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Semi-enforced honour mechanic

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inspiratieloos
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Joined: 11/27/2017

I'm looking for ideas for a game I'm designing and trying to find games to look to for examples.

The mechanic I'm having trouble with involves deal making, I want a situation where the game enforces the honouring of agreements to some extent but not absolutely, i.e. the player can stab someone they've made a deal with in the back, but it'll cost them to do so. So far I haven't found any existing game that does something similar.

As for the current plan: The game is an area control/war game using a Paradox Interactive style (Crusader Kings/Europa Universalis video games) control/ownership system. If you conquer an opponent's province you control it and deny it to them, but you only actually own it and can use it for yourself when you agree to a peace where the owner formally cedes it. Players can also make formal non-aggression pacts and truces after making a peace deal. However, a player that breaks a truce is put outside of this system for a time and any province of theirs that is taken immediately becomes owned by the person that takes it.

Yort Watson
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Joined: 11/12/2017
The game Senji has an

The game Senji has an interesting mechanism where you can execute something like hostages (It's not hostages, but I can't think of a better word) if another player breaks their word. It is a wargame and interesting in this ragard. https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33107/senji

JamJam52
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Joined: 03/20/2016
Hi Inspiratieloos, What about

Hi Inspiratieloos, What about civil unrest, perhaps that could be a way to theme the negative of reneging a deal. If you take somewhere over and then make peace if you go back on it then the area revolts?

I imagine it would have to be something not too negative as with a war game you don't want the main 'fun' of the game (in this case conflict) have much negative revolving around it.

J

inspiratieloos
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Joined: 11/27/2017
That's one of the things I

That's one of the things I considered with the 'people can take your stuff for free' rule, it means that if you succeed the backstabbing doesn't cost you anything, but if you fail the consequences are much more dire than just losing a fight normally.

I hadn't really considered internal consequences, there's two metrics it could affect, there is the strength of troops and food production of the peasants/land, negatively impacting either could be interesting, less powerful troops means you're more likely to lose a straight up fight (I haven't really decided yet how random I want fights to be, so I'm not sure how punishing some loss of combat power would be), less food means you can keep your troops in the field for less time. Both would keep the 'if you betray someone you better make it good' aspect. Definitely something to think about, thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion Yort, I'll check out Senji.

CanucKnight
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Joined: 09/29/2017
I think a randomized

I think a randomized consequence would fit well with the gambling nature of breaking a treaty. An "event deck" or custom dice with things ranging from your own/your opponents troops defecting to a bonus in attacking a border territory would make the betrayal high risk/reward option. I'm picturing the turn as a decisive coup that can overturn the current leader or push the victor across the finish line. On the other hand you need to be sure alliances yield enough of a benefit to justify the risk of being betrayed. Also you'd need to make sure the terms are formulated in such a way that it is clear when the betrayal dice/deck needs to be consulted.

DarkDream
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Twilight Imperium Promissory Notes

In Twilight Imperium 4th edition as part of the base game it has a Promissory Note mechanic where a card can be given to another player as part of a deal. I believe with some cards if the player with the card violates the deal (violate cease fire for example) the card specifies the penalty on doing so.

Maybe I would take a look at that mechanic.

- Darkdream

FrankM
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Joined: 01/27/2017
Promissory Note

DarkDream wrote:
In Twilight Imperium 4th edition as part of the base game it has a Promissory Note mechanic where a card can be given to another player as part of a deal. I believe with some cards if the player with the card violates the deal (violate cease fire for example) the card specifies the penalty on doing so.

Maybe I would take a look at that mechanic.

- Darkdream


"Aaaand here is your Promissory Note Card."
"Hmmm, this looks handwritten... Hey, we're not playing Strip Crusader Kings!"

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