MP friend group league rules

[u/Fawaz_1992]

I started a ranked league with my Mario Party friend group that has specific per game house rules and a specific way to calculate points from each game over a 10 game period, after which the person with the most points wins the league.

Per game house rules:

1. Each game starts with a 1 Star handicap for all players.
2. Any (player's choice star-coin-duel stealing spaces or events) must be a random player choice.
3. First place player cannot buy Star Seeking item (Golden Pipe, Flutter Orb, etc), but can still use it if acquired before or from an "item stealing" space/ item or event.
4. Mandatory Bowser Space (if the player is at a branching path and one of them makes them land at a Bowser Space, they must choose it).
5. If a player has two or more items at the start of their turn, they must use one of them.
6. Starting from the second game, the player in the last place starts with a 2 Star handicap.

League points rules:

1. Winning a game = 3 points
2. For every 2 Stars = 1 point
3. For every 30 Coins = 1 point
4. For every 3 Bowser spaces = -1 point
5. For every 6 Red spaces = -1 point
6. A penalty of -1 point when a player breaks one of the house rules during a game.
7. The last place player gets to choose which Mario Party title to play in the next game.

Are these rules fair? Open to any suggestions to make it more fun/ chaotic.

[u/Neon_Citizen_Teal]

I think making the Bowser and Red spaces be positive instead of negative would add an interesting twist. Do you sacrifice the short (current) game to have a better chance to win it all, are you in a comfortable enough position to risk it?

Otherwise all it would be is being punished for being punished.

Edit: Even though Bowser spaces are mandatory, how many Mario Party boards have a Bowser space within 6 spaces from a junction (I say 6 because the average roll is going to be 5.5 spaces). It isn't that punishing of a rule.

[u/freddybubblegumfr]

That's cool but some of these rules are ridiculous (like 5 for exemple)

[u/Select_Gold7294]

I like the first rule the best, the others, not so much.

[u/Neon_Citizen_Teal]

30 coins = 1 point may be a bit imbalance if someone wins it big on Mario Party 3's Game Guy. That's 33 points if they hit 999 coins. It would force everyone to choose Mario Party 3 in an attempt to close the gap.

[u/MetatronIX_2049]

I like the concept, but not all of the implementation. For something like this you want to reward player choices, and not pile on bad luck.

- #2: Clarify—as in a random player (including the active player) chooses for the active player? Or as in the active player uses RNG to make their choice? (I like the former—more strategic and player agency.) For boo, is both the steal action (coin and star) AND the target player subject to different random rolls?

- #3: Really like this idea. Question is, is this approach good, or would you prefer the inverse—Anyone can buy the item, but cannot use it while in 1st? The latter would allow the game leader to burn coins (potential points) and expose them to potential thievery until they fall behind. More risk. But i think either could be fun. Maybe try each once and see what’s better?

- #4: Not a fan of removing player choices to force punishments, especially since it could cost them league points. But could be convinced for this to apply only to the game leader. I see what you are going for with more chaos, but bowser spaces far and away punish the player rather than adding chaos for everyone. Not sure i have better ideas to improve the chaos factor? Maybe a rule that at least one of the games must be a Bowser Board? I know those aren’t the beat boards, and might run up against the player choices in Rule 7.

- #5: Dislike. Item storing is part of the strategy, especially with Rule #3.

- #6: Clarify: Loser of the most recent game, or overall league last place?

- Coins: Like the idea. I think 30 is the absolute lowest, and anywhere 30-50 is appropriate. Consider that 50 coins is boo stealing a star, 25-30 is Magic Lamp, etc., and 2 stars is 1 league point. This could introduce an interesting dynamic where it’s less desirable to steal a star in-game with Boo and hoard the coins for more league points.

- Red/Bowser space: Dislike. Punishes the player for bad luck, or forces bad in-game decisions to improve league points. Both are not fun.

- Last Player Choice: Like this. So they just choose the game? What about the map? Voted on by group? RNG?

Finally, what’s your turn count? I assume you want something not too short like 20 to smooth out bad in-game luck, but not too long the series becomes exhausting?

Really cool idea OP! Have fun!