Doug Favelo
United States
Round Hill
Virginia
-
Hello! My son just turned 5 this weekend, and I'm enjoying the fact that he wants to play my games now instead of his games (i.e. boring no-decision games like Candy Land). However, most of my games are too difficult for him without modification. I've spent some time recently playtesting children's variants of games, and I want to see if others can help hone something that could be valuable to gaming families. I just posted a variant for Stone Age. However, I think Ave Caesar is ideal for a very simple Children's Variant.
Modifications:
Ditch the cards. Instead, roll a die and move the chariot that many spaces. Keep the usual rules about getting blocked, having to move the full spaces or not at all, etc. Treat a 6 as a 5 unless you are not in the lead.
Make the game 2 laps; thus, each player must head down Emperor's Alley at the end of lap one.
This plays fast, and my son loved it. What do you all think? Suggestions? Happy Gaming!
-
Miguel
France
Caen
(from Valencia, Spain)
-
I would say that treat the 6 as a 5 in the lead is a too weak penalty for leaving the others behind. I would choose skip your turn if you roll a 6 in the lead.
-
Lars Wagner Hansen
Denmark
Sorø
Any time, any place!
Fingers off, that's my car!
-
When my daughter was 5, she played Ave Caesar with the regular rules. It's not that complicated to hold 3 cards in your hand, play one of them, move your chariot, and pick up a new card.
I really don't see why you have to include a die roll in an otherwise good game.
-
Doug Favelo
United States
Round Hill
Virginia
-
l-hansen wrote: When my daughter was 5, she played Ave Caesar with the regular rules. It's not that complicated to hold 3 cards in your hand, play one of them, move your chariot, and pick up a new card.
You are correct that it is not complicated for a child to hold 3 cards, and play the biggest one. But did your daughter play the optimal card for plugging choke points, or capturing the inside track, or not pulling in the lead to stop the leader from playing a 6?
I don't believe a young child will grasp these differences, which then means daddy will play for the child, and I don't want that. Thus, the introduction of the die, where a child can still learn to get plug choke points, capture the inside track, etc., on his own, without coaching, because there are a reasonable number of options.
-
Doug Favelo
United States
Round Hill
Virginia
-
franchi wrote: I would say that treat the 6 as a 5 in the lead is a too weak penalty for leaving the others behind. I would choose skip your turn if you roll a 6 in the lead.
That makes sense; I'll try that out.
-
Joe L.
United States
Winchester
Virginia
-
aeneas75 wrote: l-hansen wrote: When my daughter was 5, she played Ave Caesar with the regular rules. It's not that complicated to hold 3 cards in your hand, play one of them, move your chariot, and pick up a new card. You are correct that it is not complicated for a child to hold 3 cards, and play the biggest one. But did your daughter play the optimal card for plugging choke points, or capturing the inside track, or not pulling in the lead to stop the leader from playing a 6? I don't believe a young child will grasp these differences, which then means daddy will play for the child, and I don't want that. Thus, the introduction of the die, where a child can still learn to get plug choke points, capture the inside track, etc., on his own, without coaching, because there are a reasonable number of options.
I know your kid personally, he's pretty smart and can handle it. I can see what you are trying to do, but personally I wouldn't be worried about teaching him nuances of strategy for any game at age 5. Let him make the decision of playing which card he wants, and if and when you correct him with the optimal strategy he's going to pick up on it. At his age it's more important for him to be having fun moving the horse around the track and yelling AVE CAESAR!!! as he throws his coin at you.
I've played with my daughter who is just a year older than your boy several times with the full rules.
And sorry the rest of us don't give you enough of a challenge! 
-
Doug Favelo
United States
Round Hill
Virginia
-
Well, maybe that's the right way to go; I suppose cutting off folks is not too hard a skill to learn. As to challenge, you are just remember that awful night that we cracked Zombie Survival! Oh, and Blood Bowl, but I'm playing the scrub team.
We need to play! Especially if you have Wrasslin' in your possession.
-
Patrick C.
United States
Milford
New Hampshire
Labyrinth: The War On Terror is historically inaccurate & politically biased. It's the one popular game that violates BGG's requirements to keep politics out of gen. discussion. And yet it receives special treatment =US-centric views of this site.
-
Not sure if you knew this, but there's a game geared more for kids that's a variation of Ave Caesar - Giro Galoppo. I haven't played it yet as I just ordered it. But the reviews for it are pretty good and it seems as if at least some adults enjoy playing it. Since I already own other race games I figured I'd go with the kids version on this one.
-
Doug Favelo
United States
Round Hill
Virginia
-
Wow, nice, thanks; I didn't know of this game. Looks very fun.
-
Miguel
France
Caen
(from Valencia, Spain)
-
Yeah, I own both, and Giro Galoppo is much easier for kids, while still fun.
-
Lars Wagner Hansen
Denmark
Sorø
Any time, any place!
Fingers off, that's my car!
-
aeneas75 wrote: l-hansen wrote: When my daughter was 5, she played Ave Caesar with the regular rules. It's not that complicated to hold 3 cards in your hand, play one of them, move your chariot, and pick up a new card. You are correct that it is not complicated for a child to hold 3 cards, and play the biggest one. But did your daughter play the optimal card for plugging choke points, or capturing the inside track, or not pulling in the lead to stop the leader from playing a 6?
No she didn't do alle of this, and sometimes she wouldn't even do any of them, or all of them. But she picked it up when she saw how the adults, and older children played. And after a few races she managed to pull her own shares of wins. I've never let any of my children get a win they didn't deserve.
She was 8 years old when she attended her first convention full time, and entered competitions along with adults. They year after several adults asked not to be in the same group as she was, and not because they didn't want to play with children, but because they found it embarasing to be beaten buy a child.
aeneas75 wrote: I don't believe a young child will grasp these differences, which then means daddy will play for the child, and I don't want that. Thus, the introduction of the die, where a child can still learn to get plug choke points, capture the inside track, etc., on his own, without coaching, because there are a reasonable number of options.
They won't grasp everything immediately, but they often lean much quicker than adults do.
I belive the best way to teach children to play, is to choose a game of their level, use the same rules for everybody, and just let them learn by observing how you play.
I have three daughters, and they win as often as I do, so my experience tells me it works.
-
|
|
