Surviving Colonization

Hi Ark1t3kt!

Yes, that theme interests me very much. I've actually been working on a game more-or-less along those lines for a while now. If you're interested, I have blogged about my progress here: https://firsttakesomedice.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Invaded

Your objectives and victory conditions look sensible. You may find that you have difficulty with some play groups on a semi-coop game, as many people just don't get on with the concept, but I think it is possible to have an excellent semi-coop if done right, with the right group. (My game isn't, by the way!)

There seems to be a load of discussion about games focussed on the receiving end of colonialism lately, which has to be a good thing, so I think we'll be seeing a load more titles using the theme. Aside from Spirit Island (which sounds like a very heavy coop), I know of Martin Wallace's Moa, which is on its way in a few months, and I think I came across another at some point, but can't remember what it was off the top of my head. They all seem to be approaching the theme from a different direction, so I'm sure there is plenty of space for others.

So, is your post just an idea so far? Or have you made something?

Good luck!

Thanks for the kind comments.

I think Invaded has now stabilised into more-or-less its "final" shape, but I still need to tidy up a lot of the details and balance, but I could probably tinker with that for ever.

The colonial power is now controlled by the players (early iterations had a card AI) so that on your turn you take an action for yourself and one (constrained by cards) for the colonials. As a result, everyone has influence over the activities of the colonial power, but they always tend to do their main activity of expanding, building forts, and demanding goods.

The big thing I need to get tidied and balanced is what I am now calling "strategy cards", which give a tweak to how you play the game (usually some sort of bonus or special action) and an additional way of scoring at the end of the game. Each player may claim one of these during the game. My problem with these is making them simple enough for everyone to understand them easily at the start of the game, to make them interesting enough to take, and make them balanced enough that there aren't any that are always strong or weak.

I'm on iteration 13 of the prototype at the moment and working on getting the rulebook tidied up. If I manage to make good enough progress over the next couple of weeks I'm hoping to submit the game to the Hippodice contest, but if not, no problem, I'll just keep working on it. I'm taking the game to a playtesting meetup again this weekend, so hopefully that will help me focus on the main problems.

Are you willing to share some more about your game?

That treaties idea sounds really good, I'd like to see that developed. The tech sounds good too.

I abstracted that sort of thing out a long way so that the colonials make resource demands, and if you fulfill one of their demands, you gain a "favour". The main reason to hold favours is that if the colonials attack, you can spend a favour to make them leave you alone. Your way sounds like it adds a lot more flavour and variety.

I kinda have a PnP prototype, but it's pretty bitty at the moment. I should soon have something a bit more ready to go. Thanks for your interest in taking a look -- some blind testing would really be appreciated!

Absolutely! :)

The seasonal rondel sounds like a cool thematic element, especially if your native groups are fairly agricultural.

Nothing wrong with some random input from the rondel in my opinion either - as your player choices come after that reveal, players should have options available to work with that input, making the best strategic decisions they can come up with.