Any Rail Baron Players here?

[-Jrabbit]

Yeah, there was a lot of discussion about game speed. They seem to runin the 3-4 hour range, over 4 hours for 6 players.

At this year's tournament, they encouraged players to use computer look-up aids for destinations and payoffs to try to speed things up.

BTW, they do allow you to count out all routes before you start moving. (Technically, the rules state that you have to start moving as soon as you roll.) If the majority of players at the table agree that you "stopped" while moving, you lose that turn.
(Doesn't seem to happen in the actual games.)

[-Jrabbit]

Thinking about the Superchief rule, I can see where, in a 6-player, there could be a lot of fallout when penalties are doubled (before superchiefs are purchased).

To me, that's fun, and makes the s-chief an important buying decision (vs. "one more rail"). But maybe they want to make sure none of the finalists get screwed by one mis-timed bad desto...

[rah]

Yeah, I thought that bonus roll rule was pretty specific. Thanks for looking it up.

[Ming]

Here is an interesting site... The Rail Baron FAQ

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gnichols/glg/rbfaq.htm

It clarifies some of the grey areas in the rules, using the rules to define them. In some cases... they state the rules don't address and they give the logical point of view, so one might argue those...

One we've never thought about or run across:

ALTERNATE DESTINATION IS CURRENT CITY

I just declared, and as my alternate destination, I rolled my current city. Do I lose my turn?

Ruling: Yes, and unfortunately, you are now a sitting duck for the rover play.

Substantiation: The rules say "When he 'declares', the player still rolls for a new destination...". The rules for rolling a new destination state "If he is already in the city he rolls, then he loses his turn that round." The confusion occurs because the rules also say "...the player ignores the 'alternate' destination entirely:". However, notice the colon at the end of that quote; the rules continue on to explain further what they mean by ignoring: "...he may move through it without stopping, and he does not get any PAYOFF for reaching it." Thus, the alternate destination is ignored for purposes of moving and payoffs, but NOT for loss of turn.

Advice: Avoid choosing your current region during the process of obtaining an alternate destination

[rah]

Never figured that one. I'll have to go out the and look at some of these. There may need to be discussions before I play the next time.

[Ming]

I found it to be an interesting site, and well worth reading.

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by rah
There may need to be discussions before I play the next time.

What's the over/under on that happening...?

(JR out -- See you next week)

[DrSpike]

Wow so many people still play these board games. Does this one have much slow calculation, or is it quite fast paced?

[Urban Ranger]

Fast. You do the calculations when you are not playing the game.

[rah]

Or like some of us, you have them all memorized.

And JR< how long is "when hell freezes over"

[-Jrabbit]

rah -- That's what I thought.

DrSpike -- In play, Rail Baron is virtually calculation-free.

[Urban Ranger]

Maybe you should play with the optional rule "No need to pay while travelling on your own lines."

That should put a spanner into things.

[-Jrabbit]

This would be a pretty minor change overall, though it certainly would create more endgame scenarios and permit more marginal purchases when short of cash.

Personally, I don't think a trip from SF to Chicago on the AT&SF should be a free ride...

[rah]

I agree. Part of the fun is risking the buy leaving yourself with less than 3 grand.

[Ming]

Yep... nothing better than being in Chicago, with 41 or 42 thousand... and the ATS&F sitting there to be purchased.

Do you take the risk and buy it and pray for a short destination.

Being able to ride you own rails for free would make such decisions easier... assuming you already had some good rail