db@cstvax.UUCP (Dave Berry) (10/18/85)
[Oh, I'm a line-eater and I'm ok ...]
If you play 1829 with 8 or 9 players, the player who buys the
last private company will not be able to afford a share in the first of
the main companies. Some people claim this unbalances the game.
Hence the following optional rule has been suggested by Francis Tresham,
the designer:
Private companies may be sold to the bank for #30 less than
their face value. They may be bought once sold, but only at their
full value. Selling a private company to the bank does not close it.
Closed companies cannot be bought or sold.
Fair enough. But Nick Kinzett & myself felt that this allowed
players to make a quick killing when phase 4 loomed, by selling off
their private companies for some quick capital, since they would be closed
when phase 4 started anyway. On top of the steady income the privates
provide, this seems to unbalance the game the other way.
Closed companies still count their cost towards victory, but the loss of #30
capital doesn't seem important when the final totals are in the thousands.
(The last time I claimed that Nick & I agreed on something I turned out to
be wrong. So if I'm talking rubbish the blame doesn't apply to him)!
We (modulo disclaimer) came up with the following rule:
During phase 1, private companies can be sold to the bank for #30
less than their face value. During phase two, the reduction is #75, and
during phase 3, it is #130. Buying private companies always costs their
face value.
It should be noted that some people think the steady income of
#25 a turn from the highest value private railway is worth more in the
early turns than holding shares anyway, and can't see what people are
complaining about!
Disclaimer: I am a complete novice at the game. I just enjoy it!
--
Dave Berry. CS postgrad, Univ. of Edinburgh
...mcvax!ukc!{hwcs,kcl-cs}!cstvax!db