Re: piecepack design workshop #2: Stations v1.2 by Michael Schoessow

["Brett Myers" <brettspiel@...>]

Hi Mike


>   >I think it would be helpful to have a picture showing how there
could
>   >be two disconnected networks.  From the starting board
position, it
>   >wasn't immediately obvious to us, only near the end of the game
when
>   >we could seal off a pocket of roads in the middle due to earlier
>   >shifts did this rule make sense.
>
>   You do understand that a move that splits the network into two
separate sections is not allowed, right? I assume your comment
reflects the fact that, during much of the game, there are no
opportunities to make a such a move, even if it was legal.
>


We understood that splitting the network was illegal - it was mainly
a problem in visualization, I think.  At first read-through of the
rules, we couldn't picture a situation where one would be able to
split the network, with the constant path around the outside.  It
became obvious later, in play.  I think Mark was suggesting a
diagram of a negative example in the rules, just to clarify that
bit.


>   >It seemed as though a first-player advantage would be mitigated
by the
>   >second player making the last move, which could be devastating
(as in
>   >our game making every path doubled for me) with the first
player not
>   >having a chance to respond and repair their network.
>
>   Yes, I am a bit worried about a first player advantage, but as
you note, there can also be a last player advantage. The way the
rules are presently written, each player takes an equal number of
turns in a game, so the player who went second does always get the
last move.
>   How do you feel about the number of "slide only" moves in the
end game? Did three seem a good number to you? Do you have an
opinion on number of end-game moves versus the powerfulness of the
last move? Perhaps I could add a rule concerning what can be
accomplished on the final slide, although I generally hate rules
that are obvious "fixes", especially if it's not yet clear that
anything needs fixing.
>


To be honest, I didn't really like the slide only moves at the end.
It felt sort of counterintuitive, after spending the majority of the
game cleverly constructing my network, rationing a few of my
precious slides to try and block my opponent when possible, to then
spend three turns actively attacking each other or desperately
repairing my now-ruined network.  Of course, that may be part of the
appeal for some.


>   >I didn't try any variants, but I would be in favor of having the
>   >standard game be the old Variant 2, where all coins are worth
1, and
>   >plan to try that version out next.
>
>   If you do try that I would be extremely interested in how you
thought it compared to the version you tried, since I haven't yet
decided for sure which version I want to make the standard version.
>


We didn't go over any of the official variants when we played, but a
couple of ideas did spring to mind that I would like to try out.

1. A player may not slide a tile that holds his opponent's station
(pawn or coin).  This may add some tactical opportunities for
station placement, and would provide a strategic use for the null
coin beyond simple bluff-placement.

2. On his turn, player may either slide a tile or build a station -
never both.  This variant would need a game-end trigger - I'd
suggest the final round is triggered when one player has placed his
last station.  Both players may then take one final turn before
scores are computed.  I would like to try this variant with the
above variant.

Granted, these are a fairly radical departure from your original
rule-set, but that's the spirit of the PiecePack!


Finally, I have some observations about the clarity of the rules.

1. The rules say that a station can only be accessed from the two
adjacent sides of its tile corner, but the diagram in the lower left
of Figure 1 only counts 3 spaces to access, which would put the
access point on the diagonal space.

2. On a similar note, the counting of spaces only recognizes the
diagonal "intersection" space when crossing directly over it.  The
center diagram counts 4 spaces to access, skipping the diagonal
space, while the rightmost diagram counts 5 spaces to access,
including the intersection space.  Shouldn't we count 12 spaces of
distance around an unblocked tile perimeter (2 per side, plus the 4
corners)?

3. Can a player slide a tile in such a way that it pushes another
tile?  For example, referring to the diagram in the upper left of
Figure 1, can a player slide the lower tile upward, pushing the
already-adjacent tile 1/2 width as well?


I hope I've been clear and not too pushy in my suggestions!

Thanks for an interesting game,

Brett