Game #23 Chariots of War by DarkDream

Joe,

Thanks for taking the time to look at my game.

I intend the game to ideally last maybe 1-2 hours. Right now each race is two laps long and there are three races. I am trying to incorporate multiple races so there is a much greater sense of continuation (and a feeling of a sort of saga going on) in the game which I believe may make the game more interesting as the dynamics in the game would change depending who is the current leader and so on.

Maybe instead of having three races, I can comprimise and have three races at one lap each. Any comments?

Drafting? Interesting idea I recently saw a very interesting article in the Games Journal. Here is the link:

http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/Drafting.shtml

I will definitely keep it in mind.

Joe, and anyone else, I have been toying with my main moving mechanic. Right now, the speed meter has squares from 0 to 12 on it. The chariot's speed starts at 0. Now players can choose to spend 1 energy to stay at the same speed or 2 energy to roll the die to increase the current speed by 1 or 2, or spend 4 energy to roll the die to increase the speed by 3, 4 or 5. Now if the speed goes beyond the tiring speed (usually 6) then the speed marker is placed (after movement) to the tiring speed.

For example, my current speed is 0 and I decide to spend 4 enegy to roll the red die. I do so and I get a 4. My current speed moves up to 4 and I move 4 squares. Next turn, I go ahead and and pay 4 energy to roll the red die, and roll a 5. My current speed goes up to 9 and I move 9 squares and the pawn moves down to 6. On the next turn, I decide to keep at a speed of 6 and spend one energy, moving 6 squares. I could also brake and move the pawn down by 4 squares.

While it allows a greater degree of contol on the speed, I do not like the fact that if your speed is 2 or your speed is 6, you still spend the exact same amount of energy to maintain the same speed. Intuitively it makes sense the faster you are moving the more energy you will spend (which is reflected somewhat by the speed going down to 6 on the speed meter if you go above a certain speed). I also do not like of having to take in to account the "tiring speed."

I think the new way is a little more elegant. With this *new* way, the speed meter has 5 squares on it. The squares have each a different color on it. The squares in order of lowest movement to highest movement is white, red, yellow, green and black. If on the white square you do not pay any energy and move 1 square. The red square means you pay 1 energy (red chip) and roll the red die that has the numbers 2 or 3 on it. The yellow square costs 2 energy (yellow chip) and has the numbers 4 to 6 on it. The green square costs 6 energy (green chip) and the green die has 7,8 and 9 on it. The final square costs 10 energy (black chip) and the black die has 10,11,12 on it.

Now the player starts at 1 speed and can move the pawn up by two squares (fast acceleration) paying for the square skipped and the square the pawn moved on, or up one square or down one square, again paying for the square the pawn finally landed on. Or, of course, the player can keep the same speed and spend the amount the pawn is on.

So, for example, I start at speed 1 (white square) and I really want to speed up and put the square on the yellow square. As I skipped the red square, I pay one red chip and a yellow chip and roll the yellow die for a value of 5 and move my counter 5 squares. Next turn, I decide not to move my pawn up and pay a yellow chip and roll the yellow die and get a 6 and move 6 squares. On my next turn, I decide to go faster and move my pawn on to the green square, pay a green chip and roll the green die for a 8, and move eight squares. On my next turn I move my pawn down to the yellow square, and pay a yellow chip and roll the yellow die.

Which mechanic do you think is better?

--DarkDream