Well, I managed to get a screen shot of the output this time. This week's challenge should be interesting.
Theme
I like the theme of being an Incan doctor. You're the doctor at the Medical Inn and you must save your patients with proper medicine and surgery. The question is, do I make a co-op or competitive? Do players have their own patients that they are racing to save or are they racing against the clock to save all the patients together? Right now, I'm leaning more towards a co-op. The players will work together to save their patients.
I don't have a very good knowledge of Incan medicine. I did browse the internet quickly to find a little information. The Inca completed successful skull surgeries to alleviate pressure from head wounds. They used cocoa leaves to lessen hunger and pain. They were more advanced than the European doctors of the time.
Mechanics
The mechanics of the game are a little tricky. I'm thinking the players have to do certain actions in order to save the patient. They need to collect the right cards and play them in the right order. I think going with something like Hannabi might be interesting. I don't want to just grab that mechanic though.
One player will try to collect the needed items to get them to the doctor so that he can play them in right order. One of the doctors has the knowledge of what needs to be done but the other has the technical prowess to complete the surgeries. They must work together to succeed. There would have to be some hidden information so that it doesn't turn into a single player playing the game while someone else just hands him cards.
Victory
The victory condition wants it to end when all pieces are played. I took a little liberty here. The game ends when the players manage to play all the pieces. Their pieces are the steps needed to save their patients. If they play all the pieces, then the patients will recover. The way the players lose is if they are unable to play all the pieces in the allotted time. The patient ends up dying before they can be saved.
The Game
As discussed earlier, the players are Incan doctors working on their patients. They are racing against time to save them all. One player stays in the Medical Inn treating the patients while the other player is out collecting the needed herbs, minerals, and tools.
The Inn is a small part of board. There are the 3 patients that must be treated and also a space where the two players exchange cards. The rest of the board is where the other player must travel to collect the needed items.
The start of the game involves setting up the patients with an illness. Each patient gets some symptom cards. These cards will determine his illness. The doctor player must give the symptom cards to the runner player so that he can get the illness diagnosed. The runner does this by taking the cards to an elder doctor to compare the symptoms and figure out what the cure will be.
Once the players figure out what a patient's illness is, they put a time token on the time board to signify how long they have before they lose the patient. The diagnosis will tell the players where to put the death marker.
The runner player must now collect the items needed to cure the illness. He will bring back the cure for the doctor. Only the doctor will know the order for the items. If they are played out of order the patient will die.(This is starting to get really involved. Maybe one patient is a better idea.)
The runner will bring back the order for the cure but he won't know it. He must then go out and find the needed items. He knows what he needs just not the order. He will bring the items back and the doctor has to either use the item or toss it. (Some herbs spoil fast.) There might be some method to preserve one or two items. There will also be some method to hint as to what is needed next.
The game will end when either the patient dies from time running out or the players play all the needed cards to save the patient.
Versus Mode
After thinking more, I think a versus mode would be nice to have too. The players have their own patients and are racing against the clock and the other player. They want to prove who is the better doctor by finishing first.
The same basic concept will be there. Players must diagnose the illness, figure out the cure, collect the items, and begin to treat the illness.
Again, the game will end when the patients die or one of them is cured.
Wrap Up
It's not my best design, but I think there is something there if it gets fleshed out more. I like the idea of having the doctors needing to figure out the problem then solve it by doing things in the right order. I also like it being two player. I haven't done a game that really is strictly two player. I'll have to revisit the idea after letting it sit for while.
-Jonny
Play games. Always.
Theme
I like the theme of being an Incan doctor. You're the doctor at the Medical Inn and you must save your patients with proper medicine and surgery. The question is, do I make a co-op or competitive? Do players have their own patients that they are racing to save or are they racing against the clock to save all the patients together? Right now, I'm leaning more towards a co-op. The players will work together to save their patients.
I don't have a very good knowledge of Incan medicine. I did browse the internet quickly to find a little information. The Inca completed successful skull surgeries to alleviate pressure from head wounds. They used cocoa leaves to lessen hunger and pain. They were more advanced than the European doctors of the time.
Mechanics
The mechanics of the game are a little tricky. I'm thinking the players have to do certain actions in order to save the patient. They need to collect the right cards and play them in the right order. I think going with something like Hannabi might be interesting. I don't want to just grab that mechanic though.
One player will try to collect the needed items to get them to the doctor so that he can play them in right order. One of the doctors has the knowledge of what needs to be done but the other has the technical prowess to complete the surgeries. They must work together to succeed. There would have to be some hidden information so that it doesn't turn into a single player playing the game while someone else just hands him cards.
Victory
The victory condition wants it to end when all pieces are played. I took a little liberty here. The game ends when the players manage to play all the pieces. Their pieces are the steps needed to save their patients. If they play all the pieces, then the patients will recover. The way the players lose is if they are unable to play all the pieces in the allotted time. The patient ends up dying before they can be saved.
The Game
As discussed earlier, the players are Incan doctors working on their patients. They are racing against time to save them all. One player stays in the Medical Inn treating the patients while the other player is out collecting the needed herbs, minerals, and tools.
The Inn is a small part of board. There are the 3 patients that must be treated and also a space where the two players exchange cards. The rest of the board is where the other player must travel to collect the needed items.
The start of the game involves setting up the patients with an illness. Each patient gets some symptom cards. These cards will determine his illness. The doctor player must give the symptom cards to the runner player so that he can get the illness diagnosed. The runner does this by taking the cards to an elder doctor to compare the symptoms and figure out what the cure will be.
Once the players figure out what a patient's illness is, they put a time token on the time board to signify how long they have before they lose the patient. The diagnosis will tell the players where to put the death marker.
The runner player must now collect the items needed to cure the illness. He will bring back the cure for the doctor. Only the doctor will know the order for the items. If they are played out of order the patient will die.(This is starting to get really involved. Maybe one patient is a better idea.)
The runner will bring back the order for the cure but he won't know it. He must then go out and find the needed items. He knows what he needs just not the order. He will bring the items back and the doctor has to either use the item or toss it. (Some herbs spoil fast.) There might be some method to preserve one or two items. There will also be some method to hint as to what is needed next.
The game will end when either the patient dies from time running out or the players play all the needed cards to save the patient.
Versus Mode
After thinking more, I think a versus mode would be nice to have too. The players have their own patients and are racing against the clock and the other player. They want to prove who is the better doctor by finishing first.
The same basic concept will be there. Players must diagnose the illness, figure out the cure, collect the items, and begin to treat the illness.
Again, the game will end when the patients die or one of them is cured.
Wrap Up
It's not my best design, but I think there is something there if it gets fleshed out more. I like the idea of having the doctors needing to figure out the problem then solve it by doing things in the right order. I also like it being two player. I haven't done a game that really is strictly two player. I'll have to revisit the idea after letting it sit for while.
-Jonny
Play games. Always.