The italicised writing represents a direct transcript from my official Game Project Proposal document about version 1.2 of my game idea. Any other un-italicised writing has been written freshly from the black sketchbook. Any bullet-point lists are purely game development notes: personal reminders of what I needed to do next to progress with the game's production. The image below was taken from page 3 of my black sketchbook, and all physical work can be found on pages 3 - 4.
The image below is simply a visual diagram of version 1.2 of my game idea. The writing beneath it explains it in more depth, but both can easily be used to understand how this version works.
Sketchbook page 3:
"Version 1.2:
This version, obviously, takes most of its function from version 1.1, but focuses much more on the board and card game aspect. It is still set definitively in a saloon.
Every player has a list of ‘missions’, formerly known as ‘goals’. The difference between version 1.1 and 1.2 is that there are many more missions than goals, depending on the difficulty of the game. Also similar to the previous version is that each player is trying to achieve the ‘missions’ of that character. This version capitalises on this.
This version keeps all of the information and ideas from the previous version, which is completely ideal.
At the beginning of the game, every player starts off with their characters mission cards in a mission pack. The number of these determines the duration and difficulty of that game. The number can be adjusted to the player’s wish.
1. Cards have displayed on them the respective character’s name, the name of that particular mission, some description explaining why this mission is relevant to that character and why they want to achieve that goal, the correct dice roll in order to achieve that goal, a space to place their ‘success’ token or card, and the reward for succeeding.
2. The characters must achieve the correct dice roll in a maximum of 3 tries. If they don’t succeed after their third try, it counts as a failure and the next player starts their turn.
3. The different types of characters, their backstories, their missions and the story background all remain the same, which is ideal for me.
4. The ‘Sheriff’ and the ‘Mayor’ are two appointed roles that anybody can assume. Players who is who by the token that both the ‘Sheriff’ and ‘Mayor’ are given when appointed. Each role has different buffs to improve that player’s chances.
5. The higher number of dice it takes to complete a mission, the more difficult that mission is.
6. Depending on how short or long the players want the game to last, a higher or lower amount of mission cards are assigned at the beginning of the game.
Because the Sheriff is now a mechanic rather than a character, his character had to be re-written and a new character and backstory had to be created."
15-30 rewards
Higher dice mean bigger reward
'Missions' don't have to be detailed
20 'Mission' cards - flavour text as description
Remove 'Sheriff' character, re-write story so that the Sheriff can be an interchangeable role
Make a general character card detailing their description and backstory
Description still relevant
Write as many 'missions' as you can
Rivals still relevant
Calm down on lore!
Sketchbook page 4:
TASKS CONTINUING FORWARD:
These tasks stem from the new game idea, version 1.2:
- Come up with 20 'missions' for each character. That's 120 in total. They don't have to be detailed or vastly different from each other.
The description doesn't have to be too in-depth as it will appear as flavoured text on the cards.
- Come up with 15 - 30 generic rewards that can be attributed to each mission card
- Write 18 'end game' cards
- Research into more existing Western board games and their mechanics
- Research into board game mechanics
- Tell James you want to change the idea into a strategy game rather than a game of chance
- Player elimination
- Wikipedia board game mechanics
- Strategy-based game
Turns, action points, auction or bidding, cards, capture/eliminate, catch-up, dice, movement, resource management, risk and reward, role-playing, tile-laying, worker placement, goals, quest, loss avoidance, piece elimination, puzzle solving, races, structure building, territory control, victory points, combination conditions and deck building (Information relating to game mechanics, many applicable to board games).
04/02/2020