Having recently thought of the circular board idea, I have decided that this will be the focus of the next prototype – something I need to get made and then photograph thoroughly as this site needs new imagery! The circular board idea feels as if it could offer a unique twist and could solve many of the issues related to equidistant positioning and balanced gameplay for different player counts. Here’s how I’m thinking of structuring this concept:

Circular Board Design

  1. Board Layout:
    • Rings Instead of Lanes: The board consists of concentric rings representing different paths or lanes.
    • Player Bases: Each player’s Nexus is placed on the outermost ring, evenly spaced around the circle.
    • Scenery Placement: Players place scenery (towers, obstacles, etc.) to bridge the rings, creating strategic pathways between rings.
    • Center Area: The center features a healing portal and possibly other neutral objectives or buffs.
  2. Movement and Gameplay:
    • Movement: Players move their heroes and minions along the rings or through pathways created by scenery to advance towards opponents’ Nexuses.
    • Strategic Pathways: Scenery placement affects movement and strategy, offering opportunities for ambushes, defensive positions, and shortcuts.
  3. Healing Portal:
    • Central Healing Portal: All players have equal access to a healing portal in the center, which can heal their Nexus, heroes, or towers. This encourages players to control the center area.
    • Balance: The portal can have a cooldown or limited uses per turn to prevent overuse by one player.

Example Circular Board Layout

Outer Ring: Player Nexuses and initial towers.

  • Player 1 Nexus
  • Player 2 Nexus
  • Player 3 Nexus
  • Player 4 Nexus

Middle Ring: Strategic pathways and additional towers.

  • Scenery and pathways connecting the outer and inner rings.

Inner Ring: Direct access to the center area.

  • Additional strategic points and possibly weaker towers or minions.

Center: Healing portal and neutral objectives.

  • Healing Portal: Equal distance from all players.
  • Control Points: Buffs or resources for controlling players.

Example Turn Structure

  1. Spawn Phase: Players spawn minions based on their current tower count and any catch-up mechanics.
  2. Resource Phase: Players collect gold and experience based on controlled areas and defeated enemies.
  3. Purchase Phase: Players buy items from the store.
  4. Special Event Phase: Players draw and resolve event cards.
  5. Movement Phase: Players move their heroes and minions along the rings and through pathways.
  6. Combat Phase: Players resolve combats in contested areas.
  7. Tower Phase: Towers attack enemies within range.
  8. End Phase: Players end their turn and apply any end-of-turn effects.

Benefits and Considerations

  • Equal Distance: Ensures fairness and balanced access to central resources and objectives.
  • Strategic Depth: Scenery placement adds a layer of strategy and customization to each game.
  • Rubber Banding: Catch-up mechanics are crucial to keep the game competitive and prevent ganging up on one player.

Addressing the Three-Lane Concern (as most MOBA fans will be used to three-lane options)

  1. Alternative Lanes in a Circular Format:
    • Three Pathways Per Player: Ensure each player has three potential paths from their Nexus to the center, mimicking the feel of three lanes. These paths can be represented by fixed pathways or strategic scenery placements.
    • Strategic Pathways: Allow players to place scenery or obstacles to define and redefine these pathways, creating a dynamic and evolving battlefield.
  2. Inner, Middle, and Outer Rings:
    • Outer Ring: Functions like the bottom lane.
    • Middle Ring: Functions like the middle lane.
    • Inner Ring: Functions like the top lane.
    • Pathways: Connect the rings and allow minions and champions to navigate between these “lanes.”

Strategic Movement and Control

  1. Minion Movement:
    • Outer Ring: Minions move along this ring automatically.
    • Pathway Movement: Minions can transition to the middle ring via specific pathways, maintaining the feel of pushing lanes.
  2. Champion Movement:
    • Free Movement: Champions can move through all rings, providing flexibility and strategic depth.
    • Control Points: Champions can capture control points, destroy obstacles, and use the central healing portal.

Incorporating neutral control points and managing minion movement through the various rings could also add more strategic depth to the game.

Neutral Control Points

  1. Placement:
    • Even Distribution: Place control points evenly around the board in the inner and middle rings to ensure equal access for all players.
    • Center Area: Consider placing a key control point in the center area along with the healing portal, incentivizing players to contest this strategic location.
  2. Types of Control Points:
    • Resource Points: Grant bonus gold or extra minions per turn to the player controlling them.
    • Buff Points: Provide temporary buffs to heroes or minions, such as increased attack, defense, or movement speed.
    • Healing Points: Offer healing for heroes or minions, similar to the central healing portal but with lesser effects.
  3. Control Mechanism:
    • Capture Mechanic: Players need to spend an action to capture a control point. Once captured, it provides benefits until an opponent takes control.
    • Contest Mechanic: Control points can be contested if both players have units adjacent to them. The benefits are only received when a point is fully controlled.

Minion Movement and Pathways

  1. Minion Movement:
    • Ring Progression: Minions automatically move towards the center or opposing bases each turn, prioritizing pathways that lead directly towards enemy Nexuses.
    • Pathway Choice: If multiple pathways are available, minions can be directed to the least defended or most strategic paths.
  2. Pathway Creation:
    • Scenery Placement: During the game setup, players place scenery to create pathways between rings. This can be strategic, allowing players to create choke points or direct minion flow.
    • Dynamic Paths: Allow players to alter or create new pathways during the game by spending resources, adding a dynamic element to board control.
  3. Obstacle Interaction:
    • Destructible Obstacles: Some pathways could be blocked by obstacles that can be destroyed by minions or heroes, creating new routes during gameplay.
    • Permanent Pathways: Some pathways should be permanent and cannot be altered, ensuring consistent access to certain areas like the center.

Example Circular Board Layout with Control Points

Outer Ring: Player Nexuses and initial towers.

  • Player 1 Nexus | Player 2 Nexus | Player 3 Nexus | Player 4 Nexus

Middle Ring: Strategic pathways, additional towers, and neutral control points.

  • Control Point A (Resource) | Control Point B (Buff)
  • Pathways connecting to the outer ring and inner ring.

Inner Ring: Direct access to the center, weaker towers or minions, additional neutral control points.

  • Control Point C (Resource) | Control Point D (Healing)
  • Pathways connecting to the middle ring and center area.

Center: Healing portal and key control point.

  • Central Healing Portal: Heals all units adjacent to it at the end of each turn.
  • Central Control Point (Major Buff): Grants significant temporary buffs to the controlling player.

Example Turn Structure

  1. Spawn Phase: Players spawn minions based on tower count and any catch-up mechanics.
  2. Resource Phase: Players collect gold and experience based on controlled areas and defeated enemies.
  3. Purchase Phase: Players buy items from the store.
  4. Special Event Phase: Players draw and resolve event cards.
  5. Movement Phase:
    • Minions move automatically towards enemy bases or central objectives.
    • Heroes and minions can take actions to capture control points or destroy obstacles.
  6. Combat Phase: Players resolve combats in contested areas.
  7. Tower Phase: Towers attack enemies within range.
  8. End Phase: Players end their turn and apply any end-of-turn effects, such as healing from the central portal.

Lastly, regarding rubber banding with this plan, I’ve been thinking that when a tower is destroyed on a certain ring or lane, any minions sent down this route get a buff as they work harder to defend this weekend route. Implementing a buff for minions when a tower is destroyed adds a layer of strategy and can help balance the game by giving the losing player a chance to push back.

Here’s how you I’m thinking of incorporating this mechanic:

Buffed Minions Mechanic

Buff Trigger

  • When a tower is destroyed in a specific ring or lane, minions spawned in that lane receive a buff.

Buff Details

  • Increased Health: Minions gain additional health, making them harder to kill.
  • Increased Attack: Minions deal more damage, helping them push through defenses more effectively.
  • Increased Speed: Minions can move an extra space per turn, reaching their targets faster.

Duration

  • The buff lasts until the number of towers between players is balanced again – ie. by the player who had one of their towers destroyed destroying their adjacent opponents tower.

Potential Buff Stats

  1. Health Buff: +1 additional health.
  2. Attack Buff: +1 additional attack.
  3. Speed Buff: +1 additional movement space per turn.

Implementing the Buff

  1. Triggering the Buff:
    • When a tower is destroyed, place a “buff” token on the corresponding lane or ring to indicate the minion buff.
    • Announce the buff to all players.
  2. Applying the Buff:
    • Whenever a player spawns minions in the buffed lane or ring, those minions receive the specified buff.
  3. Visual Indicators:
    • Use special tokens or markers to indicate buffed minions for clarity during gameplay. I’m thinking of a token with an arrow on it so that you know which minions get the buff due to the direction they are moving in.

NOTE: If the minions move out of that lane, they lose the buff as it is the loss of the tower in that lane that is driving them to higher feats of glory!

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