“The best way to learn games is to play games. The best way to make games is to work.” – Alan Emrich
Your Weekly Homework Game:
This week, you’re taking a break from your Weekly Homework “Ship” Game and will be working on the game we played in class today, Battle for Angmar (a copy of this game will be attached to your weekly class email newsletter this week or you can click on game title link). Don’t worry. We’ll be getting back to your Ship Game next week!
Devise at least two and no more than three Optional Rules or new Scenarios for Battle for Angmar. I want to see good, plausible ideas only (so keep in mind the game’s epoch) – no “Alien Invasion” stuff.
You must write these using the Case System methodology learned in class today (specifically, start numbering your rules with 15.0 and follow the format its rules use). Remember that examples and illustrations are always a good idea.
What have you got to work with? You’ve got the back page (i.e., page 8) of the rules booklet to use, which is one printed 8.5” x 11” page. In addition, you have ten two-sided counters that you may use. You cannot change the map (although you can change how the map works by writing new rules or designing new scenarios around it). Essentially, all you have is a blank page to fill on the back of the rules booklet and 10 blank pieces to work with.
Your Graded Course Project Game:
Pre-Planning: Last week, you were to have written down all of your Graded Course Project game’s key rules and play systems. At the very least, you should have a comprehensive set of written notes about the game.
This week, you get to turn those notes into a proper set of rules. This will be a complete, written set of game rules employing the structure and organization techniques from the Case System that you learned about in class this week. You will be handing in this draft set of rules in class next week for a grade (up to 4 points).
Sample Case System Rules: Strike Force One
This is a very basic example of rules using the Case System from the game you played in Survey of the Game Industry and again this week in Principles of Game Design.
Sample Case System Rules: Napoleon at Waterloo
This is a slightly more detailed example of rules using the Case System from a free download game that you may have discovered among the Optional Reading of Week 2. There are a few numbered sub-cases that show in a bit more detail the layering and structuring of the rules.
Sample Case System Rules: Ancients
Here is another example of rules using the Case System from the game we played during Week 2 of Principles of Game Design. Again, note the number sub-cases and use of illustrations for examples.
Sample Case System Rules: Totaler Krieg!
This .zip file contains a (playtest edition) set of rules for a sophisticated war game covering all of Europe during WW2 at the strategic level. Here you will see the Case System employed to supreme effect. The rules' structural and organizational style is a monument to planning and organization. For more information about the game itself, if you're interested, click here.
