The Goal of the Game is to score the most points by the end of the game. These points are dubbed by the instruction cards as "Victory Points", or VP for short. VP is attained through area influence and control on the small map that is included on one card. Whichever player is in control of the most territory usually wins. However, different coin values and region control do offer some variables to that rule.
The Core Mechanic of the game is the randomization of coins that are face up and face down. Before the match begins, one player decides on heads, and the other decides on tails. A coin is flipped to see who gets to go first. Afterwards, a single coin is taken from each value tier (of which there are 4), and placed into a player's hands. The player then shakes all of the coins in his or her hands, then slams them down onto the table. Whether the coins are face up or tails determines the move(s) that they will make. These moves include placing coins, paying coins to the other player in order to place more coins, moving coins that are already on the board, and capturing coins from the other player.
The Space of the Game is the map itself. Coins can only be played and moved inside of the illustrated regions that are visible on the small map. If they are not on the map, they are located in either player's bank. The map itself is divided into regions. Each region has a select number of tiles to control within them. One has only one tile, another has two, another has three, and another has four. More than one coin can be placed on one tile. However, the coins must be placed in hierarchal order. Coins or stacks of coins that are moved may only be moved onto an adjacent tile as long as it is not already occupied.
In the category of Objects, Attributes, and States, coins fill the role of the objects. They are the entities that are placed and moved across the board, and their location and quantity decide how much VP the player earns by the end of each game. The coins themselves have attributes, depending on their type. Quarters are worth the most VP at 4, nickels are worth 3, pennies are worth 2, and dimes are worth only 1. Coins may be stacked on top of each other regardless of whether the coin they are being stacked onto is heads or tails, but only if they are a smaller value than that coin.
The Operative Actions a player can take are few, but each one can rapidly change the game. Coins can be placed by a player, anywhere on the board, as long as they are placed in a region that has no coins in it or if the region has a coin of a larger value on it. Coins can also be payed to an opposing player, allowing the player who payed a coin to place another coin on the board. Coins can also be moved, allowing players to move individual coins to new areas or to move an entire stack of coins to a new area.
The Resultant Actions of this allows players to take control of regions and bully other players out of their tiles, allowing them to strategize and plan the best course to maximize how much VP they earn by the end of the match.
Behavior Rules of this game are pretty simple. Players aren't allowed to cheat or fight one another. Trash talk, while not necessary, is encouraged.
Some valuable Advisory Rules to take into consideration when playing Coin Age it is wise to place coins that are of lesser value to decrease the likelihood of a player taking control of your area by placing a coin on top of that coin. However, this obviously won't earn you as much VP as a coin of a larger value will earn you. That is why players usually keep their large coins towards the end of the match so they can place them down and maximize the amount of points that they earn.
Examples of Skills Learned from playing coin age include strategizing the placement of your coins and planning ahead for the moves of your opponent. Some risk and gambling elements are taken into consideration as well.
The Role of Chance in coin age is pretty high. The coins flipped at the beginning of each round serve as "two sided dice", and the player's actions all boil down to what coins were either face up or face down. As a result, the player can be at the mercy of a randomized luck based system, but it is how they react to what they are dealt and how they use it to their advantage that makes their moves important.
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