a quarter loss, and 1 point for a quarter tie. If I'm doing that, I might as well have just granted touchdowns and field goals to begin with, no?
Here is a bit more description of how the players, formations, and team strategies work.
This process is (obviously) undergoing lots of tweaks, but here is what I'm trying at the moment.
1) The offense places his players on the field in a particular formation.
2) The defense places players in a formation to hopefully counter what the offense might be able to do with what has been shown so far.
3) Each player then gets to draw action cards equal to the number 'playmaker' points of his fielded team, then chooses and keeps 2 of them.
These cards may be additional scoring opportunities, penalties or injuries to inflict on the other team, instant scores, event cards to be saved to use later (in game and out of game events), or team strategy cards (these might be moved to a purchase system) Players might have to make some hard decisions here, like chooseing a touchdown now or take a training card to improve his team later.
4) Both teams secretly choose a special strategy to employ, if any.
A offensive strategy might be something like "Pass - Long Routes" and grants additional scoring rolls based on the number of wide receivers you have, and if a "pass" is rolled on the die, will grant a touchdown.
A defensive strategy might be something like "Pass - Dime". If a run was called might grant the offense scoring rolls for every defensive back. But if a pass was called, would negate scoring rolls for every defensive back and negate the "pass" roll on the die.
So, an offensive player might decide not to load up on wide receivers in his formation in order to hide the fact that he is going to use his "Long Routes" card. The card won't be as effective, but perhaps end up better if the opponent would otherwise play a solid pass defense.
5) Offense reveals the play type, pass or run, and both players reveal any strategy card picked.
6) Offensive run or pass scores are compared to the defensive scores. This difference is going to form the baseline of the match-up.
D > O by 2 or more = 1 scoring die.
D within 1 of O = 2 scoring die.
D < O by 2 or more = 3 scoring die.
7) Action cards and strategy cards are revealed that might grant or negate scoring die, or open or close die faces.
This could swing the number of scoring die perhaps 0-8 in any direction, but commonly only 2-4.
8) Resulting number of scoring die are rolled.
Scoring die are faced such that there is a 20% chance to gain a touchdown or field goal, with an perhaps additional 10-20% chance to score depending on the strategy cards in play.
So you want to really load up on the die if you can, even rolling 3 die may give you nothing 51% of the time.