I know. I took a poll. I converted the poll into a pie chart and the results are unanimous. Castles and Crusades is by far this gamer’s choice in games. What makes this game the number one game in all the world and all of history? Well, I am here to tell you because I am nice that way. It is also, apparently, my job to tell you why the game Mac and I developed is the best game EVAR! In short, it has to do with the number one goal of Castles and Crusades while in development. That being….
Malleability
Actually, I can’t recall the number one goal in development. I’m not sure there even was a ‘number one’ goal outside of my head. Stephen, Mac, and I came together to create the game. In short, I came up with rules ideas, Mac ensured they worked, and Stephen made sure we produced a game anyone would want to play. That would be like our broad roles. But…. We all added rules. We all made sure they worked. We all made sure it was a game someone might want to play. It was synergy.
That said, I will say that my number one goal in the design process was ensuring the game was malleable. By that I mean that one could tinker with the rules, change them, modify them, add to them, throw them out, and generally try to imprint one’s own game on top of our game and do so without breaking the game apart and making it unplayable. I also wanted to keep the rules simple enough that changes could be made without crunching to many numbers and possibilities.
Because I Like to Tinker.
With rules. I don’t like tinkering with much else. That’s too much work. But I do like tinkering with rules and Castles and Crusades is the ultimate tinker’s box – as far as I know (and I would disagree with anyone who disagrees with me because that’s what I do, devil that I am). I think that for some of us gamers, there is no perfect rules system. For me, I want a set of rules that aligns with my style of play, what I desire at the table, and what I think most of the people I play with enjoy. Tinkering allows me to do that. I can create rules, try them out, and keep or discard them depending on how they are received.
To do that though, I need a rule’s toolbox and something to work on. Castles and Crusades has one essential rule, just one engine that the game runs on. It is like a simple engine in that regard, a siege engine if you will 😉. A simple lever like on a catapult or taught string from a ballista. It is a simple engine that lends itself to a staggering number of applications. Not only that, if one keeps with just the basic siege engine, one could easily build their own game.
Try It, You Might Like It!
Anyone remember Mikey? Mikey will try anything. Be like Mikey. If you find that there is a rule in Castles and Crusades you don’t like, change it. One of the most often asked about rules is the 12/18 valuation. Yes, there are reasons for the 12/18 variance but for some, the 18 is considered too high a threshold for success . If one finds that to be the case, change the 18 to a 17, or 16, or even 15 (I change it to 20). Whichever works best for your group’s desires. It may take some time and a little experimentation, but you can refine it. There are many rules in the book, as written, that can be changed without changing the game. The Castle Keeper’s Guide has a a lot of rule options one can try. It is a veritable cornucopia, a golden plethora, a dragon’s horde of options to work with. Malleability, that was my goal.
So I say experiment with the rules, change your game, go forth and put your stamp on your game.
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