How to make MQ more fun?

Maz · 02-11-2012, 05:23 PM

I've had MQ for over a year now year now, but only played few a times (each time with 3 players), and the reason is simply that it's simply not fun enough. Donøt get me wrong, the main idea and rules are great and the game always start out much fun, but not for long.
The main reason we found was the loong wait time between your turns. But after adopting the "only one room exploration per turn" that helped it a bit.

However the game still has two major drawbacks we find boring.

1) You can't do enough in the other players turns.
Even with all the DxM cards you get to draw each turn, there are far too few that can influence the other players combat.
This is also linked with the fact that you often find yourself wandering in different directions and items, help and backstab can only happen close to each other.

2) You become too powerful.
You pretty quickly get so many items that the vast majority of enemies aren't a problem. And since there are so few ways for the other players to interfere, you can quickly get to a point where you are more or less unstoppable. Maybe you'll be stopped once, but then the next player will not have anything opposing him. And you next turn you'll have an easy time again.

---

So what I would like to hear is if people have any ideas to fix what I see as problems here.
I want to be able to use the game as is now, without just introducing new cards.

Possible ideas.

A) Be able to use ANY DmX card as a +1 monster-enhancer. This way, you can always influence a battle a little, or a lot if two players pool their resources. Maybe limit it to say that only class and race-cards can be used like this.

B) Make a Challenge-Rating system. Say that you have to fight monsters of a certain level in order to gain levels from them. Like in the RPG's that munckin parodies, being a level 7 dwarven fighter, you simply do not get XP for fighting low-level monsters.
This could be as simply or as complex as you want:

You could say you need to kill monsters that are over your level, to gain a level (Let Monster-enhancers affect their level as normal). So level 1 monsters never give levels (unless bosted first).
Lower level monsters would still give loot. But maybe say "1 less treasure".

This would also be a Catch-up rule that allow lower level players to catch up while the high-levels go looking for level-appropriate monsters.

Does anyone have the same problems with the game, and any good suggestions?

(I have read the houserule thread)

Quaff_fu · 02-12-2012, 06:42 AM

I would think making it harder for players to gain levels for killing monster would make the game last longer.

Pat

Toltrin · 02-13-2012, 11:55 PM

With any MMO or RPG idea, the problem with level progression is not making initial levels too difficult while making the later levels difficult to be a challenge. I find that the algorithm to doing this is to make it logarithmic pertaining to the quantity of levels.
In other words, make it easy at first but harder as you gain levels. The trick is doing this without nerfing the lower level challenges as well as the higher ones.

Maz · 02-15-2012, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toltrin

In other words, make it easy at first but harder as you gain levels. The trick is doing this without nerfing the lower level challenges as well as the higher ones.

Exactly, that what I find is missing in MQ. (And actually even to a higher degree in the card game, but that's besides the point).

That why I as a minimum would suggest that you can only level on mosnters of a higher level than yourself.

Low levels shouldn't have any problems as most monster are still higher than them. And high-levels still have lots of monster to choose from. After all, monster-levels go to 20, while players are only up to level 9-10.

Quaff_fu has a point. but I don't feel that this level-requirement rule would make much of a difference outside of making it a little harder for the high-levels to gain level's. But I'm ok with that, as it means the other players then have a chance of catching up.

Maz · 02-15-2012, 05:10 AM

I have another idea, an alternative to my suggestion about allowing all DmX cards to be used as a +1 monster enhancer.

That is that you can use class and race cards on the monsters as monster-enhancers and this then give them an appropriate modifier based on the room they are in. (Ie-. bonus or penalty-die).

I just always feel you sit around with loads of race/class cards and little to do with them. While at the same time lacking monster-enhancer cards.

02-11-2012, 05:23 PM	#1
Maz Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Denmark	How to make MQ more fun? I've had MQ for over a year now year now, but only played few a times (each time with 3 players), and the reason is simply that it's simply not fun enough. Donøt get me wrong, the main idea and rules are great and the game always start out much fun, but not for long. The main reason we found was the loong wait time between your turns. But after adopting the "only one room exploration per turn" that helped it a bit. However the game still has two major drawbacks we find boring. 1) You can't do enough in the other players turns. Even with all the DxM cards you get to draw each turn, there are far too few that can influence the other players combat. This is also linked with the fact that you often find yourself wandering in different directions and items, help and backstab can only happen close to each other. 2) You become too powerful. You pretty quickly get so many items that the vast majority of enemies aren't a problem. And since there are so few ways for the other players to interfere, you can quickly get to a point where you are more or less unstoppable. Maybe you'll be stopped once, but then the next player will not have anything opposing him. And you next turn you'll have an easy time again. --- So what I would like to hear is if people have any ideas to fix what I see as problems here. I want to be able to use the game as is now, without just introducing new cards. Possible ideas. A) Be able to use ANY DmX card as a +1 monster-enhancer. This way, you can always influence a battle a little, or a lot if two players pool their resources. Maybe limit it to say that only class and race-cards can be used like this. B) Make a Challenge-Rating system. Say that you have to fight monsters of a certain level in order to gain levels from them. Like in the RPG's that munckin parodies, being a level 7 dwarven fighter, you simply do not get XP for fighting low-level monsters. This could be as simply or as complex as you want: You could say you need to kill monsters that are over your level, to gain a level (Let Monster-enhancers affect their level as normal). So level 1 monsters never give levels (unless bosted first). Lower level monsters would still give loot. But maybe say "1 less treasure". This would also be a Catch-up rule that allow lower level players to catch up while the high-levels go looking for level-appropriate monsters. Does anyone have the same problems with the game, and any good suggestions? (I have read the houserule thread)

02-12-2012, 06:42 AM	#2
Quaff_fu Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Green Bay, Wismunchkin	Re: How to make MQ more fun? I would think making it harder for players to gain levels for killing monster would make the game last longer. Pat __________________ "In this life now you kill your you die, or you die and you kill. " - The Governor.

02-13-2012, 11:55 PM	#3
Toltrin Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oregon	Re: How to make MQ more fun? With any MMO or RPG idea, the problem with level progression is not making initial levels too difficult while making the later levels difficult to be a challenge. I find that the algorithm to doing this is to make it logarithmic pertaining to the quantity of levels. In other words, make it easy at first but harder as you gain levels. The trick is doing this without nerfing the lower level challenges as well as the higher ones. __________________ HCobb's OGRE Maker Yet another OGRE designer FJCestero OGRE Maker CP Alpha's new home My email

02-15-2012, 05:10 AM	#5
Maz Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Denmark	Re: How to make MQ more fun? I have another idea, an alternative to my suggestion about allowing all DmX cards to be used as a +1 monster enhancer. That is that you can use class and race cards on the monsters as monster-enhancers and this then give them an appropriate modifier based on the room they are in. (Ie-. bonus or penalty-die). I just always feel you sit around with loads of race/class cards and little to do with them. While at the same time lacking monster-enhancer cards.