Re: [semi-VV] Multiple resources - was RE: Game balance

Binhan Lin wrote:

>That is more of an issue of game play rather than a problem with
mechanics 
>- for instance, if you have players who play Monopoly and lose every
time 
>because they refuse to purchase any properties, it's not a problem with

>the rules, but a problem with how you play.

Very much so; and as long as *all* players play the game exactly in the
way 
the designer who distributed the various resources intended, a "multiple

resource"-style game can work fine. Unfortunately there's almost
invariably 
some players who *don't* play it that way.

Eg., your example where A and B trade with one another and thus get a 
mutual benefit - *both* of them get cheap FTL drives and cheap beams -
has 
a direct parallell in GW's "Blood Royale", where Italy and Spain usually

set up a highly lucrative trade (Italian Luxuries and Food for Spanish
Iron 
and Semi-Luxuries) allowing them to cash in more money than the other 
kingdoms can... money with which they can buy armies to protect their 
resource-producing areas, and quite soon also go on the offensive. (OK, 
technically the other three kingdoms could get a total of 130 gold per
turn 
vs. Spain/Italy's 120, but the trade negotiations to pull that 130-gold 
deal off are so hairy that I've never actually seen it happen... and if
it 
*should* happen, either of Spain and Italy can stop it in its tracks by 
invading Provence.)

>I don't think the game system should be auto-balancing, otherwise why
play?

It shouldn't be *completely* auto-balancing - ie., an advantage gained 
shouldn't automatically be *completely* negated by the game mechanics -
but 
if there are *no* mechanics to rein in the leader, you usually end up
with 
a "campaign" which is decided by the first few battles. Such campaigns
tend 
to be very short, since non-leading players usually drop out soon after
it 
becomes obvious who'll win.

Regards,

Oerjan
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry