Starting a Game

A game of Ophir 2D can be created ad-hoc from the /lobby page (log in required).

Color Selection

During Color Selection visitors may join by selecting one of the available colors. This is a free-for-all phase. A player may still select a different color if and when available. The first visitor to become a player also becomes the game owner.

Chat Interface

Once you've chosen a color, you can start typing in the included chat. The chat can also be used to issue special commands:

• The owner may type in #start during color selection to proceed (not wait for a full 4-player)
• The game owner may also type in #reset at any time to clear the entire session and begin anew. Ressetting becomes enabled for all players after the game concludes.
• Players may change their display name at any time before the game conclusion by typing #name followed by a custom name (i.e.: #name John Doe the Third).

Game Lifetime

If all players disconnect during the Color Selection phase, the game will be labelled as "Abandoned" and provide "Adopt" as action for non-participants. An abandoned game will grant ownership to the first returning player or to the first non-particpating visitor who joins/selects a color.

The game will persist for a long time (usually 36 hours) if it has at least one enrolled player, but will be deleted automatically if there are no enrolled players and no visitors.

When four players have joined (or sooner if the owner issued the #start command), the game will transition to the Specialist Drafting phase. From here on, game ownership is set for the duration of the game.

Specialist Drafting

In this phase players will have to select a specialist to carry into the Play phase. Each specialist provides:

1. A unique advantage in trade, donations, movement, or capacity.
2. Some starting favor ().
3. Usually, a specialty (affinity for selling one of ).

Clicking the Show/Hide label will hide the panel and reveal the game's locations and barriers placement. It's useful to examine the layout before choosing your specialist.

Each of the two grey barriers is blocking access between two zones. The separated zones are not adjacent.

Each zone containins a unique location. During the game, after moving to a location, you will be able to perform its specific actions.

Specialist selection is done in a randomized order. Available specialist cards will lighten up when it's your turn to pick. Once you've clicked a specialist card, you'll have to click on it again to select it. You can't change your mind after that.

When all players have selected a card, the game will proceed to the play phase.

Game Goal

Note: During the game, the temple location is depicted differently. It reflects it being constructed as players donate metals.

Upon starting, your ship will appear in the map's center zone as a disc token in your chosen color. The token is draggable and it is used to indicate your current location on the map. It's actual position is irrelevant as long as it is within the zone's hexagonal boundaries.

Your goal is to donate as much as possible to the temple before the game ends. You accomplish that by moving from one location to another, picking up and exchanging commodities, coins, favor, and metals:

• There are four commodity locations:
• The mines provide gems .
• The quary provides marble .
• The farms provide linen .
• The forest provides ebony .
• The market buys commodities in various assortments, providing coins in return.
• The treasury sells gold and silver accepting coins or favor as payment.
• The temple receives donations and awards vp :
  • Each gold awards 10vp .
  • Each silver awards 5vp .
  • Trading commodities awards vp and favor in equal amounts (1-4).

When the game is over, onboard gold and silver are still worth 5vp and 3vp respectively.

Finally, ties are broken by remaining favor , then coins . Further ties result in a shared victory.

Gameplay

I highly encourage you to complete the interactive game tour. It introduces the core game loop, explains the basic game concepts, and helps you get familiar with the UI.

You can access it here.

Clarifications

Favor

Spending Favor extempts you from rolling influence to move. But if you spend it before any movement, your current location's actions become accessible. This also means that you're no longer forced to move for the turn.

Movement

Failing an influence roll and remaining without moves will end your turn automatically. You can spend Favor prior to your last move but not after it.