Subject:
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The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
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Date:
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Fri, 22 Nov 2002 10:42:46 GMT
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Viewed:
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1739 times
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> Hmmmm ... how hard would it be to come up with a game system based around these
> portable cases? Each case would be limited to a given number of *pieces*, but
> each person could use whatever pieces they so desired. Then a person builds a
> robot of some sort, or a vehicle, or whatever, and uses it to combat the other
> persons. On each turn, you could use your remaining pieces to build another
> robot (or ship ...) in response to the other persons' forces ...
> One of the greatest elements of some games is the preparation and the
> personalization. Brikwars is great ni that respect - I love spending hours
> perfecting my troops. Way back in college, that was one of the most intriguing
> elements of Magic: the Gathering. Same resources (essentially) available to
> all, but SO VERY DIFFERENT in the strategies, themes, and executions. Now, can
> something similar be designed for a portable bot factory? A set of rules for
> play, whereby two people go head-to-head, and can play new 'bots, or upgrade
> existing ones. Different people would obviously have different strategies - I
> might go for more buzzsaws and drills, while my opponent uses oilcans and a
> flamethrower.
>
> There would have to be some standardization of parts, though, and what their
> capabilities were. Drills, saws, little guns, cameras, hover engines, treads,
> and so and and so forth would all need to fit in the same contextual layout.
> But what each user puts in their case could be completely individualized, and
> furthermore how they are used in play would add another element of variation.
> Massive robots, strong but few in numbers? Little robots, swarming in great
> groups?
>
> I'd love to see someone (or the group as a whole) develop something along these
> lines. How fun would it be to play this at a 'fest, or a LUG meeting?
A great idea.
A quick hello first - I am a long time lurker, first time poster. My name is
James and I am a legoholic! I live in Reading in the UK. I have yet to post
any pictures, but hope to. Soon. I promise....
I emerged from my "Dark Age" after discovering Brikwars, but I think a true
Lego game should be primarily about building rather than just using Lego as
playing pieces.
I think Lego is a great medium for gaming - it is all about infinite
possibilities from simple components. Its like Go - only a few rules, but
inifinite depth.
With lego you have both colour and shape to work with. Probably TOO many
shapes to define function for each of them, even if you only consider the
small parts, so I would think you would need to limit the game to specific
parts, or group them by type.
A "traditional" wargame would probably require terrain for the battles to be
interesting, which would negate the portability of the game. I think
therefore an abstract battle (much like Magic) would be a better idea.
Possible powers:
Wheels/legs/other motive devices: Manuevering/agility - change the range of
combat, avoid attacks
Weapons: blow stuff up ;) Chainsaws, hammers and so on would only work at
close range, guns at medium, Big Guns and missiles at long
Shields/armour: prevent or redirect damage
Repair systems
Wings/jump packs: allow flight to avoid combat/drop bombs or whatever
Colours could be used to determine the type of attack - e.g a white gun
would be an ice weapon, and would be blocked by a fire shield (red). Some
simple, easy to remember hierarchies should be used - fire melts ice, ice
freezes water, water puts out fire, that sort of thing. Like
scissors-paper-stone.
The game would be best if it were simple enough not to require a rulebook
once you had learned the rules. The kit could probably contain a die, but
some other method of random determination might be preferable.**
Just typing out ideas as they come to me at the moment. What do you think?
James
P.S. I am also working on a Lego game based on Steve Jackson's Car Wars,
working title "Burning Plastic". Watch this space...
** You can simulate an "n" sided die roll with a 1xn plate or brick. One
player secretly places a 1x1 piece on the brick somewhere, then the other
person chooses a number between 1 and n. The brick is then revealed and the
person counts along the studs from the marked place, "wrapping round" if he
reaches the end. However many studs along it lands it the die roll. Hope
this makes sense:
= <Marker piece
====== <1x6 block Player A places the marker piece on position 4
Player B chooses 3
3 =12
====== The brick is revealed and 3 places are counted from the marker
The result is 1.
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Message has 2 Replies:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Portable Bot Factory
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| (...) Hmmmm ... how hard would it be to come up with a game system based around these portable cases? Each case would be limited to a given number of *pieces*, but each person could use whatever pieces they so desired. Then a person builds a robot (...) (22 years ago, 21-Nov-02, to lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming)
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