Oshikureto wrote: ↑22 June 2026, 14:48
I'm not sure about this new barrage rule. It does not make much sense, given that it was a nice mechanic that the game naturally provided.
What sets Leaders apart from other chess-like games is the ability to either:
1 move only one of your pieces
2 move more than one or all of your pieces
3 not move any piece at all and give your turn a pass
The barrage only becomes a problem on possibility n#3, in which you could form "a perfect barrier" and give a pass endlessly, but such a thing does not exist. If you have either the illusionist, bruiser, manipulator, or grappler, the "perfect barrier" will inevitably fall.
If, for some weird reason, all the 4 aforementioned characters that move other characters are banned, then we could think about the barrage rule the same way we could think a 3-move repetition rule in chess (which forces a draw, but in leaders it could force a loss)
If the same barrage stays put for longer than 3 turns and/or a player gives a pass 3 turns in a row, they should automatically lose.
Having a barrage is one of the coolest mechanics in this game, and I've both won and lost many games either defending with a barrage or trying to overcome one.
Thanks for your feedback on the Barrage rule.
Why did we introduce this rule?
To prevent situations where the game is blocked because a player, in a losing position, decides to block the game. His goal is no longer to win, but not to lose, to keep the game going as long as possible. To sum it up: "
ok, I won't win this game, but guess what? You neither." I don't want Leaders to support those situations. The game should be fast paced, and for this encourage offensive moves, not defensive ones. Of course smart defensive plays should still shine, but not at the detriment of leading to a winning situation for one of the players.
"
If you have either the illusionist, bruiser, manipulator, or grappler, the "perfect barrier" will inevitably fall." This is not true against a Protector or a Jailor.
"
Having a barrage is one of the coolest mechanics in this game". I respect that opinion. After it is clearly in the minority: you're the first person I hear saying they appreciate Barrage situations. Since 1+ year, dozens of people told me they are bored/frustrated by those situations.
With this new rule, you can still do a Barrage. What's forbidden is to do it 2 turns
in a row. There are many Barrage situations, some that work still while the player may move 1 or 2 characters. Checking which characters has moved is not the solution. Leaders has some similarities with Chess, but also significant differences.
Leaders has just 1 year. Chess had centuries to evolve. My goal is to improve it over time, with the help of the community. It will take time. This Barrage rule is an attempt to deal with some frustrating situations we acknowledged we don't want in the game. It could be tweaked overtime (e.g. 3 warnings instead of 2, different way to identify Barrages...). Anyone who want to participate to the discussion, feel free to
join the Discord.
