Dete had a Eureka on another string... thought I'd expand on his idea...
Imagine a forest or jungle or jumble of pipes simplified... a 3D construct made up of tinkertoys or Erector sets or something.. it's a messy structure that has a lot of differently sized and angled gaps and branches.... horizontal, vertical, diagonal... Players roll dice to move on a path that surrounds the "jungle". (we'll call it a jungle from here on in, as a theme is developing in my head as wo go here....)
Each player also controls a number of "pigeons" that roost on little platforms in the jungle. Movement of the pigeons is based on a different mechanic than player movement, and is to be determined... Players are trying to strike each other's pigeons with "boomerangs", while moving their own pigeons out of the striking trajectory of opponent boomerangs.
Boomerangs are represented by cutout (rigid) arcs of varying lengths and turn radiuses. You start with a few 'rang types (randomly drawn at game start) but can increase your stash by temporarily leaving the path (from which 'rangs can be "thrown") and visiting the Carver (multiple locations, he's franchised), who can supply you with more random ($) or custom ($$$) 'rangs.
To throw a boomerang during your turn, declare your intention and your target pigeon. Then you pick an arc from your stash of boomerangs and try to thread it through the spaces in the jungle so that it connects your hunter and your target pigeon. If you can't do it, you get one more try with a different arc. Still can't? Attempt over. Connect the arc and you've stunned and captured the poor thing. First one to collect all (or a set amount) of the opponent's pigeons WINS!
There could be pick-a-card spaces along the path (or off of it) that let you draw cards for special abilities, to spice up the game... stuff like bonus 'rangs, "cash" (or an appropriately-themed equivalent) with which to pay the Carver, bonus "shots" on throw attempts, pigeon-moving options, restoring captured pigeons to the jungle, etc.
Just a burst of ideas... could be fun, huh? huh?
~Josh
Would definitely be easier to implement, but I really love the idea of the messy 3D plastic molded jungle... not as thickly arranged as you seem to think I meant, so there's plenty of room to thread the arcs over, under, and through the tangle. All bright colours and vivid cartoon chunkiness. I know it's not very cost-effective, or even really developable, but it's just a fancy....
A flat version is doable for sure, (and I think that's probably what dete was originally talking about), but the point for me now has become the arcs, the angles of approach. No blasting through obstacles here, just avoiding them. The task for the player here is partly to learn which roosts can be reached from which pathway points with 'rangs in his/her stash, and to head for those points if possible when the opponent lands a pigeon there...Maybe I could split the difference.... simplify the jungle, keep the whole arc-trajectory gimmick as the main mechanic... give it a little thought...
Okay, you talked me into it. (by which, I mean, obviously, that I've talked myself into it.)
I'm going to develop this idea through to a prototype. I'll have something to show soon. Ideas and comments are welcome.... thanks for inspiring me further,
~Josh