Our team’s game is called “Cold War Capture the Flag”. It features two teams, Soviets and American, playing against each other, while trying to expose spies whose aim is to capture both teams’ flags. Each team also gets to have a player who has one of two special roles. The first is a detective, who can question members of the other team to figure out their allegiance ( i.e. if they are a spy or not). The second is a president, who can reinstate exposed spies from the opposite team onto their team. Each team can only pick one, and can’t pick a role that the other team picked.
Given these mechanics, I came up with these questions:
What is a practical game mechanic for capturing enemy players?
One prototype we are considering for this is that members of the opposing team to can “captured” using a belt that can be tugged on. However, my prediction right now is that I can see problems rising where people can avoid having their belts tucked but still force their way through enemy territory and capture the flag, using a combination of force, and pushing people away from them. Testing this prototype in trial runs will likely give us insight of we should try someone similar or go to a whole new direction.
At what level of complexity is the game too mentally taxing to enjoy, and how do we efficiently communicate game rules?
A sketch-based prototype where we articulate game rules in a beginner friendly way and test it with people who are not familiar with our game would likely do well in getting helpful feedback. If we find we can’t explain the rules properly where most people understand it the first time, more work needs to be done on our rule sheet sketch/prototype. Currently, we have special roles like president and detective, terrain zones such as quicksand where players are not allowed to run, only walk, and possibly a third zone for spies once one of the enemy flags are captured. This introduces more rules and regulations to prevent abuses of game technicalities, making it even more imperative to consider whether the game would be too complicated to easily get into, especially for beginners. My prediction is that the first few iterations would be rather complex, and may lead us to change game mechanics.
Where should the game be played?
This would require a role-playing prototype as we would need to consider aspects that may only come up during simulation. This is an important consideration as the “Magic Circle” where the game bounds are held influences game strategy immensely. An open field offers vast visibility and players must rely on their speed and ability to make sharp turns to be effective, while a location such as by Meyer Green offers more opportunities for players to hide, maneuver and plan more thoughtful strategies. My prediction currently is that we may find a game location that offers something in the middle, where it is not a complete open flat-land but also not a forest-y mess.
