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Rum runners

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Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:55
comfused
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Joined: 04/11/2012

After watching the second season of Boardwalk Empire, I was inspired to brainstorm around this theme for a board game.
Below I have 2 lists:
- the brainstorm around the theme
- the brainstorm around game mechanics based on this theme

If anyone wants to jump in - and add to these brainstorms: please do so !

The Brainstorm (things I thought about regarding the theme)
- over water, over land
--- boats set afire to destroy evidence
--- boats without lights at night and in fog
----- hit a sandbar or a reef in the dark
--- forrest roads by night
- ambush
- enforcement
--- Coast Guard
--- Bureau of Prohibition
- corn or grain to distilleries
- cities
--- new york
--- chicago
--- detroit
--- Atlantic City
--- philadelphia
--- new jersey
- locations
--- Speakeasies
--- garage
--- Truck Shop
--- Warehouse
- protection
--- 50 gunmen
- prison

Game Ideas / Mechanics
- bluff what you are going to do
--- what route
--- what's in your car
--- where you are going to rob / spy

- actions (via role selection ?)
--- choose 1 character from a shared pile of cards (like in citadels)
----- first player chooses a card and splits the rest of the cards in 2 groups, and hands them to his left and right
--- choose a character from you own pile of characters
----- choose 3 characters and place them face down -> each of the following 3 rounds one of these characters is then played
----- after 6 rounds you may again take all the characters in hand
----- one characters' action already lets you take all the cards back (as its action)

- actions
--- bribe
--- recrute (crooks)
--- smuggle
----- over water
----- over land
--- raid
--- ambush
--- sell
--- cooperate with another player
--- earn money

- Certain actions cost money
- Others earn you money
- you can buy cards
--- These earn you money on every turn
--- only earn you money when a certain character is played
--- earn you money for a certain amount of rounds, then you have to reset this card using a character (like delivering booze at this location)

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Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:17
#1
Orangebeard
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Joined: 10/13/2011
more thoughts

Hi Comfused,

Lots of great ideas here! Mostly I am expanding on your brainstorm here...

Could it be a "phased" game with phases for first getting the alcohol and then a second phase where it is delivered to a city? Possibly a 3rd phase where you distribute within the city?

Phase 1 would likely be some kind of "spend" phase with phase 2 being a "spend/collect" and possibly phase 3 being a "collect on success"

I agree your gameboard should feature towns, cities and harbors as possible means of transporting and distributing;

Are you thinking characters from the show or just generic prohibition type characters?

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Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:22
#2
comfused
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Joined: 04/11/2012
thanks for the feedback /

thanks for the feedback / suggestions !

'Boardwalk empire' was just the inspiration.
So the game should be around the global theme of bootlegging / gangsters in the 1920s

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Sun, 11/04/2012 - 09:23
#3
comfused
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Joined: 04/11/2012
So I've worked a bit more on

So I've worked a bit more on this game.
I think it's a good start - but now I don't know what the next step is.
There is still something missing before I can go to the prototype phase.

I tried to write down a description of the game:

America in the 20s. The government has banned alcohol and the illicit trade in liquor is rampant.
Bribery and blackmailing are commonplace for smuggling and trafficking of alcohol.

Take the role of shady characters, bribe the right people and provide adequate drinking through smuggling or attempt to trade in many locations in different cities.

In this game you choose one character for each round with its specific actions. Gain control over the right locations and provide them with the needed alcohol in return for money and power.

I also brainstormed a bit more around rules and mechanics:

bluff what you are going to do
* what route
* what's in your car
* where you're going to rob / spy

actions (via role / character selection)
* chose 1 character from global group of card (like citadels)
* chose character(s) from your own set of cards
*** 1 character
*** 3 characters: place them face down in front of you, 1 character for each of the following 3 rounds
*** after 6 rounds you can take all the characters back
*** one character, when played, lets you take all played characters back
* characters / actions:
*** Spy: take a look at one face down card of an opponent - if you want, you may now replace one of your face down cards
*** the character that let's you take all played cards back
*** bribe
* actions:
*** recrute crooks
*** smuggle
***** by land
***** by water
*** rob
*** ambush
*** buy / sell
*** cooperate with another player

player can 'buy' locations
* a location is located in a city
* each city has its own color
* scoring at the end of the game:
*** extra points if you are represented in all cities (have a location in every color)
*** extra points if you rule in one city (have the most in a color)
* some locations have special actions / advantages
*** can be in combination with character played
*** only when they have enough alcohol they provide this action

players have:
* money
* alcohol

income (money)
* players get money from other players in the same city that they rule
* at the end of the round (or 3 rounds)
*** locations you control need their required amount of alcohol
*** you get money for that
*** you remove alcohol from your stock
* actions cost you money
* end of the turn you need to pay your workers / crooks
* money is also worth points at the end of the game

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Mon, 11/05/2012 - 13:07
#4
Orangebeard
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Joined: 10/13/2011
character options

What about a deck of gang members that you always have from which to choose characters, but then a common deck of locals in the town or city where you are working?

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