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Placing cards (planets) in specific positions (orbits)

4 replies [Last post]
Wed, 01/22/2025 - 14:16
tvandeloo88
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Here's the situation.

I'm designing a game where players will place cards (representing planets) in specific orbits around a star. The cards can be placed in any orbit when they're played (e.g. you could put a planet in orbit 4 without there being anything in orbit 3 or 5). Players are trying to create planetary systems with specific characteristics (e.g. a rocky planet in orbit 3, a gas giant in orbit 7, ...) and so must be able to place these cards where they want, when they have the opportunity.

I've designed the cards so that the left 2cm of the card contains all of the information about the planet (type, tags, etc.). I did this so that the cards could be played overlapping on the table so as to reduce the amount of space required. Players may be building 2, 3, or more star systems at a time so table space can get eaten up quickly.

What I need is a suggestion for how to place these cards in such a way that they stay fixed in their orbit but that also allows other cards to be played in other, nearby orbits as the game goes on. I'm thinking of a player board / tableau, or some sort of slotted board in which to insert the cards but I'm struggling to find a solution that I like. Note that the cards must be played face-up on the table so a playing card rack isn't really viable.

Any suggestions or things that you've seen before that might work would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Thu, 01/23/2025 - 17:57
#1
questccg
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My only advice to you...

Maybe consider using "Standies" for the Cards leaving more open room in the PLAY AREA:

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/parts/card-stand-blue

Anyhow that's all I got. But your card design with the LHS being the focus of information could be removed and you could go to a more natural card template and/or feel.

The COLOR of the "Standy" can HELP in recognizing whose card belongs to which player if that is of any IMPORTANCE. Right now I don't see how players can see and distinguish which Planets in Orbit are THEIRS...

Depending on the NATURE of the game, the Planet Cards can be two-sided also. I mean once you play them, you could rotate them towards the opponent when needed but I see no reason why they can't be TWO-SIDED and that would SIMPLIFY the need to NOT rotate the cards and they could be visible from either side.

That's really all I got ATM. Best of luck with your Game!

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Thu, 01/23/2025 - 18:12
#2
questccg
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Also ...

You could use the following "Strip Mat" as a way of designating the ORBITS:

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/make/products/StripMat

That could have a SUN STAR and the position numbers as the ORBITS using different colors to distinguish each position.

You would only need ONE (1) Strip Mat and then you can place the Standies and Cards above the MAT and then you could probably have like 5 or 6 Solar Systems.

If 10" is not enough and you want a LARGER Play Area (one Strip Mat may be a bit SHORT) you could use two (2) "Strip Mats" SIDE-BY-SIDE. That would mean 2" x 20" (or even 30" = 3 Strip Mats). Trust me, my game TradeWorlds has a 6" x 30" Player Mats and they are okay for the playing surface.

So you could figure out which QUANTITY and LENGTH you need for YOUR game!

Note #1: You could make the prototype with the Mats from TGC and if you KS or Self-Publish, you can have the MATS be FOLDED into three areas and make it only ONE (1) MAT. That too could look COOLER than separate mats...

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Thu, 01/23/2025 - 18:19
#3
questccg
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The strips can be similar to "The Game of Life"

Here's what I mean by a "Strip Mat":

See the STRIP a the bottom of the IMAGE? You could use other colors but this is what I was picturing as a TRACKER of the positions of each PLANET in ORDER.

Solar System can be built ABOVE or BELOW the Track (whichever you prefer).

Sincerely.

Note #1: Maybe there are some RULES to WHERE and HOW you can build a SOLAR SYSTEM. Here's what I mean:

You have Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Cyan, and Blue STARS maybe you could generally have a certain "VERTICLE" ORDER which could be like:

BELOW: Red, Orange and Yellow STARS Systems

ABOVE: White, Cyan, and Blue and STARS Systems

See there is a Temperature Track at the bottom of that image. It would be VIRTUAL in your game... But the rule would be that the TRACK would be in the MIDDLE of the AREA of PLAY and systems go ABOVE and BELOW.

Different a bit than what you have I believe. But none-the-less something to think about!

Note #1: Here's another view of the Number/Money Bar:

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Thu, 01/23/2025 - 20:49
#4
Tbone
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I'm having a hard time

I'm having a hard time visualizing the "systems". Are they circular? Is there a sun in the middle? Or do you just put cards in a horizontal row?

Mechanically you could do like a Bewtween Two Cities type deal and reduce the amount of systems but just make it where you have one solo system in front of your but on other system in between players. So you always have three systems but the systems to the left and right are shared by your neighbors. Again, do t know your game so maybe that won't work. But it would heavily reduce the amount of systems but still keep three per player max.

YOU COULD have cards AND little tokens. So cards you just keep off to the side of slightly revealed but put the circular tokens out on the board to make an actual solar system! So cards really just turn into reference cards. Again, don't know how complicated your cards are but it would HEAVILY increase the thematic feel of your game this way.

I really don't think there's another solution. Space is space. If putting cards up next to each other isn't enough to reduce space thennnnnnn... got either deal with a table hog or reduce complexity.

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