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[RoseHeart]

Hey hey, I think I may have cracked the coconut. Tell me what you think...

Spoiler: img (click to show/hide)

So, let's imagine either the starting supply of Action Points has increased, or these players have multiple open beacons(maybe increased to give more per), or both. Point is, this Hippo and Cheetah have 6 Action Points to spend.


In the first scenario, things play out as they have been (which is still an option for the Cheetah), Hippo spends all 6AP, Cheetah spends all 6AP. Back and forth.

In the second scenario, after they do this, a 3rd player takes a turn. The Cheetah now has a new option, either wait like before, or take an 'Extra Turn', where they can move 1 unit and spend 2AP. This unit is now marked with a grey background, and while the Cheetah may take more Extra Turns, if the opportunity arises(someone else goes), they cannot reuse the grey background units on any additional Extra Turns, or on their next regular turn. After they take their regular turn, they end by removing the grey background, freeing all units for use in extra turns. You have 2 less AP to spend on your Regular Turn for every Extra Turn you took.

_{Edit: Called them Extra Actions, meant Extra Turns}

[notquitethere]

Making attacking cost something is at least more intuitive, even if it makes for slower gameplay.

Making the action sequencing more complex is probably not a good idea. Part of the appeal of the game is that it has some tactical depth but it's not incredibly complicated. Having two optional speeds for players is already a headscratcher.

A simpler way to implement the same idea would be to allow players to act up to their action cap each game day, but whether they act all at once, or act, wait for another player, then act again in the same day is up to them (and there might be tactical reasons for doing either). The rule against double-posting would remain.

[RoseHeart]

A simpler way to implement the same idea would be to allow players to act up to their action cap each game day, but whether they act all at once, or act, wait for another player, then act again in the same day is up to them (and there might be tactical reasons for doing either). The rule against double-posting would remain.

That's kind of what I am talking about. But by restricting it to 2AP extra turns, and disabling those units after use with a clear marker, I hopefully leave fewer heads scratched.

I...don't think I need to limit Extra Turns to just Cheetahs. I think there is an even more streamlined system crying out to be born, one based on turns/extra turns without (daily/hourly) timers.

[RoseHeart]

Game days don't work for me, so any call for a system that uses them is basically saying, we think that you shouldn't play with us anymore RoseHeart. I'm sure it would be faster to leave me behind, than try to figure out how to bring me along. If Q, or someone else wants to do that, it's a free forum. But I am myself very enthusiastic and invested in the series, so I will continue to try to McGyiver my leg braces so I can come along for the ride.

[notquitethere]

Understandable, and it's good to know your own capacities. But in a strategic turn-based boardgame (which is what Platoon is), missing turns is always going to be a disadvantage. Ways I can see out of it:

- have fixed turn orders
- allow players to catch up actions from missed turns
- implement a kind of blue shell mechanic which gives trailing players some extra resource to help catch up
- Or moreover, reframe "skipping turns" as a power-building action

[RoseHeart]

Understandable, and it's good to know your own capacities. But in a strategic turn-based boardgame (which is what Platoon is), missing turns is always going to be a disadvantage.

Please recognize, before you joined Quarque's game was a sequel to my game, which was a follow up to a similar army game, and which was based on my running Hurt & Heal for 10 years. I definitely brought something that works, I offered Q to bring something else, and they did. Now we are running both. The point of Q's game was to cater to the requests of players, 'cause I do care about that, but I am a player, and my request also matters.

The HH system isn't a head scratcher, infact it is as old as dust. It stayed around because it works.

The clunkiness is the new stuff.

But that's ok, because we are trying to make something for everyone.

- Or moreover, reframe "skipping turns" as a power-building action

This is the beacons. It definitely is worth further exploring, sure. But the beacons allow delays to mean more APs to spend.

- allow players to catch up actions from missed turns

- implement a kind of blue shell mechanic which gives trailing players some extra resource to help catch up

That's the Hippos. Cheetahs not steamrolling them are all rules that could be written in blue font and called 'a Blue Shell mechanic'.

[RoseHeart]

Would you be interested in hosting your own spin on the next sequel? I think you had (and have) some hot ideas, they just weren't the direction I was focusing on for this one.

[Man of Paper]

So, like, what actually makes these games Hurt & Heals at all outside of the fact that you ran some for a decade and then did these? That's like saying Skyrim is a blacksmithing simulator in that it may have some hints of it in there, but it is a different beast entirely. I'd consider these things closer to some sort of multiteam chess (chinese checkers?) or even a narrativeless FEF than a H&H.

Anyway, some advice from one gm to another: you're going about "fixing" "issues" all wrong. The first thing you need to accept is that you will never succeed in making something for everyone. Hasn't been accomplished since the Big Bang. If you want your game to accommodate your own playstyle then stick with it. If you want to run a game for faster-paced players, stick with it. All that trying to mesh every playstyle together does is make everything seven layers of complicated more than it needs to be.

The draw of the Platoon games in my opinion is the ease of picking them up. By adding layers and layers of "fixes" to issues intrinsic to the forum game medium you're adding needless complexity that's more likely to, ah, hurt than heal.

Game days don't work for me, so any call for a system that uses them is basically saying, we think that you shouldn't play with us anymore RoseHeart.

The above is also a painfully toxic mindset. I won't try to pick it apart or anything, but I do think it's worth pointing it out and letting you work out in private why maybe this line of thought isn't healthy.


tl;dr things aren't actually broken so don't try too hard to fix them - run slow paced games for yourself and fast ones for others if you want to give everyone something to play

[RoseHeart]

Hey Chief.

Game days don't work for me, so any call for a system that uses them is basically saying, we think that you shouldn't play with us anymore RoseHeart.

Yep, I'm sure you 'were just about to join until you read one'.

[Man of Paper]

Don’t hate me for enjoying watching people play strategy games, my guy. My bad for trying to actually initiate a civil interaction and once again give you advice to actually help out.

[RoseHeart]

A standard Hurt and Heal allows you to take 2 actions, Hurt 2, Heal 2, or one of each.

Rewinding a bit, because we're trying some new things in II and III: In my Forum Battalion, and My Forum Platoon, you can also take 2 actions. Infact, it's based on grid hurt and heal games I've run starting in 2018. Rather than spreading, you now control 'units' on the board with a new Move action. I guess you could could them Hurt, Heal, and Moves.

[RoseHeart]

A better way to word it would have been to say "Doing this makes me feel excluded."

My dad abandoned me on a beach as a child, and ever since I suppose I have an overreaction to feelings of exclusion.

[RoseHeart]

NQT, I feel enough of what you're suggesting is similar enough to the extra turn system I am proposing, that I am going to go ahead and go through with it. I'm trying to nail the things I emphasized in the What is This? section, and this is the last shoe to drop.

[King Zultan]

I don't see how a slower paced game would make you feel excluded.

[RoseHeart]

I was pretty vocal about how it wasn't working for me.

It wasn't the rate, it was the deadlines.

We've run a slow game for the better part of a week.