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A life achievements game with hazards and banking.

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cerpn
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Hi everyone, I am trying to come up with ideas to make a game calendar based, and it would encompass some 75 years for the life of a person, it should include a banking system and the play-time should be about 45 minutes or less. I'm trying to make the first 20 or so years play at the start of the game, sort of a pre-game, with 4 D6 rolls or so to determine starting conditions, then play out the remaining years one by one. I think that a theme has yet to be set, but it could be about life decisions and economic, educational and personal achievements.

It is intended for 2-6 players and it would be an "occidental lifestyle" game. I don't wanna get into investments or stock trading, but there should be a way to trade resources among players. Also I would like to have -some- random events that affect player progress.

I'd like for you to point me to similar games, similar mechanics or some ideas that may help me, as it is obvious this game is in a very early stage of development.

Jay103
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cerpn wrote:Hi everyone, I am

cerpn wrote:
Hi everyone, I am trying to come up with ideas to make a game calendar based, and it would encompass some 75 years for the life of a person, it should include a banking system and the play-time should be about 45 minutes or less. I'm trying to make the first 20 or so years play at the start of the game, sort of a pre-game, with 4 D6 rolls or so to determine starting conditions, then play out the remaining years one by one. I think that a theme has yet to be set, but it could be about life decisions and economic, educational and personal achievements

So, if I understand you..

You want to simulate 55 years, one at a time, in 45 minutes, for 2-6 people.

Even https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2921/game-of-life has a 60-minute playtime.

questccg
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Exactly!

55 years, one turn at a time, in 45 minutes??? Between 2 and 6 players...

This has got nothing to say about your Math... By firstly 55 in 45 minutes means 50 seconds per turn. Next we have 3 to 6 players to account for so this means about 8 seconds per player per turn...

Let's not talk about the depth of strategy and the amount of thinking this game will require... Because you only have 8 seconds per turn...

Sorry... But you've got some serious problems which have nothing to do about the game itself... They are about your EXPECTATIONS.

Jay103
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questccg wrote:Sorry... But

questccg wrote:
Sorry... But you've got some serious problems which have nothing to do about the game itself... They are about your EXPECTATIONS.

I was thinking there's about time for one die roll per player per year.

questccg
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Not well thought up...

Jay103 wrote:
I was thinking there's about time for one die roll per player per year.

And absolutely NO thinking or strategy. All you do is roll the dice ... and that's it! LOL

Like I said this particular IDEA is bad because it's simply not realistic AT ALL!

let-off studios
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Other Inspirations

This subject has been executed fairly well via computers for some time. In addition to the previous advice, you may want to see how some of these games approached the subject.

Alter Ego, considered by many the grand-daddy of "game of life" computer games. Playable in nearly any browser.
https://www.playalterego.com/

Life: The game of chance, although it doesn't have a focus on "the western, developed world." Also playable via browser.
https://timkrief.itch.io/life-the-game-of-chance

Life Choices, geared towards younger audiences, to demonstrate the value in long-term planning. This is a preview video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y94S6ETR1h4

A listicle of 10 great video games about the meaning of life.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/15/10-great-video-games-...

Not sure exactly what your angle is with this project, or what you hope to focus the player's attention on as an objective, but maybe these will be of some help to you.

cerpn
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Thanks a lot for your

Thanks a lot for your answers!!

Im a Teacher so 45 min is the time max for the game.

Maybe can pass 1 = 2 : 1 = 3 years or as the game goes on the years happen more quickly or viceversa or maybe add more dice, but in the design phase want to think some way to pass the year over a 'The Game of the Goose' way.

I know that is a odd request,
looking for open mind's stuff

Thanks again for answers!

cerpn
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let-off studios wrote:This

let-off studios wrote:
This subject has been executed fairly well via computers for some time. In addition to the previous advice, you may want to see how some of these games approached the subject.

Alter Ego, considered by many the grand-daddy of "game of life" computer games. Playable in nearly any browser.
https://www.playalterego.com/

Life: The game of chance, although it doesn't have a focus on "the western, developed world." Also playable via browser.
https://timkrief.itch.io/life-the-game-of-chance

Life Choices, geared towards younger audiences, to demonstrate the value in long-term planning. This is a preview video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y94S6ETR1h4

A listicle of 10 great video games about the meaning of life.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/15/10-great-video-games-...

Not sure exactly what your angle is with this project, or what you hope to focus the player's attention on as an objective, but maybe these will be of some help to you.

Your info is good, thanks a lot.

Im a Teacher and i trying to make new ways to get the attention of the kids, i tried other board games (dominion, catan, carcassonne) with good results. If im honest with you i dont know neither, but your info is good info. Thanks bro

i almost forgot, i cannot use nothing electronic
I want people doing accounts.

Sometime i play a demo version of Roberts Kiyosaki's game, but i never can play it again. Still that game is quite complex i want to stay away from investments or speculations

thanks for your answer!

Jay103
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If 45 minutes is a hard

If 45 minutes is a hard limit, then the other part of the design needs to go.

You don't really seem to know what the game is about yet, so I'm going to be equally vague here.. In 45 minutes, you have enough time for 10 rounds of something fairly simple.

You need to (a) strip down the "timeframe" of the game in a way that 10 rounds is useful (maybe focus on "early career" or something else similar that might be accessible by students), and (b) focus the gameplay/simulation pretty tightly on only a few things.

Looked at from the other direction, a "life simulator" of some sort has got to have some very different things going on at age 20 vs. 30. vs. 65. It's barely even the same game. Wedging all that into even a 5 hour timeframe would be difficult.

Oh, and just a note on "trading resources." There are not many parts of my life where I've traded resources with someone :). What sort of resources were you thinking, and how would they be traded within your design?

cerpn
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Jay103 wrote:If 45 minutes is

Jay103 wrote:
If 45 minutes is a hard limit, then the other part of the design needs to go.

You don't really seem to know what the game is about yet, so I'm going to be equally vague here.. In 45 minutes, you have enough time for 10 rounds of something fairly simple.

You need to (a) strip down the "timeframe" of the game in a way that 10 rounds is useful (maybe focus on "early career" or something else similar that might be accessible by students), and (b) focus the gameplay/simulation pretty tightly on only a few things.

Looked at from the other direction, a "life simulator" of some sort has got to have some very different things going on at age 20 vs. 30. vs. 65. It's barely even the same game. Wedging all that into even a 5 hour timeframe would be difficult.

Oh, and just a note on "trading resources." There are not many parts of my life where I've traded resources with someone :). What sort of resources were you thinking, and how would they be traded within your design?

that's a very interesting view. and quite practical: 10 turns

i was thinking in a 'the game of goose'-like board and the players gets some income items and need to sell to some entity to get money, later the players can buy things, and can use some random method to get some thiefs (for example) and rip off all the cash. and so on.

in the game the players are owners of little farms (or something) this farms give us income every turn, we need to convert that in money (or see where save it). And see what happen when put my money in the bank.

Thanks for your answer!!!

Jay103
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If I understand what you mean

If I understand what you mean by "The Game of the Goose", then you're talking about something pretty close to the Game of Life link I provided way at the top. You move around a track and things "happen" and then you eventually get to the end.

That sort of game doesn't have "rounds" of anything, and doesn't fit with your one-round-per-year premise at all, so I'm not sure if I have the right thing in mind. CandyLand is basically a version of "Goose".

Also as a teacher, you may want to avoid turning this into Grand Theft: Everything..

cerpn
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questccg wrote:Jay103 wrote:I

questccg wrote:
Jay103 wrote:
I was thinking there's about time for one die roll per player per year.

And absolutely NO thinking or strategy. All you do is roll the dice ... and that's it! LOL

Like I said this particular IDEA is bad because it's simply not realistic AT ALL!

I think that the idea is'nt all bad, maybe can roll a lot of dice put we get more dices (or less dices) as the game on. And the qty of dice are determinated by other stats (im in the design phase dont want to put so much details) want to 'play' with ideas.
Im from scratch so every voice counts.

Thanks for your answers

cerpn
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questccg wrote:55 years, one

questccg wrote:
55 years, one turn at a time, in 45 minutes??? Between 2 and 6 players...

This has got nothing to say about your Math... By firstly 55 in 45 minutes means 50 seconds per turn. Next we have 3 to 6 players to account for so this means about 8 seconds per player per turn...

Let's not talk about the depth of strategy and the amount of thinking this game will require... Because you only have 8 seconds per turn...

Sorry... But you've got some serious problems which have nothing to do about the game itself... They are about your EXPECTATIONS.

That's a good point. Thanks for point it out.

i want thinking in some game d&d like. Where the players are in the same city and get in the board some properties, each properties are in sale, and each properties give us a income. We need to make some cash to pay the outcomes. Everytime the thief pay a visit and take all the cash, so we need save somewhere.

The players are in a island (no more farmers, now are castaways), get in island with some sources predefinied. We need to move our savings and get some farms (or forget it, are farmers again)

then we can play 10 turns (of 5 years each) each turn they obtain cash and title properties. Think about monopoly with a bank (only that isnt a inmobiliary theme game)

Maybe the market can buy with a better price some 'item list' for obligate the players to trade

Thanks for your answers!!

cerpn
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Jay103 wrote:If I understand

Jay103 wrote:
If I understand what you mean by "The Game of the Goose", then you're talking about something pretty close to the Game of Life link I provided way at the top. You move around a track and things "happen" and then you eventually get to the end.

That sort of game doesn't have "rounds" of anything, and doesn't fit with your one-round-per-year premise at all, so I'm not sure if I have the right thing in mind. CandyLand is basically a version of "Goose".

Also as a teacher, you may want to avoid turning this into Grand Theft: Everything..

Unfortunately is the only way that i ocurrs to me (the game of the goose). Wants to play a history and the players get the details on the way.

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