Thursday, March 30, 2006

Next Game Idea

For my final project I am to develop another game. I am interested in developing a game that deals with asymmetry - maybe the title will be Asymetric. I think it would be interesting different players had strategic advantage to pursuing a different set of goals. I'd like to keep it simple - I'm much more interested in simple games of strategy than complicated embedded narratives. I like Poker and Risk and not the Legend of Zelda. (Ouch, I must have just dated myself a lot).

I'm not sure exactly how to approach this. I was thinking about having two sets of resources that need to be captured: territory and agents. In Risk, you are simply going after territory and use your armies to pursue you goal. I'm think of something similar, but adding on agents. So there will need to be another element that a player can "use" to pursue their objectives - maybe something like "technology" which has a multiplier effect on resources.

I think the end-game goal will be something like - capture the entire board. But I think there needs to be a "turn the tables" element to the game, whereby it becomes the players strategic advantage to "not lose" versus winning. Or it becomes the players strategic advantage to "help" the other play "win" with the expectation that if they don't "win on time" the tables can be abrupty turned. I like the idea of adding some type of element that factors in timing - an element missing from Risk or Monopoly or Chess. There's no urgent need to make specific plays at specific times in those games, because it becomes a long, steady, drag. Imagine in chess if you've got the other player cornered and you HAVE to check-mate them in a matter of 4 turns or else the tables get turned and he will have 10 turns to check-mate you. All of a sudden, the end game becomes really interesting and more vital that the earlier play.

I dunno, those are just some ideas.

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