To somewhat mitigate the resource uncertainty of your initial settlement placement. Each player is allowed to place a harbor of their choice at the location of their initial settlement. This would allow players to either risk a 2:1 harbor on one of their uncovered resources, or play it safe with a 3:1 harbor. All remaining harbors are removed from play. This would keep the motif of being settlers to a new land and maintaining trade with their home country. This would likely require the frame pieces to be placed upside down.
I am perpetually staggered by the quality of your ideas and the execution in video form. Stoked to see where this goes. Hopefully Klaus hires you. Honestly
REAL Catan V1.0 What do y'all want to add/keep/change? Rule changes are in video description. Let's make a realistic Catan together. After some time, I'll update the pinned comment to reflect rule updates we've made.
This is a wonderful video, I love all the rules and changes to the game. I'd like to see a realistic version for Seafarers and Cities & Knights, that would be really cool to see the PVP with those.
I really like the idea of all of the resources being hidden until settlements are built, also using knights to actually fight other players sounds like a fun idea also!
I actually had similar ideas of treating your settlements as convoys basically and you can move them between spots and attack opponents convoys, use wheat to move one spot and buy knights to attack or something. I like these ideas as well!
As a fellow game design hobbyist, I like your creative ideas! I had a similar idea for the robber redesign: When the production dice roll matches the hex the robber is blocking, all resources that would be distributed to players are placed in the desert instead. This could work in addition to your stealing idea, to really fill up the desert with resources. Then, players with a settlement on the desert hex can choose a card in the desert and add it to their hand once per turn. They can do this twice per turn with a city, and it stacks with additional settlements/cities, so in the late game the desert becomes a powerful resource hex! However, the desert cannot be raided while the robber resides in it, so players might strategically choose to place the robber in the desert! To include your idea for randomized robber placements, you could add a mechanic where the robber goes back to the desert after the first blocked production roll. After all, how are the resources going to get back to base if the robber doesn’t carry them there?
I love it. That's a very rounded out use of the robber and finally gives the desert some good use. It's even thematically on point. This also balances out players that 'discover' the desert when they blindly settle deeper into Catan. Knowing that you are a game design hobbyist, would you be interested in 'early dev' stages on similar videos, so I can get your feedback?
@@KenPlaysCatan Haha, sure! I’d like to help. After I wrote the comment I thought of a different way to get the robber back to the desert as well. When 7 is rolled twice in a row the robber blocks the desert. It’s like the desert has an imaginary 7 on it for purposes of randomly placing the robber. The robber should still move each time, so re-roll if the dice land on the hex the robber currently resides.
@@KenPlaysCatan Yes, when 7 is rolled, the robber must move. Re-roll to determine where they go. If a 2nd 7 is rolled the robber goes to the desert. If anything else is rolled the robber goes to the hex with that number as per your video. If two tiles are revealed with the same number (# 4-6, 8-10) I think the robber should go to the hex with more VPs built around it. (More settlements and cities). If they are tied, just choose one randomly with a third dice roll or coin flip.
If it's the same number, I think it's fine if the player who rolled chooses which of the pair of numbers to put it in. At least there is some player control over it and it minimizes how many dice rolls are needed to resolve the mechanic.
Some interesting ideas. If original Catan didn’t successfully make people hate you then a version where you can directly attack and destroy people’s settlements is sure to do it. Seems like you are trying to play tabletop Age of Empires with a Catan board.
For "10" I think this is better: players continue to produce that resource normally, but during trades with the bank for that resource, the traded resources goes to you. And maybe the player has the advantage of 1:1 trades on that resource too?
As for the robber and the knights, what if the knights could be used to arrest the robber? The effect would be the robber is returned to the desert and any resources that are there go to you.
Nice. It did feel kind of 'unfinished' that you couldn't interact with the stolen resources. This idea would help with that. It also makes the decision to use your knights more strategic. Do you get aggressive or do you try to capitalize on those stolen resources.
Cool idea, but it wouldn’t work… a LOT of the times at the very start you’ll doom at least 1 player with bad random luck on the positions of the settlement, also, the start of the game would be painfully slow when no one or only 1 or 2 players gets the (over powered at this version) resources of wood and clay… so… maybe it’s the start of a good idea but the main concept needs to change (IMO)
Oh yes, I can see that. But if you get a 3:1 port, at least you have some way to get unreachable resources. But even if you can't get wood/brick early, you can still city or dev card with your 2 initial placements which with the dev card buffs would be pretty good.
Where do I send my money?? As for win condition, if we are going for full realism, each player should have a goal towards writing a history book. The first to get that published determines who future generations think were victorious, thus making them the real winners.
I think you changed to the robber is nice but this lawless individual ought to be more of a Robin Hood esq altruist. I think after one player achieves half of the victory points required to win and a 7 is rolled, the robber lets the player with the least vp take first pick of any discarded resource caused by the robber. If multiple players are tied then you roll to see who the robber favors most. Catan needs more catch-up mechanics and this cinematic version of the game really needs an anti hero that serves no master. Small lore changes can turn a nuanced robber into the masterful equalizing original resident of Catan island. More of an entity than an annoyance.
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To somewhat mitigate the resource uncertainty of your initial settlement placement. Each player is allowed to place a harbor of their choice at the location of their initial settlement. This would allow players to either risk a 2:1 harbor on one of their uncovered resources, or play it safe with a 3:1 harbor. All remaining harbors are removed from play. This would keep the motif of being settlers to a new land and maintaining trade with their home country. This would likely require the frame pieces to be placed upside down.
I am perpetually staggered by the quality of your ideas and the execution in video form. Stoked to see where this goes. Hopefully Klaus hires you. Honestly
I definitely have a moment of 'will this video live up to Morgan's expectations' at some point in the editing process.
REAL Catan V1.0
What do y'all want to add/keep/change? Rule changes are in video description.
Let's make a realistic Catan together. After some time, I'll update the pinned comment to reflect rule updates we've made.
This is a wonderful video, I love all the rules and changes to the game. I'd like to see a realistic version for Seafarers and Cities & Knights, that would be really cool to see the PVP with those.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really like the idea of all of the resources being hidden until settlements are built, also using knights to actually fight other players sounds like a fun idea also!
Yeah the excitement of revealing a hex is thrilling. And it's not totally blind picks either because you can see pips and you can pick ports.
I'm very excited to see what this will become!
Dude, I know. I am currently trying to arrange a game night to try it out. Hopefully smooth out some of the rules before then.
I actually had similar ideas of treating your settlements as convoys basically and you can move them between spots and attack opponents convoys, use wheat to move one spot and buy knights to attack or something. I like these ideas as well!
Yeah it's such a fun thought experiment.
As a fellow game design hobbyist, I like your creative ideas! I had a similar idea for the robber redesign:
When the production dice roll matches the hex the robber is blocking, all resources that would be distributed to players are placed in the desert instead. This could work in addition to your stealing idea, to really fill up the desert with resources.
Then, players with a settlement on the desert hex can choose a card in the desert and add it to their hand once per turn. They can do this twice per turn with a city, and it stacks with additional settlements/cities, so in the late game the desert becomes a powerful resource hex!
However, the desert cannot be raided while the robber resides in it, so players might strategically choose to place the robber in the desert!
To include your idea for randomized robber placements, you could add a mechanic where the robber goes back to the desert after the first blocked production roll. After all, how are the resources going to get back to base if the robber doesn’t carry them there?
I love it. That's a very rounded out use of the robber and finally gives the desert some good use. It's even thematically on point. This also balances out players that 'discover' the desert when they blindly settle deeper into Catan.
Knowing that you are a game design hobbyist, would you be interested in 'early dev' stages on similar videos, so I can get your feedback?
@@KenPlaysCatan Haha, sure! I’d like to help.
After I wrote the comment I thought of a different way to get the robber back to the desert as well. When 7 is rolled twice in a row the robber blocks the desert. It’s like the desert has an imaginary 7 on it for purposes of randomly placing the robber.
The robber should still move each time, so re-roll if the dice land on the hex the robber currently resides.
To make sure I follow..
If 7 is rolled, re-roll;
- If another 7, move robber to desert
- Anything else, do the stuff in your first comment.
@@KenPlaysCatan Yes, when 7 is rolled, the robber must move. Re-roll to determine where they go. If a 2nd 7 is rolled the robber goes to the desert. If anything else is rolled the robber goes to the hex with that number as per your video.
If two tiles are revealed with the same number (# 4-6, 8-10) I think the robber should go to the hex with more VPs built around it. (More settlements and cities). If they are tied, just choose one randomly with a third dice roll or coin flip.
If it's the same number, I think it's fine if the player who rolled chooses which of the pair of numbers to put it in. At least there is some player control over it and it minimizes how many dice rolls are needed to resolve the mechanic.
Sounds great
Some interesting ideas.
If original Catan didn’t successfully make people hate you then a version where you can directly attack and destroy people’s settlements is sure to do it.
Seems like you are trying to play tabletop Age of Empires with a Catan board.
LOL, Yeah. Could definitely cause some rage quits.
Is there an Age of Empires board game?
@@KenPlaysCatan not previously that I’m aware, you invented it it seems
For "10" I think this is better: players continue to produce that resource normally, but during trades with the bank for that resource, the traded resources goes to you. And maybe the player has the advantage of 1:1 trades on that resource too?
That is really cool. It wouldn't slow down the game as much as current method and still kind of fits the idea of monopoly.
As for the robber and the knights, what if the knights could be used to arrest the robber? The effect would be the robber is returned to the desert and any resources that are there go to you.
Nice. It did feel kind of 'unfinished' that you couldn't interact with the stolen resources. This idea would help with that. It also makes the decision to use your knights more strategic. Do you get aggressive or do you try to capitalize on those stolen resources.
@@KenPlaysCatan Wow! I really want to test all of this. 😁
You can! Only need base Catan and some willing test subjects lol
This is so cool! I want to play this.
It's possible to Knight someone fully out of the game, right?
Yeah, it's called the Zergling Rush strategy. But you're right, that could totally be a win condition.
Have you tested it? It would be nice to see a runthrough and some comments
Cool idea, but it wouldn’t work… a LOT of the times at the very start you’ll doom at least 1 player with bad random luck on the positions of the settlement, also, the start of the game would be painfully slow when no one or only 1 or 2 players gets the (over powered at this version) resources of wood and clay… so… maybe it’s the start of a good idea but the main concept needs to change (IMO)
Oh yes, I can see that. But if you get a 3:1 port, at least you have some way to get unreachable resources. But even if you can't get wood/brick early, you can still city or dev card with your 2 initial placements which with the dev card buffs would be pretty good.
Where do I send my money??
As for win condition, if we are going for full realism, each player should have a goal towards writing a history book. The first to get that published determines who future generations think were victorious, thus making them the real winners.
History is written by the winners, and so is Catan. Oh and there is a super epic Catan shirt in the merch store if that is what you are looking for?
I think you changed to the robber is nice but this lawless individual ought to be more of a Robin Hood esq altruist. I think after one player achieves half of the victory points required to win and a 7 is rolled, the robber lets the player with the least vp take first pick of any discarded resource caused by the robber. If multiple players are tied then you roll to see who the robber favors most. Catan needs more catch-up mechanics and this cinematic version of the game really needs an anti hero that serves no master. Small lore changes can turn a nuanced robber into the masterful equalizing original resident of Catan island. More of an entity than an annoyance.