Author: Mati Roy | Created: 2019-05-26 | Published: 2022-08-06 | Updated: 2019-05-26 | Status: in progress
Related: Facebook posts on what types of players I like for board games
Self-contained commitments and deceptions
In most games, I really enjoy what being able to commit to certain course of actions unlock. Commitments can include commitments to help in exchange for certain actions (alliances) and commitments to retaliate if some actions is or to attack if some actions isn’t taken (threats). I also like allowing for deceptive behavior.
However, I want games to remain self-contained. That means reference to outside the game world during the game (ex.: real life threats), and commitments or group strategizing outside (ie. before) a game are forbidden (ex.: saying you won’t lie during the game before the game1). Edit 2022-08: I'd still allow trashtalk referring to the realword though; there might be other exceptions like this.
As for inter-game commitments (ex.: if you kill me this game, I’ll attack you next game), I think I prefer to forbid them as well. But I’m open to trying various options here, including allowing inter-game commitments during one day or inter-game commitments for a specific game.
Breaking strategies
In strategy games, I like when players find loopholes to win or tie, or other strategies that break the game. Those can be patched for the next games, but I think finding a winning loophole definitely deserves winning a game.
For party games, I think respecting the spirit of the rule makes more sense though.
Betting real world reputation would make your in-game threats and alliances much more believable and therefore stronger. ↩