Best way to distribute cards at start of game?

Would this work: Separate out the head and torso cards and place them face-up in the middle of the table. Allow each player to select one of each. Take the remaining cards and shuffle them into the deck before the normal dealing of facedown in-hand cards.

-Bryk

WARNING: I'm making a bunch of assumptions about your game that probably aren't correct. Try to see through the specifics of the post into the spirit behind it. :P

It sounds like you need head and torso parts to represent fixed universal quantities like armor and hit points. Other body parts probably supply unique powers like special weapons and defenses. You need different heads and torsos so players start with different armor and hit points. If the torso and head also supply unique powers, we'll ignore that, as that duplicates functionality supplied by the other cards. Let's call this System 1.

So...why not give all players the same generic head and torso pieces with fixed universal values, then let all other cards modify these values to provide random starting conditions? Let's call this System 2.

Now imagine the same robot built using the two systems.

System 1:
Head: armor 3, hit points 2.
Torso: armor 4, hit points 5.
Other cards:

fusion torch (arm) force field generator (3 uses)
ECM jamming
Guided missiles x4

System 2:
Head: armor 2, hit points 2.
Torso: armor 3, hit points 4.
all robots start with these head and torso values

Other cards:
When these are equipped to the torso or head, they add their bonus to the base value.

fusion torch (armor +0, hit points +0) force field generator (armor +1, hit points +1)
ECM jamming (armor +1, head only)
Guided missiles (armor +0, hit points +0)

Using system 2, if the player mounts the force field generator on the torso and the ECM system on the head, his robot's stats will match those from system 1.

The specifics of this system are probably all wrong, but the idea is solid. Ask yourself, "why does everyone need head and torso cards?" Whatever the answer, those qualities are shared amongst all players and must fall within a fixed numerical range. So just give the players the average value to start with, then let the variation come from the cards dealt out of the single deck of parts.

Good luck!

Kreitler

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You could have a
1) building round where you can add 4 upgrades to your robot
2) fight round one
3) have a repair round where you can repair 1 item and/or add 1 upgrade
4) fight round two
5) repeat 3 and 4

Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.
You might even consider letting players trade parts in the building phase.

Your game sounds like a winner. Keep us posted.

Mark

Just an Idea

How about making the head/torso a single generic robot/vehicle/unit that each player starts the game with. The starting robot/vehicle/unit can be enhanced by different robots/vehicles/units that can make up the arms/legs/jet pack/shield and weapon...... Something that goes along the line of Power Ranger's Megazoids, Transformers or Gforce.
It could also add a new dynamic to the game. The player could have a group of robots/vehicles/units that can act independently and act as single "super" duper robot or whatever you would like to call it.

NoMADSGames
"Just Say No To CCGs"
http://www.Nomadsgames.com

What you could do is have players start with generic head and torso cards. Like weak head and weak torso. All the same. Then as they draw cards, they could add to their robot. Also, I would make it a draft mechanic rather than a Draw mechanic. For example, at the start of each turn, reveal X number of cards from the top of the deck. The player who drafts first picks then passes, etc. Until all the cards are taken. This way, you could remove some of the randomness plus add a new layer to the game...i.e, "I have a great laser arm, but if I pass this buzzsaw arm, Joe Blow will get it and he has no arms...hmmmm....those rocket legs sure would help me this turn as I have to do blah blah...

Honestly simpler is better. Try the generic/blank head and torsos.