GCPP:Proposal-Danio
Puzzle Codename: Danio
| Contact | |
| Username: | Fiddler |
| Additional contact info: | Orsino on the Viridian ocean, Myran on the Midnight ocean |
| Project forum thread: | Main forum thread |
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A prototype is available for this proposal. |
| Check it out and contribute to the design! |
Game concept
Towers of Hanoi with extra pieces and rules, with a bit of Mastermind and Freecell for flavor.
Objective
Manipulate stacks of pieces to create stacks that fulfill specified objectives. Once these objectives are met, those stacks and objectives are replaced with new pieces and new objectives.
Gameplay
First off: Stone is heavier than iron, which is heaver than wood, which is heavier than upholstery. If a player places a heavier material on top of a lighter material, or a big piece on type of a small piece of the same material, it will crush the lower pieces until it is resting on a piece that can support it. When changing materials up the tower, for instance from wood to upholstery, you can place a piece up to one size bigger of a lighter material.
A player starting the game is presented with two towers of pieces, each of which was randomly generated and follows the rules regarding piece stacking. There are five pegs on which pieces can be moved and two free spaces at the bottom of the gameboard into which single pieces can be moved off the pegs.
Pieces move according to standard Towers of Hanoi rules: A single piece at a time, you can't place larger pieces on top of smaller pieces.
Across the top of the screen are three or four orders to be filled. These orders are essentially win conditions (e.g. create a stack with three stone, no wood, and seven high.) When a player has made a stack that fulfills an order he can drag the order down to the stack. Both order and stack disappear with the order being replaced by a new one and the removed pieces being replaced by a new, randomly generated stack of pieces.
Scoring
I have no idea how to score this yet. Crushing pieces should definitely be a negative.
Variability
Bonus piece for exceptionally well made stacks. Only attribute is size - can always be supported by the materials below it, can always support the materials above it. The bonuses don't let you violate stacking order with the other materials.
End criteria
Timer? Maybe a certain number of stacks, like shipwrightery. Maybe a bit of both.
Difficulty scaling
As difficulty raises:
- Decrease the number of freespots (Ultimate only has one free-spot)
- Increase the number of pieces per material (start at five, move up to seven)
- Increase the number of materials (Able starts with two or three)
- Play with starting stacks? Number of pegs? What makes it easier or harder?
Crafting type
Furnishing
Known problems
Towers of Hanoi is mathematically solvable, leading to the possibility a player could screenshot the setup, hit pause, solve the required goals externally, and then return to the puzzle and get a perfect score. This isn't a major concern because A) it's already true of shipwrightery and, to a lesser extent, blacksmithing and alchemistry and B) bonus points will be given for exceeding the goal requirements.
It's possible that a player cold work themselves into a position where no moves are possible. An intentional booch by crushing pieces could resolve any impasse reached.
Notes
Myran on Midnight has developed a quick flash prototype to help test mechanics. This prototype doesn't implement crushing, bonuses, or orders (which are still in development.) The prototype is useful for testing if the core mechanic is fun.
How to generate orders? Ideal orders would leave room for player innovation without binding them. Don't ask for stone, then don't provide stone on the board (Shipwrightery problem)
Playtesting with paper has indicated two freespots, seven pieces, four materials, and one starting stack on four pegs to be a fun, intermediate challenge. Problem is still how to create orders.
Images
Clockwise from the top - Upholstery, wood, iron, stone
Bonus pieces
Rough concept of board layout
Sample starting board using rough layout
Illustration of piece weights and values
Good computer generated tower on the left, bad computer generated tower on the right
From left to right: Cylinder, Pyramid, Inverted pyramid, Diamond, hourglass, and Scattershot
