MotoX Rules Draft

[jdroscha@...]

Okay Everybody,

   Below is a first draft of the rules to MotoX, a motocross game I 
wrote with Paul Shope.  The game has been playtested about 10 times, 
and I'm pretty happy with the design, but I am still interested in 
any design input you've got.  Also, any suggestions on clearing up 
the wording (both from those of you that have played and those of you 
that have not) would be greatly appreciated.  For the final version, 
I plan to include either a diagram or photo of a sample track, since 
it seems difficult to visualize otherwise.

   Please post any comments you have to the list.

Thanks,
James

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MotoX (v 1.0b draft 1)
for the piecepack
3 - 4 players
30 minutes
Copyright @ 2001 by James Kyle and Paul Shope


SETUP

	Divide all the coins into two equal groups.  Set one group 
aside, then deal the remaining coins evenly between the players.  
Deal all tiles evenly between the players.
	Roll to see who will be the starting player.  The starting 
player must place one tile somewhere on the table; this will be the 
starting tile of the race track.  After that, take turns.  On your 
turn, you may either add a tile to the track or add a coin beneath a 
tile to increase its jump ramp height.
	To add a tile, simply play one of your tiles, face-down, 
adjacent to the last tile played.  It may not touch any other tiles, 
and both spaces must line up with those on the adjacent tile.
	To add a coin, find a tile for which the tile itself and both 
tiles adjacent to it are in a straight line.  Lift the edge of the 
tile farthest from the starting tile of the track and insert a coin 
under the center of the tile's edge, stacking the coin atop any coins 
already there.  This will create a jump ramp.  The number of coins 
under the edge of a tile is the "height" of the jump ramp.  A jump 
ramp may not be higher than 3.
	After all players have played all of their tiles and coins, 
the race track is finished.  The last tile played is the finish tile, 
and the edge of this tile farthest from the rest of the track is the 
finish line of the track.
	Deal the second half of the coins (which were set aside 
earlier) evenly between the players.
	Beginning with the starting player, each player chooses a 
pawn (bike) and places it on any empty space of the starting tile.
	Take turns (see TURN SEQUENCE below), beginning with the 
starting player and passing play to the left.


TURN SEQUENCE

1)  If your bike is wiped out, choose whether or not to attempt re-
entering the track.
2)  If your bike is not wiped out, choose whether wish to move (see 
MOVEMENT below) or pass.
3)  Pass play to the left.


MOVEMENT

	Check your current race ranking (see RACE RANKING below).  If 
you are in first place, roll one die.  If you are in second place, 
roll two dice.  If you are in third place, roll three dice.  If you 
are in fourth place, roll four dice.
	Choose ONE of the numbers you have rolled (you may count any 
ace as a 1) to use for movement, and move your pawn in a straight 
line a number of spaces exactly equal to that number.  Your move must 
be either toward the next tile (toward the finish line) or parallel 
with the edge shared between the tile you are on and the next tile.  
You may never move away from the next tile.  You may not move into or 
through a space that is occupied by another player's pawn (except 
when jumping; see JUMP RAMPS below).  If you have no direction in 
which to legally move, you must wipe out (see WIPING OUT below).
	For each null shown on the dice you have rolled, you may make 
one 90-degree turn at any point during your move.  If all the dice 
show nulls, you will not move.


RACE RANKING

	To determine your current race ranking, (which affects the 
number of dice you roll for movement,) check to see if your bike is 
in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place.  Bikes that are on tiles closest to 
the finish line have the highest race ranking.  If there is more than 
one bike on a tile, the one closest to edge of the tile adjacent to 
the next tile of the track has the higher ranking.  If bikes are tied 
for a rank, the next rank below is skipped.  (For example, if there 
are two bikes tied for 1st place, then there is no 2nd place and the 
next highest ranked bike is in 3rd place.)
	Bikes that are wiped out (off the track) count toward race 
ranking as if they were on the space they left the track.


WIPING OUT

	There are three ways to wipe out:
	1) If you run out of track during a move, you wipe out from 
the space you left the track.
	2) If your move would force you into another player's bike, 
then you do not move, but instead wipe out from your current space.
	3) If your bike gets landed on by a bike jumping off a ramp, 
you wipe out from your current space.
	When you wipe out, take your pawn off the track and place it 
next to the space where you wiped out.  On your next turn, you may 
attempt to re-enter the track (see RE-ENTERING THE TRACK below).


RE-ENTERING THE TRACK

	If your bike is wiped out at the beginning of your turn, you 
may attempt to re-enter the track at the space from which you wiped 
out.  To do so, make a normal movement roll (with the number of dice 
adjusted for current race ranking).  If you roll an ace, you have 
successfully kick-started your bike; place your pawn onto the space 
you left the track.  Any dice left over (after the ace) may then be 
used as a normal movement roll, if desired.
	If you fail to roll an ace while attempting to re-enter the 
track, your bike would not start and you must wait until next turn to 
try again.
	If the space you left the track from is occupied by another 
bike, you may not attempt to re-enter the track this turn; instead, 
draw a coin from those that have been discarded (if any).


JUMP RAMPS

	If a move will get your bike across the raised edge of a jump 
ramp, then the roll used for movement must be higher than the height 
of the jump ramp.  If none of your dice show numbers higher than the 
height of the jump ramp, then you may not move this turn.
	Bikes "fly" off each jump ramp.  If there are bikes on the 
next tile(s) after a jump ramp, bikes moving off the jump ramp may 
pass over them; count each space whether there is a bike in it or 
not.  If jumping off a ramp lands a bike on top of another, the bike 
being landed on immediately wipes out from that space.


SPENDING COINS

	The coins dealt to players after the track is built may be 
spent in two different ways:
	1) If you are attempting to re-enter the track, you may 
discard a coin before you roll.  The coin replaces the ace required 
to enter the track.  You may then make a normal movement roll if 
desired.
	2) Before you roll the dice for movement, you may discard one 
or more coins to include one extra die per coin spent.  You may never 
roll more than four dice for movement.


WINNING

	To cross the finish line, just move off the last tile placed 
during track building.  The first player to cross the finish line 
wins the race.

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