Iterating a RTS (Real Time Strategy) Game

On Friday we were put into a group of six, and then we worked together to iterate a very basic RTS board game into a more complex and interesting game. Below are the iterations we went through to get to our final stage:

Iteration 1:

Moved to turn-based gameplay

Iteration 2:

Added turn/fire card, limiting the turn to 60o when they use this so as not to give it too much power over the other cards.

Iteration 3:

You can't use 'fire' or 'turn/fire' on your first turn

Iteration 4:

Added move/fire card, but limited the movement to one hex before firing

Iteration 5:

With the 'move' card, you roll a dice and move the number shown, this adds an element of chance to our game, mixing both chance and skill.

Iteration 6:

Roll the dice to see who goes first at the start of the game, then move round clockwise

Iteration 7:

Added clear arrows to the pieces to show which direction they are facing

Iteration 8:

Every player has a set spawn point, where they can't fire or be fired at

Iteration 9:

Giving each player 2 more pieces, giving them a total of 3 in their armies

Iteration 10:

Added lines along each row of hexes, adding more clarity to the players' actions

Iteration 11:

Removing 'no shooting on first go' rule, as it is no longer necessary




Final Game:

I felt that our final game was a huge success for multiple reasons. The fact that we added an element of chance to the game made it seem a lot more fun by allowing players to feel 'lucky', and even allowed less skilled players to compete with the more experienced RTS players. By giving each player three members of their 'army' instead of just the one, it meant that even when a player had a piece eliminated they could continue playing; this keeps a constant interest in the game even if somebody is losing: nobody is out completely unless they lose all three pieces. By extending the limitations of movement with the move/fire and turn/fire cards, we allowed players more choices and added a new layer of skill to the game.

One iteration I would have liked to make it to add some sort of reward for reaching specific hexes in the middle of the board, as this would add more depth to the game and give each player other goals aside from killing everybody else.