Board Game Design Thread

[AstroWolfie]

This is a thread for discussing board game design. Come and discuss your board games, and we can help refine it together!

I'll start with two: So, me and @BA-Forums are designing a board game based around these tiny little paper military models that he makes. We want it to play in a similar way to Star Wars: Legion, but with a real-time aspect to it. I'll get to putting rules on here, but it's pretty interesting. 

Here's my second one: I have been designing a space board game based around rolling dice to determine planet characteristics, and then gaining resources and selling/crafting them for money or to create parts. I do have the rules for it though, so I'll put them here: I also need a name, so put suggestions for both games in there. 

Spoiler

Game Rules

 

1. Game Setup:

   • Shuffle the celestial body tiles and randomly distribute a predetermined number of tiles to create the sector of space. Each tile represents a different celestial body with unique characteristics, space stations, or empty space.

   • Each player puts their starter ship miniature and places it on a space adjacent to the designated starting planets.

   • Shuffle and sort the resource cards by resource and place them face down in a separate deck.

   • Shuffle the Event cards and place them face down in a separate deck.

   • Each player starts with 3 Interstellar Credits(IC), one starter ship, and 0 Achievement Points (AP).

 

2. Turn Structure:

• The game is played through 5-10+ rounds, depending on how long you want your game to play.

• Start with the player who most recently watched a rocket launch, or the youngest/oldest player depending on your preference, then go clockwise. 

• Each player will take their 3 actions they choose from.

• Once every player has taken their actions, distribute IC generated from any sales from resources, and deliver orders to stations that the player who orders it owns.

• Draw an event card, and in the next round, whatever rules the event card modifies temporarily determines the next round’s rules, unless specified by the card. 

 

3. Actions:.

• Every turn, each player gets to choose 3 actions per ship that they can perform. They are:

• Move: Players can spend an action to move their spaceship up to three spaces away from them. The space must be DIRECTLY adjacent to the tile they are on currently.

• Explore: Players can spend an action to explore the unexplored planet if they are adjacent to the planet’s tile. 

• Gather Resources: Players can spend an action to draw primary resource cards and secondary resource cards from a planet they explored, and store it in their ship’s cargo hold. Note: the planet MUST be explored to gather resources from it.

• Trading/Selling: Players can spend an action to trade resources or items with each other. If a player builds a space station or visits one, they can sell their resources for IC there, which is distributed at the end of the round.

• Purchasing Items: When at a space station, players can spend an action to order items and resources for IC, which are placed at a space station the player who ordered it specified. As with items sold, the item is delivered at the end of the round.

• Attacking: If a player is in the same tile as an enemy ship or another player’s ships, they can choose to attack it. Players must select a weapon, roll the dice, and follow the dice roll rules that the weapon they selected follows.

• Repair: Damaged ships are able to conduct repairs to return to optimal conditions. Ships have Repair Tokens equivalent to its repair stat. Disabled ships require a resource card and Repair Token to be repaired. Docking at space stations will automatically repair you to maximum HP.

 

4. Ships and Ship Classes:

There are many ships in [insert name]. They can be adapted for many uses with Upgrade Licenses. Once a ship is upgraded, you cannot demote it back to what it was before, but you get to choose if you want your current upgrades on or not. Here are the ship Classes currently present in [insert name]:

 

• Starter Ship: The Starter Ship has basic stats in everything. It follows basic movement, attack, and resource gathering rules. It doesn’t have any major advantages other than the fact that you can upgrade it. As the name suggests, it's the ship you start with.

Stats

500 HP

1 Attack

1 Defense

1 Cargo

1 Speed

1 Resource

1 Repair

 

• Scout Spacecraft: The Scout Spacecraft excels in exploration and reconnaissance. It has increased movement range and the ability to reveal additional information about planets before exploring them, but at lower HP. To acquire this ship, you must first purchase its upgrade license.

Stats

350 HP

2 Attack

2 Defense

1 Cargo

3 Speed

1 Resource

1 Repair

 

• Cargo Hauler: The Cargo Hauler specializes in transporting resources. It has increased cargo capacity, allowing players to carry and transport more resources between planets or space stations for trading. To acquire this ship, you must first purchase its upgrade license.

Stats

500 HP

1 Attack

2 Defense

3 Cargo

2 Speed

1 Resource

1 Repair

 

• Corvette: The Corvette is a formidable combat vessel. It has enhanced offensive capabilities, dealing more damage during combat encounters with hazards, hostile ships, or other players' ships. To acquire this ship, you must first purchase its upgrade license.

Stats

750 HP

3 Attack

2 Defense

1 Cargo

1 Speed

1 Resource

2 Repair

 

• Support Tender: The Support Tender provides support and healing to other ships. It can repair damaged ships, remove negative effects, and provide buffs to friendly ships if they are in the same space as it, as long as it has sufficient resources to repair the ship(s) in question. To acquire this ship, you must first purchase its upgrade license.

Stats

350 HP

1 Attack

2 Defense

1 Cargo

1 Speed

2 Resource

3 Repair

 

• Mining Frigate: The Mining Frigate is specialized in extracting resources from planets. It has increased chances of finding valuable resources by gaining additional resource cards when gathering resources. To acquire this ship, you must first purchase its upgrade license.

Stats

500 HP

1 Attack

2 Defense

2 Cargo

1 Speed

3 Resource

1 Repair

 

5. Ship Class Bonuses:

   • Scout Spacecraft: Can move 5 spaces instead of 3, reroll one planet stat after all the planet dice have been rolled, if the ship is the one that explored the planet.

   • Cargo Hauler: More cargo capacity, increases the amount of IC when selling resources.

   • Corvette: Higher attack during combat encounters, purchasing weapons discounted at space stations while this ship is there.

   • Support Tender: Ability to repair damaged ships, remove negative effects, and provide buffs to friendly ships.

   • Mining Frigate: Increased chances of finding valuable resources by drawing 1 additional primary and secondary resource cards when gathering resources.

 

This game uses miniatures for the spaceships and you need to bring your three Starter Ships and 3 sets of each ship class. We have STL files for 3D printing, but you can make your ships out of anything you want, be it metal, cardboard, paper, plastic, foam, plush, etc. Make sure to customize your ships for a personal touch! 

 

Now that we have discussed ship classes, we shall discuss how you take your turn.

 

6. Movement

• If you choose to move through space, you must spend an action to move. If your ship is a ship without engine upgrades, you move 3 spaces (the edges of the hex tiles.)

 

7. Exploring Planets

• Planets and their features are randomly generated by randomly placing tiles from the deck and placing their unexplored face up on the game board, creating a solar system with points of interest to explore.

• When you discover a planet, fill out a planet card with planet information.

 

8. Gathering Planetary Resources:

• If you are on a planet that has been explored, you can gather resources from it. Depending on what Primary and Secondary resources are available, you can spend an action to gather resources. You will draw 2 Primary Resource cards and 1 Secondary Resource card. Depending on what ship class and tools it has onboard, it can draw extra Resource cards. 

 

9. Trading and Selling Resources:

• Players may spend an action to negotiate and trade with other players. Both players involved must reach a consensus before trading begins. When trading at space stations, you must have a ship with the resources in question close to that station. They can also sell their resources for IC, which is distributed at the end of the round. If you give a station 2 of the same resource card, you can receive 1 resource card of your choice when you trade.

 

10. Ship Upgrades and Purchasing Ships:

    • If you have sufficient IC, you can purchase Upgrade Cards and more spacecraft at space stations.When you purchase one, you can either have it take up cargo space, or equip it right away. There are many types of upgrade cards, such as weapons, engines, cargo systems, mining equipment, and more. There is a tech tree for these cards, which I am working on.

    • If you purchase a spacecraft, it begins as a starter ship. You must wait until the next turn to use the ship. Once you have the ship, it can take its own three actions. You may have up to three ships in one game.

 

11. Attacking:

• If a player’s ship encounters hostile forces or another player, they may choose to spend an action to attack them. A player must announce who they are attacking and which ship is attacking. When a player begins an attack, they must follow these rules:

1. Select Weapons: Players must select a weapon from each of the ships in the encounter’s weapon systems. Depending on the weapon type, there are different rules that players must follow when using them. 

2. Attack: Both players will use their attacks at the same time, each rolling a six-sided die. Follow the weapon rules to determine if the attack hit, and what effects it has.

3. Damage and Defense: Compare the amount of damage to each of your ship’s armor plating’s stats. If the amount is less than the armor plating stats, subtract the amount of damage from the armor plating. If your ship’s armor plating reaches zero, the rest of the damage is inflicted on the ship. If the ship’s HP reaches zero, it is disabled, where it is unable to perform any actions and must be repaired.

4. Resolve Effects: Some weapons have special effects that must be resolved. Now is when to resolve them. 

 

12. Repair: If a ship is damaged, you can spend a Repair Token. The amount of Repair Tokens you have is equivalent to your ship’s Repair stat. If your HP is 50% of its maximum or higher, your Repair Token will return you back to maximum HP. If it is below 50% maximum, it will return you to 50%. In the case that your HP is a decimal, round up or down when appropriate. Some upgrades are able to passively repair you, if you are damaged. In that case, you do not need to spend your repair tokens for these passive repairs. Passive repairs don’t work on disabled ships, though. Disabled ships are able to be repaired if you spend 1 Resource card and 1 Repair Token. You can also repair disabled ships with another ship’s Repair Tokens if they are in the same space. When docked at a space station, you are automatically restored to 100% of your maximum HP and armor plating.

 

13. Achievement Points and Victory: After the rounds have elapsed, the game ends. Now, players compare the amounts of planets, ships disabled, amount of IC, tech tree level, and amount of resources. Throughout the game, there are many different methods to get Achievement Points at the end of the game. Some ways include: 

• Disabling the most ships

• Discovering the most planets

• Having the most IC

• Having the highest tech tree level

• Having the most resources

14. Final Words: Thank you for reading these rules, and I hope that you will be able to beta test this version of the game! Good luck, and thank you for playing!

 

-wolf