Reboot number 2: Fighting card game (name yet to be decided)
So one day, I thought "I play a bunch of card games, some of them could even be called fighting card games... but it's not enough. I want more." And hence, I started working on this. A fighting card game, designed to follow the mechnics of a normal fighting game as closely as possible. Nameless is special in that though it is in a card game format, character creation resembles more of an RPG with many options. Hence there are no "starter decks" or "boosters" of any kind; all cards are created by the player himself, governed by a set of rules.
Alright, basics in a nutshell:
---GAME BASICS---
<<CARD TYPES>>
There are two kind of cards... well, technically, there are three, but one isn't used for playing usually. So let's start with the odd one out.
<<Character card>>:
In short, the Character Card holds basic information about your character. The CC is not used in the game. It's only purpose is to give a basic description about your character: should include basic stats, a name/nick (like... "Zangief/The wrestler" or "Vega/The spanish matador ninja badass"), possibly a portrait, few lines of flavor text. May be used in case of alternate rules, such as "Tag" games, for representing the character you tag to.
Now, the cards that are actually supposed to see play are:
<<Move cards>>:
Move cards describe an attack or other special move of the character. A jab, a kick or a fireball; all these would be good examples for basic move cards.
Move cards are used in the game to hold information/put into play the actions you take during the turn. Characters start with at least 3 basic moves: The 'Quick-', 'Medium-' and 'Strong -attack', with the option to buy more/modify from tech and style points.
<<Maneuver cards>>
Maneuver cards describe actions taken before your move. The most basic ones, that every fighter is supposed to have are standing, crouching and jumping. Like move cards, new maneuver cards can be bought, and basic ones can be modified from tech/style points.
Move and maneuver cards should hold the following data:
-Name
-Energy cost
-Type of the card
-Stat modifiers
-Techniques and links
-Flavor, such as description, other text/quote, illustration.
<<BASIC GAMEPLAY>>
The actual game is pretty simple. It is turn based, but both of your turns take place at the same time. At the beginning of each turn, both players set a maneuver and a move card face down. Then they announce the speed of the actions they are going to take this turn (modified by the cards that were set). The player with the lower speed then takes action, which the faster player can interrupt at any point with his own actions. What happens exactly is based on the card combinations used, but basically that's the gist of it. After everyone used all the actions they wanted, both pick up their cards, then start a new turn.
All cards are held in hand from the beginning of the game, there is no "deck" to draw cards from (this is actually one of the reasons of the maneuver+move setup; if you'd need separate cards for jumping, crouching and standing jab, your hand would be far too crowded).
<<CHARACTER CREATION BASICS>>
There are 3 groups of abilities/stats, each with a few sub groups. At the beginning of character creation, the player must prioritize between these groups to see how many points he can spend in the sub groups.
The groups are:
<<Power>>
Power describes the raw power at the disposal of a character. Speed, strength... stretchy limbs... you name it. Everything that is innate to your character and his fighting style is covered under 'power'. If your character is more brawn than brain, or believes in hard training above flimsy techniques, mystical mumbo-jumbo about animal styles, and feeling the lotus flowing down the waterfall, make this your highest priority.
Power points can be used to buy stats:
Attack:Shows how good the character is at dishing out damage.
Speed:Shows how quick the character is.
Movement:Shows how much ground the character can cover.
Range:Shows how far the character can reach with his attacks.
<<Technique>>
Technique describes... well, it shows how many moves your character accumulated during his training. A character prioritizing in techniques will know how to kick a person 65 different ways, half of them lethal, the other half simply deadly. If your character is prone learn moves from others and incorporate it into his own ways, or is just mad with finding out every possible way of using his body as a weapon, unlocking secret and dangerous, sometimes mystical or supernatural powers, technique will be his top pick.
Technique points can be used to buy new moves and add special properties to your existing moves. Includes, but is not limited to:
Stat decreasing/increasing, defense breaking, invincibility, poison-like, unblockable, counter, etc...
<<Style>>
Style describes how the moves of a character work together to make a whole. If you want a martial artist who had reached the peak of his chosen style, wastes no moves while attacking or defending, and is just, all in all, fluent while fighting, pick style. Style unlocks ways for your moves to interact with each other, flowing from one to another.
Style points can be used to buy "interaction" between your moves: cancels, combos, setups, special boosts, and the like.
You gain points in each category based on their priorities, which you can then spend on creating your moves.
TO BE CONTINUED