5 ms·
We had a really old version of Monopoly growing up, and the rules said something like "Players may make any agreements they wish" (the rules don't say that now)
by justinsb 15y ago
We had a really old version of Monopoly growing up, and the rules said something like "Players may make any agreements they wish" (the rules don't say that now). That's what real Monopoly is about in my book: deal-making rather than gambling on the dice.
For example, if one player owns all the railroads, the rent is higher for each railroad. So, a common deal would be to "give" all the railroads to a single player, and that player would then divide the greater spoils.
Similar "pool" deals could be made to collect properties without needing to hope that you got them all by luck, or making similar deals to block other players.
There are also a large number of books that talk about Monopoly strategy and even analyze it statistically.
Needless to say, with these rules the game could easily become 'contentious'!
- pemulis 15y agoI absolutely agree, and want to add one point: Rent immunity, which this author decries, is the only thing that keeps the game interesting after the first few times circling the board. Weak players can team up to tear down strong players, while strong players try to play weak players against one another. It's all socially and psychologically driven, and it's possible to engineer amazing comebacks.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- eru 15y agoBut are agreements binding? If you want a game that thrives on negotiation, try Diplomacy.
- pavel_lishin 15y agoI've heard that it's a game that destroys friendships.
- T_S_ 15y agoThere are no dice. It's entirely about self-interest and betrayal. So why would you think that? ;-)
- protomyth 15y agoYeah, Diplomacy is one of those games that you know you have been back-stabbed and there are no dice to save you. I will say it is a fun distance game with a group. Diplomacy is a marathon and Colonial Diplomacy is a sprint. Playing Diplomacy with a judge and only 1 area of visibility is a true treat. If you want a game that can seriously lead to violence then try Junto, History of the Roman Empire, or TSR's Line in the Sand when Israel gets the "Ancient Israel" card with USA getting "Global Policemen" (these are not compatible and leads to nukes and fists).
- scottkduncan 15y agoSometimes in the middle of a game of Diplomacy it seems worth destroying a friendship if it means finding a way to wrest control of Serbia from an opponent.
- eru 15y agoAnd if they quit your friendship over a game, you better get new friends anyway.
- cpeterso 15y agoI've heard that too, but I'm not sure why any players (friends) would be surprised. The whole point of the game is to backstab other players at just the right moment! :)
- padobson 15y agoThis a great point. There are two facets to Monopoly that unfortunately go unnoticed in any debate among board game geeks. The first, you mentioned, is the art of the deal in each game - the psychological and strategic maneuvering of assets acquired by dice roll. The second facet, and no less important, is that almost everyone knows the rules to monopoly. You can play a lively game of monopoly with your grandmother, your son, your older sibling, and a random stranger, because everyone has a basic understanding of the game. In a game of psychological maneuvering, nothing is more valuable than the possible diversity of the psyches involved.