I thought I'd take a look at All For One, through the lens of Johan's post regarding common game design traps, to see if we're falling into any of them:
Johan wrote:
Bash the leader
The players always attacking the leader (It is hard to be on top). The big problem with this is that in several games the player that is in the lead from start will never win.
How to prevent
- Limit number of attacks that can be done against a player.
- By doing the attack you will loose something (normally resources or game tempo).
- Add hidden scores (part of the score is unknown).
How to use
- This effect can be used to maintain some kind of status quo in the game.
- Some games (example Love Soap) can be built on this effect.
Well, we do have a portion of the scoring hidden, so it's difficult to tell who is winning. However if you are able to figure out which character is each player's ID, you could determine who is winning. In this case, is leader bashing possible? Well, for starters, players could avoid doing missions with the leader's ID character. Also, players could work to undo whatever moves the 'leader' does. This would make it difficult for the leader to get more points from doing missions, but not impossible (since mission goals are secret). Also, a leader who is being bashed could use his turns to pick fights with guards or other characters in order to earn points that way.
I think All For One is in a good place with regard to Leader Bashing.
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Bash the looser
The players gain favors for attacking weaker players. A week player will only be a resource for other players.
How to prevent
- Limit number of attacks that can be done against a player.
- By doing the attack you will loose something (normally resources or game tempo).
- A strong player will gain more if he/she attacks a stronger player then a week player.
- Week players are eliminated.
How to use
- This can be used to force some type of alliances in the game between the players.
In All For one there's not really a way to attack a player, perse. As discussed above, the best you can do is undo someone's move (which is probably not efficient for you), or avoid using their character. Neither of those really serves as a resource... if you are losing, there's not really anything an opponent can do to benefit from that.
I'd say All For One sits pretty well with regard to "Loser Bashing".
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Run away leader
If a game has a run away leader problem, there will be a leader that nobody can do anything about, but still they have to play the game to the end (for several more hours).
How to prevent the effect
- When a player gets a non beatable leader, the game will end.
- Add Leaders bashing to the game.
How to use the effect
- I don’t see how this can be used.
Through the tactics mentioned above, there is some way to mitigate a player's lead, whether real or perceived. Also, there's no mechanism wherin the "rich get richer" which means no slippery slope or runaway leader problem to begin with. I think All For One is OK on that front.
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Losers left behind
One or several players are left behind and can not do anything for the outcome of the game. They are reduced to speed bumps (will only slow down the game).
How to prevent the effect
- Players that can not effect the outcome are eliminated.
- The weaker a player get more options and are more flexible.
- Let weaker player ally with strong player.
How to use the effect
- Use this to force players that are left behind to cooperate.
In All For One, any player can score points at any point in the game, and there are ways to outscore opponents with each mission (by using your ID character, or by using your One For All card for bonus points). Therefore, while it's possible to fall behind by simply not scoring as many points as other players in the early game, it's also possible to 'catch up' by outscoring other players and doing bigger missions in the late game.
I don't think All For One suffers from a Loser Lefrt Behind problem.
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King making
King making is when a player can decide the outcome of the game without changing his/her own position. King making can also be if a player that are winning decides who is going to be on second place.
I like to play advanced civilization at convent. The problem is normally that there are a lot of players and only the players with the highest scores will hit the final. In the end, the player that is in the lead will try to convince the other players to maximize his score. That is another type of King making
How to prevent the effect
- Eliminate players that can not win the game.
- Every interaction will have a risk, for both the players (it can be a setback).
- Add hidden scores (part of the score is unknown).
How to use the effect
- If this happens in up to 10% of the times, this is a possibility for players to get even with a player that has misbehaved. (More then 1/10 of the times, the game becomes too random).
Since players can give points to opponents by doing missions and by resolving combats, one would think it easy to play Kingmaker in All For One. However, with the hidden ID characters, and the fact that everyone votes for who wins in combat, I don't see Kingmaker as much of an issue here. I suppose if a player really wanted to, they could figure out which ID other players have, then work to give one of those players points while avoiding throwing points to another player. With the work it would take to do so, that player could improve their own score and try to win, rather than play kingmaker. I think it's safe to say that Kingmaker situations will not come up mush in All For One.
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Nothing to do
When it doesn't matter what a player is doing. Nothing in the game will be effected anyway.
How to prevent the effect
- Add interaction to the game.
- Add several dimensions to the game and you can score in more then one way.
How to use the effect
- I don’t see how it could be used.
In All For One, players always have a handful of Mission cards which are all possible to complete, though some will take more work than others at any given time. Therefore I don't see how there coud ever be NOTHING to do on your turn. I have heard the complaint from players who feel they have nothing CONSTRUCTIVE to do on their turn, but frankly I think they're looking for more instant gratification, when sometimes all of your options involve planning more than 1 turn ahead. Unfortunately I don't know how to communicate that to people, and some people are simply not interested in a game where they have to plan that far ahead...
So in a way, All For One falls into this trap. I'd like to say it doesn't, but it's difficult to argue with players' experience.
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Never ending game
The complete game is can be a stalemate and no side can win if the other sides don’t give up.
How to prevent the effect
- Include a time limit or a number of turn limit.
- Reduce the resources each time.
How to use the effect
- I have tested a game that used this as a cooperation mechanism. Nobody could win if the players did not cooperate (and did some agreements). The intrigues become interesting.
A stalemate is not possible in a game of All For One, as the game ends eventually (as long as people do missions!). We are currently considering a new idea which will force the game to end even if players DON'T do missions!
There is a sort of stalemate situation that can arise with in the game though, when 2 players want to use the same character. In this case the players in question move the character back and forth and accomplish nothing. I don't see this as a problem really, as this means those two players will both be at a disadvantage against the remaining players, and so bickering over conrtrol of a character is a pretty bad play. Sort of a self-correcting problem.
So I don't see Stalemating as a problem with All For One.
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Run for victory
In the last turn, all players do see that this is the last turn and run for victory. No one plan for tomorrow.
How to prevent the effect
- Random game ending.
- Remove turns from the game (victory is counted after a player is done).
- Every player has a hidden victory condition.
How to use the effect
- Some games does benefit from a Run for victory. The players get a final chance to put a dagger in other players (and sometimes allies) back.
With the current game-end condition, the depletion of favor counters, there is no telling exactly when the last turn of thegame will be. However when the suply is low there may be a 'rush for points' in which a player may opt to fight a guard for a VP because they might not get another turn (rather than working on a mission that they might not get to complete). Personally I feel this gives the endgame a sense of urgency, and gives players a different feeling at the end of the game from at the beginning. Others may disagree. In either case, I don't think it really qualifies as falling into a "Run for Victory" trap.
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Eliminate players
A player is eliminated early in a game and has to wait.
How to prevent the effect
- When a player is eliminated, the game will end.
- Eliminated players can reappear in the game (and still have a (smaller) chance).
- Shorten the game time.
How to use the effect
- To reduce the Kingmaker and Bach the looser effect.
Players do not get eliminated in All For One.
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Multi solo playing
All players are playing the game for them self and nothing can be done to change anything for another player.
How to prevent the effect
- Limit the resources.
- Add interaction
How to use the effect
- Why would I like to use this effect?
While each player is working on their own mission(s), the fact that anyone can (and will!) use the character you wanted to use, or the plot token you were going to use, or any combination thereof means there's plenty of interaction. I don't think All For One falls into this trap.
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Seet order
You will benefit or loose depending on the order of the players around the table. Example: If you sit after a newcomer or a veteran it matter for your final score.
How to prevent the effect
- Include random player order.
- The player order depends on the previous round.
- The players do hidden orders.
How to use the effect
- Should not be used.
A Seat order effect CAN crop up in All For One, specifically when the player to your right happens to use the character you want to use every turn - either coincidentally or maliciously. However, I think there is enough to do in the game that you could change your plans and not be so affected by that if you wanted to. So I don't think the seat order is much of a problem in All For One.
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Player down time
The time between the player will do anything in the game is too long (what is too long is depending on the game).
How to prevent the effect
- Some player actions can be done at the same time.
- Reduce the number of actions a player can do when it is his/her time.
- Player downtime is often an effect of poor components or a game board that is hard to get an overview of.
How to use the effect
- Always try to reduce player's downtime.
Player down time can be a problem in 5 player games, as several players take their turn while you have to wait for them. Also, the more players there are, the more the board changes from one turn to the next, and the less pre-planning you can reasonably do on your turn.
On the other hand, it may be interesting fo players to watch the Plot Tokens and where they move, to see if their missions are getting harder or easier. Also, during combat, everyon gets a say in the outcome, which can help keep people involved in the game when it's not their turn.
All in all it appears that with more players All For One suffers a little from down time, but no more than many other games. The biggest culprit for new players is the large number of Plot Tokens around the board which is a lot of information to have to look for when you get your initial (and any new) mission cards. After a few plays this becomes less of a concern.
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Dead end
The player get into a dead end and can not do anything to continue the game. Example: In an adventure game you fall into a trap and can not get up.
How to prevent the effect
- Testing, testing, and testing.
- Players can restart in the game.
How to use the effect
- None.
This trap does not exist for All For One. There is no way to get 'stuck' in this game.
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Expansion hysteria
New expansions will change the game and the rules (and some components from the previous (or original) game can not be used anymore.) Two of best example of this is Magic and Squad Leaders. Both games failed in there first expansions. Magic did the new cards too powerful and SL did the game unplayable).
How to prevent the effect
- Plan the possible expansions when the design is planned.
How to use the effect
-
There are no Expansions for All For One, and I don't think there really could be. There could be new missions made or something, maybe a different board, but that's more like a sequal than an expansion.
Overall, I think All For One holds up well to all of these common game design traps.
Whew!
- Seth
