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Rally! Final Print and Play!

Here is my Final Print and Play Game: Rally!

The game can be played with 2-4 players. Each player possesses their own deck as they try to overcome their opponents with randomly selected units. When in the game, you can trigger a "Rally" when you get three of the same units. These Rallies can make or break a battle, and may be your key to ultimate victory.

Printing instructions:

This game can be double-sided printed and cut for easy to play and use! All cards can be printed on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, while the map components should be printed on 11 by 17 inch paper. Coins are not included, but any standard coin/token with both a heads and a tails face will work.

Click this link to download and play my final Print and Play game!

Rule Book Link

Tabletop Game: Mechanic Ideas

Just some ideas for the Tabletop Game's mechanics

Themes:

Four brothers have divided there once great kingdom into 4 smaller kingdoms, the peace of the last few years has withered away. Now they each seek to reclaim the once great kingdom for themselves and take to battle against one another.

Four kingdoms on the edge of a material crisis, now war amongst each other to procure the necessary materials their kingdom needs to survive. Whoever comes out on top will get their pick of the loot.

Kingdoms (subject to change): Gigas, Minotaurus, Nagarum, Draconem

Kings: Calhoun, Hashim, Queran, Vasos

Queens: Ninette, Darissa, Philomina, Iriana

Army Factions:

Warriors (physical types):

1 – Squire: The weakest of the physical types, the have the lowest movement and can only attack adjacent units. (Move = 1, Range = 1)

2 – Fighter: Proud fist fighters that do not rely on any weapons, they are the 2^nd class of the Warriors. (Move = 2, Range = all adjacent enemies)

3 – Dragoon: Experienced lance fighters who excel at aerial maneuvers, they are said to be able to soar like dragons. (Move = 2 [jumps over one tile, cannot move to an adjacent space], Range = 1)

4 – Swordmaster: Master of the sword, the peerless fighters strike down any who stand in their way with their superior techniques. (Move = 3, Range = 1)

5 – Hero: A proven fighter on the battlefield, this unit has seen their fair share of battles and has survived all to bring triumph to their kingdom. They are most powerful physical fighter. (Move = 4, Range = 1)

Magi (magic types):

1 – Pupil: A student of magic, they are the weakest of the Magi tier. (Move = 1, Range = any opponent that is one space away, cannot attack adjacent enemies)

2 – Mages: Magic soldiers who have learn how to control their magic, they are more powerful than pupils. (Move = 2, Range = 2)

3 – Sorcerer: Those who have meddled in the dark arts and have mastered its ways, they cause true nightmares. (Move = 2, Range = 3 [attacks any adjacent units as well])

4 – Summoners: Magic units who have mastered the ways of summoning spirits into this realm, they call upon their aid in the mist of battle. (Move = 2, Range = 2)

5 – Sages: Master Magicians that have learned any and all magic that apply to the field of battle, truly fierce some foes. (Move = 3, Range = 3 [any enemies that are next to the target or others that get hit will also get hit, chains])

Knights (armor types):

1 – Guard: The most basic of the Knight classes, very weak movement and range. (Move = 1, Range = 1 [+ diagonally])

2 – Knights: Seasoned Knights who fight with great bravery. (Move = 1, Range = 2 [+ diagonally])

3 – Rider: Horsemen who take charge ahead of the main cavalry, they are swift but lack range. (Move = 3, Range = 1)

4 – Paladin: Seasoned knights who serve directly under the crown, they fight for the king’s vision of justice. (Move = 1, Range = 2)

5 – General: The most powerful knight who has risen above the ranks throughout the years, masters of defense. (Move = 2, Range = 3 [chain-lance])

Royals:

1 – Duke: One of the leaders of the Magi faction, he excels in attack radius. (Move = 4, Range = 3 [Radius of three all around])

2 – Duchess: One of the leaders of the Magi faction, she excels in magic range. (Move = 4, Range 7 [only attacks one])

3 – Queen: The commander of the Warriors, she excels as the best physical fighter. Her presence on the battlefield boosts troop morale. (Move = 5, Range = 2)

4 – King: Leader of the kingdom and direct commander of the Knights, his very presence enforces the entire tier. (Move = 4, Range = 1 [+diagonally])

?:

1 - ???: A mysterious traveller who is said to possess untold secrets, they are usually the kingdom’s trump card. (Move = 1 [7 when rallied], Range= 1 [ 5 when rallied])

Starting the game: 

Each player draws ten cards from their respective decks, these card become the player’s army through which they must seize victory. Units cannot be recovered, however you can receive the same class again via promotion, but excluding Royal units. The game is played in rounds, following a movement and attack phase from each player.

Movement and Attacking: 

Rounds consist of movement from each player, followed by an attacking phase. Each player is able to move two units per round and attack once per round.

  

Types: 

Each faction has its own type and determines which will proceed over whom. Physical fighters beat Magic types, Magi win over Knights, and Knights defeat the Warriors. Even the royals have their own attributes: Duke/Duchess = Magic, Queen = Physical, King = Armor.

Beating the game: 

The game ends when either a) the entire opposing army is defeated, or b) when all royal cards have appeared and have been defeated.

 

Coin Luck: 

Coin Luck comes into play when you are fighting a stronger opponent, you then flip a coin, if it is heads, then you defeat your opponent. If it is tails then nothing happens. Grand summons are defeated by 2/3 coins tosses from all classes except Royals. 

 

Promotion: 

Promotion is randomly received once any unit (other than a Royal) reaches a fort (a total of 4), and the next unit drawn from the deck randomly replaces that unit.

 

Rally: 

When three of the same unit appears, or when all royals are present, the rally abilities come into play. Each rally is unique to their specific classes, and will end once one of the units is defeated. The King is able to invoke his own rally all by himself, and will only end when the King is defeated.

Rally abilities:

Squire – Increase movement speed and attack radius by two.

Fighter – Range is increased by 1 in all directions.

Dragoon – Movement is changed into ‘High Jump’ allowing them to jump to any location on the map, this uses up their attack though, can jump on enemy units.

Swordmaster – They are able to strike two opponents in a row.

Hero – Able to fell a Grand Summon without ‘Coin Luck.’

Queen – Raises all Fighter ranks by one. (Must have all royals present)

Pupil – Increases range by one

Mages – Adjacent targets are now affected by attacks.

Sorcerer – Use enemy target against them (uses up turn).

Summoner – Invoke a Grand Summon (sacrifices summoners).

Sages – They are able to attack two times.

Duke/Duchess – All Magi units’ range are increased by one (Must have King and Queen on map).

Guard – All units must use ‘Coin Luck’ when attacking this unit  (with the exception of ???).

Knight – Movement and range are both increased by one.

Rider – Movement increases by 3.

Paladin – Survive enemy attack once during ‘Coin Luck.’

General – Range increases to 4 all around unit.

King 1: Increase the movement of all Knights by one (Queen and Duchess/Duke must be present).

King 2: Allows the movement of 3 units per turn (Only King must be present).

??? : Raised movement by 6 and range by 4.

  

 

Grand Summons:  

Each kingdom possesses its own unique guardian deity, each of which can be called upon via the kingdom’s summoners. Doing so will sacrifice your current summoners, but in their stead you received the Grand Summon.

1 – Titan: This massive titan crushes all beneath its feet; he is capable of taking out several units in one blow. (Move = 3, Range = 1 [attacks all around him])

2 – Minotaur: A true powerhouse of brute force, and that lie in his path are soon defeated. (Move = 5, Range = Line extending from user until end of map)

3 – Medusa (Naga): This serpentine beauty has the ability to turn her victims to stone instantly. (Move = 4, Range = 10 [can only attack one enemy at a time])

4 – Dragon: This winged beast leaves a trail of destruction in its path; its fiery breath lays waste to the battlefield. (Move = 5, Range = 3 [cone-shaped from the user position])

Tabletop Game: Brainstorming

I just brainstorming some ideas for the tabletop game assignment, the one thing I definitely know for sure is that I want it to be a tactical game. So without further delay, here are my ideas:

1 – A strategic thinking game that would allow you to make strategies with what you have.

2 – Random starting pieces

3 – Perhaps the simplicity of a rock-paper-scissors game?

4 – For a strategy game, I think 10 would be a good number for each player.

5 – What if there were small bonuses for getting more of one unit? Rallies?

6 – Strong unit defeats weak unit, but what if weak unit beats strong unit? Coin luck?

7 – What if players moved one unit for a turn? Or perhaps more?

8 – What if each unit had a particular way to move? Perhaps a jumping unit?

9 – What if there were physical and magical based units?

10 – What if there was a unit that could beat any other, but they in turn could be beaten by anyone?
11 – Random Promotion, what if getting a piece to the other side of the map rewarded you? What if it was random?

12 – What if there were units that could attack from a distance?

13 – What if some units were more mobile than others? What if they could move a higher number of spaces?

14 – The End? What if getting all of the strongest units would just signal the end of the game?

15 – Grand Summons? Super Soldiers? What if these units could be received?

16 – How would you summon one? What if there was a unique ability for a certain unit? Multiple?

17 – What if defeating a certain unit ended the game?

18 – What if there was a way to summon additional units?

19 – What if there were more players? What if there were more units on field? 10 vs 10 vs 10 vs 10?

20 – What if there were over 10 different units you could use, three of each?

21 – A theme of war? Maybe there’s fighting over land? The world? Themselves!?

22 – I think the overall goal would be to defeat the opponent’s army, so no point system.

23 – What if you could retrieve a defeated unit once more?

Hmm, I like a lot of these ideas, but perhaps they could be too complex. I think the coin luck option could spice things up, and then even a weaker unit stands a chance. Then the purpose of the higher ranked units would be to avoid relying on luck. 

I would also love to use a special ability exclusive to a unit, I think I would call them Rally abilities. It would basically ‘rally’ the troops, and a certain unit would benefit for it. This could happen when you receive 3 of the same unit, this would allow you to gain an advantage if you’re able to promote units. Since there would be only ten units, you could only have 3 rallies at a time; a rally would also end if a unit in the rally falls.

 I could see the promotion system functioning in either a bad or good way, like if you have a weak unit, you’d be able to gain a stronger unit. The stronger your unit is, the higher the chance you’ll get something weaker. So it would be a double-edged sword. 

Lastly, I’d love to create the ultimate trump system. Let’s say you get the rally ability for a really weak set, and what if the ability allowed you the sacrifice those units? What for? A super-human monster that would allow you to takes the reigns of the battlefield! However, as super-human something is, it could be defeated with luck. Instead of one coin toss used for normal units, you’d have to get 2/3 to clear it.

I would love to do these ideas. As for play testing these, I could probably use a standard deck of cards, since the rank from 1 to 13/14. Just simply designate a card number a certain class, and see how it works.

PnP Games: Magic Spell Deconstructed

This week I played a game called "Magic Spell." As the player, you are a student of magic trying to beat your friends in a competition of who can finish their homework first. Based of the game's rules, it can seem pretty intimidating until you begin playing the game. After that, the game seems much simpler to play other than an issue or two. I'm am now going to deconstruct this game, Magic Spell.

Goal of the game

 The goal of the game is pretty basic; you just need to be the first one to score 9 points.

Core Mechanic

 The Core Mechanic of the game is that of your actions and how you will use your turns to outwit and beat your opponents.

Space of the game

 The space of the game is continuous, being that the game can be played on any hard surface, there are not specified locations in which to put the components of the game.

Objects, Attributes, States

The objects of the game are: the spells and the ingredients. 

Some of the Attributes include: some ingredients can be substituted; these are called Philosopher’s stones. Each spell also has it’s own attribute, they all have different effects and conditions to use them.

The Spells of the game are in one of two states: they are either complete or partially woven. When a spell is completed, it can they be used on the player’s turn, however if it is only partial, then it does nothing.

Operative Actions

• 1)   Weave 
• 2)   Cast 
• 3)   Scrounge 
• 4)   Research
• 5)   Rest

Resultant Actions

• 1)   Make trades with other players
• 2)   Gaining addition spirit
• 3)   Concealing your ingredients and spells
• 4)   Cleanup
• 5)   And the many other spell effects

Rules

 Though it appears as though all the rules of the game are clearly explained, they lack something. On a variety of spells, there is usually a condition that requires “tokens,” but the rules fail to ever bring this up.

Skills

 This game focuses on Mental and Social skills. When it is your turn, you decide what type of action you would like to do for your turn, as such you need to be able to choose the best strategy that will allow you to achieve nine credits first. Memory also comes into play should an opponent discard an ingredient into the laboratory. When it is not your turn, you are free to converse with the fellow players and make trades with each other.

Chance

 The most chance there is in this game is that of drawing spells, and picking up ingredients. Otherwise, the game is primarily focused on mental skills.  

PnP Games: Witch Hunt

One of the PnP games I played was a game called Witch Hunt. The object of this game was to find out who were the witches while keeping track of each player's points, the first to 5 wins. In each round, the players tried to discover everyone's identities until only one person remains. If you discover a witch during the round, you receive 1 point, but if you are witch and survive the round, you get 2 points (only one if you are a villager). At the beginning of the round, you are supposed to select if you are a withc or villager, however we decided it would be more fun if we randomly selected it, which in turn made the game more enjoyable. (I won the game by getting 4 points in one round!)

The second game I played was a game called Jest. The object of this game was to get the highest value, with receiving the joker being the highest value. It wasn't as enjoyable as Witch Hunt, but was an overall okay game.

Rewards

For what reason do we continue to play games, especially very tedious ones. The rewards, plain and simple. When a game offers an interesting reward, we will continue to play the game until we achieve this goal. Like some RPG games, where a rare enemy will drop a rare piece of loot that could be vital for making an optional weapon or piece of armor. This will cause gamers to repeatedly fight this enemy again and again until the loot is obtained, even going as far as equipping certain accessories that will increase your chances of obtaining it. When you do finally receive the reward, you feel very accomplished and proud that you were able to make such an achievement. Another example would be Xbox achievements, where gamer points can be received by doing the most tedious objectives in video games. Some rewards will entice you more than others, but in the end that's what we're playing for, whether it for tedious gamer points or Oreo cookies, we will keep playing these games to receive these rewards.

My Inventive Domicile ~ Drawing I assignment

This is my artwork for the Inventive Domicile project from my previous Drawing I course. I particularly liked this assignment because it allowed us to go through the phases of designing an entire area and selecting the POV for the final piece. This project was also good for thinking about my color scheme and what better colors compliment the piece. I think this was one of my more successful drawing pieces, and I was quite content with the outcome of this assignment.

A Blast from the Past!

Ah, Final Fantasy XII, the game right before the 'Final Fantasy Disaster' or as others know it, the Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy, seriously it got 3 games! Anyways, Final Fantasy XII has been one of my favorite titles of the series, I play the game on and off whenever I have the chance. The story is wonderful, and the locations are beautiful, it is a game fit to wear the title of "Final Fantasy."

I feel that this trailer does justice for this game. Not only do you see a number of characters in it, but also features game-play that shows us how the game is played and what it looks like. This game utilizes the "ATB" (Active-Time Battle) system featured in a number of Final Fantasy games, as well as featuring the "Gambit" system, which allows the players to give a number of per-designated orders to party members who are not in control. This is also the first main series Final Fantasy game to allow the control of only one party member at a time. In this trailer we also see different abilities and "Quickenings" used, which shows us just how far the battle system can go. I am a bit disappointed that this trailer doesn't show off the Gambit or the Licensing features.

What really drew me towards this trailer is that even with all the little scenes it shows us, it doesn't have many spoilers. Square Enix has been able to get us interested in the game, without selling us the whole story. I really admire this trailer for being able to intrigue us without ruining the joy of a good narrative. Some of Square's trailers in recent years have been a disappoint, purposely giving away critical plot points like:

 "I was made to serve God, but if that God lies to me, he dies" ~ quote from Lightning Returns: FFXIII

Which basically sums up that game's plot, the most we hear from Final Fantasy XII is "Nethicite this, Nethicite that," it really doesn't sum up a lot. So I'm glad to see trailers like this that can deliver an interesting plot without giving away the punch-line. This is all a matter of personal opinion, but I like this trailer nonetheless, it gives a nice balance of showing too much or too little of a game's story with some nice game-play to go with it.