Overview
This lecture introduces deck building mechanics in games, focusing on how players construct and optimize their decks over time, with Dominion as the primary example.
What is Deck Building?
- Deck building involves starting with a basic deck and acquiring new cards to improve it during gameplay.
- The goal is to create a deck with high synergy, meaning the cards work well together for better performance.
- Deck building is part of a broader "pool builder" category, which also includes dice and bag builders.
Deck Building Game Structure
- In Dominion, players begin with a standardized starting deck (three Estates and seven Coppers).
- Players use their initial cards to acquire more powerful cards from a central pool.
- The main objective is often to accumulate victory points, typically by acquiring specific cards.
- Deck building games offer high player freedom and autonomy in strategy selection.
- There is generally little direct player interaction; each player focuses on their own deck.
- The actions available each turn are formulaic, making gameplay predictable and easy to learn.
Advantages and Challenges
- Deck building provides a sense of accomplishment as decks improve, regardless of winning.
- The games can be repetitive but are accessible due to limited action types.
- Deck building games often require significant setup and cleanup, especially for games like Dominion.
- New players may struggle to identify optimal strategies at first due to many possible card combinations.
Game Variations and Uncertainty
- Deck draws introduce chance, as players do not know which cards will appear in each new hand.
- Deck "encumbrance" can occur when too many weak cards dilute the effectiveness of new powerful cards.
- Some deck builders, like Marvel Legendary and Clank, add cooperative or board movement elements for variety.
- Collectible card games (e.g., Magic, Pokémon) are different because deck building occurs before play and often involves monetary investment.
Replayability and Expansions
- Deck building games readily support expansions, adding new cards and strategies to increase replayability.
- Varying available cards between games ensures that strategies and gameplay remain fresh.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Deck Building — Gaining and optimizing cards within a game to improve performance.
- Synergy — When cards or game elements enhance each other's effectiveness.
- Pool Builder — A game mechanic involving the gradual assembly of resources (cards, dice, tokens).
- Victory Points — Points accumulated to determine the winner in many games.
- Deck Encumbrance — When a deck becomes less effective due to too many weak or unused cards.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Create a free account and play the base set of Dominion online for your lab assignment.