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seeking theme based on this idea

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NewbieDesigner
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Joined: 01/20/2011

Can someone think of a situation under any circumstances (human behavior, sports, animals kingdom, science, etc.) where there is a burst of collective & competitive consumption before everything disappears? The one important caveat is that there is a stand-off waiting period during initial buildup that discourages the burst of consumption from occurring because whatever that will eventually be consumed hasn't built up and become attractive enough.

Thanks in advance!

scottbalmes
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Joined: 12/22/2010
Farming? Wild

Farming? Wild fruits/vegetables?

They grow slowly, then once their ripe/ready there is a burst for consumption for them. Is that the kind of theme you're looking for?

NewbieDesigner
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theme

Yeah, that is the general idea but something more volatile as if there were some starving people jeopardizing the crop by eating it too soon (obviously a bit depressing for a game theme...lol).

innuendo
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Joined: 05/25/2010
A bit whimsical, but you

A bit whimsical, but you could do it right:

"An asteroid is passing earth and about to crash into the moon! The catch is that this asteroid has been found to have "victorypointanium" on it, which as you all know is the most rarest and valuablest element known to man. This may be the only chance this millennium to harvest this resource, but space is a cruel mistress.

4-6 corporations must research and develop space faring mine crafts in preparation of the asteroid being close enough to earth to successfully reach it in one trip. They can't launch too soon or wont have the fuel to return home with their valuable valuables."

So basically phase one of the game (the hold off you wanted), has these companies scrambling to build space craft...Phase two could be the race to the asteroid...phase 3 could be the harvesting and whoever has the most victorypointanium at the end of the game wins.

Like I said, not really ground in the strictest of realities, but believable enough that it could probably carry a game.

OATS
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Joined: 11/23/2010
Movie Based Theme

hmm... What you are describing sounds like the old 70's movie Soylent Green. It would make a good theme for a board game :-D
In the movie (if I remember it correctly), the earth is overpopulated by humans who have destroyed oceans, wildlife, crops. So governments start making this food substitute called soylent green and is carefully distributed to the people (riots break out when its distributed because everyone is hungry). As it turns out in the end (this movie is so old, its not really a spoiller :-P) we find out that Soylent Green is made from people! (Tun-tun-tun!)
Yup recycled people to feed the people :-P

drktron
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Joined: 07/18/2010
There are a lot of examples

There are a lot of examples in nature.
Locusts
Mass migrations. Wildebeast crossing a river are feasts for crocs.
Mass hatchings/spawnings. For example sea turtles hatching are shortlived feasts for shorebirds. Or salmon. Horseshoe crabs.
Algae blooms. When out of control everyting dies
Infections with an incubation period. Uncontrolled it leads to death of the host.
Mammal procreation. Build up until 'heat' occurs then competition then prenancy (or not). Probably not a good game theme though.

Any stalking predator must wait for prey (buildup) wait for it to come within range and then consume it before opportunistic predators arrive to take it. Say lions, leapords, cheetahs vs. Hyenas.

jumpseat
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Joined: 10/21/2009
Theme Ideas

I think I hear ya. You want it so the option to take the thing is always there, but there is a stand off as to when to grab it; go too soon and its not ripe, matured or perfected; risk waiting and it could pay off big but you run the risk of someone getting in earlier.

Not sure these work perfectly, but here are some ideas.

Recruiting (eg. an Army) - Build up people/followers around a cause, waiting for the right moment to launch into action. Go too soon, get smacked down. Eg. Power hungry Roman senators bide their time and rally support from the grumbling plebes or other groups to gain power, go too early with too few forces or not enough rancor and fervour in the populace and your coup falls flat. Something like that.

Pop Culture (eg. fashion) - A funny theme could be about the build up of pop/fashion trends, eg, someone starts to wear...hmm, lets say, sponge clothing, and this fashion builds up, but its only worth getting on board and wearing it when it gets popular enough, if you go too early and the fashion fails to catch on you can look like a doofus. Players have mats where they place cards with the fashions on them and end up wearing a range of clothes, that are then compared to the way those fashions faired over time. (Could be based on if other players take on those fashions and on some game produced factors).

Wine making - waiting for the perfect drop against rushing to market. I think this could be something of a relaxing theme, that has the grape growing, maturing, testing, marketting, so its more than just farming and feels a bit creative.

Love to be involved more with the development if you like any of these.

NewbieDesigner
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Joined: 01/20/2011
crossing

"Wildebeast crossing a river are feasts for crocs".

This was my original thought actually but seemed a dark for a game. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

NewbieDesigner
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yes

"Recruiting (eg. an Army) - Build up people/followers around a cause, waiting for the right moment to launch into action. Go too soon, get smacked down"

Wait too long, lose the opportunity. This is definintely in the right direction.

Basically the essence is "wait for it, wait for it....now!" but with more than one party trying the accomplish the same thing with winners and losers kind of like when horse jockeys have to decide when to go into sprint mode.

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