Co-Op Worker Placement Mechanic

Working Hard
Little mechanical idea in search of a theme:

Consider a worker placement mechanic in which you collect whatever resource you get for placing your worker on that space. You also get a bit from any neighboring spaces, but only if they're occupied by another player's worker. This makes turn order a tricky thing, because by going first and getting the first choice, you may also enable your opponents to gather resources of their own.

It's an interesting idea. Not sure of a good theme for it though. Any ideas? I want to flesh this out a bit more for the blog. I asked folks on Google+ about it and the idea that must stuck out to me was flipping this as a co-op theme. Almost like research?

One researcher does the hard work to be the first discoverer of certain scientific evidence. Then follow-up researchers have an easier time developing their own new ideas, "standing on the shoulders of giants" as Einstein put it. This also brings to mind the Exodus Earth game idea I posted a few months ago. Possible juice there.

Comments

  1. jcdietrichDecember 13, 2012 at 10:06 AM

    Software architecture? once an API is written, others can leverage it. Community building? Once you get your General Store, it is more attractive, easier, for others to move into the area, and set up shop, which in turn makes it more attractive and beneficial to those in the community and outsiders who join.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steven DavisDecember 13, 2012 at 6:12 PM

    "Spin off"... a game of government contractors who have to support some project, but make money on spin-off products (Tang from the Space program)?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ezra BradfordDecember 13, 2012 at 7:25 PM

    When I read the title, of course I thought "Dung & Dragons," because it has co-op workers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DanielSolisDecember 13, 2012 at 9:07 PM

    Ha! Wow, you're right. Gosh, dare I pursue yet another game system in the development of that game? Yeesh!

    ReplyDelete
  5. DanielSolisDecember 13, 2012 at 9:07 PM

    Nice! Yeah, that theme has definitely crossed my mind.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DanielSolisDecember 13, 2012 at 9:08 PM

    Lots of folks seem to like the idea of building a town. It's certainly a nice idea and I'm happy to noodle it. I think I'd need just a little twist to the theme to make it compelling to me though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. QuentinHudspethDecember 14, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    That was Newton, not Einstein.

    ReplyDelete
  8. DanielSolisDecember 14, 2012 at 8:11 PM

    D'oh! I can never remember who said that about whom.

    ReplyDelete

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