Last moment submission
template
"Hybrid + Sequential Picking"https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?TemplateID=785323This template was origanlly designed by me for FFA's (although it can also be played in 1v1 setting). We played it mainly in 4-7 players FFAs. but it could be easily adjusted for greater number of players.
The main thought behind inventing this template was to create a template which allows for more strategic FFAs. My concept tries to solve that by introducing two mechanisms: "hybrid distribution" + "sequential picking"
"Hybrid distribution" In warlight there are two types of picking initial territories: manual and automatic. Both of them have thier advantages but also disadvantages. Automatic is very luck dependant, while manual mode may provoke situations where players tend to pick the same areas on every game on particular map (especially on asymetric and poorly balanced map) which may cause repetetive games and also provokes situations where two players end up in the same location. Hybrid distributions tries to merge and take what is best from those two basic distributions: every player is given a set of automatically distributed (random part) territories (in this template 9) out of which he has to choose 1 or maximally 2 and develop only them (which is a "manual" phase). This conisderably decreases the "luck factor" caused by initial random distribution, because there is a very high chance that out of 9 randomly given territories there would be at least one "good" for start. That way each player should be alowed for fair start beacused game mechanic allows only for one territory to be efficiently developed. Of course some players could be randomly given more "good" territories, but the fact that only one of those terriories can be used further in the game neutralises such inbalance. To prevent players from using more than one randomly given territories "Local Deployment" option was merged with very low income (base 1) and slightly hightened neutrals (3). At the start of the game all players are given two "one-time" income boosts (on turn 2 and 3). They have to invest them wisely start their own economy which practically means that they have to put them into a single location to conquer a whole bonus there. Further on they will not be able to develop their other terrtories because almost whole of his income must be deployed locally (due to LD)
This makes each game unique (9 territories are give randomly so each game is different) while also fair and strategic (player has to "manually" choose which one of this 9 territories is best to develop as he wont be able to use al of them)
"Sequential picking" The big problem of FFA's is that when you start a game and realise that another player has also decided pick same starting location, such game is usually lost for both of you because rest of the players/teams would be egerly developing while you two would be spending most resources for savage fight (which is the reason while most good players tend to play 1v1 2v2 or 3v3 only) To solve that (at least to some extent) I have implemented the mechanism of sequential picking: All players have almost no base income (1) but are given two boosts of income: "small one" (on turn 2 - income is raised to 8 that turn) and big one (on turn 3 - income is raised to 17 on that turn). This is how they work:
1st turn:
at the beginning of game plyer is given enough spy cards to play it on on each of his opponents. Those spy cards last for 2 turns which means that he would be able to see his opponents on turns 2 and 3. Each player is also given 3 sanctions cards with negative value (-1) - this cards in fact
increase the income (x2) and every player should play them on himself. That would increase his next-turn income to 8 (1x2x2x2) which is the 1st income boost ("small one")
2nd turn :
player's income is increased to 8 (due to sanctions cards). He can also see territories which were randomly given to his opponents. Based on that he has to anticipate which territories could be choosen by his enemies to develop and decide which one of his own territoirs is best suited/placed to develop and invest his resources there. Crucial thing that turn is to grab at least one territory which would allow to receive reinforce card next turn (turn 3)
3rd turn.
This turn all players are given reinofrcement card (valued 16) this is the second and also the last income boost. Players have to use it wisely to start they own economy.
Thanks to spy cards every player can see where his enemies decided to invest their "small" income boost for previous turn. If they were unfortuante and one the opponents had decided to start near them, now they have the opporunity to move away by allocating resources from reinforcement card (16) elsewhere. What is important: spy cards will fade away at the end of this turn so players
will not be ablee to see where others have invested the main bulk of their income!
to implement those two tiers of income boost with different values I was forced to use "0" card limit which means that players have to play or discard evey card the same turn it was given to them. Nonetheless, players are frequently given blockade cards and recoinessance cards futher in the game.
here are some links to games played:
https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=9702918 https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=9644875 https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=9702894 great thx for Mr. Tranquex for his help and invaluable advices about this template mechanis.
Edited 1/14/2016 13:45:22
