To me game components are one of the most important aspects of the game, perhaps this merely states the obvious. However, I think that this truth can be easy to lose for many game designers as they are faced with the high cost of attempting to have their game published. Let us be honest the cost of punch out chits is almost incomparable to having a game made that uses unique individual unit and building pieces.
For me having actual representative pieces makes it easier to become enveloped in the game that I am playing. The simple tactile feel of a wooden meeple, or a small building to represent your city gives a greater feeling of connectedness. This includes pieces such as game tiles or non-wooden/resin pieces (I’m looking at you Tigris & Euphrates). Thickness matters, let no one tell you otherwise. Granted such a desire for quality game components significantly drives up the cost of producing any game.
Image from boardgamegeek.com
My first interaction with a game that contained a massive amount of components occurred during my younger years, which slowly becomes longer ago than I care to admit. The game was Conquest of the Empire. I remember when I first stumbled across the game in my Dad’s game closet it pulled me in. I wanted to play immediately, if for no other reason than to be able to move my senator around the Mediterranean and spend his gold frivolously. Of course at the time, I was too young to play, and sadly when I eventually was able to play I was generally unimpressed with the game I was playing. But the power of the components never lost their grip on me.
The second game I remember playing that had multiple components was the 1993 edition of Risk. Each of your armies could be represented by tiny cannons, cavalry or infantry units. It was glorious to behold as your mighty armies moved across the world. I must say that those Risk pieces have served me well as they are what I am currently using to play test my game.
Two Risk 1993 edition armies clash in Africa
Then along came my first experiences with the Euro style board games. The Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Agricola, and the list could go on and on, all had incredible components. These components held your attention, made you want to play with them like Legos on the side line, and generally gave me a fairly god-like feeling of ruling over my world.
I have mentioned in the past that much of the early inspiration for my game came from thoughts of war rooms with giant maps and miniature armies being pushed around the board. I would like this inspiration to continue on to the components of my game, specifically the army and building components.
Practicality is still a concern. I know this may surprise some after reading the above. One of the problems that I have with the tiny soldiers from the 1993 edition of Risk is that when you begin to have tons of them to move as an army they become increasingly cumbersome. They are difficult to grab as individual units, and even more frustrating to move en mass. This is largely due to their diminutive size and small base,but also has something to do with their shape.
Waterloo (2009) by Treefrog Games, Image from boardgamegeek.com
My solution will be to base my designs along the two dimensional concept of the humble meeple. Through intense genetic breeding I hope to raise an army of militreeples, composed of cavalreeples, artillereeples, and infantreeples. I was partially inspired by the 2009 game Waterloo by Treefrog Games. I believe that components such as these would be much easier to move about a board, while still maintaining a distinctive style, making them a good compromise between the realism of the Risk miniatures and the utilitarianism of stackable cardboard chits.
With all of that said I am including some early concept sketches for my militreeples. Good day to you all.
Cogs & Generals 