User:Cuc: Difference between revisions

20210204 - Following Andy's publication of [http://new.wunderland.com/2021/02/03/peaceful-homeworlds/ Peaceful Homeworlds], I've been trying to fix the rules. Andy incorporated some of my suggestions, such as Transfer of Crystals, and called a rule after me. But see my BGG contribution to the subject: [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2594465/peaceful-homeworlds BGG Discussion about Peaceful Homeworlds]. '''Update 20210429.''' As of late, I've made a 180 about my opinion on Peaceful Homeworlds: besides some minor issues that were fixed right away, I don't think there is anything wrong with Peaceful Homeworlds at all. I'm planning a formal apology to Andy in a forthcoming document that I'll post on BGG. The reason for my change of mind is that the phenomenon of stalling that I discovered, is an emergent feature of the game that occurs at a higher skill level. Unfortunately, not many people have reached this level, so that my argument on BGG was misunderstood as being arrogant. For casual players this may not come up at all. I was also operating under a wrong assumption that everybody would dislike a game with a strategy that could force a draw. This put me on the wrong leg, assuming that there was something wrong with the game that needed fixing, causing quite some stir (not intended). Yet, the same is true for tic-tac-toe, and that is because it is very easy to solve the game, after which you can play "perfectly" and always end in a draw. In Peaceful Homeworlds, knowing about stalling is akin to (partially) solving the game. Just as with tic-tac-toe, after you've solved it, the game is not that interesting any more. That's NOT because there's anything wrong with the game, but because you were good enough at it that you've solved it. No rules can "fix" a game that's not broken in the first place. Nevertheless, I plan on designing a game that has a similar mechanic and does NOT allow for stalling, with the understanding that the resulting game is a totally ''different'' game, with a different feel and strategy.

20201217 - I designed a new game this week, called [[Homeworlds Settlers]]. Check it out. '''Update 20210429.''' I've included it in my favorite games, too.

Compiling this list, I wished the top 3 contains more slots! If I have added "multiplayer", then that is the version I prefer, and I will mention the range of players. If I have added "2-player", then that is the only version that exists. If nothing is added, I do not prefer any version.

'''Games marked with * can be played with a Homeworlds set.''' A Homeworlds set consists of 12 trios in total, with 3 trios each in 4 colors.

'''NOTE.''' Some of the games indicated need an Icehouse stash per player, that is 5 trios in a single color. To be able to play these games, I recommend the following. Create combos of two colors: Shell (Red, Yellow) and Ocean (Blue, Green). This gives you 6 trios in each combo, and you're all set to play these games.

1. (+1) * Homeworlds / [[https://www.looneylabs.com/lit/rules/homeworlds-rules Homeworlds PQ Rules]] + Variants! These include [[Homeworlds Settlers]] and [[Peaceful Homeworlds]].

2. (-1) Zendo (multiplayer) / * Ikkozendo (multiplayer, 2+) / [[http://www.koryheath.com/zendo/ Pyramid Zendo Rules]] / [[http://davidartman.com/games/strategy-game/ikkozendo Ikkozendo Rules (Original)]]

10. (-) * Rambots (multiplayer, 2-3) / [[http://www.koryheath.com/rambots/ Rambots Rules (original)]]

13. (-5) * Zark City (multiplayer, 2-4) / [[http://wunderland.com/WTS/Andy/Games/ZarkCity/ZarkCityVersion2.pdf Zark City V2.0 Rules]]

14. (-5) * World War 5 (multiplayer, 2-4) / [[https://www.looneylabs.com/rules/world-war-5 World War 5 Rules (Original)]]

16. (-6) * IceTowers (multiplayer, 2-4) / [[http://www.wunderland.com/icehouse/IceTowers/Rules.html Ice Towers Rules (Original)]]

17. (-5) * Pharaoh (multiplayer, 2-4) / [[https://www.looneylabs.com/rules/pharaoh Pharaoh Rules (Original)]]

H1. Mini Homeworlds (multiplayer, 2-4) / [[https://www.icehousegames.org/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:Homejinks Mini Homeworlds]]