Experimental play mode: no campaign, no gain

This is an idea. It’s complicated. Thoughts please.

This is for a campaign style game with a campaign map which is represented using one or more in-game battles that incorporate very restrictive custom rules.

Setup

We set up one game called The World Map. In a tournament mode, this might be 1 game for every 4 players (or another division of players, whatever’s appropriate).

  • Async
  • Largest map with lots of mana if possible, preferably plains
  • Up to 4 campaign players, each on their own team
  • Up to 2 Gamemaster players on another team
  • Game master players are set up to move 1st and 4th
  • Equipped Chaos
  • Players do not use equipment
  • [TBC: Game masters use speed staffs, bind spells with movement of 2 or more]
  • No of turns, turn length TBC

Objective

  • Players objective is to individually have the most mana [TBC: victory points instead?] at the end of the game, or
  • Be the last player in the game
  • Gamemasters protect the mana [TBC: gamesmasters have an objective]

Gameplay

  • This is not played as a normal game.
  • The game starts in Movement Phase where players can move and Gamemasters can summon and move creatures

Movement Phase

  • Players move around to collect mana
  • Players do not cast spells
  • Players do not burn spells
  • [TBC: Gamemasters do not move]
  • Gamesmasters do not collect mana sprites
  • Gamesmasters’ job is to create obstacles using creatures
  • Gamemasters can only cast illusionary creatures
  • Gamemasters move their summons to protect the mana [TBC: restrict number of spaces to move]
  • Neither gamemasters nor players can attack
  • When a player comes into contact with a Gamesmaster’s summon in their movement phase, they go into Combat Phase
  • [TBC: players can iniitiate combat phase with the Gamesmasters]

Combat Phase

Creatures

  • If a player moves into engagement with a summon or starts their turn engaged to an enemy they end their turn and leave the game (not surrender)
  • Player creates another normal equipped game against an AI (AI takes first turn) or another online player if available (campaign player takes first turn). [TBC: AI difficulty is determined by the type of summon encountered, online player should be Gamesmaster?]
    • if the player wins, they return to the The World Map and attack the summon with melee only on their next turn.
      • if they beat the creature, they gain the mana and move (return to Movement Phase) if they have not yet moved unless engaged to another creature (at which point they will be in Combat for their next turn)
      • if they do not beat the creature in the attack, they must disbelieve the creature [TBC: or do nothing, and do combat again next turn]
      • in the case of a Paladin, the player can choose to disbelieve instead of attacking to avoid retaliation but of course they do not gain any mana
    • if the player loses the other game, they end their turn and must attempt combat again next turn [TBC: or move away if not engaged]
  • Essentially, the combat game wins the player a chance for an attack at the creature

Other Players

  • Combat occurs in the same way as with creatures
  • Combat game should be between the 2 players from the campaign map game, but to avoid timing issues AI or another player can be played if a game between the original 2 players cannot be organised
  • The player’s whose turn it was last in the campaign game has first turn
  • If one player wins, the winning player attacks as in the creature combat [TBC: and if unsuccessful, the losing player must surrender]

Of course this combat phase relies on honesty about the result from the player. Alternatively, the player could set up an async combat game and additionally invite a Gamesmaster (maybe required for tournaments?). The Gamesmaster surrenders but will know the result of the game once finished.

Not sure if the player should end their turn in the world map game before playing the combat game or play their combat game then end their turn, allowing them to move then attack the creature in the same turn - this concerns turn length and timeout, and allowing the game to continue if the player gives up

End Game

At the game’s conclusion, players will need to screenshot their game to prove the mana count

In a tournament setting, players could be Gamemasters in one game and Campaigners in another to spread out responsibility.

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wow. complex. maybe let’s try a dry run as a single custom game to get a feel for it?

afaik mana is randomly populated and semi-randomly distributed across a map, so that might create some considerations.

also, playing for Victory Points has its own sortof subset of loopholes that need consideration

Yeah the complexity comes from using a battle as a campaign map (this is what the idea of dedicated website / app comes in - handling the campaign stuff). A summary of it is,

  • Players move around the map, not casting spells
  • When a player comes into contact with a creature or another player, conflict is resolved in a separate no-special-rules duel game
  • Player with the most mana at the end wins

oh i see. cool. yeah, I’d been wondering about this sortof thing as well. I’d been thinking of it in terms of a custom realm. I like it!

AAH you have dragged me into!

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Excuse me, how do you come in contact with creature if no cast is allowed?

The Gamesmasters are creating the creatures

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