WEEK 3 | Play testing another groups territorial game

Pirate Game

Goal:  To capture islands (worth varied points) to gain the highest score in a set time limit

Basic rules:  

• 4 players each have 5 game tokens
• On each turn, a player roles a single dice.  They can then move one or more of their tokens to equal the amount thrown on the dice
• If the player lands on an island, they then gain the islands points until the island is contested by another player
• If an enemy lands on your island, you have a dice battle.  If you have 3 tokens on the island, you get three chances to beat the enemies highest dice roll.  

Core Mechanics:  Move one or more tokens, either nothing will happen, you will capture an island or battle it out for an island.  

Genre:  strategy

Concept:  pirates on the sea, no more needs to be said really!

Spacial arena:  top down of an ocean, filled with islands.  Each game grid that a token can move on is a 'sailing' route to an island.

Challenge:   to capture an island with enough game tokens to win a battle with the enemy; to capture enough islands to have the highest score.  If we had more time to play, we would have been able to determined an optimum strategy - move the tokens around singularly and try to capture more bases (and take the chance that you beat the enemy with only one dice roll), or move your tokens around in two groups, thereby having enough dice rolls to beat any enemies, but yet still being able to capture more than one island.  

SUGGESTIONS:

1. Have the game end on a random time limit or by a set number of turns
2. Have more focus on defending ones base which has the most points on it
3. Have something to take the focus of capturing only the middle islands which everyone seems to go for
4. Have a time limit that a player needs to occupy an island for, before they automatically get  that islands points predominately (they no longer need to hold it to have those points)

Overall:  I liked this game.  Unfortunately we didn't get enough time to play it, so I can't comment too much on it.  Obviously it took a few rounds to get our pieces in a position to battle it out (challenge) and we were just starting to get into it when we had to swap games.  If suggestion 4 were implemented, I think the challenge and pace of the game would make for an even more enjoyable experience.  Well done guys!