First Testing Session: Summary

      The first testing session, for the boiled-down ruleset of Goon Game, was held July 29, 2025. Although the data set is still too small to be analyzed, it has brought to light several issues that we can focus on while waiting for the data set to broaden.

      In descending order of importance, HIT Math was the first (and most frequent) bump play testers encountered. Unfortunately, not helped by my own confusion on the subject. Luckily, the cause of this confusion was discovered by the end of the session, as the problem was with HIT values going below or above the d6 range. Hitting an opponent works by taking the attacker’s HIT stat and adding the defender's AVO to get the new target the attacker has to meet or beat with a d6 roll. Simple in theory, not so much in practice, as a number of interactions brought the number to beat to seven or reduced it to negative numbers, making the math confusing in the moment, as players didn’t know what target they were trying to hit.

      Capping interactions to the d6 range should be a good enough solution for now, so nothing can go higher than a six or lower than a one. However, a long-term solution would involve fixing the language around buffs, providing example fights in the rules text, and perhaps even changing when the buff/de-buff is applied from before a roll is made to after the roll is made, making the system more akin to Armor Class in D&D.

      There was also a general cognitive overload problem across the game, with players skipping steps, forgetting triggers, or leaving units behind because they didn’t see their potential. This is most likely because it is the player's first time with the system. However, it is something to watch for in future sessions with this group if the process repeats itself.    

      The Plot Player also discovered an infinite combo by the end of the session. Realizing that the Plot Commander’s passive mana generation, plus the spell Tempt Fate, could be cast with no downsides, as they could recover the discarded mana spent to draw three new reverbs off of their passive effect. This, however, could remain in the game. As it is a rewarding payoff for the Plot Commander along the lines of their intended play style, and while what that player ended up drawing made things more difficult for him as well, they didn’t fully play into the deck editing powers of the commander. So before we go nerfing anything, I’d like to see this again with the full kit being utilized.

      On that note, the Plot player recommended changing the rules on Stack the Deck to look at attuned Mana on the caster and not TA. I do like that idea, and I think it could mesh with some of the TA changes I’ve been thinking up: mainly around TA going up depending on the total amount of Mana attuned to units, making Automatons more hostile.

      To end on a positive note, the players enjoyed themselves with the prototype, appreciating the chaotic element that the Reverbs brought to gameplay, as well as the goals set by their commander. Brawl, for instance, saw that they gained bonus points for detaining units and made that their sole mission during gameplay, hampered somewhat by the Commander’s inability to get units into action faster. That, however, is a direction I’ve been thinking about with Brawl, Swarm, too, to a lesser degree.

      Brawl, for instance, needs to get into action faster. This could be achieved by giving them more movement, or by providing bursts of movement on starting turns, reducing the debuff for carrying units, etc. While Swarm, I was thinking of giving them the Rec Pack Commander spell from Brawl, as it better fits with their go-wide play style.   

      This has also helped solidify their future faction’s flavor and identity. With Brawl becoming The Chimera Core, a group of mutants whose goal is to mutate all of humanity to achieve perfection. Like if the Mighty Mutanimals got real radical, real fast. At the same time, Swarm will become the Warriors of the Immortal Sun: undead dinosaur people who have emerged from beneath the earth to avenge themselves and their ancestors against man for killing the planet and burning their ancestors. Think druid/lych Triceraton eco-terrorists.

      All of this, however, is just food for thought at the moment. Something I can fiddle with as more solid metrics are fleshed out. I'll have another chance, as the group that tested it has agreed to do it again, playing different factions. My current plan is to test again in the second week of August. Although I don’t expect to have a solid data set until three or four sessions, I anticipate the data will start coming in more consistently, and if that pattern holds, I’m more than on track to get the factions more fleshed out by the fall.