Multiplayer Mayhem

WELCOME BACK 'SLINGERS!

Too much excitement? Sorry. Today is all about multiplayer rules. I'll be specifically talking about the physical card game implementation of multiplayer, but it more or less applies to the app as well.

Grimslingers is all about keeping a fast pace, while maintaining deeply strategic card play. If you aren't already familiar with the way the 2 player duel works, both players attack each other at the same time (like you would in a typical western duel).

BEST WATCH YER BACK NOW

The 3-4 player version of the game also has all players attack each other at the same time. I'm not a big fan of waiting on other players to take their turns, which was a big influence on the decision to have everyone go at once.

It's kind of a like a Mexican Standoff. You don't know who's going to attack who, and it's going to be chaotic when it all goes down. Duels aren't meant to last long, so don't expect to live longer than a few turns. When you come out as the last one standing, it's going to feel pretty great though!

The rules are still being finalized and play tested, but here's how they look right now:

- HOW TO PLAY THE GAME -

3-4 PLAYER DEATHMATCH

This version of the game  is set up and works identical to the 2 player duel, with only a few differences.

1. Each player needs to have 4 “Target” cards. If you are player one, take the target card for player one and place it beside your character card. Players are not allowed to be the same number as another. Therefore, someone needs to use target card #1, another player takes target card #2, and so on.

(art and text not finalized)

2. All players attack at the same time. Each player must choose a target for their spell during the “Draw” phase. To do this, pick one of your target cards and place it face down with whatever spell you have chosen to play

1. If you are passing, or your spell does not target one specific foe, you must still play a target card. When you reveal your cards, do not flip over your target card.

2. Once all players have revealed their cards, players must check to see who is opposed and who is not. This means that if the player you have chosen has NOT chosen you, you are unopposed.

3. If more than one player is unopposed, each must draw a card from the number deck. The player with the highest card goes first, and so on. (re-draw if tied). Resolve your card as outlined in phase three, “The Aftermath” of the 2 player duel.

4. If your target has also targeted you, you are opposed. Opposed cards are resolved after unopposed cards. If all players are opposed, each pair of players will resolve their cards at the same time. Opposing players will resolve their cards by following the instructions in phase three, “The Aftermath”, of the 2 player duel.

3. When using “Create Distraction” you must state which player you are trying to distract.

4. When facing off, the player who has the lowest personal target card goes first.

There you have it folks! Cards will soon have further classification to state whether it targets 1 foe, all foes, yourself, or no one. 

Team duels will likely be a small expansion to the game with extra signatures just for teams.

As always, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

TAKE COVER!!!!

Howdy 'Slingers, 

Welcome back! I'd like to share a few updates to the Grimslingers gameplay.

• More Standoff Abilities Added: Take Cover! and Create Distraction.
• Water's element effect is now a red banner. 
• Fire's effect only discards elements now instead of all spells. 
• Reckoning scores adjusted.
• Elements are now deactivated when used. 
• Solo element effects have been removed.

Alright, so lets go over each bullet.

More Standoff Abilities Added

My design philsophy with Grimslingers is that you ALWAYS have a chance to turn the duel around and come out on top. Well, there were times when you only had 1 hp and 0 energy. Which meant you could do absolutely nothing but wait to die next turn. Not cool!

Hence the "Take Cover!" ability being added. Here's what it does:

"Try and find some cover. +2 energy, foe’s element spells will do no damage or red banner effects if you succeed. If you fail, you will not be allowed to use any spells this turn. Draw a number card, 3 or 4 is a success."

So, if you happen to be at 1 hp and 0 energy, you could try and find cover. Your chances are slim, but you DO have a chance!

"Create Distraction" wasn't put into the game to solve any problems but rather to add to your options. You'll only ever be using 1 spell per turn, so this ability lets you get some decent use out of your unused spells.

Here's how it looks:

"Use any active element spell to create a distraction. Deduct energy costs and deactivate it. Foe will take double damage this turn if successful. Draw a number card, 5 is a success."

If both players successfully distract each other, the effect is nullified for both. Creating a distraction doesn't guarantee you anything, but it COULD be awesome if you manage to hit them with a spell. Personally, I'd try and distract, then if successful I'd surge, cast Foresight, pop in lightning. That'd do 8 damage, potentially 18 if I apexed in a face-off and my opponent busted. Single turn win. Now....the chances of that going perfectly aren't great, but they are there!

The skills are located on the back of your character card. You can only use one or the other, so you'll flip the card over and state which one you are attempting to use.

Water's Effect is now a Red Banner

If you aren't familiar with the game's mechanics, blue banner effects are guaranteed to happen, red banner effects only happen if you successfully hit for foe. 

I switched water to red because healing in a game that is meant to be quick slows it down, especially if said healing is guaranteed (which it was if you used water). Water is still very effective when you do get healed, because you can convert that health back into energy after. It also made Earth a more practical defense (instead of water) because it's "-2 damage from foe's attack" is guaranteed to happen. So...if you need some defense and energy, try and use water. If you really need to avoid damage, use Earth. 

Fire's Effect

Fire's effect use to discard any spell at random. Now it will only discard element spells. The reason behind this relates to reckoning scores, which requires a longer explanation than anyone would want :P.

"The Reckoning" Scores Adjusted

Lots of testing in the app version of Grimslingers has helped me fine tune the scoring system for the physical card game. Admitedly, this is probably going to require more adjustments. It works good as is, but until we get players really testing it out and providing feedback, it's as good as it's gonna get. 

Deactivate After Use

Elements are not deactivated after each use (deactivations only last one turn). This was implemented to prevent players from spamming a particular element over and over. Spamming didn't break the game at all, it was just annoying. This way, players are forced to try different spells from turn to turn.

Solo Element Effects GONE!

I've removed the solo effects of each element. So now, if the element's synergy is broken, the element will no longer have any special effects. For instance, water will give you +2 HP if your ice is active. But if your ice ISN'T active, your water will no longer have that special effect. This has had a huge a meaningful impact on the strategy of the game.

That's all for now folks.

High Moon Is No More.

As a noob game developer, I've made a few mistakes. Ok fine, a lot of mistakes. One of them being a misunderstanding of how trademarks work.

Now, I haven't been accused of infringing, and I don't think I ever would be. But the reality is, I could be. There is a webseries comic called "High Moon", which I knew about after I started using the name High Moon (but totally should have known about it beforehand) and thought distinguishing my IP as "High Moon The Game" and "High Moon: The Elements" would be good enough to avoid any legal troubles.

Well, this week, for the third time in the year I've been using the name High Moon, someone asked if it was at all related to the web comic. Both are westerns, both feature supernatural things.

As I understand it, trademark infringement depends a lot on if your IP can be confused with another, and seem logically linked. If the other High Moon was a research lab dedicated to studying the lunar cycles, there wouldn't really be much of an issue.

So, before any issues arise, I'm changing the name of the game.

It's a pretty big hit in terms of progress. Seeing as everyone knows the game as High Moon. The transition itself will take awhile too as I've got to change the name everywhere. But this is the consequence of not doing my research. Learn from my bad example! LEARN!!!

The new name is...

Undecided so far! But here are a list of candidates that are available (all of them would likely have subtitles, like High Moon: The Elements): 

Dusk 'til Death
Iron & Magic (the game has a lot of robots in it)
Sundown: Duels (this one probably sounds the most like a game)
Sunset Slinger
Grimslinger (Grim is short for Grimoire Animus, which are little companion robots you use to cast magic. It's what gives you your abilities really. So, technically you play a grimslinger in the game. More on that to come later!)
Wild Iron

Which do you prefer?

The Reckoning

Howdy Folks, 

Today's post is a small update to the game, with large implications!

I've been writing a blog on game design and I realized I missed one of my own points in High Moon. So I decided to add it in. The general idea is "multiple ways to win". 

Essentially it's a scoring system that determines how well you played, instead of just win/lose. The app implementation of High Moon was going to have this regardless, but I've found a way to add it to the physical card game that should be fairly satisfying and provide for more unique play styles and motivations.

Here's how it works: 

Phase Four - The Reckoning (ONLY IF A PLAYER HAS BEEN DEFEATED)

The Iron Witch will pass judgement upon you and your opponent, scoring how well each of you has done in this duel.

1. Use the list on the “scoring list” card to calculate each players’ score.

2. The player with the highest score wins the duel, and the Iron Witch’s favor. In the event of a tie, the Iron Witch will be equally pleased with all players.

If you can't read it on the card, the scoring is as follows:

• +1 for each health point you have left
• +1 for each energy point you have left.
• +1 if all your elements are active
• +1 if you were not defeated
• -1 if you were defeated
• -1 for each of your discarded element spells
• -1 for each of your active signature spells
• -1 if you are suffering from withdrawal

These are all things that can be figured out at the end of the duel, so you don't need to keep track of the score throughout. 

Why does this make the game better? Well! It gives you different incentives while playing. Do you try and force your opponent to discard as much as possible? Do you choose void as your signature spell to make discarding guaranteed? Do you use Ice to reduce your opponent's energy AND health? Do you use water as your final blow to give you a boost in HP? Or do you use Ice again to plunge them into withdrawal as they are defeated?

Lots of different strategies for reducing their score and improving your own. So the focus is now more on how you play, instead of win/lose. To me that's a lot more rewarding for all players, even those who are defeated. Maybe I only lost by 1 point? Maybe I was defeated but still had a higher score!

Along with this change, the health tracker no longer says "death", instead it says "defeat", which makes way more sense in the context of the story anyway.

Speaking of story...I updated the introduction in the rulebook to reflect these changes:

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Somewhere beyond God’s reckonin’, is a place called the Forgotten West. A prison land of sorts, housing the damned, the mysterious, the unfortunate. You ended up there, God knows why, and you sure ain’t leavin’ anytime soon.

The Iron Witch, a downright mysterious bein’, has sired you into his coven, grantin’ you the ability to use powerful magics. It’s unclear why he chose a scruffy low-life such as yer self, but he did...and now it’s time you showed ‘im what yer made of! The Iron Witch is requirin’ all his newly sired to duel each other at High Moon, so that he can make y’all into witches proper.

But you ain't brandishin' no pistols in this here duel, no sirree. That’d be too cliché. Instead you’ll be battlin’ foes with the elements! Freezin’ em to bits, blowin’ ‘em to bits, electrocutin’ ‘em to bits...well you get the picture. There’ll be lots of bits when all is said and done.

Equally matched against your fellow witches, you got to master the elements with all their particular strengths and weaknesses. Mind yerself now, this ain’t just about winnin’ or losin’. The Iron Witch is more interested in how y’all duel. Any fool can throw down hellfire and burn up the whole damn town. Nah, he’s lookin’ for the clever ones.

So stay sharp, focused, and try not to get dead! It’d be such a waste...

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What do you think of these changes? Post a comment :) 

Also, big thanks to everyone who helped with wording!