I wouldn't mind if the races were only 15 minutes long. This controls the runaway leader problem, and players can still play a longer "campaign" game of multiple races. This would preclude some type of "between-game" mechanic of shopping (or "dragon care and feeding") to give the winner a reason to keep winning (buy more stuff). Also, players won't feel like they have to sit down and play a game for an hour+ when nature calls :oops: . Instead they'll be able to agree on "one more race". Btw, I'm thinking of Cheapass' vintage racing game Ben Hvrt here (since no one has mentioned it yet).
Game #12: Speedracer
Thu, 11/20/2003 - 13:00
#32
Game #12: Speedracer
Fri, 11/21/2003 - 04:26
#33
QUESTION
Speaking of racing games, and this could apply to "Speedracer" as well...
What about the following idea to add player interaction and a fresh twist to a racing game?
Your basic, simple track is usually an oval, right? Maybe a more interesting track is actually a figure 8. But what about having 2 poles around which the cars must drive, and rather than having an oval OR a figure 8... have both. Maybe the outside lanes follow the exterior of the track (more or less an oval) and the inside lanes cross and follow the figure 8. This could, depending on what line you take and your relative position to other cars, cause interesting situations where you are in danger of colliding head on!
In an 'animal rider' themed racer, this could lend itself to a jousting situation (so you're riding your Dragon/Horse/Chocobo/Velociraptor and you're carrying this lance... as you ride by you can atempt to knock an opponent off his ride (or at the very least give him some danger dice).
What do you think? Any more exciting than simply racing? I see simple races as pretty much "multiplayer solitaire," even if there are times where you sort of have to drive by an opponenrt- that's an aweful lot similar to there just being a hazard on the board and it almost doesn't matter that another player controls the car that's in your way.
- Seth
Fri, 11/21/2003 - 05:32
#34
Re: QUESTION
sedjtroll wrote:
I see simple races as pretty much "multiplayer solitaire," even if there are times where you sort of have to drive by an opponenrt- that's an aweful lot similar tot here just being a hazard on teh board and it almost doesn't matter that another player controls the car that's in your way.
My experience with racing games -- five or six played so far -- is that there's a huge amount of player interaction much of the time. There's a ton of blocking strategy going on all the time. A game like Ave Caesar is nearly pure blocking strategy, with a ton of interactivity.
Jousting could still be very fun, though. :)
Fri, 11/21/2003 - 06:38
#35
Game #12: Speedracer
zaiga wrote:
Good suggestion Darke. I think it is a good idea to have some kind of marker on the vehicles themselves, rather than on the boards, makes it easier to see in one glance which cars have moved on which not. Finstere Flure also uses a mechanism like this.
That's probably the one thing I like about FF - that aspect of keeping track of which members of your "team" have moved. Oh, and the DIY monster, of course. But the game itself doesn't seem to quite have that "something" that makes it great.
Mon, 11/24/2003 - 03:38
#36
So what's the news?
Any modifications made/ playtest sessions to report regarding Speed Racer?
Also, regarding theme change: If it's to be called Speed Racer, perhaps it could incorporate the theme of the cartoon Speed Racer. It's cute, has a little bit of storyline that could be overlaid, and has characters. Mostly it's about racing, with some side story here Speed saves the day :)
Characters could be Speed, his gf, the little monkey, "the mysterious" Racer X, maybe even some bad guys. Doesn't really matter as functionally they'd be the same.
- Seth
Tue, 12/02/2003 - 14:27
#38
Game #12: Speedracer
i would definitely say you should go with the dragon theme as that would make a different crowd come to play a racing game instead of the racing game crowd playing it and saying "this is just like formula de only with out dice". I want to offer you more help with this game but I’m currently working on my own racing game and my help would only make it more like that one :?
Good suggestion Darke. I think it is a good idea to have some kind of marker on the vehicles themselves, rather than on the boards, makes it easier to see in one glance which cars have moved on which not. Finstere Flure also uses a mechanism like this.
- Rene Wiersma