There is a tension between the twin goals of appealing to eurogamers and of keeping the essence of the 18xx system. As an example, many 18xx games begin with an auction of private companies, each of which bestow special features on the owner. A novice doesn’t know how much these features are worth, and players tend to value them differently anyway.
I plan to offer two versions of the rules. The simple version will handle the above problem by dealing out the private companies to the players, rather than having an auction. This is not a new idea; Steam Over Holland and 1889 are just two existing games that do this. But I may make a similar distinction in other parts of the game, if it becomes appropriate. So if I face a design choice between a fast-playing option and a more complex alternative that offers more depth or balance, then I will adopt the first option for the quick game and the second for the tournament version.
At least, this is my intention. We’ll see how often the need arises.
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Doesn't 1829 deal the privates to the players?
ReplyDeleteYes, it does, and so does 1825.
ReplyDeleteMy design changed substantially between 2009 and the final publication, so many of these early posts are no longer relevant!