Ideas/Thoughts on Trail Tiles

Terminology

• Mind-Game - involves predicting what the opponent will be doing (in the future), and tricking the opponent (into believing and doing something that would be advantageous for you).
• Depth/Complexity - refers to the number of distinct, relevant possibilities/choices/situations that exists in the game.

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Focusing on "Simplicity" (of design and work), there's a few ideas I want to bring up, that we may want to prototype (if we like it).

1) Steal Highlighted Tiles -

- Explanation: What if characters can steal highlighted tiles through weapons or through walking. That is, highlighted tiles owned by someone else can be converted to yours. Of course, stealing highlighted tiles would be useless if it didn't give any benefits, so suppose it does. Then this concept should cause the opponent to think about how their highlighted tiles can be used against them, or the reverse case (i.e., how can they use other opponents tiles). Also, they'd have to think about whether it would be wise to create highlighted tiles in certain situations. Etc.

- Questions to Think About:

• Upon ownership change, how is tile expiration time preserved/changed (based on varying situations, factors, weapon/armor types, etc.)?
• How many and what are the "valid" tactics that would be introduced?

2) Highlighted Tiles Increases Speed -

- Explanation: This is just 1 possible benefit of highlighted tiles, where the character's speed increases by running on a highlighted tile. I think this can add a bit to the mind-game element, where there's a clear benefit of a speed boost by being on the highlighted tile, but the highlighted tiles only exists at limited locations, which would make it easier for the opponent to shoot the target if the target only moves on the highlighted tiles.

- Questions to Think About:

• How many and what are the "valid" tactics that would be introduced?
• What if the type of benefit for being on the highlighted tile depends on some factors (e.g. armor type, traits, combat situation, environment, etc.)?
  
• Other Benefits or Restrictions imposed by being on the highlighted tiles?
  
• Alternative/Better Solutions (than what I discussed that would add more depth/complexity to the game or include other game elements that we want)?
• Other design ideas/concepts that would enhance this concept?
  
• Other ideas to add to the mind-game element? (Note that the existence of multiple "valid" tactical choices is an important ingredient for creating mind-games. Now, for example, consider how temporal and spatial aspects may come into play; what if moving towards a projectile allows the character to negate the push-back effect if the character has enough stats to withstand the impact, but moving backwards reduces the damage? How about moving left or right? To come up with these questions/considerations, realize that I focus on exploring the available freedom of control or choices first before injecting in rules/logic to support their "validity".)

Edit: just so I don't forget. I also want to talk about the "Hook/Cool Factor" (see the google site). I'm thinking some sort of EX/super move that uses up the highlighted tiles; maybe the move allows the character to counter the opponent somehow...