Rare Game Mechanics -- PAX Unplugged 2021

[@jdkomododragon]

Hey, thanks for recording and uploading this. I just missed the Crab God theater cap and couldn't get in to watch it live. Much appreciated, and good talk.

[@GeekNightsRym]

Oh, I didn't know the room capped! Definitely glad I got it up on youtube then!

[@olegushakov5074]

@@GeekNightsRym Can you list the names of games?

[@setarcos42]

I just wanted to drop a thank you for the free course on game design. Ive watched many videos and read many books at this point but your presentations have given more consistent insight for an aspiring developer than any of them.

[@natew.7951]

Me: no way Rym works in his favorite obscure rules of error handling into this video Rym: hahaha I will stick that knowledge into every video!!! Excellent talk as always sir.

[@GeekNightsRym]

It's such a cool obscure thing that I wish more game designers embraced! Also, it's been so long since we've done a panel, I will admit that I filled time by revisiting topics I knew this audience likely hadn't encountered. Most of the people in the packed panel room had never seen me or Scott before, so it was all new to them =P

[@natew.7951]

@@GeekNightsRym yeah I'm not complaining. I've listened to all your panels and some of your podcast but I still really enjoyed this talk.

[@GhostBeatboxFugu]

Great panel as per usual.

[@Tysto]

17:18 LOL always a hockey reference in these talks.

[@Tysto]

My favorite game mechanic that i don't think gets used much is tic-tac-toe. It's strategically simple, which is often true of even politics and war, but if you make the capture of each square contended, you introduce drama, especially if you also allow squares to be overturned under certain circumstances. And the end states can include one winner, no winner, or even (if you allow both players to always complete their turn) two winners, forcing compromises.

[@Sammo_Hoi]

Great panel as always and I loved your bit about racism in board games. Good work.

[@mint301]

Scythe - a size 4 rondel with movement 3. Doesn't have to be presented as a circle 😎

[@revimfadli4666]

Agreed, it's basically an omnidirectional rondel. The paths in GWT, Tokaido, and Parks have been referred to as rondels as well. And according to Shannon Applecline, handbuilding like in Concordia and Century: Spice Road are more modern forms of rondel

[@outdoorraw]

what is the game @ 31:30 called?

[@ColonelKurtz]

Treasure Island. He says it pretty quickly in the video.

[@matthewrye3156]

Isn't Monopoly a Rondel?

[@Apreche]

All rondels are circles, but not all circles are rondels.

[@matthewrye3156]

@@Apreche the monopoly board is a loop, with different actions available at each spot. Does the players lack of control over how far around the loop they travel prevent it from being a rondel. Rym's description made it sound like the shope of the loop was not relevent.

[@revimfadli4666]

@@Apreche Not all, Scythe's action selection and handbuilding like in Concordia and Century: Spice Road basically work as rondels, but more flexible

[@scrub_jay]

@@matthewrye3156 You don't really have different actions available at each spot. The properties all function identically, and the other spaces just tell you what to do with no decision made by the player. Even when Monopoly does offer the player a choice it is usually a simple yes/no (buy or don't buy, develop or don't develop) which is not the same as having multiple available actions.

[@ongelvin]

Where is Scott. How are we supposed to enjoy a talk when you don't have Scott to bounce off of?

[@Apreche]

I like PAX a lot. I went to every North American PAX from '08-East '20. I even went to the first AUS. But as much as I like PAX, I like staying alive even more. Not going to any conventions with a pandemic about, especially considering what went down at Anime NYC.

[@GeekNightsRym]

I drove in, masked up, did the panel, and immediately left. The only reason I even did the panel at all was that I could get there and back as a short day trip. We'll see if we (or I) do any panels at PAX East. While it's months away, we don't know what the world will look like then.

[@jeremiahdonaldson1678]

Trick taking is possibly the most common game mechanic of all. Not sure why it's called 'rare' in this video. Spades, Hearts, Old Maid, War, Bridge, etc. Poker is still the most commonly played card game, which uses trick taking aspects, it's just hand vs. hand instead of card vs. card. Even Magic uses trick taking aspects. Matter of fact, anything that uses a A, B, C choice in which you are using something else to pick which, is using trick taking aspects, including TTRPGs. The mechanic didn't go away, it just devolved to not being the game itself.

[@MrJoakyfran]

He explains in the video that he would be talking about mechanics that are really common in a genre but not found outside them. Trick taking is an example of that

[@quantumperception]

Adorable to see the useless masks everyone was forced to wear. Worst fashion trend ever, lol.

[@GeekNightsRym]

Fuck you and your maga nonsense. People like you aren’t welcome as our fans.

[@Ghayme-changer]

​@@GeekNightsRymThe MAGA people figured the odds from the start and broke the game. _Do not get vaxxed, do not collect $200, do not get myocarditis, white fibroid clots and die suddenly_ Liberals and Dems statistically "played by the rules" and are increasingly reaping the horrible consequences.