#TheRoughDraftGame

     This week, Cindy, Taylor, Steph, and I made the final preparations for our game before our initial game testing for the following Wednesday. Taylor brought in a few pieces of paper which allowed us to write down our ideas for the board game spaces. Ideas that we discussed were: On every turn, we thought that a player would get money and move one space. Each player would start out with a $25,000 loan and begin with $15,000 that would be "out-of-pocket" and used to play the game. During Freshman year, the players would move additionally just by taking exam questions, with a maximum of four exams to be taken per year. By Sophomore year and beyond, the players would be able to have a job as well. The players would then be able to move further as a result of exam cards and possessing a job. In addition each space on the board would provide added benefits and losses to the player. For example, a space on the board might say "Didn't get lost for classes. +$5,000", "Pulled first all nighter. -$1,000", or "Become president of a club. +$5,000 +2 social."
     Each space has it's own characteristic benefits and losses. Just because a player loses money does not necessarily mean that he or she is going to lose. By landing on certain spaces that lose money, a player might gain a social card that could help them. These social cards can be cashed in during the game for some added bonus, such as money, etc. At the end of each year, a person would take "finals" in order to advance into the next year by answering questions. In order to pass the finals, the person would have to answer three out of four questions right in order to advance into the next year. The questions would offer players an option of the questions that they would be able to answer, based on what subjects they were good at, this way a player would not be out of luck if they did not know an answer to a question in a subject that he or she was not strong in. If a player were to fail the exam, he or she would have to take out more of a loan and lose a turn.
    Another dynamic that we brought into the game was the idea of choosing a major. At the end of Sophomore year, a player would be able to choose his or her major. I had made four sample pieces that looked like diplomas. Inside each diploma is the name of a major that would be worth an additional amount of points at the end of the game. This might act as a catch-up mechanism for players who have fallen behind and also give players the full "college experience" all within a neat and tidy board game. Players may "change" their major once they get to the beginning of their Senior year. Finally, the first player to finish the game may also receive an added bonus, such as having no loans at the end or the return of at least one loan chip. The game is won by the player who has the most money at the end of the game.
    At the present time, we only have a rough outline as to how the game should be played. We may make further revisions on this rough outline after our first playtesting. Hopefully any and all of the bugs will be worked out of the system by the next class meeting.

-Rose LiCausi