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Length of game play

4 replies [Last post]
Wed, 05/11/2005 - 19:04
SteelShark
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Joined: 12/31/1969

I've made a game that I feel is very fun, but may be too long for a consumer. Therefore, I have done some things to increase the playability:

1) I have split the game into a regular play (~10 hours), a short play (2-3 hours), and a speed play (30 minutes). You get a bigger taste of the game with a longer game. The mechanisms all remain the same, but the options (and thus the strategy level goes up).

2) The other thing I have done is implemented a way to "save the game". My game is a board and card game, and by saving the player cards in a pouch, you can save the current state of the game, if not the specific board positions. (Though the game is not similar to Monopoly, think of saving that game by storing the property cards, and then starting out the next game by distributing the cards and starting at "GO".)

Is the strategy of the 3 lengths good? Is 10 hours too long? How about the concept of "saving" a board game?

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Wed, 05/11/2005 - 19:30
#1
Anonymous
Length of game play

Hello and welcome!

Unfortunately we don't have enough information to give you an answer about your game.

Length of game play really depends on the scope and the style of the game. Many games of evolution and civilization building don't really hit their stride until after the 2nd or 3rd hour. Some wargames can't be completed in less than 12 hours or more.

That doesn't meaen that all games could run that long. I enjoy playing Ticket to Ride, but can't imagine a game running 2-3 hours.

Your game may very well find an audience that will play it for 10+ hours depending on the type of game you have created.

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Wed, 05/11/2005 - 20:15
#2
SteelShark
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Length of game play

The game is basically a gladiator type game where you progress a tech tree. The game play is fast and furious, but the length of time comes in progressing your warrior in various categories such as travel, close combat, health, etc., with better and more diverse powers at each level. The strategy increases with game length because you have to balance your power progression to counteract your opponent's power progression.

So the hook to keep playing a longer game is the "character progression" that comes with RPG's or City of Heroes type games, but the speed of battles, terrain events, and periodic global events makes gaining powers occur about once every 5-10 minutes, hopefully just enough to keep you wanting to progress, and therefore keep playing the game.

So while the mechanics are the same throughout the game (keep it simple stupid), your abilities are not, so the complexity of possible actions aand reactions increases.

And the huge variety of power combinations, coupled with various progression strategies, and of course an element of luck, should make the replayability level high.

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Thu, 05/12/2005 - 02:17
#3
Gogolski
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Joined: 07/28/2008
Length of game play

I tink that acceptable game duration is a very subjective thing. Your game sounds like it's some sort of RPG, and a lot of those games have long durations. (If you play D&D or anything like that, you "save" your character (if it is not dead) on your sheet and you continue next session.. You can practically go on forever...)

Some players will like these long playing times very much, others will hate long games. The idea to have several 'depths of play' (with associated times) is a good one. Especially because new players can learn the basics and then expand to a longer, more intense version.

Long playing times need enough player interaction to be not boring (most games need enough player interaction, but longer ones need it even more). When you design a 10 hour race, it's probably boring, but it seems that you already took care of that.

Marketable-wise, 10-hour games will probably not very attractive, but again, it fits a niche, some people will be very into it, others (probably more people) will not be into it...

Cheese!
-Fred-

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Thu, 05/12/2005 - 04:24
#4
Johan
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Joined: 10/05/2008
Re: Length of game play

Hi

SteelShark wrote:
Is the strategy of the 3 lengths good? Is 10 hours too long?

I found the scaling of the game really interesting and I like to know how you have done that (and how much the game differ between the different lengths).
10 hours is to long but 1 hour can be long if you have a game with a run away leader or if players are eliminated early in the game.

Quote:
1) I have split the game into a regular play (~10 hours), a short play (2-3 hours), and a speed play (30 minutes). You get a bigger taste of the game with a longer game. The mechanisms all remain the same, but the options (and thus the strategy level goes up).

I would do this that the regular game would be the 2-3 hour game. Then you could have a speed game (introduction game that could be completed in 30 minutes) and a long game (a game for fans). This means that you maybe have to rethink some of the rules (and see what is important).

Quote:
2) The other thing I have done is implemented a way to "save the game". My game is a board and card game, and by saving the player cards in a pouch, you can save the current state of the game, if not the specific board positions. (Though the game is not similar to Monopoly, think of saving that game by storing the property cards, and then starting out the next game by distributing the cards and starting at "GO".)

If you could split the long game into 2-3 hour parts where each part is a complete game end but you also have a longer campaign running, it would be great. If you also added the possibility for players to join during the game then you would have a winner!

Quote:
How about the concept of "saving" a board game?

Saving games has to be done easy. Try to make the saving so easy so you could build a tournament where you start with for example 4 sets of games with 4 players in each. After the first round is completed, the players could take there achievements and move to another game board with a different mix of players and continue with the game there.

Good luck with your game.

// Johan

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