Here is a game Idea I am working on. Yes, I saw there are a few similar games out there, but I am just getting back into game design so I figured I would make a game about something I can relate to! Here are some of the rules/guidelines:
•You draw cards that represent band members, roadies, instruments, equipment, skills, songs, media attention, sabotage, genres, (warehouse to store extra stuff to use later?), etc.
•Each player has a rock band that is vying for the attention of the local masses.
•A band may have 3 members maximum, and each band member may only have one instrument.
•Default Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard,
•Bonus Instruments: Piano, Violin, Clarinet, Cello, Accordion, Bagpipes, Organ, Dijjery Do, Banjo, Saxophone, Flute, Harp
•At the beginning of each round a new venue is displayed. The venue is where each player’s band will be performing (if they so choose) at the end of the round. Certain instruments/genres will be better for different venues and give bonuses/penalties accordingly.
•Each player’s turn proceeds as follows:
◦Search craigslist: choose from one of the available face up cards, or draw a face down card.
◦Prepare your Act: choose cards from your hand that you want to use in the show and place them face up in front of you. You may only have up to 3 band members. Instruments must be associated with a band member. Follow the special rules on each card. You may switch cards from your Act back to your hand if you have enough room.
◦Play Pre-Show Actions: these include promoting the gig, promoting your band, bad mouthing another band, etc.
◦Discard any cards you want from your hand into the two craigslist piles in any order you choose so that you don’t have more than 3 cards in your hand.
◾Beware, discarding band members gives them a bonus against you when interfering with your band at the gig!
•After all players have had a turn, it is the night of the gig. Any players wishing to participate in the gig move their token onto the gig tiles numbered squares with the least popular band on the #1 square, the second least popular band on the #2 square, etc. through all the bands.
•Starting with the player on the #1 square, each player takes his turn at the gig.
◦If the band’s Act is good enough (points from act cards is greater than the gig value plus the number the player is on) the band receives popularity equal to the difference in the Act and Gig.
◾For example, player Mark has two generic band members, a guitar (+3) and drums (+2) for a total of +5. The gig is Small Bar (3). Mark is on the #1 spot. Mark would receive 5 - (3 + 1) = 1 popularity point for the gig.
◦If the band’s act is not good enough, it loses popularity in the same manner.
◦When summing up the result, other bands that are not playing in the show may interfere with the show by using Interference (not sure if this is a card or a roll).
•Winning the game
◦At the end of a round, if all gigs have been played or all popularity tokens are gone (keep track of extra popularity on a piece of paper), the game is over with the player with the most popularity winning!
Ideas:
Money to buy items/pay band members?
Could have eBay style auction and first come first serve items
Press your luck style for bonus performance points.
I realize it has been done a lot. But so have many other game types.
I don't plan on this getting big or going anywhere, just something to get my game dev imagination going again with a theme I am passionate about. Also, I would just play it with family and friends, so I don't mind if it is similar to another game.
I usually have a hard time keeping it simple and like to keep adding components to add complexity to make it more "real". I think you're right, I need to remove that complexity and focus on an end goal. I recently bought a game called "King of Tokyo" and it is fairly simple game with mostly just some dice rolling and the player interaction, yet it is fun. Get to 20 victory points first and don't die and you win.
I like the idea of having multiple functions on each card, making them more versatile. I will probably use that.
Thanks for the input! I will hopefully keep this thread up to date with my progress.