carlpgoodrich wrote:I think right now the objective is a little too easy. For example, someone who starts with 3 of 4 in the bedroom only needs to take 4 more territories to win. Even if there are high neutrals, thats kinda boring. I suggest instead of having the objective be ANY room, suspect, weapon combo, have there be a some specific room, suspect, and weapon combinations. Then, be sure that the magnifying glasses in a given room don't point to corresponding weapons/suspects. That way the player has to do some "investigating," e.i. move around a bit.
This is my first map, so I'm not sure exactly how things are supposed to proceed, but I'd like to be sure that there is a problem with the game play before I make a big change like having specific winning combinations. Because it's not winning 4 territories, but
keeping them that will win the game. From my limited experience, and a discussion with someone who has played more than I, it seems that most of the time the winning objective is so difficult that once you can hold it, you could just as easily wipe the other side out.
Smaller steps I would consider first include requiring control of an evidence and interrogation room (not just a weapon and suspect), splitting the motive into multiple territories, and adding more clues to the mansion rooms.
It seems to me that as it is now, no matter how things start, it would require significant strength to take the motive and have enough armies to hold it and all the other requirements. Especially when you consider that the evidence and interrogation troops cannot help defend the mansion, and likewise for any troops on the motive. I'm not aware of any other maps having a similar combination of one-way attacks on winning requirements.
It may turn out that this is not the best map for two or even three players, but I think it may be very good for larger numbers or teams, and not every map can work well with all combinations.
carlpgoodrich wrote:Can I also suggest a slightly different bonus structure for the weapons/people? Right now, I see the gameplay as being: attacking weapons and people, then stockpile armies to protect those bonuses. Instead, what if you got a bonus of 1 for 1 weapon, 3 for 2, 6 for 3, etc, or some sort of escalating thing like that (and the same for people). That is similar to the Clue where knowing 1 weapon isn't very helpful, but knowing 4 is VERY helpful. I also think it would make for more interesting gameplay.
Finally, I like that there is no way to go from the evidence rooms to the main rooms. There probably needs to be a losing condition there that if you don't have one spot on the main part of the map, you are eliminated.
Both of these sound good. I'll work on adding them to the next version.
Industrial Helix wrote:1) The weapon magnifying glass and suspect magnifying glass are extremely confusing with each other. Maybe use fingerprints or something for the suspect and magnifying glass for weapon. I dunno, be creative. But they should have different indicating items.
Yes, fingerprints was my first choice for links to the suspects, but I had a hard time getting them to show up clearly without taking up too much space. I'll experiment some more and see what I can come up with.
Industrial Helix wrote:2) What about introducing Detective stating points that can not be attacked by any other territory. That way players MUST solve the crime rather than kill off all the other players.
I considered this at an early point in development, but it seemed that unless I made all the rooms essentially identical (something I did not want) it would probably result in some starting points having a big advantage over others.
Industrial Helix wrote:3) The motive... I would say the winning objective is enough motivation to take that territory. There should be no bonus for it, perhaps only a negative bonus to ensure it is the piece of the puzzle taken last.
If someone takes the motive and has all the other requirements, then obviously, his opponents must take something away from him if they can. If the troops on the motive are both trapped, and gradually drawn down, it would seem to be almost certain suicide to place enough troops on there to hold it unless you were already so strong that you knew you could not be taken elsewhere.
I feel some reward is due for having the guts to try this, but I don't want to make it "the only" strategy. By using a negative deploy, positive bonus combination, the player can decide whether to maintain the troop levels on the motive, or let them draw down to be placed on other territories. The numbers may be adjusted to make this a possible, but not highly attractive strategy, but I would prefer to have many viable strategies and not design the game so that the motive must be taken last.
Thanks for the suggestions. More are welcome.
). That way, both the fingers and the magnifying glass handles can point in the direction of the room they connect to (using clock directions from the center of the evidence and interrogation rooms), so the map works for the colorblind.
