For a few days I've been thinking about the medium of the web-forum for game design. Most of the forum games we see here are light-hearted and, frankly, not real games (in the sense that they can't be won or lost). So I set out to create a game that meets the following criteria:
It must be asynchronous
* It must not involve props, like a board or cards.
* It should accommodate a number of players (more than 2).
* It should involve creative writing.
* It shouldn't last more than a week or so when played on a forum, assuming 1-2 posts/day.
The result, was a game called
Arbiter, which I have not tested
AT ALL. This thread is to gather feedback to tighten up anything which I have overlooked.
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[ic Concept]The idea behind Arbiter is that the archmage of a fantastic university has recently died, leaving the leading high wizards to battle for the vacant position. The university however is no normal institution but is, in fact, alive in a manner of speaking. To keep the school stable, a high wizard must enter the innermost sanctum and meditate with the life force. This wizard is called the Arbiter, and he or she can see all that happens, has happened and some of what will happen. Each week, a new Arbiter is chosen by the university.[/ic]
[ic Core Rules]Arbiter is a turn-based strategy game designed for 5+ players (not quite sure yet what the right number is). Each player controls a high wizard in the school who can cast spells. Each turn represents one week at the university, and on any given turn one player will be Arbiter. During a turn, players secretly tell the Arbiter what actions they take for that week, and after a set period of time, or after all players have stated their actions, the Arbiter posts the results of the week and a new Arbiter takes over.[/ic]
[ic Winning]All players start out as 1st level wizards (not related to D&D at all). The primary way to become archmage (and win) is to reach 10th level. A player moves up one level through a number of paths, which vary from researching ancient secrets to killing other wizards. In the rare event that only two wizards remain, the wizard with the highest level wins.[/ic]
[ic Turn Basics]Turn order is as follows:
Events
* Mana Recharge
* Discussion
* Results
Discussion is the main phase during a turn, and has a fixed time-limit (I suggest 48 hours). During the discussion phase, wizards talk amongst themselves freely, making alliances and trying to sway their fellow sorcerers. Any time before the time limit, each wizard must send a private message to the Arbiter, detailing their actions in the week to come. After the time limit, or after all wizards have sent in their actions, the Arbiter figures out how the week goes down and posts the
results. Each turn, as part of the results, a new Arbiter is chosen.
At the beginning of a turn, certain effects can occur (called events), which are stated in the same post as the results. After events occur, all wizards other than the new arbiter gain
50 mana, which serves as currency with which to perform actions during a turn.[/ic]
[ic The Arbiter]As part of their action, all players
bid mana on becoming the next Arbiter. Whomever bids highest in their private message becomes the Arbiter for the next turn, everyone else gets to keep the mana that they bid. In case of a tie, the current Arbiter chooses. All bids are secret, even after the next Arbiter is chosen.
The old arbiter then privately sends all secret information to the new Arbiter and steps down.
An Arbiter cannot lie, they cannot participate in any discussion, nor can they share any classified information with other players (unless a rule says they can, like if the player uses a divination spell). After they stop being Arbiter, however, a player can say whatever they want and share any or all of the secrets they learned. It's important to note, however, that an ex-Arbiter
can lie about any or all of their supposed "secrets."
After all actions are sent in, an Arbiter may also "foresee" a single event (see Events), which typically occurs at the start of the next turn, but can occasionally take a few turns to occur.[/ic]
[ic Actions]When a player sends in their actions to the Arbiter, they include their bid (if any) as well as any spells or commands.
Spells are the actions of your character. Spells have a single effect, though many can create items, beasts or enchantments which continue to work for multiple turns.
If you have a minion under your control, you may also command it to perform an action (and only one action per turn). Minions cannot be commanded on the turn they enter play.
[blockquote Example Spell]Forge * Mana Ring
Magic Item
Cost: 30 mana
Speed: 1
You gain a magical ring which increases the mana you gain each turn by +5. The effects of multiple rings do not stack[/blockquote]
[blockquote Example Minion]Summon * Sprite
Weak Faerie Minion
Cost: 10 mana
Speed: 5
Augments: Shadow (+40 mana)
You summon a tiny faerie with a mischievous sense of humor and the following abilities:
Snatch (Command)
Stealthy Attack
Speed: 7
Roll: On a 3 or better, the sprite takes a single, named,
item from another wizard and gives it to its owner. The sprite is revealed.
A sprite can only snatch if it is not defending.[/blockquote]
As can be seen in the examples, all actions have a speed. Actions with the highest speed resolve first. In the case of speed-ties, the Arbiter choses what happens first.[/ic]
[ic Beasts and Places]Some spells create items, which are though to be carried by your wizard, while others create
features. When a feature is crafted, the wizard states where the feature exists. For example, if I were to cast Forge * Healing Fountain, I could say that it exists in the "Secluded Courtyard."
Minions, in addition to having a few specific commands, all have the ability to defend and assault. By default, minions are thought to be wandering about on their own, or following their master. One can command a minion to defend a specific location (usually containing a feature), and they will continue to do so until you command them to return. Minions can also be commanded to assault a specific location. If the targeted location contains a feature and has no defenders, the wizard who sent the minion gains control of all features present. Assault and defense actions have a speed equal to the speed of the minion's summon spell.[/ic]
[ic Secrets]Arbiter is a game that revolves around secrets. Many things can be
shadowed, and are not posted by the Arbiter during the resolution phase. For instance, if I summoned a shadowed sprite, the Arbiter would not let the other wizards know that I had a sprite under my control. Being shadowed has no innate duration. Something that is revealed ceases to be shadowed. Features and defending minions which are assaulted by revealed minions become revealed, minions who are become revealed if they assault a location with a revealed minion or feature. (The only case where an assault does not reveal, is if all parties are shadowed. In such a case, the Arbiter privately informs each party as to the results of the conflict).
While the Arbiter cannot normally lie, Illusion spells can force the Arbiter to post fiction.[/ic]
[ic Spells]All spells look follow this general template:
[blockquote Spell Template]
Domain * SpellDescriptorsCost: X mana
Speed: X
Augments: ??? (+X mana)
Effects. If the spell produces a minion, include the following commands:
Action (Command)
DescriptorsSpeed: X
Effects.[/blockquote]
Augments are optional effects which can be added to a spell for a certain cost.
If an action says "Roll:" then it means a single 6-sided die.
[/ic]