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The online extension of Ron's Info-Closet.
Book links are usually to my Powell's affiliate program; game links are usually to Funagain Games, and benefit the Games to the Rescue Project.
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Ron Hale-Evans
rwhe@ludism.org
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Check out this superb new book on game design, Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman (MIT Press, 2003).
I won't say much about it, because I'm a few chapters in, having only skimmed the rest, but so far it's obvious that there has never been anything like this before. It's more than 650 pages long, meant to be a textbook for an academic course in game design (any kind of game, on computer or off). It's even of interest to non-designers, because it contains original games by James Ernest and Richard Garfield, among others, and an essay by Reiner Knizia on his Lord of the Rings game.
And, oh yeah, my Game Systems series was cited, and served as source material for a chunk of the "Games as Open Culture" chapter.
If you buy it here, I'll even make, like, $3.75...
Entered 20:32 [/games/design] permalink
These two new Cosmic Encounter powers come from a post I made to the seattle-cosmic mailing list on 17 March 2003. Our group still hasn't playtested them, probably because we haven't been playing a lot of Cosmic this year.
These powers are based on the Mesmer and the Vulch, respectively. The Mesmer can turn any Edict into any other Edict, and the Vulch can collect discarded Edicts. Naturally, like the Mesmer and Vulch, the following two powers are not meant to be used together (except perhaps at Cheezy Cosmic Nights).
FLESMER (optional)
You may treat any Flare in your hand as though it is any other Flare in the game (whether in the Challenge Deck, the Flare Deck, the discard pile, or someone else's hand). As usual, you may only use the Super version of a Flare if you possess the corresponding power. Once you declare that a given Flare "is" another Flare, you may not change your mind.
You may look through the Challenge Deck, the Flare Deck, and the discard pile to see what Flares do, but each time you significantly slow down the game while doing so (by unanimous vote of the other players), you must lose a base of your choice. You must shuffle the Flare Deck and Challenge Deck after you have looked through them.
This power may not be combined with Flulch in a game with multiple powers.
Wild: All other players must show you their Flares. You may select one to take into your hand. Discard after use.
Super: You may use any Flares in your hand as either Wilds or Supers, except this one. A given Flare cannot be declared both Wild and Super in the same challenge.
FLULCH (optional)
When another player discards a Flare, you may take it into your hand.
This power may not be combined with Flesmer in a game with multiple powers.
Wild: You may retain the Flares in your hand, including this one, even when discarding the rest of your hand.
Super: Once per challenge, you may take a Flare from the discard pile into your hand, even if you yourself discarded it.
Comments? Seattle Cosmic has also collaboratively come up with at least two more that need to be formalised: the Deafener and the Crippler. See this March 2000 newsletter.
Entered 13:59 [/games/design] permalink
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