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HELLO, good evening and welcome to issue 33 of Octopus's Garden, the subzeen with its very own end-game statements. An html version of this subzeen is available on the Web at http://www.manorcon.demon.co.uk/octopus/index.html. It's also sent to the TAP mailing list, which you can join automatically by sending the message 'subscribe tap' to majordomo@igo.org. The message 'unsubscribe tap' sent to the same address will get you off the mailing list.
All start Paris, no exit hex specified
Name 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ---- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- LFFfCc 20 34 33 44 50 52 65 66 65 103 155 186 209 FREAK 20 22 35 44 43 45 34 63 100 150 169 182 221 CAN CAN 20 24 24 22 35 34 38 62 96 123 117 144 196 TBNS 20 28 34 46 39 53 56 89 124 133 166 233 258 RAVEL 20 22 34 40 71 54 45 78 104 160 208 280 321
My first win under 'restriction rules' (only 4 races per round and builds in rounds 7-12 expressed in build points instead of hexes), I didn't think my network looked very good until the races came. But with limited participation in the races it's no problem at all if your lines cover only part of the map so long as the parts they do cover are connected in an effective manner. I still don't like those 'restriction rules' but apart from those Pete's running of this game has been very enjoyable, I hope he runs another one else OG would be left unemployed!
A disappointing final round. I think I hate this map! I have played on it about four times now and each time I think the obvious build is down to Marseille (and each time I have been second or third). So did two others so I thought I should head for the south west. It worked to begin with but there is plenty of room for other players to build into the area, unlike in the south east. I wonder how the game would have worked out if all three of us had continued to build to Marseille? Congratulations to Berry on a fairly convincing win. Thanks for GMing Pete. Apologies for the several late orders. Anyone know what became of Pitt Crandlemire?
Well, I hadn't played Railway Rivals for about five years, and my one attempt at playing postally ended somewhat prematurely when the subzine that was running the game folded. Still, after a bit of head scratching about which colours were which on the map that Peter sent me, I enjoyed stepping into this game as a standby, and given the chance I wouldn't mind having another go.
Yes, well. I think my problems were compounded from Round One forward by the fact that I don't speak a word of French, thus I built rather aimlessly without being able to ask anyone for directions. You'll notice that my best connections are in the northeast corner, where some German is spoken. I had intended to head for Spain too, where I could use my Spanish, but forgot to do so.
I'll be perfectly honest: For the last three or four rounds I've stopped paying very much attention. So I don't know who's playing which colour, nor who is winning. However, the yellow track is a masterpiece except for that really bone-headed spur across toward Nantes, and the red track actually looks like a pattern of varicose veins developing - but I don't understand why he didn't do Y17 - S20 - S21 at some point so to be competitive in all those Riviera runs. Blue - well, that's a joke. Where's the presence on the entire eastern 50% of the map, except two little horizontal bleeders that don't seem particularly productive - or perhaps some of that is purple, I really can't tell any more as the pens have faded. Is there any rule in this game that says if two colours fade over time so that they start to look alike, the companies are considered to have merged? There ought to be.
Thank you all, and thank you Peter, and let us try this again on a map with which I am happier. I speak lots of English, so choose accordingly. Of course that eliminates the ones of Scotland...
France is a map I've always enjoyed, but you need at least two people competing for the Loire Valley (Lyon to Marsailles) in order to make it competative for the other players. What Berry refers to as "restriction rules" (enter any x from y, where x is just over half y) is the only way I've ever seen R.R. run postally, although I never saw Rianna Games Review, which I believe developed several variations like this. Contrarywise, this was the first R.R. game I've run that used stand-bys, and it worked very well - the delays caused by the drop-outs were more than compensated by the fact that all five lines were still in play throughout. My thanks to both the stand-bys for their help in getting this game completed - Berry at least has found that "virtue is its own reward"! There's no new waiting list as of yet, as I am still thinking about what I want to run next, and I need to talk to Jim-Bob about it. Life is a bit busy at the moment, having just started a new job, which has already involved four flights in five days (and bear in mind this is the British Isles, where flying on business is not exactly unknown, but certainly rarer than in the Americas). However, I will get a round tuit soon...
"We are Gates of Borg. You will be embraced and extended" (Picture from SlashdotNews for Nerds, at http://www.slashdot.org/)
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