As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Irish Gauge - Game 1 - Completed!

MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
edited April 2020 in Critical Failures
IrishGauge_Logo.jpg
Irish Gauge
Designed by Tom Russell


2019 edition published by Capstone Games; rulebook available on site

Overview
Irish Gauge is a simplified and streamlined game in the "trains" genre (as exemplified by the 18xx series). Players are investors in five rail lines on the island of Ireland, making decisions on how tracks will be expanded, purchasing stocks, and gaining dividends. At the end of the game, the player with the most money (from cash on hand and stocks) will win.

Setup and Initial Auction
IrishGauge_Setup.gif

To set up the board, place one track from each Railway in its respective starting city: Cork for CBSC (Cork, Bandon & South Coast Railway), Limerick for WLW (Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway), Belfast for BCD (Belfast & County Down Railway), and Dublin for both GSW (Great Southern & Western Railway) and MGW (Midland Great Western Railway). In addition, Dividend Cubes are drawn for all eight starting cities (Galway, Limerick, Cork, Derry, Kilkenny, Waterford, Belfast, and Dublin) by drawing randomly from a bag of twelve cubes: four of each type (white, pink, and black). All unselected Dividend Cubes will be pooled with the eighteen cubes that were set aside (for a total unselected pool of twenty-two cubes) to form a supply.

At the start of the game, each player starts with £20 in hand. One player is randomly selected to be the opening bidder for the initial auction. In the initial auction, one share of each Railway will be auctioned off in the following order: CBSC, WLW, BCD, GSW, and MGW. Rules are the same as normal auctions (see below) except that the opening bidder is allowed to pass on bidding. If all players pass, then the opening bidder gains the share up for auction for free. The winner of each individual auction will become the opening bidder for the next auction. Once all five shares have been auctioned off, the player holding the CBSC share takes the first action of the game.

Sequence of Play
On a player's turn, they will take one of four actions:
  • Auction a Share
  • Place Railway Track
  • Place a Special Interest
  • Call for Dividends

Once the action has been completed, if the game has not yet ended, then the turn passes to the next player around the table. The game ends after a turn where the last Dividend cube is drawn from the supply, either through placing special interests, or calling for dividends.

Auction a Share
The player who chooses this action selects a particular Railway and starts an auction for its lowest-value Share. The opening bid must be at least the minimum value printed on the Share. Bidding continues in regular turn order, where each player can increase the bid or pass. Once a player has passed, they are out of that auction; when only one player is left in, they win the auction. The winning bidder pays their bid to the bank and claims the Share.

Reminder: In the auctions at the start of the game, the opening bidder does not need to bid. However, any bid made must still be at least the Share's minimum value.

Place Railway Track
IrishGauge_HexInfo.gif

The player who chooses this action selects a single Railway for which they own at least one Share. (This action cannot be selected if the player does not own any Shares.) The player may add up to 3 Build Points' (BP) worth of Track in hexes for that Railway. It costs 1 BP to build in an empty Easy, Town, or City hex, and 2 BP to build in an empty Difficult hex. It costs 1.5 BP to build in an Easy, Town, or City hex that already has another Railway's Track (and impossible to build into a Difficult hex previously claimed by a different Railway). Leftover BP may not be saved between turns.

All Tracks of a single Railway must be in a contiguous series of hexes (though they can branch). If, after placing Track, a Railway connects all three Major Cities (Belfast, Dublin, and Galway), a dividend of £12 is paid, split evenly between each Share of that company owned by players. For example, if one player owns two Shares of a Railway, and a second player owns one Share, the first player will earn £8 from the special dividend, and the second player will earn £4. Each Railway may earn this bonus once.

Each Railway has a maximum limit of nineteen Tracks, including the Track in their starting city.

Place a Special Interest
The player who chooses this action selects a Town in which there is Track belonging to a Railway for which they own at least one Share. That player then chooses a Dividend cube from the supply and places it in the Town, converting it into a City.

Note: If the last Dividend cube is drawn from the supply, this action can end the game.

Call for Dividends
When this action is selected, three Dividend cubes are drawn randomly from the supply. If there are fewer than three Dividend cubes left, then draw all that remain. The types of cube that are drawn determine the Cities that will pay dividends; drawing multiples of the same type has no extra effect for the action. Drawn cubes permanently leave the supply and thus bring the game closer to its end.

IrishGauge_HexInfo.gif

Each Railway checks to see if pays Dividends, and how much it will pay. A Railway only pays dividends if it has Track in at least two paying Cities, or one paying City and one Town. When a Railway generates income, it adds £4 for every paying City (£0 for non-paying Cities) and £2 for every Town.

Each Railway's total income is divided as evenly as possible between each Share of that company owned by players, rounding up in the case of any fractions. For example, if one player owns two Shares of a Railway, and a second player owns one Share, and that Railway generates £14 of income, the first player will earn £10 and the second player will earn £5.

Ending the Game
The game ends at the end of a turn where there are no Dividend cubes remaining in the supply. All players add their cash in hand to the face values of the Shares they own; the player or players with the highest total win the game.



Game Link Index
Game Setup
After Initial Auctions (Turns 1-5)
Turns 6-10: Track building
Turns 11-14: More track building
Turns 15-19: First Dividends
Turns 20-23: Track building
Turns 24-28: Auctions for additional shares
Turns 29-34: Special Dividends and second Dividends
Turns 35-38: Placing a Special Interest and a major auction
Turns 39-43: More auctions and third Dividends
Turns 44-48: Many auctions for remaining shares
Turns 49-52: Fourth Dividends
Turns 53-57: Special interests and final dividends

4463rwiq7r47.png
MrBlarney on
«134567

Posts

  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    Player Signups
    This will be a three or four player game of Irish Gauge. If you're interested in playing, post your sign up in bold, colorful text to make sure I see it. Signups will be open for approximately the next 24 hours, assuming that at least four people sign up. From those who sign up, I'll randomly select four to be the players for this edition of the game. If four players haven't signed up in the first 24 hours, signups will be extended in 24-hour intervals until at least four signups have been achieved; after 72 hours, I will start the game with three players.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    TRAINS!

  • DaemonisDaemonis Registered User regular
    Choo-choo!

  • WildcatWildcat Registered User regular
    Oh, a subject matter dear to my heart!

  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    This sounds like a lot of fun! Sign me up! though if the game is going to run into next weekend I will probably be better off as a reserve as we will be at the beach next weekend.

  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    This is a mean game.

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    Looks like there are three official signups so far (discrider, Daemonis, JPants). Gonna need to see some bold text from Wildcat and 38thDoe if that interest actually indicates a signup.
    JPants wrote: »
    This sounds like a lot of fun! Sign me up! though if the game is going to run into next weekend I will probably be better off as a reserve as we will be at the beach next weekend.

    I do expect this game to run into next weekend, and a few more weekends beyond that - it's a game with a lot of actions to be taken by its players. So being away for a few days won't really hurt.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    I'll spectate unless you can't get to four as I've already played.

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    38thDoe wrote: »
    I'll spectate unless you can't get to four as I've already played.
    I can understand that. I have the feeling that getting one game's experience under your belt will already be a fair boon for understanding the game's pacing. If we get to the 72-hour mark without a fourth signup, though, I will still put you in. The game just feels like it'd be best at that number. With five, you could exit the opening auctions with one company per player, losing some of the decision-making of which companies to expand and when (at least at the start of the game). Three seems like it'd also be fine, but I do have my suspicions that the share density might be too much at the start. So four seems like it might be the sweet spot to try for, at least for an initial run.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • WildcatWildcat Registered User regular
    I haven't played before, but I'd probably prefer to spectate as well unless you need a fourth player.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Do the starting cities never pay dividends because they don't have a coloured cube on them and can't get one?

  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    discrider wrote: »
    Do the starting cities never pay dividends because they don't have a coloured cube on them and can't get one?
    No, they will pay dividends, and fairly regularly at that. At the start of the game, the eight starting cities will be seeded with Dividend Cubes, drawn from a set of twelve cubes (four of each color). So they will very much be a key consideration in terms of how your train lines are built.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    Game Setup

    For game setup, I will randomly select the player order:
    1. discrider
    2. Daemonis
    3. JPants
    4. 38thDoe

    And allocate Dividend cubes to the starting cities in the following order: Galway, Limerick, Cork, Derry, Kilkenny, Waterford, Belfast, and Dublin. Cubes will be drawn from a bag consisting of four cubes of each color; the four cubes that are not selected will be returned to the rest of the cubes. 1-4 indicates white cubes, 5-8 indicates pink cubes, and 9-12 indicates black cubes.

    Geth roll 4p4 for Player Order
    Geth roll 12p8 for Cities

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    edited March 2020
    Well, that didn't work like I wanted it to. Maybe if I roll them in separate posts?

    Geth roll 4p4 for Player Order

    EDIT: Nope. Rolling them on Orokos, then:

    Player Order: {3, 1, 2, 4}
    Initial City Special Interests: {5, 2, 3, 11, 4, 7, 9, 12}

    MrBlarney on
    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    edited March 2020
    Status Update, Game Setup

    The player order is JPants, discrider, Daemonis, and 38thDoe.
    White cubes are placed in Limerick, Cork, and Kilkenny.
    Pink cubes are placed in Galway and Waterford.
    Black cubes are placed in Derry, Belfast, and Dublin.

    Game Map
    IrishGauge_Game01_T00.gif

    Player Status
    JPants: £20, no shares
    discrider: £20, no shares
    Daemonis: £20, no shares
    38thDoe: £20, no shares

    Railway Status
    CBSC
    18 unplaced tracks
    Connections: Cork (White City)
    Available Shares: £7, £12, £17

    WLW
    18 unplaced tracks
    Connections: Limerick (White City)
    Available Shares: £5, £10, £15, £19

    BCD
    18 unplaced tracks
    Connections: Belfast (Black City)
    Available Shares: £8, £13

    GSW
    18 unplaced tracks
    Connections: Dublin (Black City)
    Available Shares: £4, £9, £14, £18

    MGW
    18 unplaced tracks
    Connections: Dublin (Black City)
    Available Shares: £6, £11, £16

    Dividend Cube Status
    In bag: 7 White, 8 Pink, 7 Black
    Drawn: none
    Cities: 3 White (Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick), 2 Pink (Galway, Waterford), 3 Black (Belfast, Derry, Dublin)

    The initial share auctions will now start, with @JPants having first option on the CBSC £7 share. Be sure to state actions in bold to let others know when you're making something official. As a reminder, for the initial auctions only, there is no obligation for a player to bid on a share, but any opening bids must be at least the share value. If nobody bids, then the lead player gets that share for free. The winner of each share becomes the leader for the next share.

    After the conclusion of the CBSC £7 auction, the following shares will be auctioned, in this order: WLW £5, BCD £8, GSW £4, MGW £6. Afterwards, play will start with the owner of the CBSC £7 share.

    MrBlarney on
    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    A reminder that this share also determines the player who goes first after the initial auctions.

  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    discrider wrote: »
    A reminder that this share also determines the player who goes first after the initial auctions.
    Good point, I'll add that to the post.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    wow i was so hoping to not go first. Guess i gotta buckle down and figure out how this game actually works!

  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    Lets do this:

    Bid $7

    @discrider

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Bid $8?
    @Daemonis

  • DaemonisDaemonis Registered User regular
    Sorry for delay, we had some public holidays. Pass.

  • DaemonisDaemonis Registered User regular
  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    Pass. @JPants

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    Bid $9
    @discrider

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Pass.
    @Jpants for WLW

  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    pass on WLW
    @discrider

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Bid $5
    @Daemonis

  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    @MrBlarney is this like poker where if you pass before a bet is made you get a shot to bet at the end, or am I out of the bidding on this one because i passed to start?

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited March 2020
    JPants wrote: »
    @MrBlarney is this like poker where if you pass before a bet is made you get a shot to bet at the end, or am I out of the bidding on this one because i passed to start?

    You're out of the bidding, or at least that's how I read "Opening player doesn't need to bid" plus "Once a player has passed, they are out of that auction"

    ... Also not sure what type of Poker doesn't have a blind bet.

    discrider on
  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    discrider wrote: »
    JPants wrote: »
    @MrBlarney is this like poker where if you pass before a bet is made you get a shot to bet at the end, or am I out of the bidding on this one because i passed to start?

    You're out of the bidding

    That's how I originally interpreted that but just wanted to verify (and in case anyone else was wondering).

  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    I can confirm that: once you pass on an auction, you're out of it completely, regardless of when you do it.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    discrider wrote: »
    JPants wrote: »
    @MrBlarney is this like poker where if you pass before a bet is made you get a shot to bet at the end, or am I out of the bidding on this one because i passed to start?

    You're out of the bidding, or at least that's how I read "Opening player doesn't need to bid" plus "Once a player has passed, they are out of that auction"

    ... Also not sure what type of Poker doesn't have a blind bet.

    talking post flop in Hold'em for example.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Ah fair enough.
    Was thinking that you still needed to buy in though :P

  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    FYI going to the beach for my wifes birthday this weekend so might be slow to respond. Will try to keep an eye on email notifications.

  • DaemonisDaemonis Registered User regular
    Bid $6
    @38thDoe

  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    7
    @discrider

    You can get these for cheaper than cost btw.

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
  • MrBlarneyMrBlarney Registered User regular
    38thDoe wrote: »
    You can get these for cheaper than cost btw.

    Only technically: if nobody bids in the initial auctions, then it goes for free to the lead player. But any bids made on the share must be at least the minimum share price.

    Even if you could bid below the share minimum, it seems like a bad idea to let one go for below its printed price, since you get that printed value at the end of the game. Maybe you'd let it slide if you wanted to keep more money for a non-opening auction. But otherwise, it'd be giving easy, free money to one of your opponents.

    4463rwiq7r47.png
  • DaemonisDaemonis Registered User regular
    Pass
    @38thDoe

  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    Hmm I thought I read the exact opposite. Pass.

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
Sign In or Register to comment.