Hello Everyone,
Its been a week since my last update; I’ve been using this time to simplify my game in order to create a “beginner game mode” version of Conqueror that can target casual gamers. Simplifying your game is often the most difficult task for a game designer. Here are a few tips that I hope you find helpful!
1. Don’t add any rules or exceptions to the rules. There are no exceptions to this rule
2. Find out what confuses people about your current game and strip it out. If you have played or playtested your game enough, you probably know the common mistakes or things that take people more time to learn. In Conqueror Final Conquest, these were:
a. Defensive bonuses
b. Independent armies
c. Food supply
d. Ability to attack twice in one round if your first attack was successful
e. Chronicle cards
3. Maintain what is unique about the game. In my case, the bribery mechanism is unique and shouldn’t be stripped away even if it adds some complexity to the game
4. Reduce setup time: The less components to place on a board, the better. In my case, removing independent armies reduces set up time by a goo 30sec to 1min.
My next task is to playtest these new rules and figure out if the game would still work and would still be enjoyable. Do you think I missed something? Would you be willing to playtest the game (keeping in mind it targets casual gamers)
M.Q