15 September 2014
In today's playtesting session, I worked with a new card, CONVERT!, and omitted the MOLE PANIC card. I think this change has been a move in the right direction. Some quick details about the games today:
- 2-player games
- player 2 started the game with 6 cards, as opposed to player 1's hand of 5 cards
- omitted MOLE PANIC cards
- included 2 CONVERT! cards (to replace the MOLE PANIC cards)
The CONVERT! card is a Special Effect card with a number of 0, meaning that no Moles can be moved or added to the game board. However, the Special Effect is to replace an opponent's Mole with one of your own. So it's a small-scale HAWK ATTACK of sorts, but with the added bonus of adding one of your Moles to the newly-emptied space.
Furthermore, if this results in a hex being completely filled, then Majority is re-assessed. So, with the CONVERT! card, it's possible to take over an opponent's hex with CONVERT!.
Finally, CONVERT! is a stackable card. This means that it can be played by itself or in addition to another Action, allowing the player to do Move, Populate, HAWK ATTACK, or more, and then follow it up with a CONVERT! card. In today's playtests, this resulted in some truly insidious combos that swayed the game back and forth. It was very satisfying to see this small addition make big waves even during a solo playtest.
GAME 1: ORANGE VERSUS BLUE
This was my warm-up game, as per usual. I've sleeved the cards since the CONVERT! card is a hand-written one. Here's the setup:
Both players made moves to utilize the Cave-In action, so as to protect their hexes from invasion. With the advent of the CONVERT! card, players must fortify their front lines as quickly as possible, preventing a HAWK ATTACK followed by CONVERT!, even in hexes they control. The Majority check that follows a CONVERT! can be a powerful game-changer. Here's the finish:
The central hex proved to be a miniature battleground in itself. Since it's accessible to all the other hexes on the board (with the exception of the Home Hexes), it can be infiltrated at nearly all angles. The fact that it had 6 points meant that the CONVERT! card had been used to alter its composition several times throughout the game. Good stuff.
I was concerned that the second player had too much of an advantage this time, but scores were within one hex-worth of points so the extra card at the start of the game didn't strike me as terribly unbalanced.
GAME 2: ORANGE VERSUS BLUE
This one was a funny game. It also lasted longer than the first (though not by much). There was just a lot more back and forth. Here's the setup:
Notice that Blue has captured the Home token from the center hex, but Orange has Claimed it? Blue and Orange had traded possession of that hex several times over the course of the game. I also distinctly recall both players being victim to HAWK ATTACK cards on their 3-point hexes at least once each. Here's how things ended up:
Small changes, small changes, small changes...Stay focused, and small changes can make INTENSE waves of effect on how a game plays out. Repeated testing, experimentation, and a willingness to break everything can pay off in huge returns. I think the game has come a long way since its inception months ago.
Next steps will be to play this game with others. At least three players, all with CONVERT! cards included.
To sum up plans for next session:
- Keep the CONVERT! cards as they are
- All players beyond first have an extra card added to their hand
- 3 or 4 player sessions only
I also need to update the ruleset to include information on the CONVERT! cards, of course. In time.
