A week or two ago I started working on my first board game. I have quite a few notes written down and a pretty good idea where I want to go with it. I just have to figure out how to get there!
The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Y'know, a bunch of nukes went off. blah blah for now. More on that later. But it would be very easy to make any setting work with this game. Be it modern, fantasy, zombies, futuristic, sci-fi. All that really needs doing is having different cards that fit that setting. Or as they call them "expansions!" but lets not get carried away.
I guess it's a board game with elements of a rpg and card games mixed in. Cards will play a heavy roll in the game due to the fact that they represent player cards, monsters, weapons, armors, items, missions, etc. The player cards will be pretty basic pre-generated characters with the ability to level up as the game is played. Just like in a rpg. Also like an rpg players will be fighting monsters and getting loot, in the form of cards. Which can then be equipped to their player card or traded/sold.
For combat I'm using a system that MarkKreitler post about here: http://www.bgdf.com/node/6401
For me its the simplicity and the integration of skill use (which I was having trouble figuring out). And I fell, at this point, it fits pretty nicely into the game. And Mark gave me the ok to use it (thanks again!). Weapon cards will effect the amount of dice a player rolls during combat. Ex. at the start a player rolls their base # of dice. Later on they may find a new, better gun than the rusty old thing they started with and it may add +1 to their dice total as it is a better weapon.
Also each pre-gen character card has a "class". Which is really just their specialty. Say you want to play someone who is an excellent sniper and your friend wants to play a huge guy that bashes people with a giant hammer. Weapons that you "specialize" in give you a bonus aswell. To either combat dice or damage. My goal with this is to make it simpler. I suppose the rpg aspect of the characters is mainly the leveling up system. At this point each level has 3 skills to pick from. When you advance a level you may select one of the 3 skills for that level to be available to you.
At this point I am considering having "mission" cards. Something like you flip the top card over and it has the mission details. Kill these baddies, go collect this weapons cache, escort so and so to this town, etc. Each one will have xp and a reward listed. They will look like ads. Something like:
"Old Bob is looking for someone to deliver a shipment of bricks to Big City. He's willing to pay $100 to anyone willing to undertake the perilous journey."
I made 10 squares out of thick paper and made it so they can be placed together in anyway and they will all line up making for an easy to customize board. I was thinking that as players moved through one board they would place another tile next to it lining up the gaps. and so on and so forth. Even reusing boards already laid down to form a potentially never ending board. I just don't know how to add more to the missions. Like story wise. Or how to make combat encounters or any encounter happen during the journey on the mission.
I have a list of stuff that I need to work out so I'll just make a list here and if anyone has any ideas or input I would love to hear them! (about the list or anything else I wrote above)
-What is gained at each level?
-How much XP is required to obtain each level?
-How do missions work? Flip a card and go? How does the story unfold? How do monster encounters fit in? Randomly popping up? How can I make missions more fun and exciting?
-How movement around the board works. Do players roll a die? like a d6?
-How cards are collected
-monster loot? as rewards for completing missions? buying/trading with merchants?
-Stats such as HP, armor ratings, dodge numbers, # of combat dice, weapon damages. What balances? What works?
-The # of stars required to activate a skill. Is 3 too high to roll in a turn? (reading the die mechanic again the skills have 3 levels for each skill 1, 2, and 3 stars)
I think that is it for now. Like I said ANY help would be greatly appreciated!
Patrick
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the feedback! It's a huge relief to read that you think it sound like a blast. I get nervous about showing people stuff like this.
Your superhero game sounds fun as well and could easily be fit into this game! When I first started this project I had considered the "GM" role but kind of set it aside with the goal of having all the players be able to play. But like you said that will make it more difficult for the game to be more RPG-y. I definitely don't want it to resemble a bunch of other games too closely (but who does right?)
I suppose that one person (the GM) can be in control over the monsters and story. Say draw 3 mission cards. This will act as a "Bulletin Board" type thing in the town. With these three missions listed. Like a WANTED ad. They players get to choose one of the three. The GM then lays the story out and they set off through the wasteland on their journey. The GM will be in control of the board (laying tiles, placing monsters, etc). This would work much better than everyone being a player I think.
Over the next week I will be able to get together with my brother and our friend for a bunch of gaming. With this one being on the list. I'll be sure to post up any more ideas and tweaks we come up with!
Patrick