Customized Start, 9.30.08

Pick your beginning!

A) Welcome to another mechanic of the day! Today we have customized starting positions. Whenever players get some choice in how they begin the game, that’s a customized start. It can be as simple as starting location (Tsuro) or as grand as setting up the board itself (Combat Commander). So, without further ado…

B) Io! It’s time for Mechanic of the Day, with today’s … didn’t I say this already? Lets just get down to it.

-Pregame Build. Players are given ‘X’ resources to use as they see fit prior to the game beginning. With a Pregame Build, players can do exactly what they want to set up their strategy. Want lots of defense? Build towers and walls. Want to crank that economy? Buy an extra bank or two. In a factory game, you could spend your money on extra workers, different machinery or even more space for new machines later.

-Character Choice. Players are given a pool of ‘charaters’ to choose from prior to starting the game, with each character having unique attributes. This is similar to role selection, only it occurs before the game even begins; with the character having some special ability. The special abilities can range from extra actions to more movement, etc. For a climbing game, one character could use less rope while another character can cover more difficult terrain more easily. When combined with Pregame Build, you can customize your character to your tastes.

-Starting Position. Players choose where they will begin the game. Oftentimes, this is done for some benefit; bonus resources, good defense, risky yet lucrative position, etc. It could also be as simple as where you begin moving from in an exploration or race game (all starting points being overall equal).

There ya have it. You all don’t get a customized finish. That wasn’t what this was about, so…

Keep on designing, yo!

Phil