[net.games.board] Railroad games

franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) (09/14/85)

In article <6787@ucla-cs.ARPA> rick@ucla-cs.UUCP (Richard Gillespie) writes:
>In article <16323@watmath.UUCP> jagardner@watmath.UUCP (Jim Gardner) writes:
>>[...]
>>A nice game that no one has mentioned yet is Empire Builder (known as
>>British Rails in England).  The rules are trivial and easy enough for
>>a ten year old to understand (if you want to play with your kids).  You
>>are constantly accomplishing something (a characteristic I really like
>>in games).  At the same time, it is an adult game and requires a fair
>>amount of strategy.  It's non-violent too, if that matters to anyone.
>
>How does this game compare to another "train" game: Rail Baron. I've
>been playing it for about 7 years and, although I sometimes put it away
>for a couple of months, I never get tired of it.

Empire Builder, Rail Baron, and another game called Railway Rivals are
all derived from a British game called Boxcars.  (I don't know who
produced Boxcars, and I've forgotten who produces Railway Rivals -- it's
a British company.  Rail Baron is produced by Avalon Hill, and Empire Builder/
British Rails (essentially the same game with different maps) by Mayfair.)
I believe Railway Rivals is the closest to the original; Rail Baron is most
divergent.

All three involve operating railroads, making runs on a map, with the first
to reach a certain amount of money declared the winner (except Rail Baron,
which has an added requirement that you then "declare" and get back to your
original home city, with others trying to pass you on the way).  In Rail
Baron, you build your railroad net by buying the pre-existing rail lines;
in the other two lines are drawn on the board with erasable markers or
crayons.  In Rail Baron and Empire Builder, each player has his own set
of runs to make, independent of the opposition.  In Railway rivals, runs
are determined, and all players may compete to make them as a race, with
the fastest and second fastest receiving money.  In Empire Builder, each
player's train moves a fixed amount each turn, while the other two games
involve rolling dice.

There is a single playing board for Rail Baron, covering the entire U.S.
Empire Builder has a full U.S. board, sold as Empire Builder, and an England
board, sold as British Rails; there are some slight rules differences as
well.  Railway Rivals has over a dozen maps, mostly in England and the U.S.,
though there is a France map.  Generally, you need to buy clear contact paper
and cover the boards yourself if you want to play more than once; originally
the just produced directions for making the maps and hex paper, and let
you do it all yourself.

Personally, I think Railway Rivals is the best of the three.  The direct
competition provides an excitement which is missing in the other two.  I
don't much care for Empire Builder, but some of my friends think it's the
best.  Rail Baron is a very good game, but I haven't played it much in the
last few years.  This may have something to do with the fact that I played
it about five times a week for about a year ...

There is another related game called (I think) West of the Rockies; I don't
know who puts it out.  I have not played it or read the rules, so I can't
comment.

Another vaguely related game is called 1829.  This is put out by a British
company whose name I should remember but don't; they are also the originators
of Civilization, now sold in the U.S. by Avalon Hill.  1829 is a multi-player
game with no random elements at all, not even simultaneous and/or hidden
movement.  It is the only successful such game I know of.  It involves
building rail nets by laying tiles on a board, and purchasing stations
thereon.  Operating trains involves making runs involving at least one
owned station, and various open stations, and adding the total value of
the stations.  The number of stations which may be run through depends
on the train(s) owned.  As an added complication, the players do not directly
own the railroads, but rather own shares in the railroad companies.

There are two mapboards for the game: southern England and northern England.
At one point Avalon Hill was working on a U.S. version to be called 1830,
but the originators didn't like the changes AH made to the game, and with-
drew permission.  Rumor has it they are producing a U.S. version of their
own.

I highly recommend the game, if you have a group of five to eight intelligent
players.  It can be played with less, but doesn't really work well with four,
and is quite poor with three or two.


Frank Adams                           ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108

franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) (09/14/85)

[not food]

As another posting reminded me, 1829 and Civilization were made by Hartland
Trefoil.

Frank Adams                           ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108

rmw@warwick.UUCP (R.M.Wilson) (10/04/85)

Railway rivals is now produced by Games Workshop in England, costs 10
pounds. For this you get a double sided map, money to replace the points
system used in the orginal version, plastic steam train counters (very
pretty), dice, marker pens, and a four page set of rules.
   The rules are very simple, but offer such a variation of tactical play
that you'll never have a dull moment. I'll post the address for getting
the orginal maps later. 

P.S. The inventor was David Watts, one of the nicest welshmen I know.
-- 
-- Rob Wilson.
      
"I already live in a CASH-less society!"
UUCP:   ..mcvax!ukc!ubu!snow!rmw