Paul Butler
United States
Glen Burnie
Maryland
-
So this question came up in a game just now.
So let's say the only two open roads are a space between a 4 and 5, and a space between two 3's. Placement on the former would only help my opponents, and end the game. So what are my options here? Pass my turn and hope my opponent doesn't roll what he needs? Or take a crap shoot and hope I can roll a 3 or a 1 (to move the Legion)?
Seems like the game would effectively be over for me, as I continually pass my turn and watch and hope that my opponent doesn't roll the number he needs.
Anyone?
-
David Lewis
United States
Overland Park
Kansas
-
There should be other roads open as well. I understand roads between captured forts are still available for placement.
-
Eric Haas
United States
Edgewood
Maryland
-
I was in that game. We had five players, and we had missed the rule about using only five cubes, instead of all six, so we had the board way too full.
-
Eric Vogel
United States
Hayward
California
-
It sounds like playing with 6 cubes each was indeed the problem. There are 28 roads, and 25 cubes in a 5 player game. So there could not be a case of only 2 open roads to play on. Sometimes in the late game, a particular roll may be hard gain advantage from, but it isn't possible to end up in a situation where all possible rolls are useless. But this could easily happen if you were playing with too many cubes. Try it again with 5 cubes.
-
matt schmaltz
United States
fort meade
Maryland
-
I was in this game, and after reading that we messed up the rule about playing with 5 cubes instead of 6, that seemed like it would help. However I quickly realized you last comment still isn't true. Playing 5 cubes makes the situation less likely, however it still seemed very possible. I pulled out the board and started placing cubes in an attempt to intentionally create another situation where it could happen. Not only was I able to create a situation where this is possible, but it took about 1.5 minutes and took almost no effort. Also it is possible to have a situation where you can have a non-double roll which is impossible to place(yes including the already captured fort rule). These are in fact very possible situations, that need some form of resolution.
-
David Lewis
United States
Overland Park
Kansas
-
dashmudtz wrote: I able to create a situation where this is possible, but it took about 1.5 minutes and took almost no effort. Also it is possible to have a situation where you can have a non-double roll which is impossible to place(yes including the already captured fort rule). These are in fact very possible situations, that need some form of resolution.
I'm sure it's possible, but it seems like it should be rare, and the solution is to pass. This may seem unfortunate to the one forced to pass, but it may reflect good plays by the passer's opponents.
Creating a situation as you did illustrates what could happen, but in reality, there will likely be some warriors on boats during play, and others returned to their players after being evicted from roads. Both of these allow more roads to be open.
-
matt schmaltz
United States
fort meade
Maryland
-
What is probable still doesn't account for what is possible, and it has happened in our game. we made an on the spot house rule for it, which worked for the time. Regardless when determining rules for a game, saying something is less likely than something else, and therefore doesn't need a rule, doesn't work.
-
David Lewis
United States
Overland Park
Kansas
-
dashmudtz wrote: What is probable still doesn't account for what is possible, and it has happened in our game. we made an on the spot house rule for it, which worked for the time. Regardless when determining rules for a game, saying something is less likely than something else, and therefore doesn't need a rule, doesn't work.
I thought it happened in your game where too many cubes were used.
And I don't think anyone said a rule wasn't needed here. The rules allow for passing, so I think that's covered.
Out of curiosity, what was the house rule you made?
Thanks.
-
matt schmaltz
United States
fort meade
Maryland
-
well the rules say you can pass as your turn, not after you see your dice. Since A roll came up where both numbers were unusable, we just re-rolled.
-
Eric Vogel
United States
Hayward
California
-
To be clear, yes it is legal to pass after the dice have been rolled. This is a rule that got mis-stated in the 2nd edition rules (copy editor's doing). It is correctly stated in the First edition rules.
It is possible that late in the game, there is no place you can play on the board that is both legal, and advantageous; this is a normal, though not common part of the game, and the reason I added the pass option. It usually only happens in 5 player games when most of the players are locked in ties around forts; it is usually better strategy to get second place if you can, rather than create a tie around a large fort, particularly in a 5 player game.
The situation you had described playing with 6 cubes, which is not possible with 5, is for there to be only 2 open roads on the board. That is the only thing I was saying could not happen.
-
matt schmaltz
United States
fort meade
Maryland
-
Thank you very much for the clarification. Yes we did have a 2nd edition copy.
-
|
|
