Bored game design studio formation gdd revised 0915

Bored Game Design Studio
GDD for Formation Page 1
“FORMATION” DESIGN DOCUMENT
Contacts:
Jeff Houchens, Game Designer; jehouchens@fullsail.edu
Nicholas Landskroener, Game Designer; nslandskroener@fullsail.edu
Nicholas Meyers, Game Designer; NMeyers@fullsail.edu
Nicholas McArthur, Game Designer; ndmcarthur@fullsail.edu
Jonathan Capps, Game Designer; jwcapps@fullsail.edu
William Bixler, Game Designer; kbixler6@fullsail.edu
Last Saved On: September 20, 2015 @ 8:06PM
Themes: War, Strategy

Table of Contents
“FORMATION” DESIGN DOCUMENT ........................................ 1
Game Overview........................................................................... 4
Where does the game take place? ........................................................................................................................................4
What is the story?........................................................................................................................................................................4
What is the main focus?............................................................................................................................................................4
How many characters/units/pieces does the player control?................................................................................4
Game Theory..................................................................................................................................................................................4
Feature Set................................................................................... 6
General Features..........................................................................................................................................................................6
Game Components ......................................................................................................................................................................6
Rules & Mechanics ..................................................................... 7
Game Setup.....................................................................................................................................................................................7
Turn Sequence / Turn Phase................................................................................................................................................10
General Rules...............................................................................................................................................................................11
Detailed Rules for Specific Pieces.......................................................................................................................................11
Flowcharts....................................................................................................................................................................................15
End Game Conditions...............................................................................................................................................................22
FAQs.................................................................................................................................................................................................22
Design History ..........................................................................23
Version 1.00 .................................................................................................................................................................................23
Version 2.00 .................................................................................................................................................................................23
Version 2.10 .................................................................................................................................................................................23
Version 2.20 .................................................................................................................................................................................24
Version 2.30 .................................................................................................................................................................................24
Version 3.00 .................................................................................................................................................................................24

Game Overview
Where does the game take place?
The game takes place in the ancient fictional worldof Astral. Playerswill play on an area that has
several fortresses with a neutral section between each fortress that the players must cross in order to
find and conquer an enemy base.
What is the story?
Astral was a small land with fourkings who ruled their fortresses separately, but at peace from one
another. However,as time grew on, the kings became greedy and mistrusting of each other. Tensions
began to rise and the rulers began to squabble over their differing opinions and ruling styles. The four
kings snapped and broke away from their past of peace, leading to a civilwar. The kings all hired their
own commanders (the players) to wage war on the other Territories. It is the Commander’s job to set
up an impenetrable defense and to conquer all other Commanders on the battlefield.
What is the main focus?
The main focusof Formation is to create an effectivestrategy to protectthe player’s Command Postas
well as create an opportunity for an effectiveoffensiveformation to conquer other Command Posts.
How many characters/units/pieces does the player control?
Players have 18 units in their control. Eachplayer controls 10 infantry,4 archers, 2 alchemists and 2
cavalry. These 3 units will have different movement that they can move and attackrange. Playerscan
move their pieces individually to help defend/attack the opponent and the player can put their pieces
close together to help move multiple pieces.
Game Theory
Symmetry
The game is asymmetric even though everyoneis starting out in a set area (7x7 corner of the map) and
they all have the same amount of units witha total of 18 movable pieces that move/attackdepending
on the unit. The barricades in the player’s set area willbe different foreach player depending on what
card the player willuse. The players can place their units in the area however they wouldlike.
PlayStyle
Formation is an every player for themselves type of game. However,you can create ‘alliances’ with
other players, youwill be able to take out your ‘teammate’ at any time. There are no set teams in the
game, howevertwo players can try to worktogether to take out another’s Command Post. This leaves
the team members wide open for attacks fromeach other as well. Alliances are useful to help remove

another player, howeverit can become a disaster for either of the players if one decided to betray the
other.
Summation
This is a zero-sum game. Once a unit is destroyed, that unit can no longer be used forthe remainder of
the game. At the same time, when a command post is taken over,the person wholost their Command
Post loses all their pieces remaining on the board. They are eliminated from the game.
Perfect/ImperfectInformation
The game is PerfectInformation as all the players see their pieces and their opponent’s pieces on the
playing board. The only Imperfect Informationis what barricade cards the opponents have in their
hands in the Setup Phase.

Feature Set
General Features
Formation is a conflictand conquering themed board game. The game can be played with2-4 players.
Formation also features a twoon two team game where youmay worktogether to take down the
team’s forces. Playersmust use their Barricade cards to help defend their Command Post by
strategically placing barricades.
Game Components
Formation Components:
● 1 17x17 Game Board
● Red, White, Green, and Root Beer glass counters representing Barricades (20x each color)
● Rule Book
● 20 Barricade Cards
● 16 Archer game pieces
● 8 Calvary game pieces
● 8 Alchemist game pieces
● 40 Infantry game pieces
● 4 Command Postgame pieces
● 1 Packof non permanent markers
● 1 Six Sided Die

Rules & Mechanics
Formationis played by two,three or fourplayers on a 17x17 playing board. Each player represents an
army’s Commander and, as the Commander of an army, the player controls 18 military units and a
command post that are represented by game pieces. Each player’s goals are to clear the board of
opponent pieces or conquer an opponent’s Command Post by reaching it. The ultimate goal is to be the
last player on the board.
Game Setup
I. Placethe 17x17 board on a flatplaying surface. Eachsquare is approximately 1” x 1” in size
and represents a space on the playing field player units can be moved to during each Turn
Phase. The player starting areas are located in each 7x7 corner of the board and are identified
by the lines separating the zones fromthe rest of the board (Figure 1).
Figure 1: The Playing Board
II. Eachplayer chooses whichcolorof units they wantto play as. The choicesfor colorsare Red,
White, Green, and RootBeer. All units under a player's controlare all the same colorand
consist of ten Infantry Soldiers, twoCavalry Horsemen, four Archers, two Alchemists, and one
Command Post. Players can choose their color pieces starting with the youngest person.
III. Players designate one person as the dealer.

IV. The dealer will shufflethe 20 playing cards and distribute 5 cards to each person playing. If
there are less than four players, the leftover cards can be Eachcard is 3.5” (length) by 2.25”
(width)in size. The rear side of the card contains the game title, “Formation”. The playing
side contains one of twenty battle formations, whichdistinguish how a player will set up the
Barricades around their Command Post on the board. The “CP” in the card represents the
player’s command post. The dark squares represent each barricade (Figure 2). Both the
Barricades and the Command Post are non-movable pieces (see Detailed Rules forSpecific
Pieces).

Figure 2: Barricade Cards
V. Once each player has fivecards, he or she willchoose one card fromthe fivecards and display
it for other players to see. The chosen card will determine how the player will setup their
Barricades forthe entire game.
VI. Discard the other four cards forthe remainder of the game.
VII. Eachplayer willfirst place their Command Post and Barricades as directed by the Barricade
card they played in their starting zones (see Figure 1).
VII. Eachplayer willsetup their battle units (Infantry,Cavalry, Alchemist and Archers) throughout
the open spaces left in their starting zone at their owndiscretion. There are no restrictions on
where any piece can be placed except that only one piece can be placed on each square and no
pieces can jump over or occupy a space that has the Command Post or Barricade. Please refer
to “Detailed Rules for Specific Pieces” for individual piece movements.
VIII. The players need to determine whogoes first. This is accomplished by rolling the six-sided die
included with the game. Eachplayer will roll the die and the highest roll determines who will
go first. If twoor more players roll the same highest roll, those players will re-roll until there is
only one player with the highest roll.
IX. During the turn sequence, the players will rotate clockwiseafter each player moves one piece.

Turn Sequence / Turn Phase
The followingsteps represent the turn sequences in the Turn Phase: Planning, Movement,
Attacking/Capturing, Creating a Formation, and End Phase.
Planning
I. The player will review the positions of his or her pieces on the board as well as positions of the
opponent’s pieces.
II. Once a player determines the best action to take, they can move on to the movement phase
Movement
I. Only one unit or one formation can be moved per turn.
II. The player begins moving a unit by touching it with either hand.
III. The player continues moving the unit according to the type of unit it is (see DetailedRulesfor
Specific Pieces)
VI. The player completes the move when he or she is no longer touching the unit that has been
moved.
V. If the player makes an invalid/illegal move, the unit will need to be reset to its starting position
at the beginning of the turn. For example, if a player jumps overa barricade with a unit, the
move is invalid and the unit will need to be moved back to the position it was in at the start of
the turn.
VI. Units that have not yet been defeated are considered active units on the board. Activeunits
may move across and land on spaces that are occupiedby defeated units.
VII. Only one activeunit may occupy a square at one time.
VIII. An activeunit is not allowed to jump overor pass through other activeunits, barricades or the
command post.
Creatinga Formation
I. A player can create a formation by positioning twoto four units in conjoining spaces in the
neutral zone between each player’s starting zones.
II. Conjoining spaces can be left to right or top to bottom (see Detailed Rules forSpecific Pieces)
III. Once a formation is created, all pieces can move together, one space per turn, up, down, leftor
right.
IV. Formations cannot movediagonally.
V. Formations cannot enter opponent starting zones together. Only one piece may enter the
opponent’s starting zone at a time.
VI. Any piece may be moved out of the formationto attack an opponent piece as long as the
opponent’s unit is with the attacking units movement range.
VII. Once the formation is broken, the remaining pieces in formation cannot be moved together
until the full formation is formed again.

Attacking/Defeating
I. During a player’s turn, if the unit they move lands on a square that is occupied by an
opponent’s piece, the player is considered the attacker. The opponent’s piece is considered
defeated and is turned overin the same square.
II. During a player’s turn, if the player reaches an opponent’s Command Post (lands on the same
square as the Command Post), all of the opponent’s pieces are removed from the board,
including defeated pieces. The opponent’s base has been captured and the opponent is
eliminated from the game.
III. A unit in a formation cannot attackin the same turn that the formation was moved (see
Detailed Rules for Specific Pieces)
EndPhase
I. When a player is no longer touching the unit he or she moved, the turn is over.
II. The player turn rotates clockwiseatthe table and the Planning Phase begins again.
General Rules
Below are the General Rules for Formation:
● Only one player may take their turn at a time
● Players need tomove a piece, choosing not to move is not an option.
● Players rotate in a clockwiserotation after a player ends their turn.
● Players can movea piece or a number of pieces in a formationtwo spaces per turn.
● Command Post and Barricades are pieces that can’t move throughout the whole game.
● A Player can either defeat all enemies to make the opponent lose or capture an enemy
command post.
● A player wins the game if they are the last one with units/moveable pieces on the board
GamePlay Variations
Players may also play the game witha teammate in 2 vs. 2 play
● Eachplayer rolls the 1-6 Diceto determine whowill go first and then moving clockwisefrom
player to player
● Only one teammate may take a turn at a time
● The team with the last remaining units wins the game
● Twoplayer units may not occupy the same space on the board (same as regular rules)
Detailed Rules for Specific Pieces

CommandPost- The command post has a fixed locationbased on the Barricade card chosen by the
player in the Setup Phase. This piece cannot move throughout the entire game.
Barricade-The barricade game piece has a fixed locationbased on the Barricade card chosen by the
player in the Setup Phase. This piece cannot be manipulated, moved or destroyed during game play.
Infantry
● The infantry game piece can move up totwo squares during a turn
in any direction.
● The infantry cannot jump overor share a space with another active
unit or Barricade.
● The infantry may occupy the same space as a defeated unit.
● Attacking with this piece, even on its first move, willuse all its
moves and end the player's turn.
● An attackoccurs when the infantry lands on a square that is
occupied by an opponent.
● The infantry may enter an opponent’s starting zone.
Cavalry
● The cavalry game piece can move up to three squares per turn up,
down, left or right.
● The cavalry cannot move diagonally.
● The cavalry cannot jump overor share a space with another active
unit or Barricade.
● An attackoccurs when the cavalry lands on a square that is occupied
by another unit..
● Attacking with this piece, even on its first move, willuse all its moves
and end the player’s turn.
● The cavalry may occupy the same space as a defeated unit.
● The cavalry may enter an opponent’s starting zone.
ArcherMovement
● The archer game piece can move up to twosquares per turn up,
down, left or right.
● The archer cannot move diagonally.
● The archer cannot jump over or share a space withanother active
unit or Barricade.
● The archer may occupy the same space as a defeated unit.
● Attacking with this piece, even on its first move, willuse all its moves
and end the player's turn.
● The archer is not allowed to enter an opponent’s starting zone.
● If an archer moves, it cannot attackin the same turn (see Archer
Attack)

ArcherAttack
● The archer can attack on a turn that it does not move. If the archer is
moved during a turn, it is not allowed to attack(see Archer
Movement).
● The archer’s attack is a ranged attack that can hit any opponent three
spaces up, down, left or right of it.
● The archer cannot destroy barricades.
● The archer can only attack one time and one opponent per turn.
Alchemist
● The alchemist game piece cannot attack enemy units.
● The alchemist game piece is used to revivedefeated units (units that
are turned over)
● The alchemist game piece can only move one square in any direction
by itself, per turn.
● If moving witha formation, the alchemist can move as many spaces
as the formation moves (see Formation Movement).
AlchemistReviving
● Alchemists can reviveany of a player’s defeated units, including the other Alchemist.
● The alchemist can only revive one unit per turn and cannot revivea unit if there is an active
unit occupyingthe same square.
● The alchemist must be in the adjacent square (up, down,left, right) to the defeated unit.
● The Alchemist can move next to a unit and reviveit, but it cannot revive a unit then move.
Before Movement After Movement

FormationMovement
● Formations consist of two to fourunits arranged in conjoining squares in the neutral zone.
● A formation can be any combination of the fourtypes of units: Infantry,Archers, Alchemists
and/or Cavalry.
● Once created in the neutral area, a formation may move up, down, left, or right.
● The formation can only move in the neutral zone between player starting zones.
● No unit in the formationcan enter a starting zone while moving as a formation.
● The player can move a unit out of the formation during their turn using the units’ standard
movements.
● The formation can move twosquares per turn in the same direction.

Flowcharts

End Game Conditions
To win in Formation,the player with the last remaining units on the board is the winner (the Last Man
Standing). If all of a player’s pieces have been captured or an opponent has made it to the player’s
Command Post, the player is eliminated from the game and all of their pieces are removed from the
board. A player who reaches an opponent’s Command Post eliminates that opponent from the game
and all remaining pieces controlled by the eliminated player are then removed from the board.
FAQs
Q: Can players move the Barricades or Command Post?
A: No, those pieces are the only non-movable pieces and the Barricade cards determine their
placement in the setup phase.
Q: If someone captures a Command Post, what happens to the player wholost the Command Post.
A: The person wholost their Command Post is eliminated fromthe board and loses the game.
Q: Is there a time limit on each turn?
A: There is no time limit but it is recommended to keep each turn under a minute to keep the flow of
the game going.
Q: Can there be multiple winners in a game?
A: No, there is only one winner.
Q: Can players team up?
A: There is no true team collaborationin the game, however players can make an alliance between
themselves to team up against other players. However,these players can attack each other at any time
as well. The formation rules do not apply with the partner and can only be formed by the player’s
pieces.
Q: Can a single unit attackopposing units that are in a formation?
A: Yes, a single unit can attackany opponent piece even if it’s in a formation as long as the opponent's
unit is within the attacking unit’s standard range.
Q: Can a unit attack multiple pieces?
A: No, a unit can only attack one opposing unit per turn.

Design History
This is our design history to keep trackof the changes we made and why wemade them. In version 1
we had one generic piece and its movement was based on a die roll. After our instructor provided
negative feedbackwe redesigned the unit mechanics and came up withversion 2 (whichwe discussed
in week 1 that we woulddetermine during play testing in week 2). Version 2 is going to stand for week
2 changes, version 3 willstand for week 3 changes and so on.
Version 1.00
In this version we had only one unit type and its moves were based on a die roll. The first version did
not survive contactwith the professor. The game had too much randomness for a strategy game and it
was decided to reworkhow the units workin the game.
Version 2.00
In this version we replaced the random movement mechanic of using a die. We replaced it withthree
movable pieces forthe player to use.
● Removed the one generic piece that had its movement controlled by a die roll.
● Added a infantry unit.
○ it could move one spaces in a verticaland horizontal direction.
○ It could only attack another piece that is one space away and perpendicular to it.
● Added a cavalry unit.
○ it can movetwo spaces forward or backwardsin relation to the direction it is facing.
○ Changing the direction of a cavalry piece will use up a player's turn.
○ The cavalry piece can only attack other pieces that are in a vertical or horizontal square
next to it.
● Added an archer unit.
○ It can only moveone square per turn and cannot leave the player starting area.
○ The archer’s attack is a ranged attack that can hit any opponent two spaces up, down,
left or right of it.
○ When it attacks another piece it willtake that pieces spot on the map.
○ The archer can not attackand move in the same turn.
● Added a barricade.
○ It is a fixed piece that cannot move or be attacked.
Version 2.10
It took15 minutes for 4 players to get pieces anywhereto be useful or effective.These are the changes
we made to workon this problem.

● Changed the infantry movement from 1 to 2.
● Changed the cavalry movement from 2 to 4.
● Changed the archer attack range from 2 to 3.
● It was decided that attacking counts as a unit’s move during this version.
● The “neutral” part of the board was made smaller from 6 squares in between all bases to 3.
Version 2.20
Some piece tweaks and the addition of unit formations. A unit formation is a mechanic we added to
help get units across the board together in less turns. Weadded diagonal movement to infantry to
increase their utility.
● Added formations
○ A formation can be any combination of three units: Infantry,Archers and/or Cavalry.
○ Once created in the neutral area, a formation may move up, down, left, or right.
○ The formation can only move in the neutral area between player starting zones.
○ No unit in the formationcan enter a starting zone while moving as a formation.
○ The player can move a unit out of the formation during their turn using the units
standard movements.
○ The formation can only move one square per turn in the same direction.
● Added diagonal movement of infantry.
Version 2.30
Some minor piece tweaks. In this version we added an officialteam play version to test out the game
play.
● Changed the archer movement from 1 to 2.
● Changed the cavalry movement from 4 to 3.
● Added a 2v2 teamplay option.
● Decided that archers can move out of the starting zone into the neutral zone, but they still
cannot enter opponent starting zones. However,they can shoot opponent units in the
opponent’s starting zone.
Version 3.00
The game slows down considerably at the end of the game when most pieces are defeated. Todeal
with this problem, we added a medic unit. When pieces die, they are no longer removed from the
board to facilitate the use of the medic.

● When a unit is defeated, it remains on the same space. The unit is flipped over to represent its
defeat.
○ Other pieces can move on top of a defeated piece.
● Added the medic unit.
○ Can move one space per turn and revive a piece in one turn.
○ Can reviveone unit per turn; however, it cannot move after it revives.
○ The medic can not attackother pieces.
○ The medic can not revivea piece under a living piece.
● Changed the archer range from 2 to 3. Movement remains at 2 spaces per turn.
● Increased formation movement from 1 to 2.
● Removed the cavalry mechanic forfacing. Calvary simply can move three spaces up, down, left
or right. The unit still cannot move diagonally.
● Removed the infantry limitation on attacking diagonally.

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