“Let’s make a soccer ways board recreation!”
This concept instantly got here to me in early 2021, and Magic Quantity Eleven was produced and shipped to Korean crowdfunding backers in February 2024, so it took precisely three years from conception to manufacturing.
The time it takes to commercialize a board recreation varies broadly, however I consider three years is kind of a very long time, particularly for an impartial creator like me.
The explanation I used to be in a position to full Magic Quantity Eleven with out giving up for 3 years was as a result of I had conviction — not a conviction like, “This recreation will probably be an enormous success”; quite, it was the idea that I may create a very new kind of soccer recreation that had by no means existed earlier than and that there would certainly be individuals who have been ready for such a board recreation.
Earlier than being a creator, I beloved each soccer and board video games, and as a gamer I had been ready for such a brand new soccer recreation, so in a manner, the method of making Magic Quantity Eleven was additionally the method of me personally realizing the sport I wished to play as a person.
Setting the Predominant Precept for the Soccer Board Recreation Design
After I mentioned I used to be going to create a soccer board recreation — extra exactly, a soccer-tactics battle recreation — the same old response from individuals round me was: “Is that even attainable as a board recreation?”
This query is smart as a result of soccer is among the most dynamic sports activities, with 22 gamers shifting and interacting in actual time. Board video games are too analog to meaningfully deal with such simultaneous interactions. The theme (dynamic) and the medium (static) inherently battle.
Would it not be finest to make a soccer board recreation as a “flicking” recreation that would finest seize the dynamism? Some have completed this, however I assumed I ought to go the other manner, so I set this essential precept when planning the sport: “Let’s not bodily mimic soccer.”
What I imply by that’s one of the best ways to expertise the “bodily vibrancy” of soccer is, in fact, to play soccer your self. The subsequent smartest thing might be watching a reside soccer match, and if that is not attainable, having fun with a sensible soccer online game.
With these higher choices accessible, I couldn’t see any purpose to play a soccer board recreation that tried to recreate the bodily vibrancy of actual soccer. Subsequently, as a substitute of striving to duplicate one thing “bodily related” to soccer, I made a decision to create one thing totally different wherein the “static enjoyable” that solely board video games can provide would stand out. (Flicking-type soccer board video games are wonderful video games in their very own proper. I discussed them solely to elucidate that they didn’t align with my course, so I hope there is not any misunderstanding.)
The Three Core Components of Soccer I Outlined
After setting the course, I began by determining the core components of soccer. What are the elements which have the largest influence on successful or dropping in a soccer match?
I assumed the 2 most important had been 1) the talents of the gamers and a pair of) the ways of the coach. If I had so as to add another, it will surprisingly be “luck”, so I made a decision to design the soccer recreation with these three core components as the primary engine.
Quote:
• Potential of the gamers
• Techniques of the coach
• Luck
The subsequent step was to transform these components into recreation elements and set the principles that permit gamers to mix these elements throughout gameplay.
Thought notes about tips on how to flip soccer right into a board recreation
Core Component #1: Participant’s Potential, or Combinable Icon
For the primary core aspect, I made a decision to undertake the type of playing cards. At first, I experimented with subdividing talents like capturing, dribbling, passing, and protection into numbers as generally seen in typical soccer video video games.
Preliminary prototype of the participant playing cards primarily based on numerical talents
Nonetheless, the method of dealing with these talents — including, subtracting, and evaluating numbers for every means — usually turned cumbersome. I wished a extra simple strategy, so the ultimate resolution was to make use of the type of “combinable icons”.
Prototypes with combinable icons
A combinable icon is an icon that turns into full solely when mixed. Every participant card has semi-circular icons drawn across the edges that haven’t any impact on their very own. Nonetheless, when they’re appropriately related with others, a accomplished icon is shaped, and its impact is activated.
I adopted this technique as a result of soccer is a crew sport. Soccer isn’t a sport you’ll be able to win simply by being good by yourself. Irrespective of how highly effective a striker you’ve on the entrance, with out an natural crew system to ship the ball ahead that striker’s means turns into nearly zero. The “combinable icon” works equally. A semi-circular icon is basically a zero means by itself, however when effectively related with different teammates, it might probably exert a 1 or much more important means.
It’s true that adopting the combinable icon system made it difficult to ascertain detailed variations within the traits of particular person gamers in comparison with when talents had been expressed in numbers. Subsequently, I attempted to mirror the persona of every participant as a lot as attainable by including particular talents like on the spot results and passives, other than combinable icons.
Some gamers have a particular means working independently
Core Component #2: Coach’s Techniques, or Each Second is a Sequence of Decisions
Magic Quantity Eleven is a turn-based recreation, and on every flip, you often place one among your participant playing cards on the sphere board. The essential factor right here is the that means of “inserting a participant card”. On this recreation, the sphere board doesn’t signify an actual pitch however a symbolic house exhibiting how the coach’s tactical directions are mirrored within the match. Subsequently, “inserting a participant card” is an summary illustration of which place and which participant my crew is at present specializing in to unfold the sport plan.
For example, in case you place a defender card within the backline throughout the first flip, this implies the coach has adopted a tactic of solidifying the protection first. Then again, in case you place an offensive participant up entrance, your opponent will probably be pressured to think about whether or not to reply aggressively or reinforce their protection to counter the assault.
As the sport progresses, an increasing number of participant playing cards will probably be positioned on the sphere, and when related to 1 one other these participant playing cards create 4 varieties of icons: ATTACK, DEFENCE, PRESS, and PASS. With this strategy, the coach makes tactical choices each flip: “Which icons, at what timing, and what number of ought to I make?”
On this recreation system, you’ll be able to’t assault whereas defending and you may’t do move performs whereas urgent. For instance, in case you conduct a PASS motion, you may get synergy playing cards that can be utilized when attacking, however to play these synergy playing cards, you’ll want to take management of the sport first with the PRESS motion.
The management monitor exhibits which crew is controlling the sport
If you’re main on the management monitor, you’ll be able to play extra synergy playing cards
Every flip, the coach should determine whether or not to conduct PRESS or PASS within the crew stage, and whether or not to strengthen the assault or bolster the protection primarily based on the opponent’s ways — and inside that course of, the coach should search the suitable second to aim a shot and efficiently rating. In spite of everything, soccer is a recreation wherein the crew that scores extra wins.
Core Component #3: Luck, or Including Dynamism to the Recreation
I mentioned earlier that I’d not bodily mimic soccer. Nonetheless, I did not assume it was good to fully take away the dynamism of soccer simply because board video games are a static medium. I assumed one of the best ways so as to add dynamism to the sport was by introducing a component of luck. Truly, luck performs a big position in a soccer match. Pictures that appear sure to go in generally do not, and defenses that appear impenetrable may be breached by only one mistake.
So how ought to I seize the aspect of luck in soccer?
Whereas creating this recreation, I set a private rule that I would not use cube. Cube rolls are impartial variables. Technically, in case you’re unfortunate, you possibly can get solely unhealthy outcomes endlessly, and vice versa. Since I did not need luck to overwhelmingly dominate the sport, I made a decision to exclude cube.
As an alternative of utilizing cube rolling, I launched the synergy card system. This recreation has a complete of 25 synergy playing cards, every with a worth of 1 to five, and the proportion is larger for values nearer to the typical worth (3) and decrease for extremes like 1 or 5. (The 25-card deck has solely two playing cards with a worth of 5.)
When attacking or defending, every participant should randomly draw not less than one synergy card and add it to their assault/protection energy. The utmost attainable distinction resulting from card luck is 4, and because the likelihood of each gamers drawing 1 and 5 concurrently is comparatively low, I assumed this stage of luck involvement was acceptable. In fact, because the deck is shared, one participant may persistently draw low playing cards whereas the opposite persistently attracts excessive ones.
Here is one other essential level: Since luck is concerned anyway, regardless of how excessive or low the likelihood, the truth that “it is good to attract a excessive quantity and unhealthy to attract a low quantity” does not change. So as to add a bit extra dimension to this, I launched the “Magic Quantity System”.
If the assault energy (5) of the goal man is mixed with crew synergy (6), you get a Magic Quantity!
Once you try a shot, in case your assault energy exceeds the opponent’s protection energy, you rating a objective — and in case your assault energy precisely equals 11, the “Magic Quantity” is triggered, and also you all the time rating whatever the opponent’s protection energy.
Nonetheless, if the assault energy exceeds 11, you all the time fail to attain, whatever the opponent’s protection energy. This represents the theme of constructing an excessively forceful shot or being offside, and it additionally serves as a twist, exhibiting that larger numbers aren’t all the time higher.
Moreover, some synergy playing cards set off a capability — “TACKLE (with the worth of 1)” — permitting you to cease a objective you definitely would concede, turning it right into a penalty kick. (Conversely, a shot that appeared simple to dam would possibly concede a penalty kick resulting from a sort out.) By these components, I aimed to design a extra dynamic luck issue that goes past merely rejoicing or lamenting over excessive or low numbers.
You may as well really feel the thrilling rigidity of the penalty kick
I’ve briefly launched how I designed a soccer board recreation utilizing the three core components of soccer I outlined. I do know the sport itself might have blended opinions concerning the theme or private preferences. Nonetheless, as a creator, I’m very glad with this recreation — not as a result of I believe it is good, however as a result of there hasn’t been a board recreation that interpreted soccer from this attitude till now, and truly I’ve obtained suggestions from fairly a number of customers that they’d been ready for a soccer recreation like this.
Magic Quantity Eleven at Tokyo Recreation Market 2024 Spring
Magic Quantity Eleven was launched in South Korea via crowdfunding earlier in 2024 and was subsequently showcased on the Osaka BGBE in Japan in March, adopted by the Tokyo Recreation Market in April. In October, it is going to be introduced in Europe, the house of soccer, at SPIEL Essen 24.
I hope this recreation reaches extra individuals all over the world who love each soccer and board video games, people who find themselves identified to be not many, however hidden right here and there.