Looking for suggestions regarding name and lore of a boardgame

[JoakimEngfors]

Hi ReligiousForums! This is my first time posting here and I am hoping to get some help with ideas that will help me with a project of mine. I am working on a boardgame and I am happy to say that my game has come a long way now when it comes to playability, mechanics and balance.
Now I am looking some more help!
In the game you are in control of a Viking tribe. You collect resources (event-cards, unit-cards, silvercoins, knowledge points) in order to recruit units, then use those units to collect even more resources or to fight your opponent.

What I want help with is, WHY are we fighting? What was a common reason for Vikings to attack other vikings? Not just a family having a feud with another, but an entire village attacking another village. If you could help with that I would be super happy! Also a clever name for the game. Its a 1 versus 1 game.
Much appreciated!

Thank you!
Joakim

 

[Aldrnari]

Firstly? Power and fame, for sure. Money is also a big one. Maybe slaves, though I'm not sure that would be appropriate for a board game.

By controlling an enemy's city, you take control of all of the resources and their trade routes. Also, who says family feuds aren't a good reason for wars in ancient Scandinavia? Happened all the time. Honor and insult caused all kinds of wars.

Another good reason might be the religious spread of Christianity. One side could be Christian, and the other could be Heathen. This happened, back then. Heathens also believed the god, Odin, would cause wars to happen so he could take the best warriors who fell in battle to Valhalla.

Possible names?

Setting a table for the Ravens (a name suggesting war, as Vikings saw ravens as a sign of sure victory, since where there were ravens there would be lots of dead bodies for them to eat... eww, I know)

Odin's Test

Odin's Game

Blood Eagle (a famous torturous execution ancient nords used on certain folks- especially defeated enemies)

I hope these ideas help, and welcome, btw!

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Monopoly: The Midgard Edition

 

[David T]

Firstly? Power and fame, for sure. Money is also a big one. Maybe slaves, though I'm not sure that would be appropriate for a board game.

By controlling an enemy's city, you take control of all of the resources and their trade routes. Also, who says family feuds aren't a good reason for wars in ancient Scandinavia? Happened all the time. Honor and insult caused all kinds of wars.

Another good reason might be the religious spread of Christianity. One side could be Christian, and the other could be Heathen. This happened, back then. Heathens also believed the god, Odin, would cause wars to happen so he could take the best warriors who fell in battle to Valhalla.

Possible names?

Setting a table for the Ravens (a name suggesting war, as Vikings saw ravens as a sign of sure victory, since where there were ravens there would be lots of dead bodies for them to eat... eww, I know)

Odin's Test

Odin's Game

Blood Eagle (a famous torturous execution ancient nords used on certain folks- especially defeated enemies)

I hope these ideas help, and welcome, btw!

Omg you hit the nail on the head!!! And we create these games to do what exactly? Why do we create these games we play? To train and reinforce in children what? I suggest, the religious version its a church and the goal is to convert everyone. The tricky part you can't kill anyone you have to do it by convincing arguement. But if you convince enough, you can begin to kill people if they don't convert, but that gives the other side self organising powers greater than they had before, that counters the side that develops the mass to kill. Oh now that game sounds familiar, although I am not sure what the game would be created since that game already exists!! Over time of course the church isnt the church its goverenment. The kids build strip malls Disney land nuclear bombs etc!!!! Oh a best seller right there.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Hi ReligiousForums! This is my first time posting here and I am hoping to get some help with ideas that will help me with a project of mine. I am working on a boardgame and I am happy to say that my game has come a long way now when it comes to playability, mechanics and balance.
Now I am looking some more help!
In the game you are in control of a Viking tribe. You collect resources (event-cards, unit-cards, silvercoins, knowledge points) in order to recruit units, then use those units to collect even more resources or to fight your opponent.

What I want help with is, WHY are we fighting? What was a common reason for Vikings to attack other vikings? Not just a family having a feud with another, but an entire village attacking another village. If you could help with that I would be super happy! Also a clever name for the game. Its a 1 versus 1 game.
Much appreciated!

Thank you!
Joakim

Hey, if you hit it big using any of our ideas, how do we collect our share?

 

[socharlie]

Hi ReligiousForums! This is my first time posting here and I am hoping to get some help with ideas that will help me with a project of mine. I am working on a boardgame and I am happy to say that my game has come a long way now when it comes to playability, mechanics and balance.
Now I am looking some more help!
In the game you are in control of a Viking tribe. You collect resources (event-cards, unit-cards, silvercoins, knowledge points) in order to recruit units, then use those units to collect even more resources or to fight your opponent.

What I want help with is, WHY are we fighting? What was a common reason for Vikings to attack other vikings? Not just a family having a feud with another, but an entire village attacking another village. If you could help with that I would be super happy! Also a clever name for the game. Its a 1 versus 1 game.
Much appreciated!

Thank you!
Joakim

Greed, ambitions...

 

[JoakimEngfors]

So many replies already, thank you so much!

I really like your ideas @Aldrnari, thank you very much.
What if the story is something along these lines,

"The Seer has informed you that greed is growing in the neighboring clan. But what might that mean? Is it their intention to come and take over our village? Or have they stumbled upon great riches? As the leader of your village you would not allow either. Destroy their their leader and seize control of their village."

Could that fit thematically?

 

[Aldrnari]

So many replies already, thank you so much!

I really like your ideas @Aldrnari, thank you very much.
What if the story is something along these lines,

"The Seer has informed you that greed is growing in the neighboring clan. But what might that mean? Is it their intention to come and take over our village? Or have they stumbled upon great riches? As the leader of your village you would not allow either. Destroy their their leader and seize control of their village."

Could that fit thematically?

Seems cool! If I were to make a suggestion, it might be fun to give each village it's own personality. You could even model them after famous families of the sagas, such as the Volsungs.

 

[JoakimEngfors]

Thanks! Yeah the plan is that the players set up their own style of village themselves before the game (by creating a deck, think MtG or Hearthstone).
About the names, I like the "Setting a table for the Ravens" title a lot, it has a lot of atmosphere to it but it feels a little too long. Gona try to come up with something similar but shorter! Oh dear I googled Blood Eagle and I will forever regret that

 

[DanishCrow]

Firstly? Power and fame, for sure. Money is also a big one. Maybe slaves, though I'm not sure that would be appropriate for a board game.
Setting a table for the Ravens (a name suggesting war, as Vikings saw ravens as a sign of sure victory, since where there were ravens there would be lots of dead bodies for them to eat... eww, I know)

For this reason, I would suggest Valravn or Valraven. From the same origin as Valhalla, it means a raven attracted to the field of battle. Check to see if it's copyrighted, though, I know there are a least a couple of bands and artists using the name.