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Catch-up mechanisms are a band-aid: CHANGE MY MIND
- Erik Twice
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No well-designed game needs a catch-up mechanism. The only reason a game might need one is because it's flawed in the first place. They are, at best, the lesser evil between a game that is broken and one which has problems
For example, the only reason Power Grid "needs" a catch-up mechanism is that it snowballs. If it didn't snowball (Like Steam), it wouldn't need such a mechanism.
Here's a practical example. Picture three hypotehthical versions of Power Grid.
The first is Power Grid without a catch-up mechanism. This is a terrible game because all that matters is snowballing to victory.
The second is Power Grid as published. The catch-up mechanism has a ton of flaws and isn't a great mechanic in and on itself, but it's better than snowballing, hence its inclusion.
The third is a hypothethical Power Grid with a reworked economy that did not snowball. This version wouldn't have the big flaw of the first version and, hence, would not need the lesser evil that is the catch-up mechanism. This version is better than the other two.
Discuss or brutally hit the downvote button to disagree.
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That news sure surprised me.
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Yes, sometimes the plants come out in such a way that you can win by being a front runner. I've found that hardly ever happens and is usually a losing strategy.
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- Colorcrayons
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jeb wrote: NEXUS OPS has a catch-up mechanism—loser of a battle (if defending) gets a card that provides a bonus in (later) combat.
In general, I hate catch up.
But in Nexus Ops' case, this is an example of when it is done flawlessly and admirably.
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- hotseatgames
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Nobody likes it when the outcome is assured; no one likes playing a game they think they have lost by turn 2. Keeping people "in the game" is commendable, but absolutely I agree that there are good ways and bad ways to do this.
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- ChristopherMD
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- SuperflyPete
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If you build a good economy, it WILL snowball. It SHOULD. It rewards good play.
The trick is to design the game in such a way that everyone has EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, not EQUAL OUTCOME.
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- Black Barney
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Does Caylus have a catch up mechanism? I can’t remember. I recall how that game snowballs once you start to get ahead.
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It balances the fact that not only is this game a knife fight in a phone booth (except in this game one faction has a chainsaw, one has a 20 lb. sledgehammer, etc.), but it also mitigates a bad turn where a player might get clobbered because they're starting to pull away, or they just had bad luck.
And it really doesn't take anything away from the game. The half power rule won't launch you back into contention, you'll still have to play well and pick your moments if you hope to recover.
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- Sagrilarus
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There are graceful ways to do it. Settlers gives trailing players a boost because people prefer to trade with the guy that isn't a threat. There's enough interplayer binding to allow that to occur, and it's natural and understandable to all players. But, most "modern" games don't use that short of binding and don't offer high risk plays, so what remains is to give the last place player a free card every turn, or give them first crack at resources at a lower price, etc. Often it's pretty hokey.
In Power Grid the timing of that final push at the finish is crucial. Often the player powering the third most cities is in the lead, and makes their run to end the game at just the right moment. It works, but it's weird.
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