New game in the making - Camelot

["boycat_oh" <boycat_oh@...>]

Hi, everyone

I have been lurking for a bit - great site, exceptionally clever idea 
to have lots of different games designed around 1 universal set 
of components.  I am very impressed by the number of great 
games available for the piecepack.

Version 1.0 of the rules to Camelot have been posted to the files 
section.  The main mechanism is bidding for the characters 
(King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, Merlin and Sir Lancelot) which 
allow a specific action to be taken by all players.  Camelot was 
inspired by games such as Puerto Rico and Citadels.

I would appreciate feedback from anyone who takes the time to 
read the rules and imagine a game, or who can actually playtest.  
I believe that 2, 3 and 4 player games should play very differently 
requiring different strategic approaches within the same theme.

Areas of special interest to me are:

1) Is this game way too close to another game for comfort?  (I 
tried to be orginal, but also I haven't played or come across every 
game ever made either)

2) Is Sir Lancelot's role too weak?

3) Is the end game scoring modification of the characters 
balanced enough?

4) Would a 2-player game be better if each player took 2 
courtiers with Guinevere's role?

5) Any rules issues in terms of errors, omissions, clarity?

6) Would the rules benefit from an example of bidding?  or even 
a whole round?

7) Any problems downloading the document?  With the diagram 
in the doc?  I can, eventually, place this on the web if there are 
problems.

Thanks very much for any time you might take to look at this 
prototype.

Messages to the group or my yahoo email equally welcome.

Phillip, aka Boycat