Tic-Tac-Forever - Blockchain Game Idea

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Recently, I've ran into quite a few posts and videos discussing how the blockchain can impact gaming. Between Extra Credits covering it, to @whatageek 's idea for a blockchain MMO, and of course @steemonsters from @aggroed and team. I couldn't help but ponder my own random idea.

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So, coming up with a game design can be very tricky. You can bog yourself down in minutia very quickly. I wanted to think about a game I could possibly build myself, which meant keeping it simple. So, two drivers went into my initial thinking. First, I like playing up the 'ownership' aspect that the blockchain can provide to games. I wanted to focus around that one mechanic. Secondly, I wanted to start with a simple game or premise and build from there. This would allow me to keep the idea focused and double down on the mechanic of people owning items, things, or places.

Ownership

Historical ownership is a fascinating mechanic that the blockchain opens up for games. Knowing who owned something, and tracking that through the game, can provide a unique gameplay element. For example, imagine a multi-player version of Monopoly where players could buy and re-buy properties. Those properties would essentially be a token on the blockchain. Players could jump in and out of the game on a whim, and the universe of the board would be maintained by the smart contract running the game. Who bought Park Place, who sold Baltic, and how much you owe Random_Player_4 could now be managed. Properties could be placed on the market once a player didn't return after a certain amount of time. And fresh dollars could enter the ecosystem with each new player. It would essentially allow a giant game of monopoly that could run asynchronously forever.

Monopoly_Forever

Simplicity

Okay, so I obviously can't code the complexity that is Monopoly_Forever. Its a fascinating idea, and I'm sure it, or something like it, will be created some day. But for now, that is too many variables, too much complication, and I have too little time. So, what game out there follows a similar competitive aspect, but simplifies the universe immensely?

Welcome to Tic-Tac-Forever!

The Premise

Imagine a multi-player, ongoing tic-tac-toe board. The 9 spots are represented by tokens on a blockchain.
Any player can come in and 'buy' a spot, placing either an X or an O on the shared board. Should a side win the game, the winnings would be distributed back to everyone that bought the winning mark that round. Draws could be payed out to the platform to encourage people to play for wins and not just playing to a draw. Ultimately, a cut-throat game of Tic-Tac-Toe that tracks player interaction and ownership.

Advanced Mechanics

So, I'm sure I'd need some advanced mechanics to handle some of the corner cases. For example, currently, spots can be purchased and switched any time. This may cause frustration as a side is just about to win, and their core position gets messed up in an instant. I'd also hope the advanced mechanics would encourage team work, or provide ways to come back from certain losses in clever ways.

Advanced mechanics could include:

1. Spots can be 'locked' for a period of time with a secondary purchase from a new player for that spot with the same mark. i.e. The same player can't buy that same spot twice just to lock it.
2. Spots would recycle back to a blank location after a period of time.
3. Perhaps multiple spots could be purchased or blanked at the same time in some sort of pattern.
4. Maybe for a lesser purchase fee, a player could return a spot to a blank for a small portion of time (instead of switching it to another mark.) I imagine this could be used to stall wins.
5. Perhaps the board locations could be shifted (e.g. All columns move right one, All rows move down one). I imagine this could immediately cause havoc to someone's well-crafted strategy, or secure a win for someone really paying attention.

Obviously, not all of these work in conjunction, but they definitely open up the game to new and interesting strategies. They open up the game to more of a 'Battle Tic-Tac-Toe' that encourages engagement and interaction between players and enemies alike.

Gameplay

So, imagine you walk into a game in progress. Some of the spots are already marked by spattering of X's and O's. As a new player, you've been given enough points to make 2-3 moves on the board for this round. What do you do? Which team do you side with? Who do you help, or hinder? Do you cycle some spots to blanks? Do you put the game winning X on the board? Or, do you block the big push by the 'O' team? Your move matters on Tic-Tac-Forever.

Conclusion

So, there is my idea. A simple, ownership-centric competitive game that lets people jump in and out. Now, obviously there are gaps that would need to be tested. I would have to think to think through rounds and wins and resets to make sure people can continue to interact with the board and things never get stuck or bogged down.

So, what do you guys think? What game ideas do you have?

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