Back to setting targets…the Daily ‘target’ Show part 1

Welcome to the Daily ‘target’ Show!  On tap for tonight is target #1 which should be completed before tomorrow’s show!

Here is the show agenda:

Introduction – In a need to get things done, hopeful game design ~ Clive ~ is setting daily targets in order to get the Tower of Doom prototype finished

Update – the latest game design is the Tower of Doom (cue eerie music, the noise of sword fights and screams).  The Tower of Doom is a fun ‘dungeon crawl’ with a twist.  Players take on the role of a hero trying to escape from a tower held together by the magic created by the creatures that dwell in this death trap.  As heroes move down the tower they encounter monsters, find treasures and hope to survive until they reach the bottom and can escape.  However, as heroes defeat the monsters of the tower the magic fades and the tower starts to crumble around them.  Will the heroes make it out alive or will they be killed by one of the many creatures or will the tower crush them as it crumbles to the ground?

Daily Show Target – the tower is built.  By the start of tomorrow’s show the blocks will be sanded.

Show End – Question of the day – are there any dice-stacking games out there?  Roll dice and stack depending on result…

Time to concentrate…

I was asked by a friends how I hope to get games published or at what stage I am at with them in the development process.  With so many ideas floating around it is time to concentrate and focus my time and efforts into two or three projects.  With that in mind here are my priorities:

Redemption City – this game has been prototyped for ‘local’ playtesting and is currently with co-designer, David Short for feedback and play testing.  David’s feedback will decide whether to proceed with the same design, re-think the game or scrap it.  I feel it has great promise.

Tower of Doom – this is a new game idea that I don’t want to give too much away at this point.  It is a dungeon crawl that requires dexterity (not flicking like Catacombs).  I have shared this idea with a number of people and the idea seems to have much promise.  I should be posting pics of the prototype either later this week or next week.  Will be cutting lumber tomorrow to help create the game.  Also, a good friend and artist, Will McAusland, is letting me use some of his art for the prototype.

Small Talk – I just need to sit down and finish the list of cards needed for the game.  There are about 250 cards for this simple to play party game.

Renaissance Man – have all the notes together and need to draft up a preamble of game play and then share with a couple of designers who have been working on this with me.  It should be a quick, light Euro.

BIGCON is coming!

Last September I helped organize a games convention here in Kamloops – BIGCON.  We had about 150 people come through the doors playing board games, Magic the Gathering and various Warhammer miniatures games.  Fun was had by all but we lost $600+.

BIGCON 2011 IS COMING!!!   September 24/25th, 2011.

With this exciting event comes planning.  Hopefully we have learnt from our mistakes.

Here are a couple of things I have learned from the first CON:

1. Don’t rent a convention centre unless you have serious financial backing!  This will be the biggest expenditure.  Start small – find a school gym and a couple of classrooms or a local community centre.

2. You need a salesperson – someone that can knock on business doors and get them to advertise, donate or be a vendor at the event.  This is where your money will come from.

3. Have fun – don’t stress – games are fun!!!!

For info about the CON email bigcon@shaw.ca

The new look…

Thought I would change the look of the site.  I find this much cleaner and clearer than before.

Whatdya think?

Yet more ideas…

It seems again that I am distracted by more ideas about games and mechanics…so let me share

1. Dice mechanic – when rolling dice have the result be used for two different aspects of the game.  Then after the roll there will be a dilemma between using the dice to gain something in the first part of the round or save the result for something later in the round.  Lavardi on the geek is looking at something similar.

2. A basketball game – using dice to represent the five players on the floor players would use the resulting rolls to improve the abilities of the players (by improving dice rolls) by drafting cards.  When players reach a certain level of ability, new custom dice which improve rolls are used to represent the players.  After x number of rounds of practice the season begins.  Game players can continue to practice during the season or participate in a game and roll to win.  The most wins at the end of the game wins (I will flesh this out in an upcoming post).

3. Tower of Death – a dungeon crawl type game where heroes are trying to escape from a tower that is literally disappearing around them (more on this later).

Update – rated by priority

What follows is an update on the latest games I am working on or for which I have an idea.  First are the new ideas and then the other games in alphabetical order:

NEW GAMES:

Mantracker Game – Scotland Yard/Nuns on the Run type game where a tracker hunts down people trying to reach a safe finish point.  Idea stage.  Some notes and drawings.  See earlier post.

Civilization Rummy Game –  Players play rummy through three decks representing ages of discovery.  The sets placed in front of the player represent development and in the end the points required to win.  Some artwork completed for prototype.

PVillage  – Cooperative game where players play cards that chain together to protect the village from pillage by vikings.  Working with David Short on this idea.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Ant’s Picnic – The rules still need re-writing for this game.  The game can be played with the original rules but modifications are going to make this game better.  Once the rules are re-written then a ‘video’ of the game play will follow.  MEDIUM PRIORITY

Blackpool Illuminations – create the fanciest most dazzling light show on the Blackpool seafront.  Balance power costs, hiring workers and providing the best light show to win.  Worker placement with a twist to drive an economic engine.  Still just an idea!  LOW PRIORITY

Broadway Producer – think Colosseum converted to cards.  Have the prototype but needs to be played.  Game follows a rummy like mechanic of pick up, put down and throw away.  On the back burner.  Maybe scrapped.  LOW PRIORITY

Dam It! – A hex tile laying game where each player takes on the roll of two beavers building their home.  Played over four seasons, the beavers collect wood and build their dam, use natural water flows to move faster, dodge algae blooms, feed off fish, and then avoid ice as the final winter season approaches.  The biggest and highest dam wins!  Still an idea.  LOW PRIORITY

Deep Sea Diving Game – a Can’t Stop push your luck game with a theme.  The more I think about this the less I like it.  VERY LOW PRIORITY

Redemption City (to be renamed) – David Short has received the prototype and will play test with friends.  Look forward to his feedback.  HIGH PRIORITY

Renaissance Man – short mid to light Euro worker placement game.  Players take on the roll of a great scholar who has to present their knowledge to an esteemed panel of aristocrats.  Played over 6 rounds, players race to various areas of the Great University to sharpen their academic knowledge.  The player with the greatest and widest knowledge coupled with experience wins!  Worker placement and set collection.  Need to draft up the rules still.  MEDIUM PRIORITY.

Small Talk – A party game in which players are given five topics, people, places, quotes in to which they must incorporate into a ‘small talk’ with another player.  Players get points for using all topics in their brief, timed conversation.  Need to finish the 200 topic cards and the 50-100 scenario cards.  MEDIUM PRIORITY

Space Race Game – this game has been on the back burner even though I think it would be a great race game.  Bidding, Tile Placement and Racing.  Need to create tiles and other parts for prototype.  MED/LOW PRIORITY

Time Travel Game (yet un-named) – working with David Short.  Just an idea at the moment with a couple of mechanics.  You play a time traveler whose goal is to promote certain streams of knowledge through time so that your Utopian world exists at the end of the game.  Need to work on main mechanic – may video mechanic to demonstrate the action.  MEDIUM PRIORITY

Tower Defense Game – still an idea at this time.  Sharing ideas with SQ to come up with a solid game.  Need to get some basic rules written.  LOW PRIORITY

Trading Game – very basic supply and demand commodity game.  Played over 12 rounds.  The player with the most money wins.  Need to prototype and play.  LOW PRIORITY

Widgets – a dice game where players use their dice to give to commands to a computer.  The computer then allows you to operate a robot that moves, picks up and delivers goods.  The player who converts the most goods before their robot powers down wins.  Unsure about the simplicity of the game.  May scrap or re-invent.  LOW PRIORITY.

Mantracker…the board game idea

For those of you who have not heard of Mantracker it is a TV series on OLN in Canada.  It is reality series where an experienced tracker on horse hunts two contestants.  The contestants have a 2km head start and have to travel on foot to a finish line some 38km away within a two day time limit.  The prey have a map and compass and know where they are headed.  The tracker has to find the start line (signified by the firing of a flare) and then find the prey by uncovering the tracks they leave in the natural environment.  The tracker with help from a side-kick usual captures the contestants!

I think this scenario can be converted into a Scotland Yard/Nuns on the Run board game.  Here are my ideas so far:

A modular board that can be changed for different game play.  The board has different terrains that affect game play (more on that later).  Terrains – pathways, open fields, forest, undergrowth and elevated land.

Each player would have 3 actions per turn.  The prey would have options to move, hide, look back and play special card.  The tracker would have options to move, look back and play special cards.

Special cards – Prey: Binoculars (for ranged site and seeing up mountain-sides), Sprint (double movement action)…thinking of others…Tracker: Binoculars, Sprint, Horse-sense (horses sense movement and noises at a greater range).

Movement: Prey – one action point allows for a different number of hexes to be move d dependent on the type of terrain.  Tracker – can travel faster than prey, again dependent upon terrain.  Tracker cannot enter into undergrowth.

Line of sight – The prey are invisible to the tracker unless they are in direct line of sight or by binoculars.

Tracking prey – Tracker can track the prey without seeing them.  First, by sound – when the prey move they make noise.  If the tracker is within a determined number of hexes the direction of the sound is revealed.  Second, by tracks – whenever the prey move into new terrain they leave a track that points in the direction of movement.  If the tracker is moving at normal rate and passes over the hex he spots the track.  Tracks are also left every (to be determined) number of hexes when the prey moves along the same kind of terrain.

That’s if for now…

2.5 out of 4…could have done better

I had four goals set and have completed 2.5 of them.

RC card printed and in the mail to D…on the slow boat with no tracking number!

Videoed my games den

Got some of my notes compiled

Did not get anything done on Small Talk

Let’s see what I get done this week.

My games room

Here is my games room – or my office/den/man cave ~ I talk way too much but after this video you will know more about the author of these posts…

Games Room from Clive Lovett on Vimeo.

New week…same goals

OK – so none of my four goals were met last week.  But that is OK!  I was sick last week and unable to do much in the way of being creative.  I did recover to get some games played though  🙂

Carson City – two plays – a solid Euro that I look forward to playing more – who doesn’t like the Western theme?

7 Wonders – two plays – I can see what all the buzz is about – a good good game!

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer – one play – now we are playing the cultist correctly it may stay in my collection

Pitchcar – several games – hit a bbq party

Incan Gold – three games – not fun trying to teach to two drunks and a bunch of semi sober people  🙂