ThePandaDirector Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 (edited) Ok, so I'm supposed to be writing a 50,000 word novel by the end of November (11,000 words and counting!), but instead of travelling to the Kingdom of Lifheim, I spent last night banging my head against a wall. This is the result. I understand that this might peeve Wyrd off (even give them cause to ban me), but it seems clear that Puppet Wars needs some elbow grease before it can achieve its full potential. I love this game a lot, but have found both versions to be quite dull. Here, I am trying to create a scalable type of play, with clear and concise rules that can be taken one step at a time, with no vagueness, or complexity that cannot be removed for a simpler game. Puppet Wars: Unstitched (AKA Panda Edition) Elements of War Decks ToyboxScrap HapPuppet Deck Play Area BoardWorkbenchesImpassable Tokens Player Area Toybox and Scrap Heap decks (left), Puppet Deck and Discard Pile (right)Animation SpaceSpace for models in Toybox (left) and Scrap Heap (right) Models MasterSidekicks (up to 1/4)Pawns (up to 3 each) Player Area The Player Area is where the Player manage their resources, both in and out of Play. There are spaces for each deck, and discard pile, as well as an Animation Space for Puppets ready to be Animated (with room for any Upgrades to be displayed underneath the Puppet's Card). Animation Space Before a Puppet can be Animated and enter Play, its Puppet Card must be placed in the Animation Space. The number of Workbenches determine how many Puppets a Player can have in Play at any one time. Players start the Game with their Master, plus up to three Puppets, in the Animation Space. A Player may return a Puppet, not in Play, back to the Toybox during the Manage Phase; if the Puppet has any Upgrades Attached, place them back in the Scrap Heap. If a Player has too many Puppets in Play, as the result of losing a Workbench, they must Tear Apart the extra Puppets, which can be any Puppet in Play. Workbenches Workbenches are the key to victory. They allow your Puppets to enter the Game, Sew Up their Rips and, if your opponent has none left, win the Game. The more Workbenches you have the larger your maximum hand size is, and the more Puppets you can have in Play at the same time. Though they make you stronger, the more you have the more you'll have to spread your forces to defend them, or you not only risk losing them to the Enemy, but also losing Upgrades to any opportunistic Puppet. Before Play Players choose to play either Puppet Wars: Stitched or Unstitched.Players decide on Game Size (12, 16, 20, 32)Set up the BoardEach select a MasterBuild or Draft a ToyboxChoose a Starting WorkbenchPlace their Master's Puppet Card in the Animation Space.Deploy their Master’s model beside their Starting WorkbenchPlace up to three Puppets in the Animation SpaceYou may place their models adjacent to the Master.Draw four cards plus one for every Workbench you control (five for the average game).Begin the game, and enjoy! Turn Phases Each Turn repeat these Steps: ResolveManageAnimateManageAnimateManageAnimate Resolve Phase Timed Effects end, discard any cards from your hand and draw up to your maximum hand size. Manage Phase During the Manage Phase a Player can: Move Puppets from their Toybox to their Scrap HeapAttach Upgrades in their Scrap Heap to any Friendly Puppet in PlayMove Buttons from any Puppet to any adjacent Friendly Puppet.Place Puppets in the Animation Space, ready to enter Play. Animation Phase During each Animation Phase, complete the Following Steps: Draw a card into your handSelect a card to animate with, or Pass (skip to Step 9).Place Card face down In Play.All players reveal their cardAnimate in order lowest to highest[Optional] Discard a Button to RefreshAnimate (including Reactions and Special Actions)Place an Exhausted Token on the Puppet Card when finished.Your Animation is completeA Puppet may move a number of spaces equal to its Movement Stat. Unless otherwise stated it may not occupy an Occupied Space. A Puppet also has one Action Point with which to perform General or Unique Actions. A Puppet may move and perform their Action in any order. Puppets General Actions These are Actions available to every Puppet: Attack - Perform an Attack Action against an Enemy Puppet within Range.‘Mine!’ - Occupied Workbench now belongs to you‘What Pretty Buttons You Have’ - Tear Apart adjacent Friendly Puppet and either Attach their Upgrade or place it in the Scrap Heap. Animating Puppet collects the Buttons.Scrounge - Puppet adjacent to an Enemy Workbench may automatically Attach an Enemy Upgrade. Puppet Reactions A Puppet may React during an Enemy Puppet's Animation. They do not count towards Exhausting. Some Puppets have Unique Reactions listed under Abilities. General Reactions are: Dodge - If a Puppet performs an Attack Action against another Puppet, the Defending Puppet may replace the Value and Suit of its Defence with the Value and Suit of a Card played from the Player's Hand.‘Hey! That's Mine!’ - If an Enemy Puppet performs the Mine! Action on a Workbench controlled by you, one Puppet adjacent to the Workbench may perform an Attack Action against the Puppet occupying it.‘Shiny Buttons!’ - When a Puppet is Torn Apart (whether by friend or foe), if more than one Player has Puppets adjacent to the Torn Apart Puppet, each player flips a number of cards equal to the number of adjacent Puppets. Winner receives the Puppet's Upgrade, which they may either Attach by discarding a Button or place in its original Scrap Heap, and any Buttons they were carrying. Buttons Puppets collect Buttons by inflicting Rips on Enemy Puppets (and the odd Friendly one). Every time a Puppet Attacks an Enemy Puppet, or performs What Pretty Buttons You Have, it receives a Button for every Rip inflicted. Buttons may be shared during the Manage Phase or discarded during a Puppet's Animation to accomplish different Effects (type listed in brackets). Note: Buttons do not count towards a Puppet's Stitch Stat. All Puppets have access to the following Effects: Refresh (Ability) - After revealing your Animation Card, a Puppet may discard one Button to Refresh (Remove Exhausted Counter).‘Yes, Master!’ (Ability) - Every Master has a unique Ability allowing Friendly Puppets (including the Master) to discard Buttons, during their Animation, in return for a benefit.Sew Up (Action) - A Puppet adjacent to a Friendly Workbench may Sew Up a single Rip for every Button discarded. Upgrades As Puppets are Torn Apart, their comrades may use their leftovers to augment themselves. Upgrades are accessed from the Scrap Heap (beside the Toybox). There are three ways a Puppet can be moved to the Scrap Heap: Moved from the Toybox during the Manage PhaseTorn Apart by an Enemy PuppetTargeted by an adjacent Friendly Puppet performing What Pretty Buttons You Have. During the Manage Phase a Player may Attach any Upgrades from their Scrap Heap to any Puppet in the Animation Space (Puppets do not have to be In Play). During a Puppet's Animation, they may instantly Attach an Upgrade by either: Tearing Apart an Enemy, and discarding a ButtonPerforming the Scrounge Action on an Enemy Workbench Attaching the Upgrade of a Friendly Puppet targeted by What Pretty Buttons You Have. Some powerful Upgrades require Buttons to be discarded before a Puppet can Attach them. To Attach an Enemy Puppet's Upgrade after Tearing it Apart, a Puppet must discard a Button (which can be one collected from the Torn Apart Puppet). Effects Effects are the result of Actions. They are divided into Instant, Timed and Permanent. Instant Effects end immediately after occurring, Timed Effects last until the end of the Turn, while Permanent Effects last until they, or the effected Puppet, are removed. The type of Effect is listed in the Action's Effect description. Examples are: [*]Buttons - May be spent during Animation. [*]Exhausted - Puppet may not Animate [*]Confused - Puppet may not perform Actions [*]Paralyzed - Puppet may not Move [*]Characteristic - Puppet gains the listed Characteristic [*]+/- Stat - Stat increased or decreased by indicated amount. [*]+/- Precise - Increase or decrease Value of Action Total. Afterthoughts So there you go! You might think this is more complex, because it is. However, I think that Puppet Wars is fated to occupy the market being expanded by games like Sedition Wars and the future Kingdom Death. It's a Living Board Game, a game that can be as challenging as a wargame, but as adaptable and accessible as a boardgame. Let me know what you think! Edited November 9, 2012 by ThePandaDirector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePandaDirector Posted November 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Sorry to spam here, but I thought it best to explore this a bit more. Abilities Abilities are split into Active and Reactive. Active Abilities are always active, Reactive ones take effect during an Enemy Puppet's Animation. Actions Actions are split into General, Standard and Special. General have no Action Cost, and are available to every Puppet. Standard Actions require a Value and/or Suit, and represent unique talents that come natural to a Puppet. Special Actions have other requirements, such as the discarding of Buttons or suffering Rips, and represent a Puppet's greater potential. Buttons Buttons are like experience points which may be discarded to give a Puppet an edge. Whereas Upgrades allow a Puppet to augment themselves, change and grow more adaptable, Buttons are a currency that allows them to fully fulfil their own inner potential. Like Upgrades they are limited and require Puppets to get ripped (though not Torn Apart), and Players will have to manage their resources well to get the best out of them. Manage Phase Why include a Manage Phase? The Manage Phase is where a Player can attach Upgrades to Puppets in the Animation Space, not just in Play. It allows Friendly Upgraes to be distributed far more efficently, while opening up a strategic element of managing your resources and keeping your Animation Space organised. By putting your maximum Puppet allowance in Play you risk losing them along with a Workbench, creating a potential snowball effect that will lead to your demise (the more brutal the game, the quicker it is play). Puppet Cards should be small and form a nice deck, but when they have counters and Upgrades, you want them laid out, the Animation Space creates that while establishing a definition between being in a deck and occupying the limited room of the Animation Space (logistical issue becomes a game mechanic?) Note: As for the Player Area, I'm seeing the artwork being a Workbench with a military map twist (buttons and thread represnting troops, crayons scribbles, etc). Standard and Advanced Play I've changed my mind with this. I think PW: Stitched should be the full advanced game, PW: Unstitched however should be a section where Players can pick and choose rules as they see fit. The standard would be to ignore Reactive Abilities and Special Actions, as well as Animation Space restrictions. However, Players should be able to change anything they want. because that is what Puppet Wars is! It's freedom (coming from a Braveheart no less), and its about getting your hands dirty, adapting, stitching stuff up and tearing it apart in a blaze of firery stuffing. The Puppets give them so much choice, which can be customised with Upgrades, so why not let them "upgrade" or "Tear Apart" the gameplay, leave it to them what stays and what goes. By the way, by "Upgrade" I mean even mroe advanced rules, perhaps linked to lots of lovely party games and scenarios (I'm hinking Time Splitters - Cootie Virus anyone?) Anyway, even though this forum has been quite quiet, and I'm probably scaring everyone away, I just wanted to strike up some kind of debate and discussian because I like to think that I can see Puppet Wars' potential (even if I am dangerous with a sewing needle) and I want others to get involved too. End rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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