darkSpyro

I saw this youtube video where a kid made "skylanders chess" I didn't post a comment because I didn't have ANYthing positive to say about it. It was basically move a piece then play rock paper scissors to see who wins... But I do think using the figures there could be something to this... just the general idea of using the figures as pieces on the board. Not chess, not checkers, something that incorporates more because the figures are specialized

Okay when creating a game you HAVE to have at least One win condition.
For now it's having the last figure standing, depending on how the board is set up there might be a "flag" to capture... Maybe assigning a team leader that if taken out is a way to win/lose...
I don't know, but could use some help here.

Here is the board I made for the game


Then assigning roles, values and abilities of the pieces
In this regard I want to start by assigning an ability for the piece based on its element.


Life
Balanced
10 (offense) / 10 (defense) The first number is always offense and second is defense

Air
Defense
8 / 12

Death
Offense
12 / 8

Earth
4 / 16
Defense

Fire
Offense
14 / 6

Water
Defense
6 / 14

Magic
Balanced
10 / 10

Tech
Offensive
16 / 4

Is the reference guide for what elements are strong or weak vs other elements.


I will post some ideas below each element, then can reevaluate and change as needed, and add ANY suggested ideas and so on
This is where I need ideas. In the end there will be values for if it is a core, giant, or swapper, and then if this takes off and people can help we can come up with individual abilities for every single skylander... but that is far off. For now ALL core skylanders are basically the same except for their respective elements. We can get more specialized after these ideas are fairly balanced.
I don't know how many people here have ever played MMOs but balance is VERY hard to do. So I'd prefer to move slow.

Next is BASIC gameplay. I think to keep things simple for now I am ONLY making this for core "small" skylanders so that they can fit in a basic square. I think something that incorporates a offense and defense stat like card collecting games (like Magic the gathering and other games) would be good
Since there are 8 basic elements lets do offense, defense and balanced.
3 offensive, 3 defensive, and 2 balanced...

Figures move in a up/down, left/right/ and diagonal on their turn, we can incoporate differences in move abilities per element, and so on. For now though, think of a king in chess, and it's ability to move on the board.

Also to incorporate strategy you can only move on your turn. To incentive risk vs reward there needs to be a reason to try and defeat other players or a massive defensive rooster of figures will always be the prevailing strategy (think Risk and other strategy based games)

Something like for each figure you defeat at the end of your turn you can roll a 20 sided side. If you roll an even number you get an upgrade. You can only win one upgrade per end of turn


As someone posted if someone wants to write out an idea for a X element is weak vs Z element and X element is strong vs Z element I can add that. I like that kind of diversity


Rules

Need ideas on additional rules, win conditions and ect

The Official Rules (subject to change as the game is developed)

Before the game starts
1. Every player MUST start the game with the same number of figures. Meaning no one can start the game with 10 skylanders if the other player can't also start with 10.

2. If players are picking skylanders from a common pool (like you are playing with a sibling) the youngest player gets to pick first, (House rule: instead of youngest, you can choose to roll a dice, flip a coin or another means to choose who goes first)
Take turns til all the skylanders are equally split up, or til everyone has an agreed upon amount of figures. You can decide before hand if everyone should have 5 or 10 or whatever amount. (House rule: you can allow a less experienced player additional figures as a way to give one player a greater challenge, or even things up)

Depending on the type of game you want to play you have either of the next options if opposing players have their OWN pool of figures to pick from
2. a
Starting with the youngest player. They choose a figure from their pool, and then take turns so that you can try and balance accordingly to what the other player is picking
2. b
Both players pre pick their equal amount of figures, and then only take turns to place the figures on the board.

3. All figures are to be placed so as their back is to their owner. This is the default position of all figures. They are to be turned 90 degrees to the right after a move and/or an attack has been performed by the figure. Once a figure has been turned twice and facing it's owner it is exhausted and can no longer be used on that turn.


How you move your characters during the game
4. You can move each figure per turn, and only on your turn. A figure can move twice, can move and attack or attack then move, but it can not attack two times in a single turn.

5 After making a move a figure one space turn it 90 degrees to the right. When turned twice so that the figure is facing it's owner it is exhausted for that turn. It can no longer attack or move til your next turn

6. You can move the piece to an empty bordering space.

7. You can choose to not move or attack with any figures on your turn as well.

8. You can only declare an attack with a figure once per turn. (see combat section for how attacks are played out) After an attack has been resolved turn the figure 90 degrees to the right, any figure that has performed an attack will always be facing the right, as viewed by the figures owner. Unless it has been moved before the attack. In which the figure will be facing it's owner

9. You can only declare an attack with a figure that is not exhausted. A figure that is already facing it's owner before the attack is declared.

10. When all moves have been exhausted or the player chooses to end their turn all figures can be turned back to the standard position facing so their back is to the owner. Completing that step starts the opposing players turn.

11. A figure is not moved, turned, or exhausted while defending. It will always have it's back to it's respective own unless defeated.

12. A defeated character is taken off the board when the attack, and defense rolls have been resolved. (see combat section)

COMBAT
When characters meet on the board, as in both characters have a bordering side.
If it is your turn you can choose to attack
You roll a 20 sided dice, the defender rolls a 20 sided dice. Whatever you roll is added to your attack stat if attacking, and defense stat if defending. Ties go to the defender.

All the Skylanders are strong and weak to certain elements.
This picture is a reference

In case you can't see the picture here is the written version

Life > Water > Fire > Air > Earth > Tech > Magic > Death > Life
Is the chain

When you face an element you are Strong or Weak against this is shown by adding 4 or subtracting 4 to the attackers roll

For example I have a tech piece. I move it to where a water piece is sharing a border I can choose to attack
I roll a 6
the defender rolls a 15
my attack is for 22 (6 dice roll + 16 atk stat)
their defense is 22 (15 dice roll + 7 def stat)

Nothing happens because tie always goes to the defender

In another example because these two elements are neutral to each other

I declare an attack with a Earth skylander vs an Air skylander
I roll a 15
Defender rolls a 8

Atk is 15 because 15 (roll) + 4 (elemental stat) - 4 (weak vs air)
Def is 14 8 (roll) + 6 (ele stat)

As you can see here an earth element is not the greatest to attack with it needed a good roll to win.
But the attack did win, so the defender removes the figure from the board

I can then as the attacker choose to move another piece, declare an attack with another piece, but the tech one I already used is essentially out of commission til my next attack turn (in other games it is called being tapped)

A place for existing skylander board game ideas, and how to use the ideas

1.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2...ylanders-chess/

Reading this, I do not want a basic chess/checkers game. I want the elements (for now) to be the stat basis, and more detailed stats for the figures. And that use the figures, not game pieces... this is to make the game more along the lines of "collecting" like other games do with cards, and ect.

Also I will have a dice added for the attack and defense parts of the game until something better than a 6 - sided die is suggested
I don't want a pre made peices idea like in chess... I want a roster, or "deck" kind of idea to picking what figures you want to use depending on the strategy you intend to employ

but that said
Flight: Winged figures like Spyro can move two squares — matched with Knights.
Shoot: Figures with guns like Trigger Happy can eliminate another piece (in line of site) rather than moving – matched by Castles.
Bomb: Area effect characters like Eruptor can eliminate all piece around them in a two square radius – matched by Bishops.

that part is interesting. Where I won't assign "flight" as an aspect I would add something along the lines of shoot to ranged designated characters.


2.
//forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/viewposts.php?topic=47186
basically it is about brainstorming the possibility of using an RDIF "board" that would use your characters ingame stats and progress in the game. Sounds awesome but is really not in the realm of possibility of something that I think we can do.
Instead I am going to focus on making up stats, and rules, and ect for the figures. It's a cool idea, but I am shooting for is more of a table top game... In a future time where yugioh type games are the norm that would be cool though lol


3.
//forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/vi...&page=1#4352305
card game made by zookinator

I like the idea of using the cards to incorporate the stats. When I get to the phase of individualizing characters beyond their elements that is what I'll go on


That is all I have found for now. Will add more to this as I run across more info that pertains to this

I have an idea.So in PvP each element has a strength and weakness e.g.Tech is strong against Magic but weak against Earth.So only an earth skylander could take out a tech skylander.

Awesome idea, Write it up and will add it to the assigning values, roles, and abilites section

I don't agree that there should be a situation where you HAVE to have a skylander of X element to take out a skylander of Y element

But something like

Tech
+1 to offensive roll vs magic
-1 to defense roll vs earth

Could work so that encourage players when picking their roster to either specialize like if they wanted a death centric roster or flush out their selection depending on what the other player is selecting for a more balanced approach

Quote: ryum

Awesome idea, Write it up and will add it to the assigning values, roles, and abilites section

I don't agree that there should be a situation where you HAVE to have a skylander of X element to take out a skylander of Y element

But something like

Tech
+1 to offensive roll vs magic
-1 to defense roll vs earth

Could work so that encourage players when picking their roster to either specialize like if they wanted a death centric roster or flush out their selection depending on what the other player is selecting for a more balanced approach

I love tabletop gaming - so I'll be interested to see what you come up with.
Someone made a Skylanders war-game last year, so perhaps you could read that to get some ideas.


Quote: azz01

I have an idea.So in PvP each element has a strength and weakness e.g.Tech is strong against Magic but weak against Earth.So only an earth skylander could take out a tech skylander.

I tried to do one of those on a pokemon style grid and could never make the damn thing balance.

Easy start: Fire > Life > Water > Fire... with earth as 'neutral'

yeah with 8 elements it'll be hard to balance everything that is why I am asking if you have the idea write it up

cause I am still working on the extreme basics for the game for now, then can add in that kind of stuff after the fact

I mean in the end goal result would be every single character on the board would have something unique they can bring to the game. Which is what I'll probably do instead of the idea of adding a "special" stat or ability because it is a giant or swapper

And as I think of it for swappers I am only going to have them as their stardard form. So Magma Charge can only be magma charge... not able to swap the bottom out and it mean anything gameplay wise.

I guess as a plan for coming up with individual skylander abilites then their element would only determine it's basic start atk / defense, but again that is pretty far off.
If I can play this a few times and it feel like there is something there with just using the elements then can add on in a balanced way as the idea progresses
I think in this regard I will first come up with an assignment for if it is a Melee or Ranged Skylander
then add something like
Ranged skylanders can declare an attack on a figure if they are 1 move away... So can attack diagonal or one square away
Melee skylanders when attacking figures that are directly in contact with (up down left right) get a + one to dice roll. Same for defense again when attacking figure is "in contact"

I did do a search for skylanders board game will read those and apply good ideas I see there.

Quote:

I love tabletop gaming - so I'll be interested to see what you come up with.
Someone made a Skylanders war-game last year, so perhaps you could read that to get some ideas.

post a link to this please. I have not been able to find it on the forum, but have started to search for other skylander board game sources for info and ideas

It might get kinda confusing with what Skylanders can fly and have projectiles.
There are a lot of wingless Skylanders that can fly, like Warnado and Ninjini (or dos she just hover?)
Almost every Skylander has a projectile attack, even Bash (although it sucks)

I agree, I am not going to add flight as a possible aspect to the figures. I am just linking sources as I find them as I brainstorm up the gameplay, rules, and other asepects of balance

As for the projectile... I agree, and that's why per figure it would be assigned a ranged or melee role. I would do so based on the characters basic attack, but even that is fraught with lots of possible conflicts. I have not written anything about these roles yet because of all the issues.

That's why for now ALL there is are core skylanders of the different element types.

Since no one else wanted to do it I made a dual pairing of strong and weak aspects assigned to the elements.

I think I made the logical choices there, if anyone has another suggestion for them feel free to say something

edit: I actually don't want to dual pair the strong and weak like that I am working it out now.

I will be moving this to the Toys and Merchandise section, where it belongs.

...... Life < Death < Magic < Water < Fire < Earth < Air < Tech
Tech is strong vs Life is the chain I am looking at for Str

.......Life > Magic > Fire > Air > Death > Tech > Water > Earth
Earth is weak vs Life is the chain I am looking at for Weakness

//forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/vi...&page=1#4352305

Here's the link to my idea. It is just a card game, but it as been play tested many times, and lots of people enjoy the randomness involved. Feel free to be inspired by this, although if you want to take some ideas from this, please give credit to me.

I like the idea of using the stats on the cards.. I have been trying to figure out a way to simplify using the stats on the cards to translate into stats for the figures, but I am not sure. Something like round X stat to the nearest 10 then divide by 10 = your attack or defense

I guess I could look at using the speed stat as part of the ability to move a figure.


Like I said I have been looking at some of the cards I have and back of my mind brainstorming it.


In the first post I put there needs to be an incentive to attack. Some kind of power up or something you can use on your turn.

I'll def reference you since you already listed all the power ups which saves me time on typing them up.

I am also brainstorming the idea of making a level figure mandatory to a deck. It would not be able to be moved, and if attacked and defeated it could provide another win condition
One rule I know is missing is having designated areas where you can put your figures (a your side of the board) but after a while of thinking of the rules I have not decided to firmly pick the chess board. Might be a good starter board, but with the movements and everything I am thinking a hex board might be better. You can google "hex board" and it's the first image. And like was said before this could translate towards some kind of other non traditional table top game.
Just trying to not paint myself into a corner just yet

also using the cards for stats might provide a way to give the cards a HP amount, but not sure.


In general there are a lot of possiblities. I am heading out on a trip tomorrow, but will hopefully come back with some better organized thought on this project.

You know, you have a pretty good idea going on, especially with the hex board. I might buy myself one, as the board game version of my card game isn't going so well with the tiny chess board. I'll look into it. Have luck with making your game!

thanks I am trying the first game with my kid just to see how things are so far rule wise

it was kinda fun, but will work out better on a bigger board than a classic chess one. It'll also be better once I figure out how to use a level figure that should be defended, and a way to use power ups as an incentive to attack.

As it is just using the 1-6 for atk/def it doesn't really work.

Also the 6 sided dice wasn't really working out because it made the dice matter too little vs the default atk/def stats. We immediately switched to a 20 side dice, but kept everything else the same, but that made the strong and weak not really matter.

It is a work in progress, but I do get the impression my 7 yr old was very fascinated with the idea of using the figures for something other than just the video game, and when I mentioned using the cards after originally explaining the stats. He thought some how using the cards was a really good idea

Reviewing the cards I can not use the stats on the cards for now because

SSA each stat is 1-100
giants 1-150
Swap Force 1-200

which obviously weigh the stats in favor of the later games

So before I can incorporate the cards I have to come up with a way to balance them. Something like

Each player can only use swap force figures or giants figures that match the number your opponent has in their "deck"/roster


Or something like

You can only use 2 SF figures, 4 giants, and any number of SSA figures (again for now CORE ONLY) as long as they match your opponents number of figures in the respective series.

The really good thing is that the different colored bottoms make it a lot easier to tell which figure is from which series.


The hex board also allows me to use the speed stat better so I do think I will try and order or find one this weekend. also the hex board solves the issue with attacking diagonal which is kind of important...

http://www.hexboard.com/stones.htm

for the hexboard I am actually thinking of something like this with the hex shapes as a netting sort of thing for easier storage

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...=A1THAZDOWP300U

or get that since it is only 2.84 with free shipping and use that to make a hex board on a big sheet of paper, or something

I am done for tonight buy have been going through the cards and they do not work... they are not balanced at all. Which is to be expected because they were not made for this purpose.
For an example of what I am talking about here are two SSA figures card stats
Stealth Elf
Atk 60
Def 30
Speed 100
Luck 70
= 260
vs
Zook
Atk 70
Def 85
Speed 20
Luck 70
= 245

So it doesn't even work when rounding the numbers to something more managable
Also doesn't work just using atk/def stats

I do like the idea of using cards... so will brainstorm about it. Or might just get blank cards do what I did before and reference each element to an assignment like offensive, defensive, or neutral and then per element start statting them accordingly.

I might figure out a way to make the cards work for playing with the kiddo, but in general long term it's not going to work due to the balance issues

Moved to fandom

I found the actual weaknesses strengths:

Water > Fire
Fire > Air
Air > Earth
Earth > Tech
Tech > Magic
Magic > Undead
Undead > Life
Life > Water

what is your source?

Made the board today. It's not perfect but think it will work


this is after we decide the number of figures (which is 5)


this is after taking turn placing the figures



I am working on making custom cards, and lots of stuff, but til then I am defualting to the elemental set up.

Quote: ryum

what is your source?

Gamefaqs and just in case my friend and I tested it out our selves.

you mean in the game? when doing pvp those elements are strong/weak vs different elements?

on http://skylandersfigures.net/skylanders-starter-guide/

i found


works for me, will edit it in later.

We should try incorporate their card stats.

For example we have S1 Spyro vs. S1 Stealth Elf

Spyro stats:
Attack:60
Defense:50
Speed:90
Luck:60

Stealthe Elf Stats:
Attack:60
Defense:30
Speed:100
Luck:70

Okay so here is how it would work.

Attack:How much damage you do is equal to your attack stat times 2 so Spyro would do 120 damage.If the element is strong against the skylander it would do another double attack so that wold be 240 damage.If it was weak it would do half damage so it would do 60 damage instead.

Defense:Would determine how much damage you take.You would subtract your defense from the attack.So for stealth Elf since Maic is neutral to Life it would only do 90 damage.If it was strong against Life it would do 210 damage if it was weak against Life it would do 60 damage.

Speed:Would determine who goes first.Also evasion would be counted but I am still trying to work that out.

Luck:Would determine crits and dodges.Under progress.

A battle would ensue if to skylanders of opposite teams were diagonally,vertically or horizontally facing each other.More the whole game you have three life linesouble battle(Two skylanders of the same team battle one skylander of the opposite team),Auto crit(Self explanatory) and dodge battle(Skip battle)

I will update more with other ideas later since I have to go now.Feel free to change anything about what I said.

Yeah using the default cards would be nice, but like said I already looked over several cards and they are not remotely balanced.

They were not stated to be balanced either. Their in game skills were how they were balanced. Lastly using the cards would not work when using giants. Have you looked at some of the stats on those cards?
Anyways like I said it would be nice to use the cards as is, but I don't see a balanced way to do it

Okay I got the board and combat all basically decided for the core figures just using the elemental type.

I will work on making individual stat cards per figure on index cards then post those once I have them all balanced out.

The good thing about making the index cards (assuming I can create a balanced set) is that I can stat them out equally no matter what set they come from. So I don't have to make a rule to limit the number of swap force core figures you can use or giants. Because if people do play this ever... it would suck to limit their ability to set up a game if they happen to mostly have giants or swap force figures instead of SSA ones.

Again just look at the cards if you don't understand. The later the series, the higher the base stats are and there are other worse balance issues in the defualt cards for this type of game.

Right now I am working on using a location figure or a single Giant (as a king/Leader) figure that needs to be defended as another possible win condition.
Working on power ups also you can get when you finish a turn with a successful attack.

Attack incentives
and a rule change to moves


We were finding that allowing each character a move and attack, two moves and no attack, or attack and move was getting too monotonous

we are experimenting with rolling a 6 sided die that will determine your move allowance for that attack turn

Something like dice roll + 3 = how many moves you can make that attack turn. you would still have it so a single figure could only attack once per attack round.

the smaller moves spread across all the figures was making the end game that has fewer figures on the board super super slow, and I hope this helps. If not will try dice roll plus 4

NEXT

Attack incentives
Using the magic items

I don't know if everyone will have so I am not assigning board values to individual magic items. Just as an example

You play the magic items like an instant in MtG. So for example

Healing Elixir = +10 to a defensive dice roll

In use if someone declares an attack, and they rolled enough to defeat you, before the attack is resolved you can play the magic potion to add +10 to the defense roll to try and save that figure from a successful attack

So here are the Magic Item incentive roles

Healing Elixir +10 to defensive dice roll
Ghost Swords +10 to attack dice roll
Winged Boots Play to add 2 more moves on your attack turn
Time Twister played by defensive player after an attack is declared, and negates the attack. No dice are rolled, and the attack figure can not attack again on that turn
Battle hammer can be played after an unsuccessful attack to allow the figure another attack move.


this is all I could come up with now, and remember the function is not strictly assigned to a magic item. Because people will have different magic items, and I had some ideas that were clearly overpowered and want to steer clear of that