Subject: Re: MN: Re: Tokens

From: riffraff@n...
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 14:57:27 -0500

>No, I really do have a reason here. Assuming something similar to the
>current ruleset; it is just as easy to do Bronze->Silver as
>Bronze->Silver->Gold in the same Turn. And since one can do
>Gold->Silver without being at Bank Silvers are redundant.
>
>As an example, if a player has enough Bronze to make a Gold then e
>isn't going to make 4 Silvers even if Silvers are what e needs. If eir
>plans change later e will have a Gold e can use. If eir plan doesn't
>change e can create the Silver anyway.

I see. Hmmm. Well, there is the fact that the Gold can be stolen though a
Shunt or some other means, whereas if you have 4 Silvers instead you're not
risking as much.

>On the otherhand if we used Bank for Bronze->Silver and some other
>station (Bond Street say) for Silver->Gold and maybe require
>down-exchanging at Bank as well then maybe we should keep Silvers.

It would seem strange to not be able to do all exchanges at Bank, but I
could see requiring down-exchanging there too. That might become too
inconvienient, though.

Well, what if we forgot the idea about making Silvers only acquirable by
collecting Bronzes? Like in the original version, make it possible
(although difficult) to acquire them without having to save up.

2 - 1 Br
3 - 1 Br, 1 Bu
4 - 2 Br, 1 Bu, 1 Rd
5 - 2 Br, 2 Bu, 1 Rd
6 - 3 Br, 2 Bu, 1 Rd, 1 Si
7 - 3 Br, 2 Bu, 2 Rd, 1 Si
8 - 4 Br, 3 Bu, 2 Rd, 1 Si

What's everyone else think about this issue? Vital decision, here.

>OK, I'm brain-storming. Here is a different approach to Tokens. Rather
>than have Action costs measured in x reds for an aggressive move have
>1 red+ cost in Bronze/Silver/Gold. That is remove the emphasis from
>having enough plastics to do something towards having one to do it
>plus enough "money" Tokens.
>
>Or to put it another way. Having a plastic gives you a right to do an
>Action, but the cost is made up in "money" Tokens.
>
>Shunting 1red.
>Blocking 1red+1bronze.
>Bulkheading 1red +4bronze.
>Bridges Up 1blue+2bronze.
>
>I don't actually think this is a good idea. I'm just hoping a
>brainstorming session will throw up something good.

Actually, I was thinking a bit along those lines too. The Plastic Token
defines what kind of Action it is, and the Metallics provide the extra
cost.

The Token Bonus table might looks something like this:

2 - 1 Br
3 - 2 Br
4 - 2 Br, 1 Bu/Rd (choice)
5 - 3 Br, 1 Bu/Rd
6 - 3 Br, 1 Bu/Rd, 1 Si
7 - 3 Br, 2 Bu/Rd, 1 Si
8 - 4 Br, 2 Bu/Rd, 1 Si

It's not a bad idea, but it's not really necessary. We can use Metallic
Tokens to pump up Action costs regardless. That's actually what I had in
mind for the more easily-available Bronzes - to add cost to an Action when
an extra Plastic token might be too much.

(Sudden thought: Instead of artifically limiting how far you can Move in a
turn, or how many Blacks you can store, simply end the Token Bonus table at
8. That way the only extra benefit to a Move farther than that is the
extra distance it provides.)

>
>
>> >--Annatov Snow
>> >Minus two wisdom teeth and some blood.
>>
>> Owch. I hope you at least got some fun painkillers out of it. They
>gave
>> me Percocet for my foot, it was pretty nice.
>
>I didn't need painkillers because it didn't hurt. What did you do to
>your foot incidentally?

Urgh. It was pretty dumb - I tried to jump down off of a wall that turned
out to be taller then I thought (I'm not very good at judging distances).
I landed badly and broke my heel. Fortunately, the joint is fine, so there
shouldn't be any permanent effects once the fracture heals.

--Riff

"This calls for a subtle blend of psychology and extreme violence."
--Vyvyan, "The Young Ones"

---

From: "Snow" <snowl@s...>
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 13:41:56 +0100

> Shunt or some other means, whereas if you have 4 Silvers instead
you're not

You're risking less if you leave them as Bronze...

> It would seem strange to not be able to do all exchanges at Bank,

Maybe if only one type of exchange per Turn was permitted
(bronze->silver or silver->gold), but I'm not sure it's enough. Or
doing an exchange automatically transported you to your Home Station.

Or make Bronze and Silver exchangable, but make Golds available some
other way.

> but I

With good forward planning it shouldn't be any more inconvienient than
having to up-exchange.

> collecting Bronzes?

That doesn't change anything. The point is they're exchangable. And as
long as they are exchangable there is little point having more than
two types.

> defines what kind of Action it is, and the Metallics provide the
extra

The trouble with this is that for really big violent Actions players
only need one red and a load of Metallics. This is the warning thing
you were talking about before, you need to have some idea of what your
opponents are doing. If someone only has one red then e should only be
able to do small aggressive Actions, not launch a massive attack using
Metallics.

> extra distance it provides.)

OK.

-- Annatov Snow
"That was much more fun than sex competitions!"