My idea about combining Risk and Monopoly is getting some traction. During the lunch, my friends show great interest in this new game and we came up with many great ideas. This get me start to think about it seriously. In the afternoon, I did some research on my idea. It turn out the name Riskopoly is already used twice. One format of game uses both game board, which is too complicate. The other format using the Monploy pieces on Risk board. My idea is exact the opposite, using Risk pieces on Monopoly board. I decided to give my game a new name, Turfopoly – a property conquering game. I also briefly look into how to market a new board game. The best way is first patented the game design, then license it to big company. On coincident, I just come across an article in IEEE Spectrum today about the benefit of writing your own patent. I think it would be quite a learning experience for me. There are two action items to carry out in paralle. First is research the patent library on board game patents. See whether the idea is already patented and learn how to write up a patent. Second is to develope the game rule, have some trials and make improvements.
The objective of the game is to add element of control to Monoploy while keeping the element of luck in the game. Here is a list of rules I just come up today. The number need to fine tune for a balance game play.
1. Each player start with X money, no army.
2. Player can buy a property when land on it and no one owns it. Each property come with 2 army
3. When player lend on a already own property, he can choose to pay the rent or fight for the control of the property.
4. Each time the player pass Go, he rececive $200, 3 basic army plus bonus army.
5. The number of bonus armys is based on the number of land / 3 + 1 street bonus if the player owns all properties with the same colour. The new army can place in any land or put in his battalion. The street bonus can only place in the property in that street.
6. When a battle starts, the player can only use the army in his battalion to fight against the guards of the land owners. Follows Risk 2+3 dice rule.
7. If the player lost, he still have to play the rent. If he wins, the take the ownership of the land.
8. At the end of each turn, the player can choose to move army between one of his land and the battalion or between two lands or buy army for the battalion.
9. A player out of the game if he goes bankrupt.
10. Money can buy army, army can trade in for money. Exchange rate TBD.
11. Two wining mode: world domination and mission mode. In world domination who wins all lands on the board win the game. In mission mode, each player draw street cards in the beginning of the game. He has to win all the streets on his cards to win the game.
12. Land owner can build barricks and fortress on his land. It will increase the rent as well as act as one extra army in defense. The attacker can destory the barricks if all army on the land is killed. He can build 1 barrick at the end of each turn. Sell a barrick gives 50% money back.
13. Roll double dice can roll again
14. Need a new set of “Chance” and “Community” cards with more relevant events.
15. Rail road station can teleport the player to any land on that side of the game board.
16. “Go to Jail” becomes “Military Court”. Jail becomes POW. Rule same as Monopoly. Escape from POW kills 25% of your army + pay $200 fines.
17. Landing on free parking collects all the fines.
18. Hydro, Electricity and Rails allows duel between the general. Each player role one dice, higher number win. If the attacker wins the dual, he is allow to go without paying the rent. He can optionally do a full-scale attack for the ownership of that land. If he lose either the duel or full attack, he have to pay the rent following monopoly rule.
These are rules I can think of so far. Version 1 of Turfopoly can use standard monopoly board. We can modify the game board to add new features as fit.