Re: New game: Piecepack Subways

["Benedict" <boycat_oh@...>]

> 
> Speaking of flaws ;-)
> 
> Tried it out 4-handed solitaire as a dry run last night.  Ran into 
an
> interesting problem, the game never ends.  As all information 
is public,
> specifically the amount of money and loans each player has, 
no player
> will be willing to build the last track segment or connect his last
> station, if he is behind in the cash race.  So if the top two 
players
> have runs that produce the same amount (probably in a cycle 
of turns),
> then you can get into situation where the only correct action on 
each of
> thier turns is the operate their train to jump over the other 
player
> and take the cash lead, the other player's only rational choice 
is to
> do the same on his turn.  You need some other event that ends 
the game
> that is not under the player's complete control, e.g., a finite 
bank
> like in 1830 where when the bank is out of money the game is 
over.
> Another possibility is to give the player that connects his last 
station
> a free operating round as part of that turn or add some other 
part to
> the final score (like an evaulation of the worth of a players 
network,
> score = money - loans + (# stations * value of best run)) to give
> incentive to end the game.


Yes, you figured it out. And my new scoring will make the game 
end - in fact it is very close to your recommendation, being 
money - loans + (#stations connected together * total value of 
your districts).

That gives an incentive to build a bigger network and actually end 
the game.  Of course a player couuld still build a small profitable 
route and try to outpace an expanding network.

The other change I may make is during setup - players may not 
place their second station in a district that is adjacent to their first 
station.

New rules coming soon, with altered New York, London and 
Paris scenarios.

Phillip