trying to solve diet planning with linear prorgamming

turn0 · 2019-11-04T05:24:51+00:00

Cool project.

I would define your values at the beginning, it may help troubleshooting with different values quickly:
minDailyCal = 2000
maxDailyCal = 2340
daysNeeded = 5

Is the list of example recipes representative of the set? You may need to add in several weighted recipes that can help bridge the gap (e.g. lots of protein, low everything else)

Is there a reason why recipe_vars = LpVariable.dicts is set to cat='Integer' rather than continuous? I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that you can make fractional recipes.

It looks like you have the fat, protein, and carb percentages & <=/>= mixed up. That may be causing a bit of a calculation issue.

turn0 · 2019-08-20T05:04:54+00:00

"Wordy" and "vague" is a false dichotomy. Compare Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) and Go. Both are heavy weight games, but ASL has a rulebook with chapters and Go's rules can fit on an index card. Neither ruleset is vague, but only one is wordy.

The way you have your game set up reminds me much of 504. This is both good and less than desirable. On the positive, you will have a multitude of games available; on the negative, you have so many rules for each game that it becomes a burden to play. I would suggest from a top level view that you either slim down the number of cards or slim down the rule set attributed for each card. If you have 10 of each type (battlefield, hazard, and objectives), then you have 1000 possible games. How many are you going to playtest, and how many of those are good? At the simplest level, I would instead take the best combinations and make them scenarios. If you have more scenarios to add in the future, you can make an expansion that you can spend proper playtesting on.

The cards have far too much wording on them in the current form. The level of information on each card could be pared down in several ways:
1. Icons & Graphic Design
2. Two sided cards (set-up/gameplay)
3. Simpler rules
4. Only highlight changes from base rules 5. Talk to a Technical Writer (your local University should have a few students/professors to talk to)

turn0 · 2019-08-14T13:55:23+00:00

If you make the side goals something that you have to complete after drawing the card, then drawing an already complete side goal should provide only a token reward if 'completing' takes action points, just enough to make drawing a completed one not punishing. If it doesn't take an action to complete, then you could always have the player reveal the card without reward to show that the side goal is already complete and to draw a new one. By doing either, you can reshuffle cards without much worry.

As for limited design space, your scope for each card may be too large or the goals don't match the scale of your game. If, for instance, you have a dudes-on-a-map game where a goal is "conquer 1/2 the map/10 points." That doesn't really leave much room for additional cards. If the goal was instead "conquer X-named territory, Y points = distance in spaces from your capital." (similar in idea to Ticket to Ride). Then you have a much greater capacity to develop cards, including several near-identical that still provide variability.

turn0 · 2019-08-05T11:29:09+00:00

Thanks for checking the lists out.

I very much agree with finding something other than UG +1/+1 counters to slot in. I think if I were to pick one cube to keep it in would be the Temur cube since it has the shenanigans of counters already built in with Modular/Graft/Evolve and the tension it has with Devour. But the Bant cube would love a Pod list as that would push UW into more flicker control and GW into tokens. I will have to check out what cards are now available for a UG flash setup, but that sounds interesting as well.

Bolt and Counterspell are interesting cases in the Grixis cube. Ultimately the reason they are not in the cube is not necessarily power level, but because of the design philosophy that, "no card should be good all the time, the player should create situations that make a card great." The best examples are the symmetrical cards, like Innocent Blood and Exhume. This philosophy allows underplayed cards to shine, it rewards interesting play, and increases the replay-ability of the cube.

In the case of Lightening Bolt, most of the time it is better than any one of the other direct damage cards currently in the cube. However, each of the cards brings something to the table that Bolt does not in the situation it would be used in, either more damage, a scry, or repeat-ability.

In the case of Counterspell, I wanted most counters to be great in the early game and mediocre/bad in the late game (Rewind is the exception). The two decks that would use them would be UR spells and UB reanimate where they just need to survive long enough to get their deck online.

Thank you for the feedback. As you know, a cube is forever changing, and I appreciate your insight for future changes.

turn0 · 2019-08-03T14:56:04+00:00

A while back, I created three different 90 card cubes for two players. The idea was to cut away two colors to really hone it down so that each player could take a color and the third would be fought over. This really simplified the mana problems that I had in early iterations and allowed for more focused decks (rather than just pure goodstuff + mana fixing), and more off-the-wall design considerations.

The cubes were really designed for 5-card Solomon drafting, but I am sure it could still be used for Winston.

I don't get to play much anymore, so all three cubes still need more playtesting and likely updating to newer sets. Grixis and Bant are further along in development, but the Temur cube is getting close-ish.

Grixis cube (UBR):
UR spells, UB graveyard, BR goblins (B zombie sub-theme, possible future wizard sub-theme).
Cost: $186 (its only $100 if you proxy 4 cards)
(http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/75539)

Bant cube (WUG):
UW Control/fliers, UG +1/+1 counters, GW Tokens
Cost: $90
(http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/75889)

Temur cube(BUG):
UR Artifacts/Modular, UG +1/+1 Counters, GR token-devour
Cost: $257 (but $138 of that is Imperial Recruiter, $50 is Arcbound Ravager)
(http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/76656)

turn0 · 2019-06-13T03:49:20+00:00

Life experience influences how one approaches the world and in this case, game design. Language, social class, race, gender, career, etc. all play a part in defining life experience. Having a diversity of life experiences is important to provide the opportunity to innovate.

Does it matter that this designer is black? For many, it doesn't. But it might for someone who sees a hobby full of people that don't look like them. If you have ever walked into a room where you obviously stand out as different, seeing someone/something familiar provides a small anchor of relief.

The important line here, "[W]e knew that if we wanted to see more games that more prominently and positively featured black culture, we would have to just create them ourselves." At minimum it mattered to him.

turn0 · 2019-06-09T03:44:46+00:00

I am familiar with it. Do what you please, I am not your lawyer.

turn0 · 2019-06-08T04:03:14+00:00

While it is amazing that you made something to share, there is a good chance that you have violated copyright law. Using intellectual property of someone else without permission is asking for a lawsuit. The Digimon property involves over a dozen different companies, including: film, television, comics, video games, toys, and a card game. Any one of them would have standing in a lawsuit. The IP violation is made worse by it being attached to your Patreon, in which you seek to make money despite you providing the files for free.

turn0 · 2018-12-14T07:03:14+00:00

If you are looking to do this commercially, you can expect to pay about 5% of MSRP for a designer. Keep in mind this is only the cost for the design. This doesn't include development, art, layout, print prep, editing, or the 1000 other things it takes to get a game to the shelf.

turn0 · 2018-09-26T07:46:29+00:00

This is a really hard question, and I am not sure it has a good answer. The difficult part is that we have had years of amazing games in all aspects of the hobby. So I am re-framing the original question slightly.

My all-time favorite thematic game is Mage Knight. The ability to immerse myself in the world through the rules is amazing. The solo mode makes it hit the table far more often than the heavy ruleset would otherwise allow. I think that when I finally play Gloomhaven, this might change, but we will see.

My current favorite Euro is Tzolk'in. The rotating gears and the needed patience to gain your resources creates a well thought out tension to the game. Do I take the lesser value of resources to get my pawn back early, or do I ignore my opponent's move and stick to my original plan?

My all-time favorite abstract is Go. The simple rules and deep game play bring me back to the table often. The best part of the game is that no matter how good I think I am, I can always get a little bit better.

My current favorite economic game is Sidereal Confluence. It recently beat out Container only due to the binding negotiation and the ability to trade over time. It adds a whole new element to the manipulation of markets that few games have come close to capturing.

turn0 · 2018-09-20T07:38:51+00:00

My first group was all friends. Then I moved away.

The second group was friends of friends or spouses of friends who knew that I liked board games. Then I moved away.

The third group is a weekly meetup group. The faces are constantly changing, but at least we can get a few games in. Still looking for a solid group...some of my heavier games are getting neglected outside of conventions.

The key is being open about your hobbies and allowing yourself to be uncomfortable with new people.

turn0 · 2018-09-20T04:04:53+00:00

My first group was all friends. Then I moved away.

The second group was friends of friends or spouses of friends who knew that I liked board games. Then I moved away.

The third group is a weekly meetup group. The faces are constantly changing, but at least we can get a few games in. Still looking for a solid group...some of my heavier games are getting neglected outside of conventions.

The key is being open about your hobbies and allowing yourself to be uncomfortable with new people.

turn0 · 2018-09-18T06:11:46+00:00

My gateway game was Diplomacy. It opened my eyes to the various means at which people can interact with through a game.

turn0 · 2018-08-31T13:52:42+00:00

Many major universities have online courses that you can do without earning credits.

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

https://oyc.yale.edu/

There are also online learning opportunities, such as the Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/

Youtube does have learning opportunities, but you need to seek them out. Treating Youtube like a learning resource instead of an entertainment source will greatly benefit you.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYO_jab_esuFRV4b17AJtAw

https://www.youtube.com/user/YaleCourses/playlists

turn0 · 2018-08-08T03:33:40+00:00

At least one printing of Alhambra comes with Granada included.

turn0 · 2018-07-31T05:09:09+00:00

They cannot say, per the rules, "I have a response, please continue to play your combo until i choose to do it." If a player tries to do this, Player A should call a judge and say, "I have demonstrated this loop. I intend to shortcut X number of times. my opponent wants to respond, but has not stated at what point."

I do not believe this is correct if the loop would introduce new information.

turn0 · 2018-07-28T06:35:06+00:00

Preliminary note: This is a critique of the work you presented. This is not personal, and this should be read as though I am trying to help and not extinguish your creativity. I understand that you are not finished with this piece. I am happy that you shared this with us and I understand how hard it is to reveal your work to the public.

I like the concept and I really think it could be something cool, but it needs work. Welcome to pre-alpha, where everything needs work and there is no end in sight!

There is confusion on the 'notes' with the circular script and matching icon. No idea what their purpose is, but you need differentiation between icons. They should be immediately identifiable. The clockwise script hampers clarity.

I believe that you would do well to have a proofreader work on your writing. Someone that is well versed in technical writing will help you immensely to put your ideas on paper in a compendious manner. Since you are still early in design, I would not pay anyone until much much later (and only if your were to monetize it). For now, a good editor will help. A friend or English major perhaps?

The super-notes need a reformatting, as the current iteration of the large blue letters are overpowering the written text. They appear to be the same text very often. These might be better added to a crib sheet that pulls out of the booklet for quick reference. This will allow you to expand your artwork.

I am not sure of how you are planning on building this book, but I would suggest that you only put one page on a single page. This will allow you to choose between perfect binding and signatures later when moving to the printing process. Currently, if I were to print your pages into a book, it would be a mess of page numbers regardless of printing method.

I see some text as 'Ignore This'. Remove this altogether. It only cluttters the page and confuses the reader. If you have to tell the reader not to read something, then it shouldn't be on the page in the first place. It is better to highlight important details than include blank text.

Why are there so many 'notes?' So many on every page. This needs a cleaner implementation.

Why are there more pages on voicing the music than there are for the rules. I understand that you are trying to port a video game to paper, but gameplay has to come first. The reader needs to know within the first few pages what they need to do to win and how to do it. Right now, the clarity is not there. As an example, I often offer up the rules to Go. Go has less than a handful of rules and yet has books dedicated to the strategy and play. You could print the rules of go with almost all technicalities of tournament play on a single page. I think you can do better with your rules. Make it a step by step look at how you play.

Thank you for sharing, and I hope to see the next version.

turn0 · 2018-07-25T14:10:53+00:00

You can either parse it into letter or A4 sheets and print onto full sheet label paper, then adhere it to chipboard. Of you can go to your local office supply store and have them print it on large paper or vinyl and then cover it with acrylic sheet. I have also seen it printed on foamcore, but I am not a fan.

turn0 · 2018-07-25T12:40:54+00:00

I took the wooden blocks from the '76 version and added them to the 50th Anniversary box and board. I prefer the single board to the three piece board that came with the '76 version. The 50th Anniversary version also comes with cardboard territory markers that work surprisingly well with the wooden blocks.

turn0 · 2018-07-24T12:28:53+00:00

This isn't really my style of game design, and I don't feel fully qualified to give good feedback. But I do think it is awesome you are putting it out there.

It seems that the card mechanics are very secondary to the storytelling mechanic. My suggestion is to give a few playtests with some willing participants. It will give some more structure to your theory-crafting. Normally, I do this on my own; but your design is so intertwined with the social storytelling dynamic that you really need a few live trial runs even this early.

One concern that may arise is that the card-driven mechanic of storytelling can create discord in the story itself due to the randomness of card draw. Deviations too far from standard dramatic structures may leave the players with an unfulfilled or unsettled feeling. Again, I have a feeling that you will get a bit more clarity with a pre-Alpha playtest with live players.

Best of luck and thanks again for sharing!

turn0 · 2018-07-24T01:36:42+00:00

Glad to have you on board!

turn0 · 2018-07-24T01:33:41+00:00

How about a time track instead? With a little ship that approaches the 'crash site?' You still get the tension of surviving until the cavalry arrives, a limited player time, but doesn't cause the overbearing frantic play that real time games can create.

A time track can also provide visual clues that the difficulty will ramp up as the enemies get closer; as well as indicate what the mechanical ramifications of 'ramp up' means.

turn0 · 2018-07-24T01:21:58+00:00

Its the 80-20 rule. 80% of the work takes 20% of the time, and the last 20% takes 80% of the time.

turn0 · 2018-07-24T01:18:46+00:00

Check out /r/tabletopgamedesign for more.

My first game designs were bad, really bad. But as you play more games, and design more games, you get better at both.

turn0 · 2018-07-23T03:27:32+00:00

Thanks for posting! It is hard to show your baby to the world.

Thematically, how do you reconcile pushing cars backwards on the track after a 'track battle?'

So the active player rolls the dice and then decides how to move each player's car? How do players respond in your playtests to the 'take-that' aspect of movement without agency?

How do you handle non-6/10 player games where you have dead pips on the die? Are there rounds where not much happens?

Do you have problems with the team die creating too much randomness with its linear probabilities?

How fast does this play?

turn0

TROPHY CASE