I'm working on a Steampunk-themed co-op that is sort of like a dungeon crawl, which I mentioned here: http://www.bgdf.com/forum/game-creation/new-game-ideas/steampunk-dungeon.... I have one major bit of mechanic that I am on the fence about.
I know that I want to use hexes for the rooms, because I think the way they fit together will work well with my "darkness" mechanic. When a player (or the players) move into a new space, they will draw a room and then draw encounter cards until one is appropriate. The growing collection of hexes would be the Main Map (or the only one).
Now the question:
Choice 1: The players move separately, so the encounter is "the whole room" and applies to just one player. (Possibly a mechanic by which players can work together for the tougher encounters.)
Choice 2: The players move as a group, and the encounter applies to them all. I would have a single large hex which is the Tactical Map and it represents the current room. It would have a hex grid within it for placement and movement; the encounter cards would include where opposing monsters should start on the Tactical Map. (The players would always start, arranged as they like, in the half dozen hexes near the entrance which are labeled "starting positions.")
I was trying to keep the description only to the part that mattered to my question, but you're welcome to peruse the whole thing, here: http://zag.wikidot.com/dungeon-crawl
In short, any room you're in will have a known "Darkness Level" (established by the path you took to discover the room). The exit you choose from the room will include a delta to the Darkness Level, such as +2 or +3. Upon entering the room, it might also include an additional delta to the level as you enter it. You calculate the DL for that room from the room you left, adding the deltas, and you place a marker that stays in that room forever.
In addition, a room has a "trait" printed on the room tile -- one of {Steam, Gravitational, Electric, Magnetic, Infernal}. Then you turn up encounter cards until you find one appropriate for the trait and Darkness Level. The players chose the exit from the room, so they have a little control over how quickly the Darkness Level increases, but they don't have control over the type of room they enter. Generally, the encounters will get tougher the higher Darkness Level, so the players have some control over the risk/reward of encounters. (But if they stall too long at the lower levels, the boss will show up before they have gotten to the better treasures, which they will need to beat him.)
One aspect to help with the replayability is that the game starts by the selection of the boss -- i.e. the quest is to defeat the Mad Scientist, who has traits Electric and Magnetic. The boss defines two traits, a primary and a secondary. Many of the rooms, rather than be labeled a specific trait, are labeled "Boss Primary" or "Boss Secondary," so the same room tile will be Electric in one game, Infernal in another (where a different boss is the final goal).
So, do you have any preference for one of these?
1. Players split up, and usually the encounters are individual ones.
2. Players stay together. Each encounter is for the whole group, and is performed on a separate "Tactical Map" which represents a larger version of the room they are currently in. (The one Tactical Map is reused for each room.)