Balancing the game can't stop (2 players > Arena) // Making it backgammon strategic
Posted: 21 June 2020, 11:14
Currently, the starting player has an advantage.
One way to try to overcome it would be to have each player taking two turns in a raw, except for the first turn of the first player.
The game would be more balanced, not longer, a bit more strategic, since chances of switching the odds of winning,
as well as occasions of winning a game that seemed lost would be higher.
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Below, a twofold idea for making can't stop more strategic
(more doubtful idea (?), since it would transform this simple hazard game into a longer one, which would not be a good idea for it's current public).
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The other drawback (at least characteristic) of the game is it's randomness, without strategic ways to play to bet on it.
Two lines of thoughts could be to mimic either backgammon or poker.
- Backgammon variant:
A game would be played in 7 points. Winning a standard game earns 1 point.
But each player could propose the betting dice to the other player multiplying the number of the points of the game by 2.
(if the other player refuses the dice, the set is over and the player who proposed the betting dice earns directly the points, without doubling).
- Poker variant (not ready as is, still needs more thinking and design...):
Each player would have a stack of coins, say 100.
Playing a turn, would not only consist in climbing, but also betting coins (only once per turn, after the climbing phase).
The player who just climbed can bet an amount of coins which adds to the pot.
The other player can then fold or call, and it becomes his turn to climb.
The game is won by the payer who owns the 200 coins.
A system of increasing Blinds (mandatory bets before resetting the climbers) would ensure finiteness of the game.
(Say double the Blinds before each reset of climbers).
The spirit of the poker (and backgammon) variant is just the same as in those 2 games:
Shifting from a victory at showdown to a more strategic, repeated version, in which players need to assess their probabilities of victory.
One way to try to overcome it would be to have each player taking two turns in a raw, except for the first turn of the first player.
The game would be more balanced, not longer, a bit more strategic, since chances of switching the odds of winning,
as well as occasions of winning a game that seemed lost would be higher.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Below, a twofold idea for making can't stop more strategic
(more doubtful idea (?), since it would transform this simple hazard game into a longer one, which would not be a good idea for it's current public).
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The other drawback (at least characteristic) of the game is it's randomness, without strategic ways to play to bet on it.
Two lines of thoughts could be to mimic either backgammon or poker.
- Backgammon variant:
A game would be played in 7 points. Winning a standard game earns 1 point.
But each player could propose the betting dice to the other player multiplying the number of the points of the game by 2.
(if the other player refuses the dice, the set is over and the player who proposed the betting dice earns directly the points, without doubling).
- Poker variant (not ready as is, still needs more thinking and design...):
Each player would have a stack of coins, say 100.
Playing a turn, would not only consist in climbing, but also betting coins (only once per turn, after the climbing phase).
The player who just climbed can bet an amount of coins which adds to the pot.
The other player can then fold or call, and it becomes his turn to climb.
The game is won by the payer who owns the 200 coins.
A system of increasing Blinds (mandatory bets before resetting the climbers) would ensure finiteness of the game.
(Say double the Blinds before each reset of climbers).
The spirit of the poker (and backgammon) variant is just the same as in those 2 games:
Shifting from a victory at showdown to a more strategic, repeated version, in which players need to assess their probabilities of victory.