On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 10:21 AM, Bryan Stout
<stoutwb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I am expanding my creative
endeavors to the pyramid games. The first thing that came to mind was
a Treehouse version of Chutes & Ladders, for 2-5 players:
Welcome to the Iceheads! Seems like a cool game.
1. I have not added to the Icehouse Wiki before. Is there some sort
of template I can go by to fill out?
A good policy is to copy the code from someone else's page--for example, one of my own (Chicken Run is really recent and thorough, in my opinion). Then just replace the headings and Infobox contents, etc, with your own content.
Keep in mind that there's a LOT of new pice images, if you want to make examples (although you will have trouble with mixed-color stacks without making your own image using the images as source).
It's a pretty easy process, and folks will gladly help fix format problems that you might run into.
2. What are the general guidelines to tell when your game is Ready
for Playtesting / Almost Completed / Completed?
Has someone successfully played it without you teaching or correcting them? Are your rules sufficient to cover every possible gameplay circumstance that you've encountered (or even that you can imagine)?
In general, once you put it up, folks will read and ask questions if something doesn't make sense.
But ultimately, it's your call. Putting a game on What Can I Play and Existing Games means you think it will represent the Icehouse System favorably (i.e. be fun and sell 'mids, to be frank). It's up to you.
3. Are there any problems that come from using pyramids with a
commercial game? Should I not post it on the Wiki at all, or post it
with an acknowledgment of the copyright, or get their permission
first, or what?
Chutes and ladders is an ANCIENT game; it's totally in the public domain, and there's several sources for boards (e.g. snakes and ladders being one competing product in the mass market; many hand-made or heirloom boards).
You're fine. You MIGHT want to research it's oldest name, though, or it's "general" name, to avoid TM issues. But even if you use a TM game, just attribute it with the &tm; tag (or is it &mark; ?) and you're golden.
Heck... you'll probably be giving them advertisement; who could complain?
Welcome aboard!
David