Hell on Eight Wheels: Eleven - Track Markings
I like the idea of markings on the track to reflect interactions between the skater and the ground.
I could have taken the Formula D route (which seems to be the way Impact City Roller Derby is heading), but this makes the turn sequence effect a bit messy. Still, the inside of the track needs to be faster, yet it needs to have more centipetal force pushing the skaters toward the outside of the track.
Holding the centre needs a combination of speed and strategy. But if you can hold it, it should provide a great advantage.
I described a method of applying values to rack segments in the descriptions for part ten of this development journal...but I'm not sure if I'm happy with it.
There are numbers to compare to cards, different coloured numbers that do different things, and generally a few rules that make the game harder for new players to understand (especially those who might not be familiar with the concepts of wargaming).
In the spirit of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I'm thinking of an alternative option for track marking to get the same kind of effects.
Two types of segment marking; both arrows. Red arrows indicate segments where a skater might get flung out to the edge of the track (unless they use up one of their lateral moves to avoid the effect). White arrows indicate a speed boost (every time a skater crosses a white arrow, they gain an additional movement at the end of their action).
I've specifically laid out the placement of the arrows so that a skater needs to keep control if they want to gain the advantage of the inside edge. All boost arrows need a skater to cross at least one directional arrow before the advantage can be gained.
This seems simpler. Less things to learn or remember when playing the game. The effects might not be as "realistic", but they maintain the feel enough for me to be reasonably satisfied.
(For the examples, I've also added a white circle on Annie and Veronica to reflect their status as "Pivots", while giving stars to Ebola and Zsa Zsa to reflect their "Jammer" status).
I could have taken the Formula D route (which seems to be the way Impact City Roller Derby is heading), but this makes the turn sequence effect a bit messy. Still, the inside of the track needs to be faster, yet it needs to have more centipetal force pushing the skaters toward the outside of the track.
Holding the centre needs a combination of speed and strategy. But if you can hold it, it should provide a great advantage.
I described a method of applying values to rack segments in the descriptions for part ten of this development journal...but I'm not sure if I'm happy with it.
There are numbers to compare to cards, different coloured numbers that do different things, and generally a few rules that make the game harder for new players to understand (especially those who might not be familiar with the concepts of wargaming).
In the spirit of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I'm thinking of an alternative option for track marking to get the same kind of effects.
Two types of segment marking; both arrows. Red arrows indicate segments where a skater might get flung out to the edge of the track (unless they use up one of their lateral moves to avoid the effect). White arrows indicate a speed boost (every time a skater crosses a white arrow, they gain an additional movement at the end of their action).
I've specifically laid out the placement of the arrows so that a skater needs to keep control if they want to gain the advantage of the inside edge. All boost arrows need a skater to cross at least one directional arrow before the advantage can be gained.
This seems simpler. Less things to learn or remember when playing the game. The effects might not be as "realistic", but they maintain the feel enough for me to be reasonably satisfied.
(For the examples, I've also added a white circle on Annie and Veronica to reflect their status as "Pivots", while giving stars to Ebola and Zsa Zsa to reflect their "Jammer" status).
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Comments
[Because the skaters aren't on a string this is what is commonly called an "inertial" or "fictitious" force, representing the fact that the skater really wants to continue in a straight line, but is consciously providing a centripetal force to follow the curved path of the track. If the skater didn't provide the centripetal accelaration there would be no actual centrifugal force experienced by the skater, Hence the "fictitious" and "inertial" labels. From the skater's frame of reference this is experienced as a force that wants to move the skater away from the centre ("centrifugal").]
I just had it in the back of my mind that many people use the term "centrifugal" in the wrong way. SO I thought I'd get around it by using centripetal instead.
My "over correction" made me wrong.
I'll make sure to note this when I do the final write-up of the rules.