Any card players out there? how about a casino/tavern with mini games like cards

Discussion in 'Archived Topics' started by Toff, Apr 22, 2014.

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  1. Curt

    Curt Avatar

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    'game of marbles' that kids has been playing over quite long time.
     
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  2. Iggy

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    Big catch in adding board/card games in a medieval game like this is that said games have changed considerably over the years. The best compromise I can come up with is to pick games that have had a relatively steady base of players over the centuries with only minor changes, and a modern equivalent that is still in wide use (so as not to completely confuse modern players). The idea here is to play something that could, in theory, be "house rules" for games back in the day. Unfortunately there isn't much information from the day in age in question, so one has to pull in renaissance material anyways. The general limit in my head is the thought "if it's as ridiculous as Texas Hold'em in the old west, throw it out", but admittedly that's a personal thing. So what follows is some games to be included (with links) and an idea of how to implement them.

    For the most part, the games are crafted, but cheap versions can be bough from NPC's. You can decorate your house with them, and have the option of rather the pieces are put away, or out for display. More than decoration, you can play the game with other players, although I doubt there'll be computer players to play against (although it would be nice). You should be able to play on a table, or even on the ground (perhaps to pass time in a dungeon). When placed for play, areas should be highlighted and scaled for the surface used to indicate that other players can join in. Once they do, the camera will automatically zoom in for a better look, although you should still be able to move it. There will be 2 versions of each game: an iteration that follows actual rules, and a "freeform" version that acts as a virtual surface, allowing players to move the pieces at will and essentially play whatever you and your fellow players want to (on the honor system, of course). For a card game, this would necessitate an area for a "draw" and a "discard pile", as well as spots to indicate a players "hand" of cards, the rest of the area remaining to play anyway anywhere, and the ability to flip cards over (perhaps as a double-click). If gambling is allowed, it should either follow a strict set of rules based on the game (perhaps even with stacks of gold coins instead of gaming chips), or a simple "put whatever you bet in this box and the winner gets it" format. Taverns should have boards and whatnot already set up, to encourage players to go to public areas, and allow one to bring their own board as well; hopefully we can get a virtual community of players pitting their skills (and money) in pubs just like the days of old.

    Chess: the staple of "serious" board games, relatively unchanged in rules since 1475 (although the pieces have changed, SotA should have "old-style" pieces or have new ones made for it). Available as a board (with pieces in a wooden box), a travel set (in a leather case), and as a stand-alone table. Comes in a variety of "qualities" for crafters to make, made of materials such as wood, metal, and stone.

    Checkers: a classic and simple board game that has remained mostly unchanged since 1535, although there are dozens of other variants out there. Available as a board (with pieces in a wooden box), a travel set (board and pieces in a leather case), and as a stand-alone table. Comes in a variety of "qualities" for crafters to make, made of materials such as wood, metal, and stone.

    Backgammon: the quintessential "role and move" game, with equal parts skill and luck, and one that perhaps should use the modern rules (with the doubling cube). Available as a solid board (with pieces in a wooden box), a travel set (folding leather case), and as a stand-alone table. Comes in a variety of "qualities" for crafters to make, usually made of cork and leather with wood, metal, and stone pieces.

    Nine Men's Morris: a very old game, and another staple of "ye olde medieval times". Available as a sold wood board with wooden pieces in a leather bag, a "decoration" for a table that has the lines drawn on it, and a large outdoor setup with the lines dug into the ground.

    Hazard: the ancestor to craps (pretty much everyone would choose "7" anyways), and a basic dice game using a pair of six-sided dice. Clicking on the dice in your inventory simply rolls them to create a number in your chatbox. Available as wood, bone, stone, and whatever else crafters make them out of.

    Cribbage: the modern equivalent to older card games such as Noddy, and a good 2-player game to play in your local virtual tavern. Set of 52 paper cards with a wooden scoreboard and metal pegs, although fancier versions can be crafted. Double clicking on the deck of cards in your inventory "pulls" a random card as described in your chatbox (same for the rest of the card games below)

    Poch: an ancestor of poker, and a good fill-in for the modern game, but interesting by itself. Set of 32 paper cards and a round wooden board.

    Whist: a simple but skillful trick-taking game, in line with the style of numerous games from centuries before it. Set of 52 paper cards.

    Piquet: an old 2-player card game of skill that has changed relatively little over the centuries. Set of 32 paper cards.

    French Tarot: a common modern version of the original purpose of tarot cards: playing a trick-taking game. Of course, you should still be able to use them for divination purposes in-game. Set of 78 paper cards.

    Game Compendium: a convenient (but expensive) wooden box or table (see link for examples) that contains all the games above (selectable from a menu).

    Courier Chess: a popular chess variant from the middle ages; might as well throw this one in too. Available as a board (with pieces in a wooden box) and as a stand-alone table. Comes in a variety of "qualities" for crafters to make, made of materials such as wood, metal, and stone.

    The OmniDie: a special magical set of blank cubes that can be set up to roll from any set of numbers you want! Essentially an in-game random number generator for people that want to role-play their characters role-playing a role-playing game while in a role-playing game.


    One last note on the card games: if the devs want to restrict games to only period authentic ones (more or less), I guess the good choices would be Trump, Laugh & Lie Down, One-and-Thirty, and Losing Loadum, as they are relatively easy enough to figure out.


    Sources:

    Wikipedia (of course)
    Pagat (an essential source of card game rules)
    The Online Guide to Traditional Games (terrific source of game history)
    Rules to Period Games (source of historical gaming info)
    Parlett's Historic Card Games (yet more gaming info)
     
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  3. Iggy

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    In either case, if card games were to be added to SotA, one has to decide what "suits" to use. The choices are to come up with an original set, choose one below, or pick-and-choose among them. Also convenient symbology that can be added to one's coat of arms, now that I think about it.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    French Suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    German Suits: hearts, bells, acorns, leaves


    Source: Wikipedia (of course)
     
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  4. Iggy

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    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Swiss-German Suits: roses, bells, acorns, shields

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Italian Suits: cups, coins, staves, swords

    Source: Wikipedia (of course)
     
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  5. Eriador

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    I like the tarots suits also. Do you know how we call in Spain to the "knave" card? "Sota". :O
     
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  6. Sirius Sternwarte

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    Great posts iggy, some of those suits could make good blazon charges too
     
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  7. Mishri

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    Yep, we've discussed this many times and most of the community seems to want it.

    This is also the perfect type of thing the community can program and submit to Portalarium for inclusion in the game.

    Because these can be programmed stand alone and aren't dependent on other game features.
     
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  8. Iggy

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    Since the whole suit thing has went over well (and gave me some food for thought), I decided to whip up some visuals for an idea I had for what suits knave SoTA should have.

    [​IMG]

    Britannia Suits: wands, skulls, hammers, and shields


    The idea here is that each represents one of the four main components of SotA (and potential skill point pools): magic, PvP, crafting, and combat, respectively.

    Also figured that if they were to make a deck of cards, the likenesses of the developers can be used for the face cards. Either that, or perhaps such a right can be purchased from the add-an store ("Want to be the King of Skulls? Only $1,999.99 plus tax!). Of course, the cards should still be designed in the traditional manner, with the traditional forms (single-orientation face cards, no indices, square corners, elaborate yet easy to reproduce hand painted designs). Speaking of which, if they were to print out some nice looking real decks of playing cards, I'd certainly buy a pack.
     
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  9. By Tor

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    Poker is a must-have in the game. Think of the possibilities: poker tournaments, drinking poker, strip poker..
     
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  10. Curt

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    To bad that Truth Love and Courage only adds up to 3 else it would been a suitable theme for the suits
     
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  11. Iggy

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    [​IMG]

    Britannia Virtue Suits: candles, coins, bells, and books

    Suit representation of the Candle of Love, the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, the Bell of Courage, and the Book of Truth.

    Source of info: Ultima Wiki
     
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  12. Iggy

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    In regards to casinos, I wouldn't mind if there were a few spots for organized gambling spread around New Britannia (even if casinos are mostly ahistorical), but I recommend keeping the number low; in my experience (which, admittedly, is mostly just Star Wars Galaxies) casinos tend to be empty and unused when they are too common. Perhaps a large resort casino/hotel in a large city of slightly ill-repute, and another in a lively port town off the shoreline on a ship or something. As for the games included, well:

    Poker: if the devs wish to add poker, having organized play in a casino would be nice, perhaps even with computer players at this point. One story of how poker was introduced could be that it was taught to the locals by a stranger from another world many centuries ago, and has grown and evolved since that time. The casinos will have the most common variant, often known as New Britanian poker, which would be whatever version ends up in the game (most likely a variant of Texas Hold'Em, for better or worse).

    Blackjack: I suppose the game is old enough to throw in here. Basic and common card game that usually works out well to include in a video game.

    Hazard: as mentioned above, a common mostly period dice game to add, and a good choice for a casino.

    Magic Slot Machine: similar to a modern Earth slot machine, but powered by magic! Uses common Britanian symbols instead of the usual fruit and such (ankhs, serpents, crowns, swords, llamas, etc). These should be "skill-stop" slots, so a player can theoretically earn a slow stream of money if they're good at timing button presses.

    Slime Races: OK, I have to admit I'm ripping off Fortune Street with this one.

    Gladiatorial Arena: players fight to near death (magic healers are standing by) for honor, glory, and riches! Other players can make side bets on who they'd think will win. Conveniently enough, they already have the assets to put one in the basement of a casino. Upstairs can be a booth for those who want to play the odds without actually watching the event. There can also be pre-made fights of NPCs and monsters, with given odds for the players to bet on.

    There should also be some large rooms in the bigger casinos set up for board and card game tournaments to be rented by players or set up for scheduled events with virtual cash prizes (or even special items).
     
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  13. Eriador

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    Did anyone remeber the "bagball" in UO?

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Kumakaze [BEAR]

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    Love the idea and it would be perfect for the Tavern, would have the room for it of course. Encourages more people to buy more beers or whatnots, I am more fan of card games myself but the idea of a Fight club going on under the tavern hasn't been overlooked.

    Aye I remember bagball Eriador! The idea of the game itself became so popular that the devs released an official bagball. I remembered them using backpacks originally I think >.>
     
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