For each of the following board game mechanics, identify games you have played that use the mechanic.
Abstract Strategy
Are there any mechanics where you have not played any games?
Are there any mechanics that you particularly enjoy? Area Control Games that have Area Control usually pit you against other players who also want to conquer territory for their own gains as well. The sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that this mechanic provides when a player manages to conquer a large area before other players is why I enjoy this mechanic. "Take That" This mechanic is also usually implemented in games with other players. When a player plays a certain card to foil another player's plans or to put themselves at a huge advantage, it makes the player feel in power as they have just outplayed their opponents which is what I enjoy about this mechanic. Are there any mechanics that you dislike? I do not have a particular mechanic that I dislike. Each mechanic in a game has its own upsides and downsides, making it unique in its own right. This makes different games stand out as they all have different mechanics that make players feel different ways while playing, which allows players to choose games they enjoy more than others.
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Pick at least 2 board games to play with your friends. Write a mini-review for each board game that you played. Pay special attention to the game mechanics involved, and what made the game fun (or not fun).
King of Tokyo I'd rate this game a solid 8/10, would play again for sure. Players have two primary objectives to accomplish in this game, eliminating other players or earning enough stars to win the game. This allows for different strategies that players can use to beat other players. You can decide to be passive and win with stars (points) or be aggressive and eliminate every other player in the game. These 2 objectives of the game keep players on their toes as they have to keep track of every opponent's health and stars to prevent them from winning while also trying to win themselves. The following 3 mechanics are what made the game fun for me. Elimination gave players a choice to attack other players instead of simply winning the game based on points. This led to friendly banter which I feel is an important aspect of any game that allows a player to interact with others. It keeps the game interesting as players want revenge when someone attacks them. Luck (Rolling Dice) definitely plays a part in the game. During a player's turn, the player gets 3 chances to roll 6 dice. The player then chooses which of the dice to keep because each face of the die represents different things. For example if a player rolls a "paw" the player gets to attack during the turn. This mechanic makes for more dynamic gameplay because if you get a bad roll, you have to switch up your play style less your risk losing the game. This is something I look for in games as I find learning and adapting to a game one of the most fun things to do in any game. Cards (Player Powers) in the game can be purchased with in game currency generated by rolling dice. Only 3 are faced up at one time and are replaced by another card when one of the 3 of have been purchased. They give player's powers such as "Gain a Star for every card bought". Players should strategise which card they want to purchase as cards give players advantages over other players allowing the player accomplish their goals faster. This again ties back to dynamic gameplay as it is up to the player to figure out what he needs, which is why I enjoy this mechanic in the game. Carcassonne I would rate this game 8/10 as well because of the mechanics in this game which I enjoyed very much. This game has one objective, to earn as many points as possible by the end of the game. To do so, players have to control different territories which are represented by tiles. You can decide to control a castle, road or land (Tiles have patches of grass which can be connected with other tiles) and by the end of the game, tiles you control are given points. These are the mechanics that made the game fun for me. Area Control consists of the players placing "Meeples" on tiles to represent that they are currently controlling a tile. Each tile that makes up the completed road is worth 1 point for. Each tile that makes up a completed castle is worth 2 points. Each tile that connects the lands together is worth 1 point. This mechanic forces players to strategise how many meeples they want to use before the end of the game as the more meeples on a road, castle or land decides who earns the points when they are completed. This aspect again promotes friendly banter as players can challenge each other for different tiles to see who would earn the points. Tile Placement is the core of the game where one tile is drawn by each player during their turn and placed on the board. Tiles have to be connected together by either a road, castle or village. Just like before, this makes players strategise where they want to place the tiles. They can decide to block other players or continue to expand the road or castle they want to claim. Pick 2 mechanics from this list that you tend to enjoy, and explain why you enjoy them. For each mechanic, provide examples of games you enjoy that use it.
Mouse Dexterity Games that include this mechanic usually are not easy to beat, so it is always a challenge to complete them. When I finally beat the stage, there is a strong sense of accomplishment because the struggle to beat the stage has been rewarded. My favorite game that makes use of this mechanic would be 'osu!' which HEAVILY makes use of this mechanic. Building As shown in my gamer motivation profile, my Design aspect is very high. Whenever I get the chance to build a home or base, I would spend hours on end trying to make it look as good as I can possibly make it. When I am finally finished and take a step back to see the finished product. the feeling is fantastic. All my hard work and dedication to the home or base has paid off and it looks perfect. 'Terraria' and 'Minecraft' are prime examples of games that I enjoy that use this mechanic. Pick 2 mechanics from this list that you tend not to enjoy, and explain why you do not enjoy them. For each mechanic, provide examples of games that use it. Avoiding Unkillable Objects I find this mechanic rather frustrating as it limits different paths for the player. Sure there are times the player has more than 1 way to avoid the object. However in my opinion, it would be much more fun for the player to be able to remove, clear or kill the object. This opens more doors for the player and lets the player decide or figure out how to progress which gives the players a sense of choice and sometimes, accomplishment, rather than forcing them to avoid the object. Games that have this mechanic are usually horror games such as Outlast, Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Protect a Target I am fine with protecting stationary objects, but when it comes to protecting NPCs that have bad coding? Some games get it right but when they don't, oh boy does it make me feel like pulling my hair out. The poorly coded A.I. can cause the target to run into walls, get stuck somewhere, get lost or even run into the enemy. It gets so annoying that sometimes I don't even bother saving the target anymore after they run into the enemy for the 20th time. Starcraft 2 and Resident Evil are games that have this mechanic. Use the random mechanic generator on the website, and brainstorm a game idea based on the generated mechanics. Describe your game idea. Feel free to re-generate the mechanics for a new idea if necessary.
The player will have to protect a stationary target that appears randomly on the playing field. Bombs will then begin to appear around the target and start to tick down. All the bombs will have different timings and the player must defuse them before they go off to protect the target. The catch being, bombs will have different colors and the player must switch between different modes to be able to defuse the bombs with different colors. The target will have 3 lives and as the player progresses through the game, an increasing number of bombs will begin to appear. Pick 2 game genres (or sub-genres) that you tend to enjoy. Briefly describe the distinguishing features of games in these genres with relevant examples. Explain why you enjoy these game genres.
First Person Shooters As the name suggests, the point of view the player has is the first person perspective of the character they are playing as. FPS games also employ the "Twitch" mechanic where a player's reaction time is put to the test. Many FPS games today also incorporate player interactions, be it if you are against another player or working with another player. I enjoy FPS games because getting that flick shot is really satisfying to me. When I pull off something really good, it encourages me to do better. I also enjoy stomping other players because knowing that I am better than someone else is extremely satisfying to me. Role-Playing Games The player takes on the role of another character that already exists in the game's world or creates their own character. The player then progresses through the story with that character, encountering many different obstacles such as Puzzles, Quests and Foes they must overcome in order to advance in the story. RPGs immerse the player in an entirely new world that the player can explore, discovering new areas, items, abilities and much more. RPGs have always managed to peak my interest because I enjoy progression. Seeing my character grow and level up, finally reaching his or her final form gives me a sense of acommplisment |
RyanPretty avid gamer, hope you enjoy your stay! Archives
August 2018
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