Two player games – across the diagonal

Chris (aka zombieking) and I played a two player Kotay game yesterday and Chris won. The game time was between 35-45 minutes.

In a two player game, you get to explore more end game scenarios. There is a tendency to build up to the maximum number of defenses, and maximum number of attacks. So it is slower and dead-lock type situations do arise.

In fact, this game brought back some really old (and sort of painful) memories of when Sud and I played Kotay on a paper board with crayons. One particular game in which I just kept attacking his capital unsuccessfully forever! This is why we introduced the crazy lowest 8 for cannon attacks. 🙂

Feedback/Comments/suggestions :

It is a bit hard/annoying to keep track of the number of rolls.

Maybe we should have three sets of dice for offense and three for defense, which can be rolled at once?

It is a bit confusing to keep track of which buildings produce what, and maybe the farm and lumber camp should look different?

Have better handouts – with pictorial representations

Why does the cavalry not move into the square where it attacks? It makes sense for cannons, but the cavalry would ostensibly have to move it?

Should we just call them archers?

Busting the myth of might – play test

Summary of the game

We played a game of Kotay on 9th May in which there was sequential elimination of the strong players.

The conquerors themselves were soon conquered.

The victorious player was the one who had abstained from direct attacks till the very end.

This game did involve some strategy and tactics. However, the player with the stronghold, almost unlimited resources and tactical advantage lost the game. Partly, from heeding the poor advice of an impatient co-player. The last two players had a bit of a deadlock with three attacks and three defenses for each roll. This is reflected in the longish game time of 90-100 minutes.

Special Mention: The Incident involving desert and water tiles

Abhishek Mundhra likes to draw tiles randomly from the terrain bag for other people. What difference does it make? Chance is chance. Is it really?

“Were you looking?” L retorted, when Mundhra drew a desert for her at a spot she had picked for a fort.
“No”
She moved the explorer once more.
“Shall I draw a tile for you?” Mundhra asked, unable to resist.
“No…yes..ok, it better not be water.” L warned.
Alas! it was water.
“I won’t accept it!” L declared. Further suggesting that M was looking at the tile, holding on to it while pretending to draw randomly.

L wanted to draw again. Putting the water back into the bag. M refused. We played on.

So…
Can you really draw a tile randomly for someone else? Is your random the same as their random?

This is very close (a turn and a fort later) to what the board looked like at that point –

Note the desert and water tiles next to the red fort .

What is the probability, had we let L draw again, that she too would have picked water? Another version – given that M picked water, what is the probability that L would have had the same outcome?

Now that is a puzzle for other minds for other times.

Best leave the drawing of tiles to each player, I guess.

Design notes based on ‘incident’

Maybe we should have a tile redraw option for a price? Or a variation in which a player can change the terrain?

GG ! Thanks guys!

Beating back a super power – Play testing Kotay

After an induction to Go, we started a game of Kotay with Spike, Elof, Mundhra and myself.

Spike (blue) set out with the explicit aim of destroying Elof (yellow). Elof went on an offensive that was checked by Spike.

06052017-1

We formed and alliance against Elof and Mundhra. With some help from me, Spike destroyed Elof’s capital and became the owner of vast resources (which he kindly split with me.) At this stage, Spike seemed like an invincible super-power.

He antagonized me by building a fort quite close to my capital. Mundhra and myself took Spike’s advice and allied against him. I helped Mundhra build a fort and a cannon and sent my own cannon forth to attack Spike.

My attack against Spike was successful but my Capital was destroyed by the very cannon’s that I helped Mundhra forge.

Screen Shot 2019-05-11 at 9.54.16 PM

Kudos to Spike for some splendid playing on his very first game.

Spike noted that the end game is bit of luck because it is based on dice. Elof suggested using a different version of dice throw – for attack and defense. We will have a think about this.

Apparently, Abhishek Mundhra’s first Kotay victory. Congrats! 🙂

Alliances are futile!

Play-testing Kotay in London

Abhishek, Shalini, Laila and I played a game of Kotay (about 80 minutes).

05052017-2

S (blue) and A (red) formed a stable alliance even before explorations began, forcing an alliance on Laila (yellow) and me(purple). Little did I know, alliances cannot be forged by force alone :). When the opportunity arose, I was swiftly done away with.

05052017-3