From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
Subject: Re: net.rpg.freeform: cardplay
Date: 19 Nov 92 05:05:26 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <1992Nov19.010918.23530@oz.plymouth.edu>, sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
| Sue (NPC) and Joe are fighting.  Sue has the initiative.
|
| Sue has six cards in her hand (Question: does skill level = hand size?)

I didn't want to tackle that question yet. Skill level could be the hand
size or it could determine the base skill that you add your card points
to, or it could be both. I don't know yet. I think we have to playtest
it first, just to see how this melding cardplay system works.

| Joe has five.  Joe plays first, I believe you said.
|
| He leads his high card, hoping to score a hit right away: an 8.  Sue
| ripostes with her high card, a 10.  I assume, since low initiative
| plays last card, that this is a contest of qualities, and not just a
| parry, so they go to the damage determination stage, whatever we hammer
| that out to be.  In other words, Joe got hit.
|
| Questions:
| Is this one complete round?

Yes.

| When do they get new cards?

The round after they play their last card, or they can refill their hand
by playing an ace.

|>I have another idea that might not make such big values as the face card
|>rule above.
|>
|>Each player plays single cards, or can play a meld. Melds would include
|>two or more of a number, or a straight (3 minimum), or a straight flush
|>(3 card minimum). 2 of a kind (or 3 or 4 etc) would be counted by adding up
|>the cards (straight pip count, and face cards are 10), as would a straight,
|>while a straight flush would count for double points.
|>
|>Example:
|>Henry plays 2 8s, for a total of 16.
|>Jimbob plays the 2,3,4 of hearts, for 9 points doubled, or 18.
|>Tricia, the GM, defends for the monster with two Kings, for a total of 20.
|
| I like this much better than the face card bit.  I notice skill isn't
| added in here - is that because it determines the number of cards in each
| hand?

Nope. I just didn't want to complicate what I was saying too much. It
was already confusing enough.

But you are right, skill could easily determine hand size, if you had
the right mechanic. However, you would *have* to use a class/level
system of some sort to use hand size as a skill determinant, unless you
wanted to draw a new hand of another size every time you started using
another skill. It isn't that bad though, as long as you use a flexible
class/level system that lets a character develop from one class to
another, something like Warhammer. Perhaps if class/level were a simple
measure of accomplishment in a number of skills?

Let's try a more in depth example. I just got out a deck of cards and
shuffled it. I'll assume hand size is 5 for both players, Lotta and
Rudyard. Lotta is Good (4) and Rudyard is Average (3) at repartee.

Hands are:
Lotta: 4,K,A clubs; 2 spades; 3 diamonds
Rudyard: 5 clubs; 9, K diamonds; 4 hearts; 5 spades

Since Rudyard is worse, he has to go first. He plays his 9d. Lotta plays
her Kc, for 10+4=14 against 9+3=12. Lotta has beaten Rudyard by two
points, and this should be an insignificant win. Let's say that Rudyard
doesn't give up, he continues in spite of his obvious inferiority at
this little game (also note that playing last is a huge advantage in
this card game, which makes up for the minor difference between skill
values.) Now he tries to insult Lotta again, and plays the Kd for 10
points. Lotta has a straight that starts with the Ac, for 10 points and
a redraw. Her total is 14 against Rudyard's 13, for a significant
victory. She has also recovered her poise. As she played an ace she can
refill her hand now. If she hadn't played an ace, then what would we
have to do? How about saying that if you empty your hand (unless you
refill with an ace) you automatically lose initiative next round? If
nobody empties their hand then the loser of the previous round goes
first. Lotta refills, drawing 8c Qc 4s 6s 9s, a nice hand, but no melds.
For the next round of repartee, should it continue, Rudyard will have to
play with 3 cards against Lotta's 5, and she can easily defend. Etc etc
etc.

I think this will work.

Determine initiative in first round by going in ascending skill order,
best last. Determine initiative in following rounds by going in order
from worst total on previous round to best. If anyone plays out all
their cards in one round, they have emptied out their hand and must
refill it. For initiative determination the next round they must use
their skill rather than their total for initiative determination, and
will probably have to go first. Refilling the hand with an Ace doesn't
count as emptying your hand, by the way.

Count single cards and melds by summing the pips (face cards all count
as ten). Straight flushes are doubled. The total is called the "pip
sum".

Playing an ace allows you to discard however many cards you like and
refill your hand to full size immediately.

Add pip sum to skill value and compare to your opponent's total. Higher
total wins. Difference is cross referenced to a universal action results
table (only one table needed) and result applied to the loser.


--
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design