Now even though the second week of Game Design has just started, it was already just as awesome if not more than the last week! From having to create a game based on retro arcade video games (the blog about that will be up soon) to having an interesting discussion about what is a game to our latest board game assignment, to make a Territorial Acquisition game. When I heard what the assignment was I got super excited, I mean who wouldn't be when you are basically told to design a game that's goal is world domination! (Don't look at me like I'm crazy or something like that, you all know that at one point in your life, mostly as a kid mind you but none the less, you have had those thoughts so don't try and deny it).
Now like my post on Race to the End games, I'm going to briefly explain what a Territorial Acquisition game is for anyone who hasn't played one before (which I hope most have but then again you never know). Now to explain how these games work I will be referring often to the most well known Territorial Acquisition game, Risk, as well as giving a little history about the game (not much just a few quick facts about when it was made and things like that).
Risk is a strategic board game, originally called Conquete du Monde (The Conquest of the World) when it was created in 1657 in France by film director Albert Lamorisse. This strategic board game is known as a territorial acquisition game which the goal is 'world domination' or 'to occupy every territory on the board, eliminating all other players in doing so.' In the standard version of Risk, there are two to six players and is played on a board depicting a political map of the earth. This map is divided into forty-two territories, which are grouped into six continents.
Like a Race to the End game, Territorial Acquisition games must have some form of game mechanics that allow you to move and capture territories. In Risk, these come in the form of of coloured tokens representing armies (there are six different colours to allow for six different players, along with different shapes that represented the number of armies), 5 dice (there were originally six. There are two different colours; white for the defender, and red for the attacker), and seventy-two risk cards (which represent the territories, infantry, Calvary and artillery).
Now what fun would a territorial acquisition game be without the option to screw over your opponent in your quest for world domination (you know what they say all is fair in love and war). In Risk there is an option to attack territories that are adjacent or connected by a sea-lane to a player's own territory, which can be used to steal territory from other players and force them out of the game, while advancing your position. To protect yourself in the game, Risk includes an interesting mecahnic referred to as Fortifying, which in a sense is like building up a deffense to protect yourself from an attack.
For this assignment, my group and I are really going to need to consider many factors when we design and build our territorial acquisition game. I'm really glad that this was our next assignment, because I feel that this type of game will really push us to think outside the box as game developers and teach us some valueable lessons about game design and what is needed to make a 'good' game.
If anyone is interested in the rules of Risk here is a PDF version of the official rules:
REMEMBER OPINIONS ARE WELCOMED
If any readers feel like i missed anything or have a different idea or experience on what a Territorial Acquisition game should be like, just let me know. This is simply what my idea of a Territorial Acquisition game is made up of based on my own experiences playing these types of games and the requirements of my assignment. If anyone has any different opinions or idea, or even the same ones as myself, just let me know.
Incase You Were Interested
Here are some links for info on the game, Risk, I mentioned in my post.
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