Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some feedback in my entry for the GDS.
Here is the entry http://www.bgdf.com/node/4545#comment-17522
The basic idea behind the game was this (I didn't have enough space to write this out in the rules)
Each player rolls 5 dice representing the head, hands and feet of the combatant.
One player is determined to start, that player chooses another player's die (head, hand or foot) to attack by putting the opponents die on the dojo tile, and then choosing one of their hand or foot die to "attack" it. The defending person may "block" the attack, but choosing another of their dice to add to the fight. The attacker "injures" the body part it was attacking if its value is higher than the combined value of the dice the opponent played. If the attacker wasn't higher, then nothing special happens. In either case it becomes the next players turn until all dice have been played (each die can either attack OR defend each round) or there are no possible targets for remaining dice. Each injured die is replace by a die of a similar color - but some signifying different (in the entry the numbers would be red). "Injured" dice would be additionally hindered in that they lose ties. When an injured die is defeated - its removed from the game (reducing the number of dice you can field) and when the head is removed you have lost the game.
Games take about 5 minutes to play with standard polyhedral dice - but run a bit swingy - sometimes with lucky rolls a d20 head can stay in the game when they have no real chance to win - prolonging the game.
That's the basic game, which I'd love feedback on - next I will explain where I've taken this idea since the GDS.
The dice will not be standard die with numbers from 1-x. I've change the game to be a d12 for the head, d10s for feet, and d6s for fists. The dice will instead be variable to a certain average face. For example - a 6 sided die (average 3.5) might have faces 3,3,3,4,4,4 or 1,1,1,6,6,6 In this way the game is expandable for different types of dice (and different types of players). It also changes which die are good against which other die. Injured die in this setting could have a weaker average score than standard die, and you would choose the 10 die you want to field (1 head, 1 injured head, 2 hands, 2 injured hands, 2 feet, 2 injured feet).
There is also possibility for an expansion - Knees and Elbows - in which d8s and d4s are introduced - d8s (knees) get a +1 to defend against leg attacks, and d4s (elbows) get a +2 to defend against hand attacks.
I don't think the game is exactly there yet - but since I was going for super light and simple I'm afraid to put too much more into it - but I would love to hear what anyone thought of the entry, the changes, or the concept in general!
Well, the 2 player game is less fun - which could need work to fix. Too much information is the bane of that version - its designed for 4 players and plays well with 3 or 4.
You can only add 1 die to a defense, so you couldn't defend with all of your die I attack with one, targeting one of yours, you can add one more of yours to block me.
The round continues until every die has been played, and then everyone takes their remaining dice (injured to replace injured die, and fewer die if some have been removed) and roll them to start the new round.
I can explain a bit how a (2 player) round might go for the strategy bit
I roll a 12, 6, 5, 3, 3 lets say, my opponent rolls a 10, 10, 9, 4, 1
I can't strike with my head, so I have an 6, 5, 3 and 3 to fight my opponent. My opponent has some great rolls - and I have no chance against his head, so my best bet is to try and injure a hand or a leg.
When attacking, I can keep a weak piece from being injured this turn - so for example I might decide to take his 10 out of the picture by attacking his 10 with my 3. He doesn't add a die to defend, so both of those dice are out of the round.
Then he takes his 9 to attack my 3. I have to spend an 6 to keep it, but he only has a 4 and a 1. If I block with my 6, I can use my 5 to attack tie him, but them my attack will cause no damage since he can just tie me with his other die. So I have to decide if I want to sacrifice an injury on my 3 in order to give him an injury or if I want to just tie him. His die totals were way better than mine, but because I was the first attacker - and because I planned well - I was able to mitigate the poor rolling on my part to make the outcome of the round something that I was ultimately able to decide.
In a 4 player game, if two people went at it like that, they would be far more vulnerable from other players - so the interactions are more dynamic.
I think the game plays better as a constructible game as I mentioned in the second paragraph - because then you have some control over the kinds of rolls you end up with. And that's where I would work on balancing the game towards a higher level of tension.