Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

[David Artman <david.artman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Sam, what about the third term? I only see High(est) and Diamond. Just asking--it would hurt your design's competitiveness further if you only used two terms.

Think about Team opportunity. You want a memory component? Suppose someone can't show anyone else what's in a vein (other than what they mine, of course); but they can *announce* what's there. That gets you both memory (me and my team mate) AND a potential for bluffing (i.e. if I want to draw an opposing team member off a vein toward which she's heading, I could bluff by announcing, "Ooo! Both High value diamonds--I'll get the medium, Bob; get over here for the small!" and then hope that Anne or Clarise try for it first (i.e. if closer and if it's actually not High).

Eh. Maybe. Might really only work once. But if you only use two colors and the High value color, you get some push-pull--do I go for my own color (2x) or do I deny the opposing team their own color? Nah... you want all four: one that's worth 1x to both teams (neutral), one each that's 2x for a given team but 1x for the opposing team (matched), and one that's High value for either (3x). 

Keep another thing in mind: if you make a "tree-nest" of (bottom to top) large, small, medium, capped with a large opaque, then you have some "exposed" info (the bottom fringe of the large) AND you use more large pieces (meaning more trips to the veins) AND the loading of a large diamond would "fully load" a miner, forcing more of the memory/bluff game (i.e. one has TWO remaining pieces to memorize or with which to bluff). Further, maybe you could get rid of the extra Gray stash and do it with only the five Black/White opaques in 5HOUSE? That puts 15 pieces out to be mined by four players, on (say) a Volcano board (25, 5x5, squares). Hmmm... I'm thinking this too much.

AND... here's why sometimes it's not so good to have some folks "outed" with their designs while others are not: lots of refinement feedback for some and not others. Kinda skews the comp. Not a big deal (the point is good games, not "winning"), but this is why I'd like to enforce a Hush Period until April 1st.

Ponder the above, Sam--playtest, playtest, playtest--and other folks try to get your basic ideas nailed down in the next two-weeks-ish, and we can have a huge brainstorm-fest from the 1st to the 17th.

Fair enough, folks?