Comments on: partnerships http://gamethought.funkcracker.com/2009/11/25/partnerships/ a record of thoughts on games and game design Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:48:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: funkcracker http://gamethought.funkcracker.com/2009/11/25/partnerships/comment-page-1/#comment-111 funkcracker Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:04:24 +0000 http://gamethought.funkcracker.com/?p=121#comment-111 As you state, 100% cooperative games are difficult to design so that it isn't solitaire with spectators. One of your commenters mentioned a time-pressure element could mitigate that problem by forcing players to focus on their own decisions and not everyone else's. I haven't played Space Alert, but from the description it sounds like Chvatil thought that was a good plan. Board games require a certain amount of social understanding between the players. Rules define a lot of these, but there's a lot of "rules" that are understood (e.g., you can't take the board and tip it over). Computer games (mentioned as a good model for coop games) have the advantage of 1) requiring real-time decisions, and 2) restricting players in many more ways than is feasible to mention in a board game rulebook. The trick for coop board games is designing enough constraint to prevent one player from running the game, but still allow players to coordinate strategies. As you state, 100% cooperative games are difficult to design so that it isn’t solitaire with spectators. One of your commenters mentioned a time-pressure element could mitigate that problem by forcing players to focus on their own decisions and not everyone else’s. I haven’t played Space Alert, but from the description it sounds like Chvatil thought that was a good plan.

Board games require a certain amount of social understanding between the players. Rules define a lot of these, but there’s a lot of “rules” that are understood (e.g., you can’t take the board and tip it over). Computer games (mentioned as a good model for coop games) have the advantage of 1) requiring real-time decisions, and 2) restricting players in many more ways than is feasible to mention in a board game rulebook.

The trick for coop board games is designing enough constraint to prevent one player from running the game, but still allow players to coordinate strategies.

]]> By: Seth Jaffee http://gamethought.funkcracker.com/2009/11/25/partnerships/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Seth Jaffee Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:34:43 +0000 http://gamethought.funkcracker.com/?p=121#comment-109 I have put some thought into this topic as well - in my posts I discussed it as looking for a way to do a truly <i>cooperative</i> game, rather than a collaborative one - what I refer to as "Solitaire by Committee." You're welcome to <a href="http://sedjtroll.blogspot.com/2008/01/cooperative-games-very-definition-of.html" rel="nofollow">check out my posts on the subject</a> - I have not taken the time to figure out how exactly to get these ideas into a game yet. Well, that's <a href="http://sedjtroll.blogspot.com/2009/07/time-travel-and-board-games.html" rel="nofollow">not entirely true</a>, but I have yet to get anywhere I like with it. I have put some thought into this topic as well – in my posts I discussed it as looking for a way to do a truly cooperative game, rather than a collaborative one – what I refer to as “Solitaire by Committee.”

You’re welcome to check out my posts on the subject – I have not taken the time to figure out how exactly to get these ideas into a game yet. Well, that’s not entirely true, but I have yet to get anywhere I like with it.

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