A Kerbal Card Game

[Atanar]

This is inspired by Holos "Lowish Frontier: A Very WIP Kerbal Board Game" but yet entirely diffrent:

It's a card-only-game with additional dice. There are 3 diffrent sets of cards:

Locations

They have 2 stats, delta-v-requirement and a certain point value (how many points exactly is for late-design-stage balance)

They are layed out openly. They will be 18, all celestial bodies with the dirt runway and the second space centre on kerbin.

Parts

There are 4 sub-categories:

- structural elements, they are diffrent positive values for structure (struts and stuff)

- fuel parts and engines (and maybe kerbals), they have a value for delta-v

- command modules, they have negative values for structure

These are in a concealed deck in the middle. Each round you draw 2 cards (one of them openly perhaps to make the other players suspicious), and you start with a few of these

Action cards

- there are as many as location cards

- they are shuffeled and concealed one each under the location cards

Rules:

The goal is to collect the points from the location cards. You get a card by "constructing" a rocket in a downcard deck infront of you. You can start multiple ones. They have to contain a command module and at least one engine and fuel tank. They can contain structural elements. If it is you turn you have to play 1 to 3 cards onto those decks. You can also "launch" one rocket per turn. At the launch a number of 6-dice is rolled and if that number exeeds your total structural value your rocket explodes and you gain nothing. But if you get a sucessful mission you get a location card of your choice which you can "reach" with your delta-v.

If you have kerbal cards, those can have a positive or negative impact on structural value instead of the command pods (which then have a crew requirement). If you reach you also get the action card on your hand which you can then play, so shooting for the most valuable targets isn't always the best option.

The played (destroyed and launched) cards are put to another deck which will be shuffled to replace the part deck once it is empty.

Goal

To get as many points from clollected location cards as possible. Game ends when all are distributed.

Possible action cards:

- space kraken: play when opponent launches. negative value added to structural value

- gravity assist: 50% more delta-v on your rocket when played

- spacetape: even if your lauch should fail you are sucessful anyway

- "wait, that's the wrong direction": subtract x delta-v to other players rocket

- orbit fuel depot: add x delta-V v to your rocket

- jebediah's junkyard yardsale: draw 5 cards

- SSTO: add x delta-v to your rocket

- parachutes: halve the costs to go to a planet with atmosphere

- "I'm Batt Man!" - the minumun requirement for command module, enigine and fuel tank for the next launch can be ignored, only delta-v counts

- Extreme EVA: your rocket does not arrive at the location but the 520ms delta-v in the rcs pack gets your kerbal(s) there

- Jebediah Expertise: Jeb's faith in more power more boosters adds x delta v but subtracts x to structural value due to lack of control over boosters

- 0.19: Your kerbals discovered the wheel, which allows you to explore the planet. Keep the card with it's point value

- TT18-A Launch Stability Enhancer: Increases ship structural value by x points

- Intercept: Poor timing causes you to miss your target, but you intercept another body (the nearest other planet/moon that is closer to kerbin)

- easter egg: the kerbal space programm awards your discovery with 5 cards from your opponents, drawn from their hands clockwise

- return flight: keep 3 parts of your choice of your ship after sucessful mission

- scavenge the debis: take the parts of an usucessful launch for yourself

- resources: an error in time-space get's you to the future. You can mine resources, launch the ship with 50% delta-v again!

I think this will be an interesting game and I will make some ugly cards to test if it works.

Also I could use a catchy name and maybe some general ideas.

©Atanar 2013

Edited May 29, 2013 by Atanar

[Holo]

I can make cards for you if you want.

[Atanar]

I can make cards for you if you want.

Nice. But I first need to make a balanced, working game so I know how the cards need to look like.

[Holo]

Since you've got the dirt runway as a location card, why not location cards for the Armstrong Memorial and Face on Duna? They could offer bonus points for the first to visit them (points for "discovery")

[Atanar]

Since you've got the dirt runway as a location card, why not location cards for the Armstrong Memorial and Face on Duna? They could offer bonus points for the first to visit them (points for "discovery")

I'll keep that in mind if I feel the need of more location cards.

[recon14193]

Action Card ideas

Short Circuit: you forgot to deploy your solar panels, your aircraft is lost without power

Extreme EVA: your rocket does not arrive at the location but the 520ms delta-v in the rcs pack gets your kerbal(s) there

Jebediah Expertise: Jeb's faith in more power more boosters adds x delta v but if you roll x number you miss your target due to lack of control over boosters

Buzz the Tower: the reckless action of flying your rocket by the tower before ascending has grounder further launches until after your next turn

Aero Brake: On a planet with atmosphere and and transfers to moons of Jool adds delta v by decreasing amount needed to circularize

0.19: Your kerbals discovered the wheel, which allows you to move one ship to another location on the same planet

Government Grant: Faith in your space program allows you to launch two rockets on your next turn

TT18-A Launch Stability Enhancer: Increases ship structural value by x points

Intercept: Poor timing causes you to miss your target, but you intercept another body e.g. going to minnimus but the moon catches you on the way

alt-f12: Your next launch has unlimited delta-v but your points gained are quartered

I'll come up with more later.

I think it would be coll to add a research card aspect too that allows you to use parts like the nuclear and ion engine.

[Holo]

Solar Eclipse - All electric parts stop working but your points are increased if you succeed (due to being able to take the pretty screenshot)

[MmPMSFmM]

Powered by: BATTMAN - Charges your batteries and resupplies the Blutonium for your RTGs

[Atanar]

Action Card ideas

Extreme EVA: your rocket does not arrive at the location but the 520ms delta-v in the rcs pack gets your kerbal(s) there

Jebediah Expertise: Jeb's faith in more power more boosters adds x delta v but if you roll x number you miss your target due to lack of control over boosters

0.19: Your kerbals discovered the wheel, which allows you to move one ship to another location on the same planet

TT18-A Launch Stability Enhancer: Increases ship structural value by x points

Intercept: Poor timing causes you to miss your target, but you intercept another body e.g. going to minnimus but the moon catches you on the way

I like these, I will include them. But I think I have to modify it for the weels one to make sense. Thank you a lot!

It will sadly not be possible to include score changes without making the game much more complicated.

I got all 18 action cards now, but ideas are still welcome!

Edited May 29, 2013 by Atanar

[recon14193]

Couple name ideas:

Kerbonomy:The KSP board game

Kerbastronamics

Kerbopoly: The Space Conquering Board Game

Krisk: The Kerbol Conquering Game

Kerbal Board Program

and for general ideas:

it would be cool to make the planets and their moons pieces that move each turn so that you can launch any time you want but you lose least delta v on certain turns but ovbiously because of this far planets like jool have more points in relation to close ones like the moon

as I said before research point or cards or some kind of research thing where you unlock things like the nuclear or ion engine

I'll let other general ideas bounce around and get back to you i'll tell you if i think of any ore names too if you don't like those

[Panichio]

A name for it could perhaps be something like 'Kerbal Cards: A KSP-themed space exploration card game'. I like the alliteration of that one.

Anyway, awesome work so far, Atanar. I'm liking how this is going.

[IWantSumCrusha]

I can make cards for you if you want.

Ditto; this would be fun doing this alongside my kerbalised posters of films/games once i get back from my holiday!

[capi3101]

How are you going about with development so far, out of curiosity? Are you planning on building a physical prototype? I ask because I have experience with building mods in the VASSAL Engine, and I feel the need to pitch it. It's an easy way to prototype a game without having to build anything physical. It also has an active community with a server dedicated to the purpose of hosting games.

Key advantages:

1) Because you aren't building anything physical, you save money on printing that stuff out. It gets awful expensive to have something like a prototype playing piece printed out only to discover later that you can't use it or to decide later that you don't want to use it. The board alone on my first printed prototype game ran $30, and that was just a laminated poster print job at the local Kinkos...

2) Making changes is as easy as updating an image file (again, saving you money on printing).

3) As long as other people have the same mod, you can playtest the game with folks from around the world. Trust me, getting playtesting input from folks who have no emotional investment in you is pure gold.

I think I'll recommend VASSAL to Holo too...I'd definitely be interested in seeing/playtesting some KSP-inspired board/card game.

Name ideas......uh......"Delta-V", "Kerbal Card Program", "Kerbal Training Center".....man, those are terrible.