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Hello, I'm Josh, username ARMOblox

15 replies [Last post]
Mon, 11/11/2019 - 12:07
ARMOblox
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Hi,
I created a toy called ARMOblox and think that the mechanics of it would work well in a board game. I have a lot of ideas that I am playing with in my head and looking forward to getting input from everyone here as to what they think. I have a website for the blocks that I created on ARMOblox.com so that you can see the pieces that I am talking about below.

Basically, the main idea I am stuck on right now is to use these pieces for a game that you develop property with. For instance, one block could symbolize one residential unit. You would decide what you want to construct and slowly have to build upon it on a board. The game board would have zoning requirements that would limit you to building in height, where most of the board you could only build one unit high, then less 2 units high, then a few 3 units high, and maybe only one 4 units high for each player. Your first decisions would be where you'd like to build, then slowly construct that building by placing the flat pieces on the base blocks until it was fully assembled which would then allow you to start making money with that property. I have many other ideas on all of this but this is a good first start into my thoughts.

Hopefully, if you have made it this far on reading this first post of mine, some of this is making sense. I would love to hear any ideas and looking forward to starting this journey here.

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Mon, 11/11/2019 - 12:32
#1
Jay103
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Wow, nicely done. You

Wow, nicely done. You actually created and manufactured a precision-cast toy.

You definitely need some color variety in your face blocks.. just saying.

There's a minecraft feel there..

Anyway, I'm not sure what game to make out of it, but there could be something, sure. I'm sure there are some "building" games now that use cards in a "stack" that could use your stuff instead, especially with some variations in color to indicate different types of floors/units.

There was one posted here, actually. "Builders!"

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/798137300/builders-the-building-bui...

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Mon, 11/11/2019 - 13:07
#2
let-off studios
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Castles & Stuff

I can definitely see this as a chief component to a castle-building game. With the ability to construct sideways, even bridges are possible.

Even partially-built locations can have guards stationed on the walls and parapets.

No pun intended, but there are a lot of directions you can go with this. What about space stations? Again, highlighting the capability of building in three dimensions should be a major aspect to the designs you consider.

I also wonder if you can explore the LED/wiring design space. It's mentioned in your sell-sheet/website that the blocks allow for it. If you're able to develop translucent faceplates (and, as Jay103 mentioned earlier, opaque faceplates with different colours and/or screened illustrated designs) then your design capabilities expand impressively.

If you're seeking a more traditional board game approach, then maybe reviewing the LEGO board games (particularly, their "medium box" series) might be worth your time. Obviously, modular dice are a distinct possibility with your components as well. See here for examples:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/2909/lego-games

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Mon, 11/11/2019 - 15:38
#3
Jay103
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let-off studios

let-off studios wrote:
Obviously, modular dice are a distinct possibility with your components as well. See here for examples:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/2909/lego-games

Ooh.

There's a game based on that idea. Monkeyshines? Something like that.

Edit: Rattlebones

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Mon, 11/11/2019 - 15:17
#4
Snorka’s Board Games
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+1

@let-off-studios +1 to that. A castle building game where you can see the castles in front of you would be awesome. Maybe combine that with LEDs of different colors? For magic powers or something?

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Mon, 11/11/2019 - 16:40
#5
let-off studios
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Castles

Snorka’s Board Games wrote:
A castle building game where you can see the castles in front of you would be awesome.
I was visualizing this game as I was describing the concept, particularly in terms of having guards on the ramparts. I played this in my youth, and I still remember it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castles_(video_game)

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 11:02
#6
ARMOblox
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Thanks for the comments!

I'm going to attempt to reply again. I replied to every comment but they didn't show up so I am not sure if I am doing something wrong or maybe it just took a little while for everything to start working correctly since I just joined. So... hopefully this reply will post? I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for the replies and they all had me thinking more. I like all of the comments and they all have me thinking. I will slowly build my thoughts on my game and hopefully post some things soon as I learn how to navigate this forum and everything. Thank you!

I wish I knew more about castles and medieval times but I am not very knowledgeable with that stuff, although I love that idea/ direction. I will probably lean towards more of a city building game just because that is what I know how to do. Then if it is working out maybe I could change the theme and adapt it to other themed games that may be more popular? Anyways, thanks for comments so far everyone.

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 12:08
#7
let-off studios
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Preview versus Save & Post

ARMOblox wrote:
I'm going to attempt to reply again. I replied to every comment but they didn't show up so I am not sure if I am doing something wrong or maybe it just took a little while for everything to start working correctly since I just joined.
One of the things I had to become accustomed to is that there's no automatic "Reply" to forum messages. So the first button you see is "Preview," and only after you've previewed the message you want to post, can you actually "Save" the message, which posts it to the forum.

I read your most-recent message just fine, so it looks like you're getting the hang of it. :)

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 12:09
#8
Jay103
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Sometimes you click what you

Sometimes you click what you think is "submit", but it's actually only giving you the choice to "preview" your response. And then if you move on and don't notice that you have to scroll down and (re-)click "save", you lose what you typed.

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 14:34
#9
questccg
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Welcome

ARMOblox wrote:
...I will probably lean towards more of a city building game just because that is what I know how to do...

Godzilla!!! Godzilla!!! That's a cool game you could make with a CITY. Or a MECH Game based in cities where different companies compete head-to-head against each other. Or a GANG Game where there are zones controlled and you must try to unite the gangs into one giant crime organization... (like the Godfather...) Or a ZOMBIE Apocalypse where you need to defeat the incoming invasion and save the city!

Just sharing some ideas... Welcome to BGDF!

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 14:55
#10
ARMOblox
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Yep, that was it on my replies, thanks

Yep, that was it on my replies, I didn't know I had to hit save after I wrote the reply/ preview. Now I see how to do it. I bet everyone thought I was a stuck up and not appreciative when I didn't even reply back to them! So sorry, I had written a reply to each.

And.. I like questccg's ideas too, that it could be just a theme from the general city idea. The companies competing against each other is the idea I had in mind, but does sound a little boring compared to some of these other ideas, so maybe I can come up with a spin on it to make it a little more interesting.

I also think that I should allow building sideways/ multiple directions which the castle theme would work well with, but maybe that just translates to bridges in a city. And you would have to build a bridge to start so that people can even get into your city to start inhabiting.

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 14:58
#11
Jay103
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The thing is, anyone can make

The thing is, anyone can make a game where you build buildings that go up. Can do it with wooden cubes if you want. Can do it with regular legos.

Going sideways is one of your key assets. The other is probably the thing where you can set the colors of the sides (if you had multiple colors available). Gotta use those features.

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 15:50
#12
ARMOblox
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Building

Agreed. But, the idea on the building/ construction process would be that it would take some time and game play to construct each building. Deciding to build on a site would be just the first decision. And the base blocks and the connector blocks would be placed to start this construction process, but the building wouldn't be completed until all of the flat pieces/ facades were placed onto it. Each flat piece could be a color to symbolize if it was residential/ commercial/ retail/ etc. A two story building in my game would take 13 pieces to create (2 base blocks, one connector block, 10 face blocks if I also used one for the bottom) instead of just 2 pieces as cubes would and legos would. This would allow the longer construction time which could add strategy of how and what you want to build during game play. And the board could be zoned to allow which types of building could take place. But, again I agree, going sideways is what is cool about my pieces so definitely need to work with that somehow. Could even be used to connect buildings together, like the "city's of the future" or something like that? Great comments though and thank you for all your posts!

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 16:11
#13
questccg
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Rampage Video Game

Maybe you could have one part BUILD and one part DEMOLISH...? I'm thinking about the old (and revived) Rampage Video Game! You play one of three (3) Monsters: Lizzy (a Giant Lizard), George (a Giant Gorilla) and Ralph (a Giant Werewolf).

Players go around SMASHING the buildings to eventually destroy them.

If you gave VALUE to your Blocks, you could "maybe" compute a SCORE. And in a 2 Player game, one player can be a Monster and the other can control the tanks, helicopters and aerial bombers who are trying to STOP the Monster(s).

You could have up to 4 players: one of each Monster + the city defenses...

Just another idea that might help inspire you! (It's sort of like the Godzilla idea... But with more defined characters and better parameters for build and destroy...)

Cheers!

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 16:40
#14
Jay103
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But stay away from that exact

But stay away from that exact property, because it's active and they'd probably sue anyone for anything that looks at all like Rampage.

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Mon, 11/18/2019 - 16:58
#15
ARMOblox
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Destroy

Good ideas! I have thought about a destroy method in the game also. I was thinking mostly more literal in the sense of tornados, earthquakes, bombs, etc and stuff like that which would take off faces of your buildings or entire stories to hurt your opponents and make them rebuild. But, the monster/ robots/ killer creatures idea is a good direction to think about.

I also like the idea of it being in parts. BUILD and then DEMOLISH. That is a good idea!! I could see that really shaping the game play.

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