Title: Adapting a boardgame to a Online Multiplayer Game
Slug: adapting-a-boardgame-to-a-online-multiplayer-game
Date: 2007-09-02 12:50:00
Author: Kartones
Lang: en
Tags: Game Dev
Description: Exploring different approaches to adapting boardgames into online multiplayer games.

<p>Today I did a bit of research about porting boardgames to online multiplayer games</p>

<p>A standard, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn-based_strategy">turn-based</a> game has a clear set of rules. When porting it for example to PC, some decisions have to be made, and if the game is going to be multiplayer, those decisions become critical.</p>

<p>The game mechanics can get to one of this states:</p>

<ul>
<li> <div><b>Keep the pure, turn-based rounds</b>. The most obvious one. This means having to wait for the CPU to compute it's turn (which as of today is instant except in games like chess ;). Example: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_the_gathering">Magic The Gathering</a>.</div> </li>
<li> <div><b>Keep turn-based rounds, but with time limit</b>. Each player has a time limit to make his decisions. If time expires, turn goes to the next player. This is good to create a "pressure" state in the players, but generally I don't like it. Example: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Hulk">Space Hulk boardgame</a>.</div> </li>
<li> <div><b>Switch to real-time</b>. This may appear trivial to do, but very often a game is meticulously designed to take advantage of careful turn planning, so switching to real time may crash the game experience. Example: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_warcraft">World of Warcraft</a>.</div> </li>
<li> <div><b>Develop a mixed-mode</b>. This is the approach I'll probably choose. Action takes place in real time, but each action has a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_down">cooldown</a> time, so you have to plan what are you doing ("<i>are you going to slash into the skeleton skull with your sword, which is fast, or are you going to throw him a fireball, which takes 3 seconds to cast?"</i>). Example: <strong>Final Fantasy VII's Active Time Battle</strong>.</div></li>
</ul>

<p>Another option that I don't see suitable for my game idea is the <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/conditional-turn-based-battle/3015-2432/">Conditional Turn Based</a> system, in which there are no rounds, but a "timeline" of turns that gets modified by each player and/or NPC actions. It is similar to the Active Time Battle, but more reminiscent of turn based games (and I'm searching for a way for the game to be more real-time, not more turn-based).</p>

<p> </p>

<p>So... What would you choose? Would you play like in <acronym title="Dungeons and Dragons">D&amp;D</acronym> in pure turns? or you would prefer a more real-time like experience?</p>