Reply: Terraforming Mars:: General:: Re: Thoughts and Ideas on TfM after dozens of plays

by Kenny Wong

The so called "engine" building may become subconscious in experienced players along certain strategy with some particular combination of cards. That snowballing effect does need time to carefully consider and deck building. There are discussion in the forum that if everyone is trying to do that to maximise their resource production instead of aiming at closing the game by pushing the 3 global parameters, the game can be exceedingly long.

With regard to the public Milestones, I haven't played that. Just saw it in some discussion brought up by some people. While I haven't actually asked the detail, it seems everyone can score the Milestones at a fixed reward provided it can be achieved by the player, and a fixed score is granted. It removes the competitive element, and most can probably be reached by all players at endgame. If played in such way, personally I don't think it will add much to the gameplay. The milestones are not designed in that way. However, I think it is possible, like the hidden objective that is often employed in other strategy games, specific private and public goals may be designed for TM for more playability.

Of course when facing a choice, everyone will have a bit of difficulty sometimes in making the decision but some are more severe than the others affecting the game flow. I am not trying to address that aspect. What I propose is the point concerning card eras. Since many have failed for a proper playable implementation as you mentioned (though I can't recall any such variation), I just brain-storm another mechanism for those cards that may be useful to players in later part of game to be revealed and bid by players with just a little downpayment. Nothing solid yet :D