Somerset (new game), Halloween party (new costumes), and Dominion (new cards)

Last week I had a week off of school. During this week I cleaned the apartment like a mad boss. I did all the laundry, cleaned all the dishes, floors, put stuff away, and generally made the apartment look super awesome.

It also had time to create a prototype of a new game that I've had the idea for for quite a while.  So far the working title is Somerset, which is the country that John Leland in 1542 considered to be the place where Camelot resided. I didn't want to call the game Camelot because I'm pretty sure there's already a game out there called that, and my game doesn't have Merlin or Arthur or any other Camelot-like things, so I didn't want people to buy the game expecting that and then be disappointed. Anyway, if any of you have thoughts for what the game should be called, please leave a comment below!

The premise of the game is this: Each player starts with two workers, a peasant and a knight. The peasant can move only one spot, the knight can move two.  You start in a the city made up of 12-18 hexagon tiles that are placed onto the table in a randomized layout. Each starting tile is an action you can do, such as collect brick, collect wood, hire a new peasant, upgrade your people, build a new hex, move up on the government track, and so forth. You start by placing your two guys down one at a time onto one of the tiles, taking that action. In future turns, you move a guy and then take the action he landed on. Your peasants then move slowly one tile at a time, taking the action of each tile they step on. Knights are a little more fast, moving two tiles and taking the action of that second one. Later in the game once you collect enough resources you can upgrade your knights into Wizards. Wizards move three spaces, and also allow you to use Magic to cast spells.  Throughout the game players are constantly buying new tiles, which give more actions. So as the countryside outside the city increases, the number of actions available also does.

Sample layout for a two player game

Sample layout for a three player game 

Sample layout for a four player game

Think of it like this: It's like Agricola, but instead of a new action coming out once each round, the players themselves are buying and putting out those actions. And instead of you getting all your guys back at the end of the round to start fresh, they're stuck on their spots and came only move a certain number, so you need to plan out how far away the actions you want are so that you can set up your meeples' positions.

Question: Why would I want to build a new tile?  Answer: Every time another player uses it, you get a point. Yay points! It's kind of like how the game Caylus does it, if you've ever heard of that game.

Question: Does the position of the tiles matter? Answer: Yes, each hex will have five sides that lead to roads, with its sixth side not giving you access to the tile next to it. So often you will have to go the long way around in order to access the tile with the action you want on it. You can only go from one tile to the next if both of the sides are roads connecting.

The government track

Prices for certain tiles as I have them now

Actions you can take

Some of the same tiles that you can buy

That's the basic premise. Tiles you build will allow you to do different things, such as: build roads, get instant points, get Magic, cast spells, get new cards (building cards allow you to build individual buildings that help only you), upgrade guys cheaper than the starting tile does, get more resources than the starting tiles provide, copy the action of a tile next to it, and so forth.

Like I said, if you can think of a better name for it let me know.

Last Saturday was our ward Halloween party! Heather, Henry and I went and we had a great time. Heather was Snow White, Henry was Calvin AND Hobbes, and I was Ash Ketchum. See picture below.

Also, random picture of Henry because he's cute

In other news, I was looking at the Dominion wiki for ideas for names I could call some of my tiles and cards, and found out that Donald X. (the creator of Dominion) came out with a second edition of both the base set and Intrigue. The new edition not only fixes up some cards (Throne Room now says "you may" on it!) but also replaces a lot of crappy cards (goodbye Scout and Woodcutter) with brand spanking new cards!  Check them out here and here to have your mind blown with awesomeness!

Homecoming Week

This week was Homecoming for BYU! Heather and I had fun this weekend with some Homecoming activities.  First of all, on Friday night was the Homecoming football game.  It was a very intense game: we were down by 7 for most of it, then scored a touchdown and got the extra point to tie things up. The clock ran out a little after that, which meant we went into overtime.  The other team (Mississippi) went first, scoring 7 more points. We had to score at least 7 or else we'd lose. Then we got an awesome touchdown and the extra point, tying up the game again,  Double-overtime! We went first, and got a touchdown in our first play, throwing it to an open receiver who then ran it in. It was Mississippi's turn to try and tie it up again. They were 1st and 10, but we stopped them, driving them back. Their next play they threw it but we were there and knocked the ball right out of the reviewer's hands, with no pass interference, so no yellow card and the play stayed. We then drove them back again. So it was their 4th down, and they were about 9 yards from the first-down line and about 20 from the end zone. It was the last play. Everyone was one their feet and making as much noise as they could--Heather and I included. They snapped the ball, he looked for an open receiver, we rush him, he throws it--and we knock it out of the receiver's hands again with no pass interference! Game! We stopped them! We won!  Players began to rush the field in an exciting tide of rapture and exultation! Heather and I joined their ranks and we swarmed onto the field in a swell of fans as we poured into the stadium's field, rushing around the exhausted but triumphant football players.  Pictures below of us hanging out on the football field:

Also, one of the football players walked passed me and said, "Was up?" How cool is that!? Okay, you probably think it's really lame but i thought that it was super cool. I'm still gigging out about it. Anyway.

Because the game went into double overtime, we got home about a half hour after midnight. The next morning we tried to wake up early to go to the blue pancake breakfast they have every year. We barely managed to get to the one near campus plaza before they closed up shop. Yea free pancakes! After eating pancakes and drinking milk we headed the rest of the 20 feet to campus plaza where we sat down and watched the parade. Below are some pictures.  Also, Henry was super cute that morning and kept dancing to the music the parade provided. Below would be some super adorable videos, but I can't figure out how to do that yet. Here are some pictures.

After the parade we went home and had to quickly get ready to go to the BYU Spectacular. I had printed off the tickets beforehand but I might have, um, lost them. So we had to quickly drive up to the Wilk so that I could print off the tickets again and then we had to go and find parking and then we went into the Marriott Center. So it was my bad that we were a little bit late.  But singing in the Spectacular was none other than Gladys Night. Heather and I had a good time and enjoyed the music and dancing.

After the Spectacular we went home and picked up Henry from the babysitter's. Then all three of us took a nap. Then Heather and I woke up and got ready to go to the Homecoming dance. We went to the formal one which was held in the historic courthouse in Provo. Below are some pictures.

Then we went home and got there a little before midnight. And we had to wake up for 8:00 am church. :P It turned out that we forgot to set an alarm, but the Spirit woke me up. I dreamed that it was after 8 and I was still in bed and I freaked out, then actually woke up and looked at the clock (my phone, we use phones for clocks in our society) and saw it was 7:48 am. We barely managed to get there for the sacrament. Anyway, that was out fun weekend for Homecoming this last week.

Game done, trailer fun, nice run

Yay! Interstellar Pig is finally done! Yesterday some students started playing it during 4th period, and after school I started a game with some extended day students. Neither groups finished. Below are some pictures of the final project.

In other news, my youtube video of me doing my Book of Mormon movie trailer has reached 1,000 views! If any of you want to be the 1,001st viewer, just Youtube "Perazzo Book of Mormon trailer."

Also, this last weekend my wife Heather and I went on a run at BYU. It was supporting diabetes research. We brought Henry along with us, and he was super adorable.

Speaking of Henry being super adorable, here's a picture of him stacking up some play-doh containers and his sippy cup.

Post General Conference thoughts (plus, files printed)

Figuring this is a game design blog, I suppose that some part of it should deal with games. So, I printed off all the Interstellar Pig files on Saturday! Yay! Now to cut out the cards and fix the board and pieces.

This last Saturday and Sunday were General Conference.  This is a time when the living Prophet and Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ speak to the church. It's such a marvelous blessing to have living prophets and apostles on the earth today to lead and guide the church just as the ancient apostles did thousands of years ago.

During the sessions I took some notes. Here are some of the thoughts that I had while watching.

President Uchtdorf: We take technology for granted. We also take the gospel for granted. The gospel is amazing! What shall we give in return for being blessed so much?

Elder Hales: If we loved Christ more, would we suffer less? We are missionaries to our children and teachers to them. Give devoted time to your children.

Sister McConkie: The Lord doesn't want us to suffer longer than needed; He wants us to turn to Him. Pray by the Spirit.

Elder Christensen: Joseph Smith was a prophet.

Elder Uceda: Prayers should come from the heart.

Elder Cornish: Stop comparing ourselves with others. If we need to compare do so with our past/present/future self. The Atonement is for saints as well as sinners. Rationalizing is not repentance.

Elder Andersen: The Lord needs you to be more engaged in this great cause of missionary work/member missionary work.

Elder Cook: Don't do gospel extremism. Don't make one principle more important than another. Sooner or later everyone will have to sit down to a banquet of consequences.

Elder Stevenson: One can never be too young to receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Substitute some social media time for reading the Book of Mormon.

Elder Christofferson: The Atonement made it so that mercy can overpower justice. Some blessings come only through obedience.

Elder Bassett: Seek knowledge: sincere desire, obedience. I know that God liveth His children, nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things. Have God, not you, guide your spiritual learning and growing.

Elder Yamashita: Stories of missionaries. In our lives there will be trials.

Elder Oaks: Pray for desire to help with missionary work. Keep the commandments ourselves. Be a faithful member. Pray for inspiration on what we can do to share the gospel to others. Success is inviting people.

Elder Holland: Hometeaching is more than visiting; it is helping and being a friend.

Elder Curtis Jr.: Testimonies from and of the Book of Mormon. You will feel the Spirit in your life as you study the Book of Mormon. The Spirit will help you resist temptation.

President Uchtdorf: Story of Alma meeting Amulet. What can we learn from Alma's story? How are we like Amulek?

President Eyring: Treat others as they could be. As others have lifted you up, lift others up as well.

President Thomas S. Monson: Obey the Word of Wisdom.

President Thomas S. Monson: The Plan of Salvation is true.

President Nelson: The purpose of life is to have joy. Joy comes from and because of Christ. What can we endure today by focusing on the joy that is set before us? Anything that opposes Christ and His doctrine destroys joy.

Elder Muers: 5 ways to increase the impact of partaking of the sacrament: Prepare in advance, arrive early to Sacrament Meeting, sing and learn from the words of the Sacrament hymn, spiritually participate in the words of the Sacrament prayers, ponder and remember Christ as the sacred emblems are passed.

Sister Reeves: Repentance and forgiveness.

Elder Ballard: If you are thinking about leaving the church, first ask yourselves: To whom shall ye go? We are all on different parts of the path and should be treated accordingly. Christ will never abandon any one of us.

Elder Davies: Go to church to worship; worship at church. Worshipping God is essential for any follower of Christ. We cannot love God at the same time we hate or ignore others. Spiritual experiences have to do with what's in our hearts, not with what's around us.

Elder Robbins: The natural man has a tendency to judge others unrighteously. To chasten: To purify. "Whom I love I chasten that their sins may be forgiven." Reprove when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, not when moved upon by anger. The way you see child is how you treat them and the way you treat them is how they will become.

President Eyring: Gratitude on the Sabbath day.

Elder Bednar: Know Christ, don't just know about Him.

Elder Ashton: Being born again is a process, not an event.

Elder Carl B. Cook: Service is the very fiber of which life in the Celestial Kingdom is made. All church callings come through God, through His inspired servants.

Elder Rasband: Satan wants you to forget spiritual experiences; the Lord wants you to remember them. Our minds quickly forget spiritual experiences, so act on them ASAP! Do not forget your heritage, especially your Divine heritage.

Elder Schmutz: Why do bad things happen to good people? God compensates for "unneeded" suffering. People keeping covenants aren't except from suffering, but the gospel helps them through it. To grow from a trial we must actively use our faith to actively grow from it.

Elder Nattress: Teach your children the gospel.

Elder Runland: Elder Runland set off a firecracker in the chapel before church. Repentance: He who repents the same is forgiven. The Atonement leaves no footprints--after repentance you are completely clean.