Black Tower

[Joff]

Here is an interesting spin on Towers. Those that use The Tower regularly will hopefully appreciate this expansion.

Black Tower

Have a look, comments or suggestions please





Edit: Link to new draft rules

[Joff]

Just finished a playtest of Black Tower (in a 2 player game). We also play tested Dual Dragon in this game. We used 4 expansions for this: The Tower (obviously), P&D, A&M and I&C along with the basic tiles. (Just out of interest, we used Novelty's idea for the Count piece lying on his side as the second Dragon)

The Black meeple was used lying down for a Black Tower piece.

The first thing we found out is: to allow a Black Tower piece to capture a follower at the top of a normal Tower is unfair. Reason? Take a look at the picture (the second pic is a close up). My son sees the danger to his Mayor, who was in a city worth at least 34 points, so he plays a follower to the top of the normal tower to prevent me playing my Black Tower piece and capturing the Mayor. If we kept the original idea, then I could play a Black Tower piece and capture the follower just placed and also capture the Mayor. This is not fair, so we dropped the rule that allowed a Black Tower piece to be able to do this. In this case, before you can lay a Black Tower the Green follower must be captured by another Tower (there's a tower foundation next door ) or the Dragon. I will amend the rules to show this.

Also, I am not sure if one Black Tower piece is enough. Perhaps 2 or 3 per player is better. Maybe a scaling system, like the tower has with normal pieces.

How about this:

For 2 players 4 Black Tower pieces
For 3 players 3 Black Tower pieces
For 4 players 3 Black Tower pieces
For 5 players 2 Black Tower pieces
For 6 players 2 Black Tower pieces

Apart from the above, it plays quite well.

[Joff]

Also, I am not sure if one Black Tower piece is enough. Perhaps 2 or 3 per player is better. Maybe a scaling system, like the tower has with normal pieces.

How about this:

For 2 players 4 Black Tower pieces
For 3 players 3 Black Tower pieces
For 4 players 3 Black Tower pieces
For 5 players 2 Black Tower pieces
For 6 players 2 Black Tower pieces

Edit: New draft rules: Black Tower v0.2

Or perhaps, limit the amount of regular Tower pieces, so you would get:

For 2 players 4 Black Tower pieces, 6 normal Tower pieces
For 3 players 3 Black Tower pieces, 6 normal Tower pieces
For 4 players 3 Black Tower pieces, 4 normal Tower pieces
For 5 players 2 Black Tower pieces, 4 normal Tower pieces
For 6 players 2 Black Tower pieces, 3 normal Tower pieces

The normal Tower pieces might need a slight increase, but you get the general idea.

[Scott]

Very cool idea.

[Novelty]

You have a son?  I thought you only had daughters :p

I'm not sure I like the diagonal idea, the black tower is irreversible.  As you pointed out, the black tower piece already confers a benefit to prevent followers from being captured.  I think this benefit alone should be enough, without the diagonal capturing abilities.

Edit: Do we (and by we, I don't include myself) know of any online (or offline) stores that sells tower pieces?

[Joff]

I have a son and three daughters

It was the diagonal capture idea that I was specifically aiming for!

A Black Tower is supposed to be irreversible. In that way, at least when players know that a Tower has become a Black Tower, they can deploy followers along the vertical and horizontal of that Tower without fear that the Tower will suddenly switch back again. This is also a useful mechanism for displacing the range of a tower to help yourself.

Perhaps with Black Tower I could bundle White Tower. A White Tower then effectively capping off the top, so that it cannot be built any further.

Now that idea, would be an interesing spin. If you file down the top of a tower piece and paint it white, it becomes a 'capping' piece. You would need to increase the total normal tower pieces as in the list above and decrease slightly the nuber of Black Tower pieces. If a white tower piece is included then perhaps quantities for a 2 player game could be: Black Tower pieces: 2, White Tower pieces: 2, Tower pieces: 10

I definately want to keep to the diagonal capture as this makes for a more strategic game.

My son says no to the White Tower piece. He says to stop the Tower being built, you sacrifuce a meeple to the top of a Tower! But, I think there could be a benefit to finishing a Tower permanently.

Regarding the tower piece supplier issue... i'm working on that! When I find out, I will let you know.

[Joff]

The original rules stated that if a follower was deployed onto the top of a normal tower then placing a Black Tower piece would capture that follower and the tower would still be able to use its new height to capture along the diagonals. Thus, in my play-tested game, I could have placed a Black Tower piece and took my son's Green follower from atop the Tower AND at the same time, captured his Mayor. This, of course, is unfair.
However, I could keep the rule and allow a follower on top of a normal Tower to be captured, but not allow the Black Tower to be used again in that turn. Therefore a Black Tower would capture a follower from atop a Tower, but that would be the only capture possible on that turn.

I think it easier (and fairer) to not allow the placing of a Black Tower piece when the top of a Tower (either kind) is blocked by a follower.

Edit: for spelling.

[Joff]

Here are some new rules, incorporating White Tower pieces. I like this small addition, but I think Tower piece distribution will have to be changed to balance it out. Bear in mind that there are only 18 Tower foundations in The Tower.

Draft rules: Black Tower v0.3 (with White Towers)

[Novelty]

Well, a tower with a black tower piece is not really capped as you could still place another black tower piece on top.  Essentially, it changes the tower from a horizontal/vertical capture rule to a diagonal one, and there is no way to change it back to horizontal/vertical capture, so those squares are safe, despite being in the shadow of the tower.  I guess that was the intention from the beginning - to use it as a protective measure, but also shakes things up a bit by making it capture diagonally.  However, this runs the risk of making the uncoloured/wooden tower pieces "useless" (as the ability to play them may be blocked, especially in a multiplayer game)

How about if you removed the restriction that only black or white pieces can be placed atop a black piece and allow the normal tower piece to be allowable to be placed on top of a black tower piece?  That would make the white tower caps to be even more valuable as it means towers can potentially capture in any direction, and it also ensures that your wooden/uncoloured pieces are not rendered useless.

Also, Forests has introduced about 10 tower bases (I think) and Fishermen has 4(? I think, can't check since I don't have access to my files) - so could I make a request that the total of black pieces (and possibly white) is increased by 1 each for using each fan-made expansions with tower bases.

[Joff]

Well, a tower with a black tower piece is not really capped as you could still place another black tower piece on top.

I used the term 'capping' from the beginning and I have not changed it as yet, though as I wrote the new draft to include white pieces I saw that the term was not a good one. I will change it in the next release. I have just rewrote the introduction slightly also to fit the white tower aspect in(for next version).

Essentially, it changes the tower from a horizontal/vertical capture rule to a diagonal one, and there is no way to change it back to horizontal/vertical capture, so those squares are safe, despite being in the shadow of the tower.  I guess that was the intention from the beginning - to use it as a protective measure, but also shakes things up a bit by making it capture diagonally. 

Yes, originally that is how I intended a Black Tower to operate.

However, this runs the risk of making the uncoloured/wooden tower pieces "useless" (as the ability to play them may be blocked, especially in a multiplayer game)

You are correct.

How about if you removed the restriction that only black or white pieces can be placed atop a black piece and allow the normal tower piece to be allowable to be placed on top of a black tower piece?  That would make the white tower caps to be even more valuable as it means towers can potentially capture in any direction, and it also ensures that your wooden/uncoloured pieces are not rendered useless.

Originally, I wanted to make black towers non-reversible to prevent that very thing happening. I did not think it would be a good idea to allow constant direction switching of the Tower. However, after giving it some thought, this might present an even better strategic game. It works well so long as you have the White Tower capping idea in there also. I will rewite it into another draft and see how it goes. We are due another play-test later today and so I will give these ideas a run.

Also, Forests has introduced about 10 tower bases (I think) and Fishermen has 4(? I think, can't check since I don't have access to my files) - so could I make a request that the total of black pieces (and possibly white) is increased by 1 each for using each fan-made expansions with tower bases.

Yes, no problem. I'll add it as a footnote reference.

What are your thoughts on the balancing of these pieces? White Towers are valuable so would be in short supply, but what of the other pieces?

[Novelty]

I would say, equal pieces of black and wooden if it's rewritten to allow either to be placed on top of each other.  (I presume if this is the case, then a tower can still be capped by a follower)  White should be in short supply, but at least 2 per person if there are less than 3 players perhaps (without the fan-made expansion)?  I feel that at least half (but no more than half, although slightly less would be best) the tower should be possibly capped by a white piece in a game.

[Joff]

I would say, equal pieces of black and wooden if it's rewritten to allow either to be placed on top of each other.

Hmmmm. I am not sure about equal numbers. Perhaps this i because I still view the Black Tower as a privilege and a strategic defence manoeuvre (that should be limited). I am thinking of slightly less than normal tower pieces. 
Perhaps a play-test with several options.

(I presume if this is the case, then a tower can still be capped by a follower)

Yes, a Tower (of either sort) can and has always been able to be capped by a follower. White Towers cannot be added to at all though... and there is no reason to!

White should be in short supply, but at least 2 per person if there are less than 3 players perhaps (without the fan-made expansion)?  I feel that at least half (but no more than half, although slightly less would be best) the tower should be possibly capped by a white piece in a game.

I agree that White should definately be in short supply. This is definately a strategic move and should only be allowed once or twice per player. If there are 2 per person in a 6 player game, that would only leave 6 available operational towers. That would be no good. I think your balance is about right here. For less than 3 players, 2 White pieces leaves 12 operational towers. Remembering that a tower foundation cannot have a White Tower piece placed on it. A White Tower piece caps a normal or Black Tower. This prevents people laying a foundation and immediately blocking it's use.

[Joff]

Here is a version 0.4. You will notice that although i've added a footnote regarding Tower distribution, I have not decided on the actual distribution as yet. Some more examples of Tower types are also included.

Draft rules: Black Tower v0.4 (with White Towers)

[Joff]

OK, who spotted my deliberate mistake ( ), that I picked up this morning during a proof read?

Look at the examples I provided and then take a look at the Blue Knight on each example. Spotted it?

I will correct it in the next update.

[Joff]

Another play-test session:

 

I love the precariously balanced Normal-Black-Normal-Black tower (in the abscence of extra Tower pieces we are using White meeples for White Towers and Black meeples in place of Black Tower pieces)

This worked very well, much more strategic. It is much better to allow the switching back to normal Tower and back again to Black Tower. However, there should not be as many Black Tower pieces as normal pieces. I do not think that an equal amount works. Towers constantly shift their capturing properties, allowing no real opportunities for safe meeple placement. The Black Tower is really an alternative to normal Tower capturing properties and should be viewed as a strategic privilege, and certainly not outdo the normal Tower. I propose that (approximately) there should be half the amount of Black Tower pieces as normal Tower pieces and half the amount of White Tower pieces as there are Black Tower pieces (but in any case no more than 2 White Tower pieces) per player. Example: In a 2 player game each player gets 8 normal Tower pieces, 4 Black Tower pieces and 2 White Tower pieces... OR... 10 normal Tower pieces, 5 Black Tower pieces, 2 White Tower pieces.