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Player allocating skill into subcategories with some choice of how they use the skills

3 replies [Last post]
Wed, 07/19/2017 - 05:53
cloa513
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Joined: 07/13/2017

This game is a team game. The component mechanism is that players get to choose the number of each skill(8 skills) that they want at the start of the game only. The total number across all skills is 40. Nearly total player control. Then for each skill (timing depends on game difficulty- most difficult is at the start) they put the total for across 6 subcategories (basically the same for 7 of the skills- just consider those ones). The number in each subcategory is in the main fixed for the skills (one category can sometimes go down and the others can go up in one particular type of circumstance).

The complexity come in the actual mechanism- 8 types of challenges with lots of rounds. (not simply corresponding to the skills) The challenges are random and are shown simultaneously. (sometimes a player has no challenge and then you can maybe help another player). A lot of challenges have choices (there is some randomness of options available) of which skill to test. The tests are basically random so you generally need a number from 0 to 2 in a subcategory of a skill to pass. The subcategory of a skill to test are randomly selected. Some challenges allows you to make another choice (with a disadvantage). On failure you lose health. Is that clear?

Would this be fun? Too complicated?

The other game mechanisms are a lot simpler.

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Wed, 07/19/2017 - 07:43
#1
let-off studios
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Joined: 02/07/2011
Some Thoughts

Sounds like an RPG system, where you're creating a character based on your own idea and/or what the rest of the group needs. It doesn't sound too complicated but it does seem like a lot of the decisions are plotted out at the start of the game, instead of throughout. Since challenges are selected at random, there seems to be little in terms of critical thought beyond the start. But maybe that's what you're going for.

Fun? I don't know. It sounds like you're describing a gameplay mechanic to me, and not necessarily part of the "fun" of the game. Consider these:

Do players have a chance to interact with one another? When they perform these challenges, do players feel like the front-loaded decisions they made as part of character set-up have some serious impact? Do they always feel like there's at least a slight chance to win? Will they feel smarter? Will they feel like more an integral part of the group during and after the game?

The more times you can answer yes to the above, then it's more likely the game will be "fun."

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Wed, 07/19/2017 - 07:57
#2
cloa513
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Joined: 07/13/2017
The players have options in game

They have choices on how to handle the challenges. How the theme plays out is demonstrative component of fun. But does this skill system detract from that?

This is game that I derived it from. Do you call that a RPG?

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/128114/hooyah-navy-seals-card-game

Similar to it there is ultimate goal.

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Wed, 07/19/2017 - 08:18
#3
let-off studios
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Nope

HOOYAH doesn't seem like an RPG to me, no.

What it sounds like to me is that instead of picking roles at random in your inspiration, you allow players to arrange their abilities as they see fit. Your inspiration seems like a fun game though I'm personally not fond of the theme. I imagine you could have a busy bakery (for example) as the theme with the same mechanics and I'd play that more.

Seems like your skill assignment aspect would slow things down, particularly before the game even starts. But if you feel like it adds to the game, then have a go at it and be sure to playtest.

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