Strabble
"Well, this is quite the interesting game! And we can certainly provide feedback to the creator with these forms."
"Yeah. Feedback. Like maybe put in actual instructions next time."
Strabble is a word game in which at least two players score points by hanging tiles bearing a single letter of the Varian alphabet within a hollow lattice cube divided into at least 15x15x15 squares. The tiles must form correct words regardless of the orientation of a word within the lattice. Acceptable words can be derived from the lexicon of Varian Common, though a variant style of play allows translations from foreign languages.
History
As a student in The Grand Arcaneum's Academy, Harus Strabinsky created a word puzzle in 3585 3E as a study aid for himself and his fellow students. The puzzle's main premise involved creating large blocks comprised of rows of letters that contained the answers to particular questions. Strabinsky gained some minor renown from his peers and even professors as the puzzle circulated within the Academy, especially as it became adapted for others topics and purposes of leisure as well. With its initial popularity within the Arcaneum, Strabinsky petitioned for a creative credit's license to apply to the unnamed word puzzle. The act resulted in a surprising backlash as scholars and enthusiasts claimed that the structure of the puzzle itself was no original feat comparative to the entire history of Varian word games. Strabinsky ultimately reached a compromise with the Arcaneum that provided him with an innovator's credit but otherwise prevented any real monetization.However, this initial word puzzle served as the inspiration for Strabinsky's following attempt at creating a game meant to target an audience comprised of students, intellectuals, and preferably mages. Beginning the game's development in 3595 3E, Strabinsky lifted a number of core mechanics from his initial word puzzle: central focus on the formation of words, randomized letters, and the utilization of a lattice structure during play. In 3596 3E, Strabinsky submitted the word game's development as a project proposal to the Academy which received approval for funding later that year. By the summer of 3598 3E, Strabinsky had a completed version of the game, now known as Strabble, which he then presented at the Aizur Convention during the Faenrul Festival.
Materials
To begin a player of Strabble, participants require the following items:- A wooden or metal lattice cube divided into at least 225 cubes.
- Hooked alphabet letter titles (12 copies of each vowel, 7 copies of each consonant)
- Word chart for recording words played by each player
- Reference material for judging words, typically a dictionary or copy of a lexicon
- Writing utensils
- Literacy
- A tolerance for debate
Rules
Beginning the Game
In no particular order, the following steps are expected to be taken:- Accumulate all word tiles in a mixed pile.
- Randomly distribute 20 tiles to each player, referred to as their hand and which are meant to be concealed from other players.
- Decide the order in which each player takes a turn.
- Choose a reference source to determine the validity of played words.
Turns
After the game is prepared, as by taking the previous steps, the player designated to go first begins the game by drawing a tile at the start of their turn. They can then play a word using any of the tiles dealt in their hand by hanging the tiles from the beams of the lattice. Due to the set up of Strabble lattices, the process of tile placement is typically done through low-level magic, in the form of minor telekinesis.Words must be arranged in a straight line, regardless of orientation. Other players are then allowed to contest and debate a played word. After the resolution of any challenge, the player receives points for the played word. The next player can then begin their turn, though the word they play must connect to the overall chain set up by the first player.
Flexible Play
A played word must be a valid word from the Varian Common lexicon. Common variant rules make the usage of translated words from other languages legal and the allowance of terms containing hyphens and apostrophes. Furthermore, any tiles played must be part of a valid word regardless of orientation.Challenges & Debates
When a word is played, other players can contest the validity of a word through a challenge. Challenges are most quickly resolved by confirming the existence of a word in the chosen resource. However, in the event that a word is turned down, the player who played the contested word may initiate a debate with the initial challenger to prove the validity of the word. If there are only two players, the debate continues until the challenger cedes, the word is ruled as void, or the debate is tabled leading to the awarding of no points. If there are at least three participants, anyone beyond the word player and the challenger serve as mediators who determine the results of a debate.Scoring
Players score points based on different criteria, and these points apply only after the resolution of a challenge if there are any:- A player gains one point per letter utilized in a word they played during their turn.
- A player gains one point per word intersected by a particular play, up to a maximum of ten points.
- A player gains one point per letter of a word successfully voided during a challenge.
- A player gains three points for mediating a challenge.
Ending the Game
For standard length games, a winner is determined when one player accumulates 100 uncontested points. Longer games may be set by increasing this goal. It is also possible to have no winner in the event of a tie or that no player scores any points.Reception
After the initial showing at the Aizur Convention of 3598 3E, Strabble received mixed reviews from the Arcane Society's intelligentsia. A number of the base concepts of the game were received positively, including the design of a three-dimensional word scrabble, the equalizing factor of chance regarding discrepancies in knowledge or vocabulary, the incorporation of basic magical practice, and the possible learning opportunities brought about by play.The challenge and debate aspects of Strabble has been cited as "needlessly complicating, rendering too obtuse an otherwise already complex game." However, some have praised the variety in possible avenues for success provided by contests in Strabble. Critics have also questioned the need for the game's official lack of a tiebreaker, which may result in no winner; Strabinsky confirmed that the lack of a tie-breaker had been a conscious decision during development. Furthermore, the basic materials of the game have been seen as "unwieldy", "generally inaccessible", and even impractical. Initial sets of the game provided for playtesting also lacked a coherent printed ruleset.
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