Subject: MN: Tourist Rules

From: "Dunx (Duncan Ellis)" <DELLIS@U...>
Date: 09 Jul 98 18:24:05 +0100

Here's yet another Special Ruleset idea. Opinions, please. 

The basic idea is to allow MC to be played on transport networks other 
than the London Underground. Fortunately, much of the ruleset is fairly 
generic (tokens, line changes) and other parts are trivially substituted 
(any slightly isolated station instead of MC, some fairly well-connected 
station in lieu of Bank) but there are some significantly difficult areas. 

1. Lines 
Alternative line codes have to be supplied. Not difficult, just a pain. 

2. Special Lines 
Actually, this is just the Circle Line nowadays... 

There are a few areas of the ruleset which require the Circle Line 
amongst which are: 
- Circle polarity 
- removing Spoon Clamps 

All that can really be done here is for a particular Line incorporating 
a closed loop with something inside it to be nominated as a the local 
Circle equivalent. If no such loop is present, then ignore all Circle 
rules. 

3. Bridges 
Most cities have a river or some other body of water running through them 
somewhere, so the Bridge rule doesn't need any tweaking. The only 
additional effect might be to halt any water-borne transport. 

Obviously, if there is no water there are no bridges. 

4. Station Categories 
There are two kinds of categories: notational and nomenclatural. 

Notational classifications are based on what attributes a Station has: 
Interchange, Overground, Terminus. Nomenclatural classifications are just 
based on the name of the Station: Hill, Holy, A-Z. 

Fortunately, for transport networks in English-speaking countries at least 
the Nomenclatural classes can be left as is (although we might have to 
provide alternative words for other languages). 

Notational classes are trickier. Each of these types of categories has its 
own problems - are Interchanges marked? Are any Overground connections 
specified? I think the only one of these which isn't terribly troublesome 
is Terminus... 

5. Overground 
Overground Stations are particularly difficult, though, because several 
Rules rely on them. The most critical of these is the Emporium. 

My thinking here was that if Overground does not exist as a category on 
the alternative map that either another category could be nominated to 
house the Emporia, or that all Possessions could simply become 
Dispensable. 

6. Hats 
If there aren't any representatives of a particular type of Hat on the 
map, then an alternative class needs to be substituted. 

7. Special Stations and Line Segments 
There are a few stations and line segments that are mentioned explicitly, 
primarily in Walking (1.7.10), Escalator Links (1.5.3) and Game Time 
(section 1.13). All that can be done here is to ignore the specifics and 
rely on generic definitions. 

The real loss here is Manoeuvres: only generic manoeuvres are usable, and 
even then might be inappropriate. 

8. Zones 
This is the real killer. Despite only being recently introduced, Zones 
have a significant role in the Game already. However, not all transport 
networks have zones, and when they do they are rarely as complex as the 
LU system. 

I was thinking about suggesting some kind of mapping from local zones to 
LU Zones where there is a zone structure, and of just giving everyone a 
Bronze token every Turn where there are no zones, but neither of these is 
particularly satisfactory. 

So there you have it - what do people think? 

-- 
Dunx 
IRL: Duncan Ellis, Senior Software Engineer, Business Modelers, Oracle 
<I work for Oracle, I don't speak for them>

---

From: kenningd@w... (L'homme a tete de choux)
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 10:20:02 +0100

>than the London Underground.

A sound basic idea.

>There are two kinds of categories: notational and nomenclatural. 

When you reduce it to that fundamental point, it's quite easy to think up new
categories (much easier than trying to 'translate' current ones). Good stuff.

>specified? I think the only one of these which isn't terribly troublesome 

Well, each network map has its own key, which would be a good place to start.

>Rules rely on them. The most critical of these is the Emporium. 

Well, again, if you work with the basic principle, it is probably possibleto
tailor the rules to each individual case. On the Paris Metro, for example, you
could replace Overground stations with those RER interchanges (probably
proportionally similar)

>particularly satisfactory. 

I don't think I can see any other solution.

dave
xxx