United States
Parsons
Kansas
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I was hesitant to attempt any kind of a session report after the first play of the card version of T2R, but I had some questions the rules didn't cover and wanted to see if we were mis-interpreting anything.
To begin, I delt six ticket cards to each of us, followed by one locomotive (wild) card and seven train cards. Five train cards were turned face up, like in the other versions. Each of us kept four tickets, and I ended up with Seattle-Miami, LA-Dallas, Seattle-Dallas and LA-Miami. (I didn't write down what my partner kept initally). After a couple of rounds of drawing cards, Barteus first placed trains in his "rail yard". Next, when I started my rail yard, one of his sections was eliminated due to "train-robbing". After 8 or 9 rounds of placing cards in our rail yards and in the track decks, we each began taking new tickets. When the train deck ran dry, Barteus finished with 8 tickets and I finished with 7. Each of us completed all of them. Barteus ended the game with 143 pts., including bonuses for Chicago, LA and New York; and I ended with 136, including bonuses for Seattle and Miami. At the end of the game, we each felt like we could have taken more tickets, but were afraid we get burned, not remembering for sure what was in our face-down, track cards.
Our questions are:
1. It seemed almost too easy for us to make our tickets. Aside from a couple of trains robbed out of each of our yards,that really didn't hurt us. Is there something we missed?
2. The rules say that at the end of the game, locomotives can be used for any route and not only for the one they were designated for when it was first used. Each of us had 4 or 5 locomotive cards in our own decks that we did not need. I don't remember an over abundance of train cards that were not used by either of us. Is this typical?
Perhaps having more players would bring a little more balance to the game; it really messed me up not having a board to see my progress on. It turned out to be more of a game of memory than anything. Before I solidify my opinion of the game, I wanted to get some feedback and see if we were playing correctly (as far as we could tell from the rules, we were). We'll surely play a game with more players eventually to see how that would change things.
Thanks for any comments you might have,
Vito
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Sounds like you were playing correctly to me. It is kind of a memory game, but that is not the focus of the game's mechanics, IMO. There are times when you will have taken more train cards than you can use, and other times when you won't have enough, locomotives included. The more "Train Robbers" you have to deal with, the better the chances are that you won't have something you need when it comes time to tally up.
I will say this, the game is much more hectic and difficult with more players. You will end up with tickets unfullfilled more often, even though you may not take as many as you do in a two-player game, and you will deal with "Train Robbers" much more often, which takes away train cards you find you deperately need all of the sudden. I think 4 players is probably optimal for my tastes and how this game plays.
Cheers!
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Dan C
United States
Florida
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You guys were playing pretty conservative. 7 or 8 tickets is a fairly small amount for a 2P game, and therefore easier to finish the tickets. Usually we finish with about 12-15 tickets each in 2P. Granted, one or two of them will be unfinished, but you can arrange your train cards to fill all but the low pointers.
Unlike other TTR games, there is not much risk with taking tickets - it's draw four, but you don't have to keep any - so except for giving up a turn, you don't have much to lose. It's pretty easy to find tickets that have the current colors of what's in your hand or the 5 face-up train cards.
There's some memory involved, but not much: I usually don't have to remember more than the last 2 or three colors I've put in my stack. When I know a ticket in my hand is finished, I put aside out of sight and out of mind, and only focus on current tickets I'm trying to finish.
Have you played it more than once? I did not "get" the game the first time, but the 2nd and 3rd time I really got the flow of how it works better.
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United States
Parsons
Kansas
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So far, this was our only play. We both felt like we could have taken quite a few more tickets too, but thought it was too easy finishing them. That's why we thought something was wrong as the rules were vauge on some points (in our opinions).
From the responses I've gotten, it appears we were playing the right way.
Thanks for your posts!
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Kevin Rutledge
United States
Elkton
Maryland
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My wife and I played this twice. The first time we got it all wrong. The second time I was in the same boat. I had so many cards left over it was rediculous. I turned over the next six ticket cards and I could have fulfilled them(most with wilds). If you are familiar with the board game, I think it is hard to get past the idea of the risk in taking tickets in the board game vs. the relative low risk in the card game. I think we are going to give it a try a few more times, but I am not quite sold on the game as of now.
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joewtwins
United States
Des Moines
Iowa
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Don't think of this as a real TTR game, just a game that happens to bear the same name. It becomes a bit better if you don't compare it to much.
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United States
Parsons
Kansas
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rutledgek wrote: If you are familiar with the board game, I think it is hard to get past the idea of the risk in taking tickets in the board game vs. the relative low risk in the card game. I think we are going to give it a try a few more times, but I am not quite sold on the game as of now.
Thanks. My friend and I are too used to the board games that we thought we were going to get hosed at the end for a lack of cards. We haven't played it since January, but I would like to get it out again to see what we could do. My wife got me the 1912 expansion (Europa) and I like it just as much as I like 1910. It's a fun series for sure.
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I have played with people who lost in a big way, because they didn't think it was any risk to take all the tickets they could get their hand on. I think it depends on the player.
I do think this is a fun card game. Generally, I've found that people who have NOT played the "real" TTR find this more than, than people who have.
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United States
Parsons
Kansas
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Brichs wrote: Generally, I've found that people who have NOT played the "real" TTR find this more fun than people who have.
My group has been playing the T2R board games for a few years now, and I've only played a 2-player card game with Barteus once (I own the game). We did not get a great first impression of it, probably for the reason you just gave. Before we count it out all together, we do want to play it a couple of times with more players. It was hard for me to remember toward the end of the game what cards I have put in my rail yard 10 rounds ago and whether or not I have made my tickets.
This is not related to the card game, but my wife got me the 1912 expansion for the European map recently. I really like the addition of warehouses and depots and the new routes. Barteus and I mixed a version of the U.S. 1910 map with warehouses AND train stations from the European game. It worked out very well for us, but nowhere could we find in the rules about using the train stations on other maps, like the expansion rules talks about doing with the depots and warehouses.
Thanks for your thoughts!
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