Design Discussion: Emulating the "Starcraft" strategic dilemma in a board game (without dice)
Hey everyone,
I’ve realized recently that the current trend of "cozy" engine builders and multiplayer-solitaire games just isn't for me. I really miss the constant, highly interactive tension of RTS video games like Starcraft or Age of Empires.
In a classic RTS, your ideal move entirely depends on reading your opponents:
- If they are greedy (focusing purely on economy/points), you should attack.
- If they turtle (build heavy defenses), you should spread out and take map control.
- If they rush, you need to defend.
I wanted to capture this exact dilemma in an area control game I'm currently designing (a Viking-themed game called Nyrheim). I wanted a cutthroat, highly interactive game, but in a plannable "Euro" style. However, I ran into a few major design challenges along the way:
1. The "Fog of War" Problem In an RTS, you never see exactly what the other person is doing. In a board game, perfect information can lead to heavy analysis paralysis. My current solution: Multi-use hand cards. You can either use them for their printed effect, or chop them up to use them as hidden money for wild card actions or combat. You never quite know what tricks your opponent is holding back.
2. The Combat/Luck Problem I wanted combat front and center, but I absolutely hate when a 20-minute strategic setup is ruined by a bad dice roll. My current solution: A blind bidding "power poker" system using coins and combat cards. The twist: The winner gets the region and trophies, but the loser gets the money that the winner put into the fight. This created some crazy mind games in playtesting. Sometimes players bid absolutely nothing just to intentionally lose, grab the consolation money, and gain a trophy (thanks to a specific card effect).
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this: What are your favorite ways to implement high player interaction and combat without relying on the chaos of dice? How do you keep combat from feeling too punishing for the loser in your designs?
P.S. If you are interested in the visual breakdown of these mechanics or how this prototype evolved from a clunky space game into its current state, I actually just started a devlog on YouTube and made a video about this exact topic. You can check it out here if you like:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIC2LFKFtsM