New Contest, New Game

I wrote a new story for a new contest at Mirable Visu. This contest deadline is Sunday (so you too can enter).

The topics you can choose from are: Vibrate, Journey, or Despair. The additional challenges are: Set 50 years in the past or future, set in Asia and organize the words and the spaces to heighten the feeling of the piece.

I can't tell you what my story is about because this is an anonymous round. No one puts their names on the stories and everyone has to guess. It is also a prize round with $10 in Amazon.com credit going to the winner (now do you think you'll enter?).

I've been trying to get a sailing game worked out. I really like the spirit of pirate games, so I to write one. We played it about one and a half times and it is a bit too complicated. I wanted it to be more of a "Beer and pretzels" sort of game with more simple strategy and very little luck. The original game, Traders, Raiders and Pirates (TRP) is more of along the lines of an Axis and Allies or Risk (which may be considered BandP by some and VERY serious by others).

My second attempt kept some of the mechanics of TRP, but dispensed with the empire building aspects. I've played Buccaneers' Race once with my daughters and it had real potential as a BandP. I will have to play it a few times with my brothers and some friends that really know games. It may actually become something to share.

Then I realized that my youngest (barely 7) was not able to play any of these. The concept of wind and sail is too much for her. She does like the little ships I bought from the Pirates of the Spanish Main game. I wanted to come up with a game that she can play, but again wouldn't be entirely based on chance and wouldn't be boring to older players. This is my attempt.

CORSAIR BOAT RACE

1. SET UP
a. Place checkered cloth on table as the playing surface (we have fabric with black and white squares 2in on a side (like a victory flag).
b. Place the buoys so that they form an equilateral triangle with one point on the far right, this will be East and the wind will be from the East.
c. Buoys should be 18 squares apart.
d. Place all boats so that they form a line on the outside of the eastern buoy. This will be the starting and finishing line.

2. WINNING
a. Determine how many laps the race is and the first ship to cross the finish line while sailing around the outside of the triangle formed by the buoys is the winner.

3. MOVING
a. Each player rolls one six sided die (1d6). The players will take turns in the order of their dice roll, highest goes first.
b. Players will move their ships up to 4 squares in any direction except directly to the right (East). That is into the wind.
c. When all players have moved roll again to determine the order of play for each following turn.
d. Ships cannot pass through or end their turn in the same square as another ship.
e. Ships may go "inside" the triangle, but it will not count unless they pass the buoys on the "outside."

That's it. What do you think?

This month's poll, What's your favorite type game. Comments welcome here.