Subject: MN-B: Re: French Boycott

From: "Wayper, Paul" <WayperP@p...>
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 10:08:24 +1000

On Wednesday, December 01, 1999 12:54 AM, Kevan Davis
[SMTP:kevan@s...] wrote:
> Hm. Two moves in as many months. Time, perhaps, to draw this game to a
> close and play something fresh? From the sluggish movement and dropping
> out of earlier players, I think it's become fairly clear that the Paris
> Metro is too unfamiliar, overly interconnected (the RER lines make it
> entirely too easy to zip about the place) and rather lacking in easy
> ways to get Golds.

Interestingly, are the RER lines actually allowed? I'm not sure they are,
because one of the rules in the Mornington Croissant ruleset says (from
memory) that lines have _numbers_ not _letters_, and the RER lines are
lettered. But, in its defence, more interconnection is not a bad thing -
just makes strategy different. After all, as (I think) you've shown us,
magnetically attracting tokens works well.

But, as you say, it's lacking in golds, and without a zone structure there's
no point in having passes. 

> Maybe exhaustive amendment could save things, but even then it'd
> probably be better to start again. Shall we invoke Rule 1.1.11
> (Stalemate) and call it a day?

One wonders if we need some way to formally conduct a revision of a certain
section of the ruleset. A way to say "now, everyone concentrate on X, so
that we can get it right". This would, in most cases, have to be conducted
in parallel with a game.

We certainly need to make this Turin variant more playable, but enthusiasm
has waned. I agree to kill it off and start something different. What,
though? I'd have to express a preference for non-special games, but don't
mind me, there are enough of them already.

Foam rubber,

Paul Wayper -- DPI IS&S ITO Computer Systems Officer
SigClean 1.5a prevents all errors in transcription, transmission, and
reception of eMail, destroys sig and email viruses, and stops flames.
Report all bugs to the author. SigClean is FreeWare. (c) 1998-9 PJW

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From: "Kevan Davis" <kevan@s...>
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 05:38:37 -0800

> because one of the rules in the Mornington Croissant ruleset

Chateau d'Eau. Careful. Mornington Croissant is something quite
different. (And maybe something to play after this, if we want an
essentially Vanilla game...)

> says (from
> lettered.

Hmm. Looks like they're only allowed under Rule 3.1.3 (RER et l'Option
de Finsbury). I must have just considered using them, carelessly,
without actually going for it and being Buzzed. Fair enough.

> But, in its defence, more interconnection is not a bad thing -

The map is rather insanely tangled and wrapped around itself, I feel -
aside from the Magno-Clamp thing, it's just too hard to keep tabs on
every possible line of attack, too hard to have a picture of what's
happening. The London Underground really does seem the best map to be
playing on; whether this is natural when we've been basing the rules on
it, or a delicious irony, I've no idea...

> that we can get it right". This would, in most cases, have to be
conducted

Sounds like a good idea, although I think informally would work just as
well, were something raised and discussed on the mailing list. I'll
clear my throat and bring up the issue of Action-rewording, as
discussed through private email, when I've got a reasonable enough idea
of what I want to say.

> has waned.

I suspect that the Sydney and Brighton maps will prove to be reasonably
playable; the Paris Metro is just a little too complicated for its own
good.

Out of interest, incidentally, does anyone have a scannable copy of the
"Great Bear" Tube-map variant, which I've seen occasional posters of?
It's the normal London Underground map, but with famous people's names
instead of stations (each line signifying a particular branch of fame;
philosophy, politics, film, comedy or whatnot). Mornington Crescent was
Humphrey Bogart, from memory...

Kevan

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