The game is coming along quite nicely. The first playtest didn’t go, down in flames as usual. The worst that happened was that one player got a bit bored, and the mechanics and components were much too fiddley. This is all fixable, especially with the great feedback I received.
I started by reducing the board size to encourage more engagement (less boredom) amongst the players. The action selection system evolved into a mechanism much like the one used in Concordia. I added the ability to play two cards if they interact with each other so it wouldn’t be a total rip off of the Concordia card mechanism.
Drawing the food tiles out of a bag turned into a neat push-your-luck mechanism. I originally planned on using a die, but threw the tiles into a bag because I didn’t know how many faces I would need. It turns out to be a pretty nifty push-your-luck mechanism if you draw them all out one at a time, then refill the bag when it’s empty. I added the “Wiggle” tile to simulate the potential bug escapes as well as the Swarm and Storm tiles which have drastic effects on game play. If the storm comes out early, it’s a free-for-all as players built their webs as fast as they can before the bag is replenished and the storm risk increases again with each tile pulled. This bag has also simplified all the awkwardness of the earlier implementation of all four of these mechanisms, random food selection, escaping bugs, periodic swarms of bugs, and the occasional storms that come along and damage your frail webs.
I’ve switched to simultaneous play with a turn marker which is just used to resolve conflicts. This will speed up the game quite a bit and provide a simple programming aspect to the game. (One of my favorite mechanisms.) I’ve also modified the game set-up and beefed up the child spider capabilities to encourage more asymmetrical play. The first couple of turns are similar but the play diverges quite quickly.
I’ve streamlined the play as much as I can and tried to incorporate all the complexity into the cards. This, I hope, will make make the game flow better, and be simpler to follow.
The next test will determine whether I have succeeded in working out the initial bugs. Even though I’ve run through it quite a few times myself, It’s hard to see all the potential problems that might arise with other players. Fingers crossed.
My next step will be to fine tune the player interaction once the webs start running up against each other. The basic gameplay needs to be fine tuned first, before we get into the nitty gritty.
If you want a peek, you can check out the Tabletop Simulator Mod Here:
Arachnid You are a spider in a small area where other spiders (players) also reside. You build your web to capture food and expand your web as you build your small spider family, while defending your web from other spiders and competing for space and control. You are subject to the elements and interactions with competing spiders as well as periods of feast and famine, so you must always plan for the unexpected. Keep your colony on an even keel or you might slip into a rapid decline, or even a rapid expansion which could be just as bad if you’re not ready for it. You win the game by having the biggest and most efficient spider family.
At least, this is the way it plays out in my head. I have jotted down enough mechanisms, systems and components to choke a horse and have begun to sift through them to build a base prototype for testing. I’ve come up with some intriguing new mechanisms which are meant to constantly push the players toward chaos as they fight to maintain some kind of control over their spider family. It’s basically an area control / resource management game with a little “Push your Luck” thrown in. Oh yeah…I almost forgot…since it is my brainchild, there is definitely a little “Take That” in the game for fun. I hope it works because it sounds like it could be really fun. I’ll let you know when it’s ready to try on TTS.
“Chance Favors the Prepared Mind”. This is one of the more important quotes that has guided me in life in my later years. We have all heard stories of a single chance meeting or unusual occurrence which has started a chain of events, putting a person on a path which eventually leads to success. Our propensity to eliminate noise makes us see this unbroken path as absolute, rather than a single branch among the scores of possible choices heading off in all directions. Our confirmation bias ensures us that this path was the only path to the ultimate goal. Last but not least, we overlook the mental “Priming” effect which brings this singular event to our attention, and inspires us to act on it. In short, we tend to subscribe to the popular delusion that success is based on fate.
Under closer examination of these success stories, there doesn’t appear to be any consistency in the number of attempts it takes to succeed. Some people have succeeded on what appears to be the first try, while others have only succeeded after a string of failures. This would imply that random events could be what starts a person on the path for success, but in the essence of true randomness, this could take any number of tries, or experiments. We also overlook the years of hard work which is often involved in becoming an “Overnight Success”. I believe that all these stories have one thing in common, a firm focus on success. This mental priming is the key factor.
It is fine to delude ourselves when we are in the safe environment of a Board Game, in fact it is often an important factor, contributing to the fun. The fate delusion is a welcome addition to the “Magic Circle” of the game group. The challenge to game designers, however, is how to employ this to the best effect.
It is critical to “prime” a player in the early part of a game so that they can start off on their path and head in a chosen direction. This can be done with unique character profiles or abilities, proper graphic design clues, a clear game theme, reduced choices in the beginning which expand afterwards, a story-line to follow, and anything else which can create a clear starting point in the players mind and one or more clear directions to head. Once a player is primed to look for certain specific opportunities, and has a clear direction to follow, the designer needs to introduce some choices.
Uncertainty could be introduced by other players actions, causing a player to make a choice and react a certain way. Another common way to induce choice is by introducing random events with cards or dice. However it is done, the players must receive a constant input of decisions to be made, so that they can lay down their path of action. As this decision path becomes more firmly anchored in a player’s mind, the player will be able to peer into the possible future and develop strategies. In the end, the player should be able to see a clear path of action from the beginning to the end of the game. Whether they attribute their victory or loss to fate or skill is completely up to the player and, of course, part of the fun.
Disclaimer…..
I am not an expert, nor am I successful in publishing games. (Yet!) I am just trying to figure things out and hope you enjoy my occasional rant. Feel free to comment if you agree or disagree, or even if you just want to say hi.
This is a list of the most important books in my Game Design library and the reason why they are so important to me. Everybody has their own unique approach to game design and may have their own favorite tomes which they rely on. This is a peek at my personal library.
We’ll start out with the nuts and bolts of game design:
This will cover just about everything related to game design. It is a pricey book, but it covers every aspect of design and is well worth it. This is basically the foundation of my game design library and I couldn’t imagine being without it. (3 Squirrels)
This is a catalog of every common game mechanism used in modern games. A very thorough listing of game mechanisms, which I consider to be the gold standard. Whenever I dream up some hairbrained mechanism, I check in this book to see if somebody has already done it, or something like it. It is also a good reference for when you really need a cool mechanism, or it can be used as a Thesaurus to inspire new ideas which build on earlier practices. (5 Squirrels)
This may sound like some type of boring product design book, but in reality it’s about the psychology of design. It covers many topics, like the principles of human interaction, cognition and emotion. It sheds light on how the human mind interacts with the products we design as well as how it processes information and interprets what we encounter as we engage with the devices and systems around us. It also discusses how errors and misinterpretations can occur and how to avoid them. This is a must read for anybody designing anything! (3 Squirrels)
This book explains how every game requires some type of uncertainty. The uncertainty in chess, for example, lies in the inability to predict exactly how your opponent is going to move. Every game has its own type of uncertainty which is explored in this book. This uncertainty comes in many forms that you may not realize until it’s pointed out to you. (2 Squirrels)
This is an enlightening guide to writing non-fiction. It has really helped me understand my target audience when writing rules for games. I highly recommend this. (1 Squirrel)
This is a fascinating look into how we interpret the world around us. The basic premise is that our thought processes are split between a primitive but necessary automatic level and a more deliberate but much slower conscious and deliberate level. It explains the strengths and shortcomings of each level, and uses these to explain our quirks and behaviors like loss aversion, imprinting, and many other facets of our thinking. If you’ve ever wondered what’s going on inside a game player’s mind, this book can help you find out. (3 Squirrels)
A compelling look at what drives us to do what we we do. How people, our environment and social pressures guide our decisions. We can use these tools to guide players on a fascinating journey within our games. (3 Squirrels)
The following books are less essential to my design library, but still important. They delve deeper into some topics and provide interesting perspectives. I am glad to have them.
This book asks the same questions to a hundred or so of the top board game designers world wide. It is basically a feel good book. It is nice to know that you aren’t the only one going through the problems you encounter when designing a game. It is also nice to know that there may not be one right answer to a given question. There are many different approaches and many common problems encountered when designing games. It’s nice to hear so many unique perspectives. (2 Squirrels)
Have you ever wondered what compels us to do things? This book will explain what drives us to do the things we do for better or worse. It is an expose’ on the influence peddlers, fast talking salespeople, compelling ads and media tricksters which control and exploit us. It is both a safety manual and a “how to guide” on influencing human behavior. This is a must read for people who want to manipulate others for fun… (by Designing Games) (4 Squirrels)
This book deals with scarcity of resources and how it can have very strong effects on an individual. This is a very powerful effect which can be utilized in board games in many ways. (3 Squirrels)
Another psychology book about how we are such irrational beings. This will also provide insight into game players’ odd and sometimes bizarre behaviors. (3 Squirrels)
A peek under the hood of our subconscious mind. It shows how we often make decisions on a subconscious level, then consciously convince ourselves that we were very clever. (Confirmation Bias) It is a guide to the care and feeding and the function of our subconscious mind. It sheds some light on the decisions we make when playing games. (2 Squirrels)
No library is complete without a few words from Geoff Englestein. This is a collection of his most fascinating topics discussed on the GameTek segment of the Ludology podcast, distilled into one book. A fascinating and informative read. (4 Squirrels)
A collection of insights and anecdotes from game designers like Richard Garfeild, Steve Jackson, James Ernest and many more. It’s really fascinating and fun read. (2 Squirrels)
A game scholar and a game guru from “Snakes and Lattes board game café in Toronto, team up to discuss the social implications of modern board games. They tackle some controversial topics like colonialism, cultural appropriation and people behaving badly; as well as lighter topics like “That Stupid Free Parking Rule” in monopoly. I really enjoyed this book. (2 Squirrels)
Game design in a nutshell. This is a great beginner’s primer on game design, and was the first book in my game design library. It’s a little outdated, but provides a good overall picture of the game making process. (2 Squirrels)
A fascinating look at how to overcome the roadblocks to truly creative thinking. A must read for any game designer. (2 Squirrels)
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I would love to hear about the cherished members of your own design library. Please leave a comment to recommend a book or tell me how absolutely right or wrong I am about my current selections.
Nova Raiders (AKA Pirates of the black hole) has gotten a complete redesign, both inside and out:
I discarded about half of the movement rules to streamline the game
Introduced the “Telleport” spaces
Re-structured the turn order so players wouldn’t fall asleep in between turns
Made the dice more prominent to encourage tactical play
Gave it a complete graphical face-lift
modified the end-game to increase the tension
opened up the movement rules to give players more flexibility
and gave it a snazzy new name.
I was a bit worried that I may have broken the game with so many changes, but it played fairly well in the last play-test. I would like to thank the game designers for the time they spent testing the game and for the frank and honest feedback. I managed somehow to maintain the fun parts of the game while fixing the bugs.
Of, course there were a few new issues as expected with such a drastic overhaul. It appears that I might have opened up the movement possibilities a bit too much, making the game a bit less challenging. I also had too many restrictions on bringing new player pieces into play. My next challenge will be to increase the opportunities to bring in more components, while at the same time, restricting movement just the right amount to make things more challenging. I’m gonna have to put on my thinking cap for this one.
The next issue is the counter-intuitive scoring system. There is some type of thematic or behavioral dis-connect that I have to iron out. The system works, but seems weird. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to sort this one out. There has got to be a simple solution, I just have to find it.
All in all, it was a great test. Only about a thousand or so more to go…LOL
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