Thanks for setting up this course, I’ve been having a blast creating my game and look forward to completing the course!
Title/Overview:
Big Boom Arena (5x5 Grid Game)
EDIT
After play testing the rules described below, it became obvious that gameplay was slow and clunky.
How the Battle Balloons move around the grid needs to be modified.
I am going to implement and test one at a time:
-Programmed movments via cards with directional arrows
-Programmed movements via a dice chart: players roll dice and assign those values to directions indicated on a chart.
Combat might also need reworking. Maybe eliminate the attack dice and unique combat features for either:
- A chess style piece removal.
- Pieces can’t be removed only bumped around in different directions.
Scoring changes might be necessary. Getting to the center of the board to score became cumbersome since who ever got there first would just hold the position and then easily defend it since the dice attack vaules we so low.
Scoring might be changed to “get your pieces into your opponents deployment zone. Once you score return your piece to you deployment zone and continue playing until 3 (or 5?) goals are score this way”
Two players engage in an ancient time-honored tradition of hot air balloon arena combat! Players command a team of three unique Battle Balloons trying to drop bombs into the center of the arena while fending off threats.
Victory Condition:
First player to score three goals in the center of the Grid with their Big Bomber Balloon wins.
The Big Bomber Balloon uses their Bomb Payload to score a point. They must end movement over the center grid square to drop the bomb onto the target to score one point. The round then ends and a d6 roll off for first turn unit placement for the next round begins.
The Player Experience:
Clever - where you place you units and how move them into position to deliver your Payload.
Sneaky - how players choose to place their Wind Tokens to either help themselves or hinder their opponent.
Core Mechanics:
Grid movement, Dice rolling
Core Mechanic that supports the player experience:
Hidden Wind Tokens.
Grid Game Rules:
Setup - Two players roll off for board placement then alternate until all three Battle Balloons are placed. Placement is restricted to any of the squares on the far left and far right columns starting lines (5x1 on the grid).
Wind Tokens
These are special tokens that when moved on to or bumped into will continue or alter the direction of that movement by 2 squares. These tokens display an arrow that redirects the balloon to the new direction (some will have an arrow pointing to the tokens corner indicating a diagonal direction while others will be lateral.
These six tokens are shuffled face down making sure to randomize their orientation.
Starting with the player who did not place the first unit on the board, they may choose any unoccupied square and place one if the six wind tokens face up on the board at least one square from a Battle Balloon or existing Wind Token.
The last tile for each player can be placed in any orientation of their choosing.
Movement - Battle Balloons can move one square in any direction.
Elimination - All Battle Balloons have one hit point, however, there are three Balloon types each with different d6 saving rolls to negate lethal damage.
If a Balloon is destroyed, it is placed anywhere it’s owner chooses on their starting line.
Elimination also can occur if a “bump” (see occupying the same space section) forces any balloon into the impassable board edge which is covered in deadly spikes, or if a balloon is bumped into and cannot move into an already occupied friend or foe square, this is called a “squeeze”.
Squeeze Example:
Battle Balloon 1A is adjacent to Balloon B. Balloon 2A moves next to Balloon B, in a perpendicular line thus triggering a “squeeze”. Since Balloon B is sandwiched between 1A and 1B and would normally have to move in the same direction indicated by the bump, it is instead destroyed since the square it would normally move into is currently occupied.
Occupying the same space - Battle Balloons cannot occupy the same square however, they can “bump” into each other forcing a continued movment in the same direction. If at any time a Balloon is bumped into an occupied square, this results in a squeeze as detailed above.
Battle Balloon Units
Each player has one of each of the following Balloons with the indicated characteristics:
All balloons move one square.
Big Bomber Balloon
Attack - 1d6, needs a 5+ to wound.
Melee Attack Range - One square.
Armor Save - 4+
Special - Bomb Payload: must end movement over the center grid square to drop the bomb onto the target and score one point.
Longspear Balloon
Attack - 2d6, needs a 5+ to wound.
Melee Attack Range - Two squares.
Armor Save - 5+
Armored Balloon
Attack - 1d6, needs a 6+ to wound.
Melee Attack Range - One square.
Armor Save - 2+