This page will document my progress with the overhaul of my CCG, and serve as an online notebook for my thoughts on potential implementation. Feedback is encouraged, but this page is mostly for myself and Aaron's benefit. - cerulean
This is one of my oldest designs, dating back to 1992. As far as game design goes, it is one of my weaker designs. There is lots of chaos and dice rolling, but yet it has had endearing appeal, and deck construction is quite workable.
As of the beginning of October 2005, the set has 350 cards of three rarities. No card sheets exist yet.
If you want a non-collectible card game, I strongly recommend
Ferrball's Mansion. It is a much better design, easier to implement, and has gotten much stronger reviews.
(Aaron) Could you link me to Ferrball's Mansion please? Cheers!
FM allows players to perform things during other players' turns. How could this be done in an online implementation?
(Aaron) In a PbEM paradigm it is challenging and can lengthen the game significantly. If it's something that happens often in a normal game, we could perhaps make all turns “simultaneous” where the actual current player makes his move and the other player has to either react or pass for the move to happen. This could also pose problems in Warriors, which is why I would be interested in seeing the cards and how they interact. Where there's a will there's a way!
Warriors has one aspect that no game on SDG has… the ability to jump in after the game starts. My experience shows that a player can jump straight into an existing game of Warriors with only minor setbacks. I've successfully run Warriors sessions where players have entered and left a game in progress.
Aaron, you asked me in a previous email why the rules said that a player MAY take a mulligan if he was unable to field a fighter and weapon, instead of MUST take a mulligan. I gave you my initial answer, but I remember now why I had previously worded the rules that way. It all has to do with another rule that may not have been written up. If a player is unable to field an armed fighter for a battle, that player automatically forfeits that battle and then draws 2 cards (this is the same as retreating). If the other player fields a fighter, they are unopposed and automatically win the battle, and draw 3 cards. This way, if a player drew an otherwise unplayable hand, but had cards they wanted to retain, they could avoid trashing an entire hand. However, I now realize that this rule creates a problem. There is no obvious resolution if both players cannot field a fighter from their opening hand! This is why players should be required to take a mulligan (that, and no unplayable hand could be so attractive as to pass on taking a mulligan, anyway). - Cerulean, 17 Oct 2005
08 Oct 2005 = surveyed condition of game design and supporting material (rules, website). Determined rules and website are insufficient. draconiaprime0.tripod.com likely to be abandoned and be replaced by new site for my game designs, hopefully by the end of the year. began assembling cards by rarity and creating commons card sheet. Commmons sheet ETA = 14 Oct
17 Oct 2005 = Thanks to a late-nite jam session, the commons sheet is completed! There are a few empty slots I'd like to fill, but I'll wait on finishing the uncommons and rares first. Next task is to edit the rules, then tackle the remaining card sheets. I've been making minor changes to some of the cards as I go. Hopefully the rules will be completed by the end of the week.
24 Oct 2005 = Commons sheet and rules emailed to Aaron. Starting on uncommons sheet.
1 Nov 2005 = Uncommons sheet comleted and emailed to Aaron. As with commons sheet, 4 card slots are open for new cards. Starting rares sheet. Considering a PBEM experiment with Aaron to test feasibility of remote play.
28 Nov 2005 = rares sheet completed and emailed to Aaron. 6 card slots remain open, for a total of 14 open slots for new cards. I believe the rules are strong enough as is, but need more testing. The mission now is to playtest as much as able, to spot imbalanced, broken, or cards in need of tweaking. Also, take the time to explore the Warriors game setting, and ask for flavor text on cards that could use it. I will also investigate the feasibility of LackeyCCG for online Warriors play.
06 Dec 2005 = LackeyCCG will serve nicely for online Warriors play. The software does not enforce the rules at all, but merely serves as a virtual tabletop and card organizer. Although Warriors is lacking art, I can put the card images into a plugin, with the necessary command structure and commonly used mechanics (dice, counters). My brother has expressed strong interest in playing online as well. The Warriors plugin v1.0 might be available by the end of January.
09 Jan 2006 = Warriors v0.3 for LackeyCCG is complete. It includes the commons only. Now starting on uncommons.
01 June 2006 = Warriors Online v0.60 (commons and uncommons) is available for download from draconiaprime0.tripod.com.
09 August 2006 = Warriors Online v0.90 for LackeyCCG is available for download from
http://www.ceruleansgames.tripod.com/warriors.htm. All rares are added, so entire 340+ cardset is incorporated. Booster definitions added to support draft formats. Begin work on v1.0 (release date indefinite). I plan on adding card type icons in upper left corner of each card.
14 March 2007 = graphic design postponed due to heavy time constraints. Need to address potential broken issue of mage abuse. Booster card distribution does not provide sufficient weapons for draft play… need to tweak booster card distribution.
← cerulean
