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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 2781486" data-attributes="member: 8835">I think the key lies in modeling "position" and thresholds.  Hitpoints and # of successes is a form of threshold based modeling.  And in most strategy games, position is what leads to victory.  One could abstract position into a threshold, in the sense of "I am working to build a good position so I will win." That working to build is what suggests a threshold mechanic is enough.Consider a race example: the  100 yard dash.  Each round, you are working to add distance to your threshold meter.  You're trying to get to 100 before anybody else does.  A simple race mechanic might be that each round, you run a number of meters = 40 + 1d6 + CON bonus.  This implies that most folks run at similar speeds, with some variance for being healthier.  I set the base to 40, to approximate what a PC can do in 6 seconds (30' base, at quad speed = 120', div 3 to convert to meters).In chess, you may want different thresholds, to represent the different strategies.  You may also want to simulate the stalemate scenario.  You might want a pieces threshold (starting at 16, and decrementing), and a position threshold, starting at 0.  You might be able to sacrifice a piece to gain position, or to reduce the other player's piece threshold.  You might make Will saves to gain position as well.  If both player's pieces is reduced to 1,  then the game is a draw (can't win when both players only have kings).Even arm wrestling uses thresholds, though in this case, it is a shared threshold, and each player has a fatigue (or strength, depending on how you look at it) threshold.  The goal in arm wrestling is not zero sum, it is to push one guy down.  Thus, you could model it as Arm Position.  It starts at 0.  At 10, I win, and -10, you win.  You can do interesting things with whether I try to hold my position, or burn strength to push you down.Janx</blockquote>

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