If Im playing a game, I like to think I control where my character is going. In a way, I like to think that the game is giving me a template to work with and I build a unique creation from there. How much customization is good??? What lvl do you all like go in terms of "I built this, and it has its own flavour because this". Does anyone know any really good ways to create that feeling in a board game in terms of mechanics?? Im open to any ideas, its just some of the ideas ive come up with seem clunky.
Mechanics to customize your character in-game
Sat, 06/04/2016 - 23:45
Sun, 06/05/2016 - 00:01
#1
I feel a little lost...
So, it's hard for me to say exactly what to advise you with since I know so little about what you plan to make here... that said, here are some guidelines:
-The more possibilities you present, the greater the risk you run of making the game too complex or creating Analysis Paralysis - a state where a player sits there, unsure of what to do. While a handful of players really enjoy these sorts of choices in game, and relish watching others make that choice, other players might not like watching that choice unfold as much.
-You'll never be completely satisfied with the flexibility you provide, since you can't completely grant the player freedom in defining their character. No matter how many splatbooks you purchase for D&D, you'll never find the stuff that precisely matches your character intentions. It just doesn't work.
Customization is, of course, a very cool, and important part of game design, but it's often better left as a gimmick - something that's not the core of the rules. Games like Skyrim subverted this by providing a wide range of choices to the player with relatively few restrictions, but it only works because it's single player - once other players get involved, it's hard to keep everyone's power levels in check. As such, to maintain player relevance, I recommend that you simply provide a handful of options to players - since players will get to select from the limited set of options, they will feel like they forge their own path, but they're expanding along paths you anticipate, and it lets the players decide how that ties into their backstory.
Sun, 06/05/2016 - 10:28
#2
As mentioned above ..
You have to keep a tight check on how much customization is available due to AP and overpowering individual players. Having SOME customization is great, having too much is just insane. Where the line is drawn depends on the game and those playing it, so it's hard to give advice there.
That said, a good option is spending earned resources (money, gold, materials, junk, whatever) for an upgrade (card, dice, tokens, abilities, etc) and make sure that the purchase price is balanced with the upgrades ability.
This can be done pre-game with a set resource value or throughout a game as players progress, depending on the game itself of course.
Sun, 06/05/2016 - 20:57
#3
Lost in D&D are we?
Sounds to me that you should focus on RPGs and ignore Board & Card Games altogether. Both Board & Card games usually seek to have strategic depth even if the fundamental design is *simple*.
Most Board & Card games focus on the game's experience. What you are looking for in terms of "customization" is what can be found in Video Games or RPGs.
Video Games because there is sufficient mechanics to be able to customize a character's stats if the game is some adventure game with a party or hero.
RPGs are paramount when it comes to customization. That genre is dedicated in allowing you to grow your character in whatever manner you prefer.
You should understand the difference between RPGs, Video Games and Board & Card games... They are very different and offer different gaming experiences.
Update: You should understand that RPGs are volumes of skills, stats, equipment, classes, etc. All the time spent to design all kinds of unique possibilities is what makes an RPG. Yes there is also the "campaign" and the "adventures" a party embarks upon... But I would say 2/3 of the content of RPGs are all about the Player's Character.
Board & Card games try to achieve a *simple* design with enough strategy to hope players will come back to the table for another try. RPGs are different, like I said it is mostly about the Character... How your character evolves, what skills he learns, what treasures he finds, what monsters he fights, etc.
Bringing only a subset of this to a Board or Card game may be possible - but you would need to explore further what is and what is not possible.
Usually Board games are about "The Board". That is the central focus of the game. Character stats and traits are secondary and may exist in the form of game pads.
Card games are a little different, since the focus is the "The Cards" themselves. Usually you are limited to equipment that can be used by a player's character. Maybe those cards can offer special abilities also.
Maybe with the use of a game pad, you could have some basic stats... But again in very limited form.
Do you see why I say look at RPGs first and figure out some "core" of what you would want to include in your "BOARD" or "CARD" game. Both of these have other focal points (as I have mentioned).
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 01:58
#4
As said above. Look at other RPG's first.
As said above. Look at other RPG's first.
However, if you start from a board game. I assume that each character has a set of variable stats. Each stat can and should be adjusted by the players.
The basic adjustments adjust 1 stat. Advanced adjustments adjust 2 or more stats.
However, you need to keep in mind that this makes a game very complex. Not only do you need to get the game balanced. You need to keep the game balanced through leveling up. So, start out simple and adjust the game along the way. As said before in this topic, you will never completely be satisfied at the end. But that is ok, it keeps you going as long as you have fun.
Stat adjustments can be
-bought (armor, weapons etc.)
-gained/bought by XP or money or both
-or won by defeating a certain enemy (loot)
XP and money can be earned through loot and "work". (In WOW, I once tried getting my stuff by simply mining all day)
To keep balance, key is to start with a balance.
Then, leveling up in a certain direction costs more and more.
And last, keep the upgrades balanced in XP costs.
***
My own war game has a small RPG side. I hope it gives some idea's. (Sorry for using my own game as example)
It might sound strange. But I allow every soldier, tank, even walls. To level up. Gained XP is thrown on one big pile and spend on any unit on the board. Although, recently we use the rule that they have to return to where they are trained from in the first place. Before applying all the XP.
For balance, every upside,.. has a downside:
The speciality that my game has is that every stat has a specific function, but also weakness. If you can get something similar working.
Thus each stat has a weakness as well.
Leveling up a character will be more fun, balanced and enchances co-operative gameplay.
***
How I arranged my basic stats:
-Range
Can fire over greater distance, but fires later in direct combat and often starts with less damage. Depending on the initial Range, the XP costs grow cumulative every block of where the Range started with. 0 Range grows immidiately infinite. 1 Range has a cumulative cost every upgrade. And for example, 7 range allows 7 times the same XP costs.
-Speed
Can get you accross the board and dodge enemy fire, but you often start out with less health and you still need to stick to the main army for protection. The cumulative costs work exactly the same way.
-Health
The more, the merrier. However, if an unit starts out with more health, the unit is defiately more expensive. Is bigger, and can't take cover as good as other units. In fact, others take cover behind this big guy. Since for every damage, I apply 5 health; every 5 levels (+100% health), the costs increase cumulative.
-Damage
The more, the merrier. The same principal as Health. Only this one can't take as much hits. And often needs the "high health" counter part to act as cover. Since an upgrade here adds only 1/6th extra damage. There are 6 levels for 100% extra damage, the costs increase cumulative after these 6 levels.
When playing with multiple players in a team, this works great. There is a real RPG.
But when having your own army in a FFA, you still can do this to individual units that started out the same. One half of riflemen get more health, the other half get more damage. Or a squad is specifically trained for Guerella fighting.
***
Adjustments on stats only:
As example, I and my friends often start a war game with a specific designed soldier. Some of us spend XP on range and damage, others on speed and health. There is a specific role in the team now. And of course there is the specialist that either goes for speed and range. Or a powerhouse that goes for damage and health.
These soldiers already start out with their role in the primary design. It only makes the initial spending of XP cheaper on those stats.
***
Special adjustments:
As exception, this one sole soldier that we use has not only the basic XP upgrades. But can be re-designed later on, for a lot of XP. Keeping the XP what was spend and re-spending this XP on the same stats. Excess XP is lost in the process. Thus timing needs to be right.
XP is free to share, or for trading. If you seek co-operation, you could apply the same set up.
***
We do not make the story for the game. The game makes the story for us.
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 03:48
#6
I`m a big fan of
I`m a big fan of binary-ternary choices.
I.e. not throwing everything at once at the player. Rather splitting it and presenting those choices in portions.
The oldest example of this that comes to mind is leveling up in heroes of might and magic.
+ it prevents analysis-paralisis
+ if the choices presented are random, it may benefit replay-ability (since you can't pick the same stuff every time)
+ it makes life easier for the new players, since they don't have to research all the options right from the start - just the subset.
- depending on the way you do it, it might negatively affect long-term planning
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 04:45
#7
I completely agree with you,
I completely agree with you, especially since I have to teach new people board games all the time. Plus, with that buildup, you can focus more on other things and enjoying the game rather than figuring mechanics out.
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 09:20
#8
Need a BASIS
I can think you may have misunderstood me. And whats with the hate on RPG's??
No hate on RPGs ... just wanted to make sure you understood that RPGs are all about "Character Generation/Leveling".
If I look at a game of Catan and all ive created, I can using my imagination have some connection with setup because I created that. THAT is the basic understanding of what im looking at.
You should check out the "independent" effort called "Heroes & Capitols". It can be bought on "The Game Crafter" (TGC):
https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/heroes-capitols
Apparently those who have played it, say the normal Catan is boring without this "Expansion"...
No, RPGs are not something im a big fan of.
Well I'm just saying that RPGs are the basis for "Character Generation". Everything you would want in terms of character evolution occurs in RPGs.
Board & Card games pale in comparison.
I think if you examined some RPGs, you might get a better sense of what is possible (in RPGs not Board or Card games) with regards to character evolution. And then figure out what you would like to take from the RPG.
Right now, all you seem to have indicated is "Leveling". And leveling in RPGs involves stats & skills. Skills are unique to the player's class and involve much complexity. If you were trying to level multiple classes in a Board or Card game - you would be hard pressed to find it to be simplified: handling multiple classes is something hard to do.
Perhaps if you restricted the amount of classes to say a "Warrior", "Mage" and "Thief", you could have a "basis" for your "core" RPG classes...
That's what I am suggesting. Create a basis from RPGs to whatever you would want to use as character evolution/leveling.
I hope you understand what I mean?
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 09:27
#9
Leveling "Paralysis"
The other thing I wanted to "add" is something to do about getting the most out of "Video Game" Characters. I call it Leveling "Paralysis". And I'm sure gamers have experienced this once or twice during their gaming lifespan.
What is it? Well simply put, the player is "afraid" of using stat points because he doesn't know HOW he should level his character. Does he give points to "Stamina & Dexterity" or should it be "Wisdom & Intellect"???
This happens in a lot of "Video Games" where you don't know how you should specialize your character knowing you only have a LIMITED amount of levels and stat points to give to a character.
How do you decide? Well I often read the game's Walkthrough to understand what the stats imply and how I could level my character. There is otherwise no sure-fire way of doing so, unless you play the game several times... Something that usually does not occur with "Adventure" type games: once you know the plot and quests, it's not as fun to replay the same adventure again.
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 12:20
#10
Ah, I understand better now
Thanks for the clarification about what kinds of games you want to make. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that rather than explaining your idea as customization, it might be better to explain it as a sense of progress, where decisions made as you play the game contribute to a unique sense of identity for your creation. An example is 7 Wonders - each time you play, your civilization takes a different strategy and has different abilities, and you get a sense of progress as well as a sense of continuity as you play.
Is that closer to what you meant? If so, I enjoy making that kind of game too. But again, I recommend that you restrict what choices are available to players to reduce analysis paralysis.
Most Board & Card games focus on the game's experience. What you are looking for in terms of "customization" is what can be found in Video Games or RPGs.
Video Games because there is sufficient mechanics to be able to customize a character's stats if the game is some adventure game with a party or hero.
RPGs are paramount when it comes to customization. That genre is dedicated in allowing you to grow your character in whatever manner you prefer.
You should understand the difference between RPGs, Video Games and Board & Card games... They are very different and offer different gaming experiences.
Update: You should understand that RPGs are volumes of skills, stats, equipment, classes, etc. All the time spent to design all kinds of unique possibilities is what makes an RPG. Yes there is also the "campaign" and the "adventures" a party embarks upon... But I would say 2/3 of the content of RPGs are all about the Player's Character.
Board & Card games try to achieve a *simple* design with enough strategy to hope players will come back to the table for another try. RPGs are different, like I said it is mostly about the Character... How your character evolves, what skills he learns, what treasures he finds, what monsters he fights, etc.
Bringing only a subset of this to a Board or Card game may be possible - but you would need to explore further what is and what is not possible.
Usually Board games are about "The Board". That is the central focus of the game. Character stats and traits are secondary and may exist in the form of game pads.
Card games are a little different, since the focus is the "The Cards" themselves. Usually you are limited to equipment that can be used by a player's character. Maybe those cards can offer special abilities also.
Maybe with the use of a game pad, you could have some basic stats... But again in very limited form.
Do you see why I say look at RPGs first and figure out some "core" of what you would want to include in your "BOARD" or "CARD" game. Both of these have other focal points (as I have mentioned).
I can think you may have misunderstood me. And whats with the hate on RPG's?? Anyway, Ill give a basic example of what Im looking for.
If I look at a game of Catan and all ive created, I can using my imagination have some connection with setup because I created that. THAT is the basic understanding of what im looking at.
A better example would be if I play a game of Betrayl of House on the Hill, I look at the board, my items and whatever happens next as unique, because I build it with the people around me. That is in a sense the customization im talking about. Although id like a bit more control of where I go with that character.
I like Board and Card games, dont presume much. I want mechanics that allow me to reach the mid-point of a game and be able to feel that I got it here. No, RPGs are not something im a big fan of. Im more into card games myself if it can give me a little of that feeling. And if I wanted to play a video game I would, but i think its clear i mean BOARD GAMES.