I dont visit these forums too often, but some thoughts ran wild while being active at the forums @ Yog-Sothoth.com discussing the upcoming Innsmouth-expansion.
As posted at : http://www.yog-sothoth.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=164155#164155
Although I own all expansions we have only played vanilla Arkham Horror about 6 times due to time restrictions. The masterplan is to implement an expansion step by step, eventually mixing things up to decrease terms of survivability. I really enjoy the support, the materials and the following (community) around Arkham Horror. The more the better and I dont care if FFG milks out this entire product line by introducing another dozen expansions.
In another thread I asked if folks are combining Arkham Horror with Call of Cthulhu in some way. Always looking for ways to expand the experience of Mythos boardgaming, I wondered if some people introduced even more RPG-elements to Arkham Horror. I am aware of the fact that FFG introduces more personal story elements to Arkham Horror with Innsmouth. However some things what have crossed my mind are :
1. A story-element to the clue tokens. Designate certain variables to (selfmade) numbered clue tokens, which refer to text passages containing more (selfmade) storydevelopment which Great Old One is threatening the world and which cult is active in the game session. So actually the impending doom of a yet unknown Great Old One looms over the game. It adds much more intensity to the game to not (randomly) pick a particular Great Old One, which is known to the investigators from start. All the specific rules of the Great Old Ones are in someway altered, mixed up or come into play later, so the investigators have no clue what they are up against right from the beginning. In other words : the investigators really have to investigate clues to find out what horror(s) is causing the terror.
2. To add even more variety to the game is to have the investigators hunting down a specific mob, ally or monster to get more info/clues about the case. Lay out a route filled with story-elements which the investigators have to follow to get that key-person/monster. Take an example out of the hunt for Dracula (not that I have played that great game, but I have seen Bram Stoker's.) It can turn out vica versa aswell, so that a specific investigator get hunted down by this individual or faction for example.
3. And to make things even more interesting/challenging have an investigator turn out to be a cultist (from start of halfway the game)(a la Battlestar Galactica's Cylons) or being puppetmastered by a herald or a Great Old One. The investigator needs to be caught for an exorcism-ritual and/or need to be turned to join the ranks of the investigators again. Ofcourse these ideas require a lot of new wellthought selfmade rules for all kind of scenarios to become a success.
So many ideas, but not enough time
We can go all directions with this great game and hobby of ours. Perhaps an idea for FFG to work out a big adventure book for AH, adding more to their current published campaignleagues.
