The Many Marios Free-for-All

[Dux is not you]

Just because I want Many Marios X3 to be the best game it can be, I decided to get some additional experience in design and development by creating another game before X3.

The Many Marios Free-for-All

Many Marios is a forum game in which you control a tribe/village/city/army/whatever you want to call it, and develop it into a great kingdom while preventing other players from doing the same. Many Marios was created by S1x several years ago (can't remember exactly when, though I think it was in '04), and has since been remade independently by S1x and me.

The Many Marios Free-for-All is the newest version of the game, after almost a year (or more?, can't remember) without Many Marios. This version pushes diversity to its limits, allowing players to choose between eight races, while previous games had never gone beyond five races. This version is also the first to feature a working combat system, unlike previous ones, in which the undefined, seemingly-dangerous nature of combat discouraged players from attempting attacks on their opponents.

How to play

To begin the game, choose one of the races featured below. More than one player may choose the same race, but this doesn't mean they play on the same team. The race you choose defines your style of play, since you can only purchase units from that race, and each race gets significant discounts on items and buildings that appeal to it. You may switch races at any time, but such a switch is not free, so just choose carefully.

You start the game with 1000 coins (1000c) to spend on units and items. (WARNING: Until every race has been selected, players beginning with an already chosen race will start the game with only 900c, as a way to encourage diversity.) Units are what constitutes the population of your kingdom. Units can gather coins, build, explore, attack, defend, and perform other tasks (that will be revealed in time). Items are enhancements that improve your units' skills.

When you purchase a unit, it begins with an amount of energy (E) that depends on its race. The unit may then spend this energy to perform any of the tasks from the list below. A unit is restored back to full energy at the beginning of each turn ("day", since each turn usually corresponds with a day in real time). Any leftover energy is lost, so it's best to spend all of your units' energy every day.
Gather coins - Spend 1E and obtain 5c.
Build - Choose a building from the list below and pay its coin cost. You are free to spend energy on its construction as you like, even over the course of several days. When you have spent the building's entire energy requirement, the building is finished, and you gain its effect immediately.
Explore - Spending energy on exploration allows you to get random items and buildings at a cost significantly lower than the market price, but you can't control what you get.
Cast a spell - Refer to the "Events/Spells" section below.
Attack and block - Refer to the "Combat" section below.
Research technology - Coming soon.
Inactivity - If you don't post any moves for a given day, your units will defend from enemy attacks automatically, then gather coins with all the remaining energy.

The Races

Marios
Cost: 100c
Energy: 4E
Mario, the legendary hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and star of several Many Marios versions before, makes a return to the battlefield. The Marios' expertise at handling multiple kinds of powerups allows each of them to equip two items instead of one.

Koopa Troopas
Cost: 70c
Energy: 3E
The Koopa Troopas, always the most defensive of races, have changed very little from previous games. When they block an enemy attack, each 1E they spend counts as 2E.

Goombas
Cost: 40c
Energy: 2E
Though they're weak and have little energy, the Goombas' low cost lets them grow enormous populations in a way that former games didn't allow them to.

Toads
Cost: 90c
Energy: 4E
The disciplined, civilized creators of the Mushroom Kingdom make their return. Each 1E they spend in exploration or research counts as 2E.

ShyGuys
Cost: 70c
Energy: 3E
Everyone knows the ShyGuys wear masks to enhance their magical skills. Each 1E they spend to cast a spell counts as 2E.

Boos
Cost: 80c
Energy: 6E
Though they made a brief appearance during Many Marios X2, the Boos had never been available as a starting race. They have above-average energy for their cost, but their incorporeal nature prevents them from using equipment.

Birdos
Cost: 130c
Energy: 8E
Making their first appearance in the battlefield, the Birdos are ready to prove they're bigger, badder and nastier than every other race... but also more expensive, unfortunately.

Koopa Bros.
Cost: 100c
Energy: 3E
An alliance of Hammer, Boomerang and Fire Bros., they have outstanding weapon knowledge that allows them to double the energy bonus of any item they're holding.

Items

Items are divided into three classes: free items, equipment, and accesories. Free items are items you spend to obtain an effect. Equipment is attached to a unit and always contains the word "equipped" in its description. Each unit has only one equipment slot, except Marios, which have two, and Boos, which have none. Accesories work just like equipment, except that every unit has one accesory slot, including Marios and Boos. They always contain the word "wearer" in their description.
You can unattach and reattach items from a unit freely, as long as the unit hasn't spent any energy during the day.
If for some reason a unit is allowed to attach more than one equipment or accesory (such as Marios being able to equip two items), the unit can't equip more than one item of each kind.
An item may be sold by half of its market price (not considering discounts), rounding down.

Super Mushroom
Cost: 20c
Equipped unit gets +1E.

Flying Cape
Cost: 30c
Mario, Koopa Troopa: 20c
Equipped unit gets +1E during combat and can fly. (Flying units can't be blocked except by other flying units.)

Parawings
Cost: 3c
Goomba, Koopa Troopa: 2c
Spend this item to allow a unit to fly for one day. (Flying units can't be blocked except by other flying units.)

Throwing Hammers
Cost: 60c
Koopa Bros.: 40c
Equipped unit gets +2E during combat and can block flying units.

Boomerang
Cost: 90c
Koopa Bros.: 60c
Equipped unit gets +1E during combat and deals double damage.

Warp Potion
Cost: 30c
ShyGuy, Birdo: 20c
Spend this item to double the amount of energy you spend on exploration today. You can only use one Warp Potion per day.

M-Cannon
Cost: 72c
ShyGuy: 48c
Equipped unit gets +2E during combat. The first time it runs out of energy during a day, if you're under attack, the unit regains 1E.

Crystal Ball
Cost: 90c
Birdo: 60c
When equipped unit blocks, instead of dealing damage, it removes from combat a number of random enemy units equal to half its energy, rounded down.

Coin Block
Cost: 12c
Once per day, one of your units may spend 1E to punch the Coin Block and generate 9c.

Buildings

Unless it is stated otherwise, you can't build more than one of each type of building.

Spawning Pipe
Cost: 300c, 60E
Goomba: 200c, 40E
Every time you purchase a unit at full energy, you obtain an extra unit with 0E at the beginning of the next day.

Mushroom House
Cost: 225c, 45E
Toad: 150c, 30E
You may turn items into research energy, at the rate of 1E for every 4c worth of items.

Ghost House
Cost: 225c, 45E
Boo: 150c, 30E
When you are attacked, you can select any number of units. Until end of combat, those units can fly, but deal half damage.

Sunken Ship
Cost: 450c, 90E
Boo: 300c, 60E
Flying units that attack you deal half damage.

Fortress
Cost: 900c, 180E
Koopa Troopa: 600c, 120E
Cut all invasion damage dealt to you by half.

Castle
Cost: 750c, 150E
Toad: 500c, 100E
Your units get +2E while blocking.

Airship
Cost: 135c, 27E
Powering up an Airship costs 10E. Until the end of the day, it becomes a 40E flying unit that can't perform any task except attack. You may build more than one Airship.

Events/Spells

Events are random happenings that take place at the beginning of a day. Every day, there's a 50% chance that an event will happen, and a 50% chance that nothing will happen. The event, if any, is chosen at random.
Spells are alternate versions of events meant to be used by players. All spells have an energy cost, that you pay with your units' energy all at once. Normally, each spell can't be cast more than once per day, unless otherwise noted.

Sub-Con Slots
Greatly increases the chances of obtaining expensive items or buildings instead of cheap ones for exploration done today.
//
15E: Greatly increases the chances of obtaining expensive items or buildings instead of cheap ones for exploration done today by you.
Birdos and ShyGuys cast this spell for 10E.

Haunt
Randomly shuts down one of each player's buildings for the day.
//
45E: Choose an enemy building. At the start of the next day, that building becomes sealed. If a building is sealed at the start of a day, it is shut down for the day. The building's owner may break the seal by dealing 10 damage to it (this is an attack action with no defender). After the seal is broken, that building can't be sealed again until 2 days have passed.
Boos cast this spell for 30E.

March of the Horde
Today, all players may purchase units at half of the normal price. However, any unit bought at such a discount arrives with 0E rather than full energy.
//
30E: Today, you may purchase units at half of the normal price. However, any unit you buy at such a discount arrives with 0E rather than full energy.
Goombas cast this spell for 20E.

Combat

Combat consists of two parts: attack and defense.
Attacking requires several choices. You must first choose a player to attack. Then, you choose an attack target. The attack target can be a specific building (or generic buildings), a specific item (or generic items), a particular unit (or generic units), or the player's coin stock. Finally, you choose the units with which you will attack. Those units immediately spend all of their energy and do not recover energy at the beginning of the next day. The amount of energy spent this way is the attack damage.
As a day begins, if a player spent energy to attack you the day before, you have to defend. Defending is just a matter of spending more energy than the attacker spent to attack. Spending energy in defense is called blocking. Some of the attack damage may be difficult to block, for example if the attacking units had the ability to fly. You may spend energy to block in any way you like during your turn, and even simultaneously with other tasks, but any attack damage left unblocked by the end of the day becomes invasion damage.
Invasion damage is dealt to the target chosen by the attacker. This has consequences depending on the type of target. (Note: Damage is always compared to the general market value of items/buildings. Assume no discounts were made in the purchase/construction of the target).
-Specific building: If the damage dealt is equal to or higher than the amount of energy spent to construct the building, it is destroyed. See also "Repair a building" below.
-Generic buildings: A building is chosen at random. Check whether that building is destroyed as above. Take the remaining damage, then repeat this process until there are no buildings left or damage isn't enough to destroy the building. See also "Repair a building" below.
-Specific item: Each 1E of damage dealt equals 5c in coin value. If the coin value is equal to or higher than the item's coin value, the item is stolen (it goes into the attacker's inventory).
-Generic items: An item is chosen at random. Check whether that item is stolen as above. Take the remaining damage, then repeat this process until there are no items left or the remaining damage isn't enough to steal the item.
-Specific unit: Each 1E of damage equals 5c in coin value. If the coin value is equal to or higher than half of the unit's cost, it is destroyed. Any items it was holding are returned to the defender's inventory.
-Generic units: A unit is chosen at random. Check whether that unit is destroyed as above. Take the remaining damage, then repeat this process until there are no units left (awful thing to happen!) or damage isn't enough to destroy a unit.
-Coins: An amount of coins is stolen equal to 5x the damage dealt.
Repair a building - When damage dealt to an item or unit isn't enough to destroy it, the damage disappears. However, when damage is dealt to a building without destroying it, the damage stays there, making it more vulnerable to future attacks. Removing 1E of this damage costs 1E and 5c.

#########

Now you're ready to play Many Marios! Don't wait for my approval to recruit your first units and perform tasks. Let Day 1 begin!

[Dux is not you]

Day 1 is almost over, and no players yet? Come on...
BUMP

[Rainbow Dash]

5 Toads. (-450c)

All of them use all energy to explore.

[SephirothKirby]

WHAT.

HOW DID I MISS THIS.

Um, I liked Shy Guys, but nothing you posted no Buildings/Items/Spells that have to do with them, so I can't say the sound appealing yet.

I guess I'll take my chances...

-----
I purchase Ten ShyGuys. [-700c]
I purchase Ten Super Mushrooms [-300c]

ShyGuy 1-10
Equip: Super Mushroom
Action: Gather Coins (+200c)

Resources: 200c, 0e, 10 ShyGuys

I purchase Two Shy Guys [-140c]

ShyGuy 11-12
Action: Gather Coins (+30c)

Resources: 90c, 0e, 12 ShyGuys

Purchase One ShyGuy [-70c]

ShyGuy 13
Action: Gather Coins (+15c)

End:
Funds: 35c
Buildings: N/A
Items: Super Mushroom x10
ShyGuys: 13

EDIT: Hahah, whoops, for some reason I thought Dux said I could edit my turn, but we just get refunded.

I did fix a statistical problem in my turn, though.

[heh]

5 birdos.

3 Birdos use all energy to search for coins, 2 Explore.

E: ignore this until I see the combat system.

[Dux is not you]

Originally Posted by dux_is_me

Warp Potion
Cost: 30c
ShyGuy, Birdo: 20c
Spend this item to double the amount of energy you spend on exploration today.

M-Cannon
Cost: 72c
ShyGuy: 48c
Equipped unit gets +2E during combat and regains 1E every time you are attacked. (This allows it to block even after it spends all of its energy.)

[Breadlord Dragoshi]

I call shotguns! ....Wait, we don't have any shotguns? What kind of ba-...Oh. OH! Right. Wrong thing altogether. Seriously, though. I call Marios!
----
To start my day, I buy 5 Marios (-500c), 5 Flying Capes (-100c), and 5 Super Mushrooms (-100c).

I equip a cape and a mushroom to each Mario, then have four of them Gather Resources (+100c), while the last one explores.

EoT Statistics

Cash: 400c
Buildings: Nope. Nothin' but us Marios.
Items: Super Mushroom x5, Flying Cape x5
Marios: 5

[SephirothKirby]

I don't like Exploration, and we know nothing of Combat.

I want to know how Spells benefit me.

[Dux is not you]

Spells: You pay some amount of energy, get a particular effect from a limited list. Spells are supposed to let you do stuff you can't normally do, and are based on game events... Tell you what, the spell ShyGuys get for cheap is actually exploration-oriented... So maybe you should switch after all. (Forgot to mention: In previous games, you would have to build magic academies and buy spellbooks and stuff. Not anymore! Though magic's no longer as versatile as it used to be.)

But, you know... I always add new items and buildings as the game progresses. You can try requesting new spells that work with your strategy, and all that.

Combat: Choose a bunch of your units, name an opponent, choose a target, and attack. The next day, attacking units don't recover energy (hey, that just gave me an idea), but your opponent has to defend by dealing damage to the atackers. If you deal more damage than your opponent, the extra damage is dealt to the target as invasion damage. If you deal enough invasion damage to the target to destroy it, then... well, it's destroyed (or stolen, if the target is an item or coins). Units engaged in battle are never destroyed. The attacker can destroy a unit, though, by dealing invasion damage to it.

This is what I have so far about combat; the specific numbers and all that haven't been developed yet, though.

[heh]

ok yeah, i'm going to go with the birdo plan.

[Dux is not you]

Alright, we've got three four players. Day 2 begins tomorrow at about 8PM, Colombian time (15 minutes after this thread's second post, in case you need to know).

I hope some new players join over the next few days, just so the game isn't "the same old players versus the same old players". (TG doesn't count, for some reason.)

[The Willful Wanderer]

Boo?

1000C

Purchase: Boo x12
-960C, +72E, +12B

Action: Gather x72
+360C, -72E

Resources: 400C, 0E, 12B

Purchase: Boo x5
-400C, +30E, +5B

Action: Gather x30
+150C, -30E

Resources: 150C, 0E, 17B

Purchase: Boo x1
-80C, +6E, +1B

Action: Gather x6
+30C, -6E

Resources: 100C, 0E, 18B

Purchase: Boo x1
-80C, +6E, +1B

Action: Gather x6
+30C, -6E

END TURN

Turn End:
Coins: 30
Boos: 19 (0/6E each)

Buildings:
None

Item Reserves:
None

[Dux is not you]

Sudden update

The Super Mushroom's cost has been reduced to 20c for all races. Any non-Mario players that have bought Super Mushrooms will be refunded.
The M-Cannon's effect has changed. Ultimately, I decided it was more strategic to leave it as is.
Minor wording issues fixed.

Day 2 has been delayed a few hours. Don't panic.

[Dux is not you]

Day 2

Spells/events have been added. So far there are only 3: March of the Horde, Haunt and Sub-Con Slots.

Rules for combat have been added. Make sure to read them well!

Today's event: March of the Horde! All players may purchase units at half of the normal price. However, any unit bought at such a discount arrives with 0E rather than full energy. (Players may still purchase units at full price with full energy.)

Chunky (Toads)
Coins: 550c
Toads: 5
Your Toads return from exploration with the following items:
-Flying Cape x1
-Boomerang x1
-M-Cannon x1
-Super Mushroom x1
-Warp Potion x1

SK (ShyGuys)
Coins: 135c
ShyGuys: 13 (Super Mushroom x10)
Items: Super Mushroom x10

TG (Birdos)
Coins: 470c
Birdos: 5
Your Birdos return from exploration with the following items:
-Throwing Hammers x1
-Flying Cape x1
-Warp Potion x1

BSD (Marios)
Coins: 400c
Marios: 5 (Super Mushroom/Flying Cape x5)
Items: Super Mushroom x5, Flying Cape x5
Your Mario returns from exploration with these items:
-Warp Potion x1
-Parawings x1

SS (Boos)
Coins: 30c
Boos: 19

[heh]

woah ho, good event, woota

buy 5 more birdos

3 birdos find money, 2 explore, use warp potion.

[SephirothKirby]

ShyGuys 1-10
Equip: Super Mushroom
Action: Gather Coins (200c)

ShyGuys 11-13
Equip: N/A
Action: Gather Coins (45c)

Resources:
Coins: 380c, 0e, 13 ShyGuys

Purchase 10 ShyGuys (-350c)

Purchase 1 Super Mushroom (-20c)

ShyGuy 11
Equip: Super Mushroom
Action: Gather Coins (+10c)

Purchase 1 Super Mushroom (-20c).

ShyGuy 12
Equip: Super Mushroom
Action: Gather Coins (+10c)

End of Day

Funds: 10c
Buildings: N/A
Items: Super Mushroom x12
ShyGuys: 23

[Dux is not you]

^^ I assume you got them Birdos at 50% off, but I edited the post to make it clear that it's optional.

[Breadlord Dragoshi]

I buy...Errr...what was it again? Sausage? No, no. A Mario (-100c). Oh, and a shroom for said Mario (-20c) That's what I buy. And then I have Marios one through four gather resources (+100c), then buy 2 more Marios at half price (-100c), then have Marios five and six Explore. They won't be using the Potion, though.

EoT Statistics

Marios: 8
Items: Super Mushroom x6, Warp Potion, Parawing, Flying Cape x6
Buildings: Buildings? Buildings?! WHAT BUILDINGS!?
Coins: 280c

[The Willful Wanderer]

Boo Who?

Turn Two

Starting Resource:30C 114E 19B
Effect: 1/2 price units available, no initial energy

Action: Gather x114
+570C -114E

Purchase: 0-energy Boo x15
-600C +15B

END TURN

Turn End:
Coins: 0
Boos: 34 (0/6E)

Buildings:
None

Items:
None

[Robotazy]

I'll be the Koopa Bros, and get 5 of them

Buy one Throwing Hammer and equip it to one Koopa Bros.

Hammer Bros and 1 Koopa Bros. go exploring.

The other 3 Koopa Bros. Mine.

And I'll buy one discounted Koopa Bros.