I'm following Seth's advice and starting a feedback thread for my game "KIng of the Nets." This is my first attempt at game design for a GDS contest. I'm looking for whatever feedback people have, specifically I'm curious about: rules/balance errors, what your first impression of the game was, and if it seems like something worth working on some more. Basically, I am new and trying to improve, so all feedback is appreciated.
GAME COPIED BELOW
King of the Nets or Love (with a Tennis Ball Symbol for the o)
King of the Nets is a game for two or four players which brings the strategy and pace of tennis anywhere.
Game Components
- 24 (4 Sets of) PolyHedral Dice (4/6/8/10/12/20)
- Yellow Dice, 1s Replaced with Tennis Ball Symbols
- 18 Half-Size Cards
- 4 Smash Cards (2 for each player)
- 4 Volley Cards (2 for each player)
- 4 Lob Cards (2 for each player)
- 6 Rule Cards (covering: game rules, tennis, tennis scoring, singles play, doubles play, tournaments)
Overview
Players play individual or doubles tennis using traditional tennis scoring and six dice (4/6/8/10/12/20), or swings, to win each point. Players choose five Strategy Cards out of three types of cards – Volley, Smash, and Lob– which they can use each game to enhance their swings and offset their opponents strategy.
Instruction for Setup
Each players takes one set of PolyHedral Dice (4/6/8/10/12/20) and chooses 5 of their 6 Strategy Cards. Players each roll a die to decide who serves. High roll serves.
About the Cards
There are three types of strategy cards: the Volley, the Smash, and the Lob. Each card may be played after a swing (some on successful swing rolls, others on misses) to enhance players dice roll or to counter a previously played strategy card. Cancelling other players strategy cards works on Rock, Paper, Scissors relationship with no single card being the most powerful. Each player chooses five of the following six cards before the beginning of each game (cards are discarded after use and rechosen at the beginning of each new game).
- (2) SMASH: On a successful Swing +3 or Cancel Lob
- (2) VOLLEY: On an unsuccessful Swing +3 or Cancel Smash
- (2) LOB: On an unsuccessful swing you return with a 3 or Cancel Volley
Gameplay
- The server (decided by dice roll) starts play without a dice roll. The serve is considered successful swing of 0.
- The reciever then choose one of their dice to roll their return. The quality of their return swing is determined by their roll. Once a dice is used it can not be used again until the point is completed. (example: Recieveing Player Rolls 1d4=3)
- Play continues with the players exchanging swings until a player is unsuccessful with their swing roll. (example: Server returns 3 by rolling 1d8=6, reciever returns 6 by rolling 1d12=7, server misses by returning 7 with 1d10=6)
- Player who missed may choose to loose the point, or they may use one of their Strategy Cards (limited to one use each, per game). (example: server uses Volley Card to add +3 to their unsuccessful swing making it 6+3=9 and continuing play)
- Play continues with the players exchanging swings, and using Strategy Cards until a player wins the point. (example: reciever returns 9 by rolling 1d20=13, server returns 13 by rolling 1d20=16, the reciever believes they will miss so rolls their lowest remaining die 1d6=2 and plays their Lob Card, Server cancels their Lob with a Smash and wins the point)
The above is just one example of a possible point. Players may go for quick wins using their best dice early or they may play a slower game starting with their lowest dice and building up. If players run out of dice on a point they are considered exhausted and can no longer return the ball. At the end of each point players get their dice back for the next point. Cards are used through the game and are only replenished upon the start of a new game. .
Doubles and Tournament Play
Doubles Play is similar to single player matches except the d4 is not used and each player chooses only 2 strategy cards for each game. Players may hold tournaments following traditional tennis rules for multiple sets within matches.
Winning the Game
Players win games by scoring points following the traditional Love, 15, 30, 40 scoring format of tennis. Players may choose to play only one game, multiple games, or tournament format.
![Syndicate content](/misc/feed.png "Comments for \"Feedback Request [GDS] Feb 2011 "King of the Nets"\""){kind=small}
Thanks everyone! That is some very helpful feedback. A few of the issues seem pretty easy to solve as well. Given this was my first entry ever I may have been overly cautious in my attempt to keep the game as siple as possible (especially with my schedule not allowing any real playtesting before the deadline).
One possibility I considered after I entered was adding iltalics (or an alternate color) to some of the numbers on each dice to represent the possibility of hitting the ball out. If the player rolled one of those numbers they would roll a 'special' in/out die to see if the strike was in. Larger die would have a higher chance of having one of these number.
0/4 0%
1/6 17%
2/8 25%
3/10 30%
4/12 33%
10/20 50%
Alternatively, based on people's suggestions, perhaps the die could be divided into /in/out/short, with short representing an easy return and giving the opposing player a bonus.
I'm going to give all this feedback some thought and come back to this, but first I need to give feedback on some other games. Thanks again. Keep it coming!