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Commentary and processes of J C Lawrence: systems architect, contrarian, theorist, sailor, hacker, virtual world designer, linux-user, aquarist, disquisitor, cat breeder, raconteur, game designer, ludophile, bibliophile, numismatist, speculator and theologiser

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Compressed freckled waves

A productive evening:

So far the models look Okay, but I’ll probably need to adjust the Prestige Track end-point upward a bit to 37, 39 or 42 or so.

The new kula language:

There are (blue) fish and (red) shell kula items, each available in two values. Small value kula items may be enhanced to larger value kula items.

Kula token costs:

(Table here of values. In short, fish kula are 3 or 7 VPs, shell kula are 5 or 11 VPs and costs are 7 or 5 resources for low value kula (basic/beginner’s game), 17 resources for big kula, and 11 for upgrades.)

Players may only spend resources on kula if that kula item is immediately given to another player as part of a delivery (see Deliver). Enhancing a stale kula item (face down) to a larger value creates a higher value stale kula item (face down).

When a market is delivered to an island containing a market of the same colour, the moving player may give a kula item to each player with a route connected to the destination island. The kula item given may be newly purchased with fish and shells, or may be an item previously received from another player (optionally enhanced). The gifting player receives all the following:

  • 1 point on the Prestige Track for giving the kula item
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if it was a large kula item
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if the kula item was just bought with fish and shells for this gift
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if giving the kula item to a player with a kahuna on the destination island

The player receiving the kula item receives half the value of the kula item as victory points rounded down, or full value if their kahuna was present on the destination island. They also receive one victory point for each kula item they already possess.

Upon receipt of a kula item, the recipient may immediately give a kula of the opposite type in return to the giver and may spend fish and shells to buy a kula for this purpose. In this case the player reciprocally giving the kula receives:

  • 1 point on the Prestige Track for giving the kula item
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if their gift was more valuable than the gift they were given
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if the kula item was just bought with fish and shells for this gift
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if giving the kula item to a player with a kahuna on the destination island

and the new recipient receives:

  • 1 point on the Prestige Track for receiving a kula in response to their gift
  • 1 point on the Prestige Track if it was a large kula item
  • half the value of the kula item as victory points rounded down, or full value if their kahuna was present on the destination island

At the end of each turn old face down kula items are discarded back to the supply and new kula items rot and are turned face down (see Rot).

Comments   

1 Author:  coca_lite | Date:  21 May 2008 | Time:  14:23

This all looks good and I’m looking forward to trying it out, especially with its accelerated opening.

What do you think about the idea of completely eliminating VPs for gifts received?

2 Author:  J C Lawrence | Date:  22 May 2008 | Time:  02:14

I hope to get at least two games in during Kublacon using the new rules. I’ll know more then. Currently I’m most concerned about the price/cost/opportunity balance effects that these rules changes make. They mess with core assumptions of the game model and I’m not yet convinced how important that is. The auction absorbs a lot but I’ve diddled and flattened that value gradient too. I fear that I’ll have to adjust the VP/fish/shells exchange rate, as if I do that will require the entire number structure of the game to be re-evaluated from scratch.

Once nice thing for you may be that with the changes turn order control is less sensitive and that turn order placement rather than simple earlier-is-better is now an actually interesting decision. I don’t yet know how that works out against the delivery/ordering incentives: I ran models all night and day and it just isn’t clear.

I have long thought about losing the gift/VP connection many tumes. Keeping the VP tie remains so that gifts can be converted into both resources and gifts. It splits the value of a gift into a time-shifted base resource component and a potential prestige/gift component and that split can be interesting. 10Vps is 3 fish, 3 shells and 2VPs, almost 4 fish and 4 shells — but in a form which doesn’t rot.

3 Author:  coca_lite | Date:  22 May 2008 | Time:  07:17

I have tried a few ways of dolling this up a bit but none of them really communicated what I wanted, so I hope you’ll forgive the bluntness (and poor organization) of this set of observations and suggestions. They all revolve around your assertion that that ‘Ohana Proa is not a resource management game. This is not really true. Also, I’m not convinced it should be true.

If you can’t be convinced that OP should have a strong resource management component, I’d look to get rid of cash altogether.

If you can be convinced that OP should have a strong resource management component, I’d look to make moneymaking opportunities more scarce than they currently are.

The strongest argument I can make as for why your game should involve resource management is a recent game of Container. For whatever reason, in this game, auction prices went through the roof. Bidding started high and only went higher. The bubble never burst. The average lot was selling for at least $40. As a result, money was a complete non-factor. Goods were selling at the maximum from each station and everyone was willing to pay it because the returns at auction were insane.

The winner of that game was the player who was able to hold the greatest number of auctions, plain and simple. When presented with a handful of point-making paths, and one absolutely eclipses the rest, it doesn’t make sense to focus on anything but that one path.

I’m concerned that in ‘Ohana Proa, if players are easily making tons of money all the time and need to spend most of it every turn, all of the activities involving moneymaking come down to busywork. The winner of the game will be the player who most successfully establishes himself in choice gift-receiving spots, with everything else being window dressing.

“Window dressing” is a nasty way to describe some of the really cool stuff that happens in the game. I think to make it matter though, money has got to count for something. This impulse is where the suggestion to cut VP-cash trading–replacing it with a single choice to accept your payment for deliveries in cash or points–came from. It’s also where the suggestion above to cut VPs for kula comes from.

“Happy birthday, Damien! Here’s a gift card to Best Buy! Incidentally, did I mention that my birthday is today, I need an air conditioner, and Best Buy is having a sale on air conditioners today?”

Sorry these thoughts are so disorganized; it’s a busy day here. Hopefully they provide some food for thought at least.

4 Author:  J C Lawrence | Date:  5 June 2008 | Time:  18:27

I’ve placed a longer and somewhat discursive reply here. The concepts were broad enough I thought they warranted a full post rather than a reply-comment.

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