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[theorel]

Current Game State: Here
Current Auction: None

Power Grid

The object of Power Grid is to supply the most cities with power when someone's network gains a predetermined size. In this new edition, players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection, and then bid against each other to purchase the power plants that they use to power their cities.

However, as plants are purchased, newer, more efficient plants become available, so by merely purchasing, you're potentially allowing others access to superior equipment.

Additionally, players must acquire the raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) needed to power said plants (except for the 'renewable' windfarm/ solar plants, which require no fuel), making it a constant struggle to upgrade your plants for maximum efficiency while still retaining enough wealth to quickly expand your network to get the cheapest routes.

Description from BGG

This is the thread for a Play By Forum game of Freidemann Friese's Power Grid.

Rules: http://riograndegames.com/uploads/Game/Game_5_gameRules.pdf

My plan here is just to run the game.  My understanding is that it's best with 4-5 players, So I'll take sign-ups till we hit 5.  If we fall short, I can play as well, but my intention in the forum games is to stick to games I don't get to play with friends and family.  We'll be playing one of the maps from the base game (USA or Germany).  So, if everyone could state their preference for which map in their in-post that would be great.  If you have anything more severe than a preference note that as well.

Sign-ups
1. Galzria
2. bozzball
3. QVist
4. Tables
5. liopoil

Let me know if you've got any questions.

Auctions will be handled in an e-bay style.  When bidding each player PMs me a maximum auto-bid.  I'll then increment the bidding until we pass the lowest auto-bid maximum, and offer the player the chance to increase their auto-bid or give a set value bid.
During auto-bidding bids default to increasing by 1.
See Galzria's post three down for an example.

As an option, you may tell me you want to "force max".  If you do so, then the last bid you make before you would be expected to exceed your maximum will be your maximum bid.  Expectation is determined by the other player's "increments", if at least one round has been completed, otherwise it is assumed to be 1.
See my post (reply #22) for an example of a forced max.

PM structure for Auto-bidding:
Bidding on Plant ##.  Max Bid: $## (optional-force max).  (optionally) Increment by: $##.

Turn Summary Reminder: (These are the phases of the turn)
1. Determine Turn Order: (most cities first, tiebreakers determined by highest power plant #)

2. Auction Power Plants: In turn order.

3. Buy Resources: In reverse turn order.

4. Build City Connections: In reverse turn order.

5. Beaureaucracy (power cities and receive money).  I will as a default assume you are powering as many cities as you can.  Let me know if you want to do differently, if there is a non-obvious choice of which plants you will fire, I'll ask.

Other Relevant Game Information:

-During Step 1, only one player may build in each city.  The first player to build in a city pays $10.

Step 2 begins at the END of "Phase 4" when at least 1 player has built to 7 cities. 
-During step 2, a second player can build in each city.  The second player to build in a city pays $15.

Step 3 begins at the end of the phase when the Step 3 card is turned over from the Power Plant deck.  (This can happen in any of phases 2, 4, or 5) 
-During Step 3 a third player may build in each city.  The third player pays $20.


Game End triggers at the end of Phase 4 when at least one player has built to 15 cities.  At this time the winner is the player who can POWER the most cities, ties broken by cash in hand, then by # cities connected.

Restock Rates (for 5 players):

Step	1	2	3
Coal:	5	7	5
Oil:	4	5	6
Garbage:	3	3	5
Uranium:	2	3	2

Income Table

# Cities	Income	# Cities	Income	# Cities	Income
0	10	5	64	10	105
1	22	6	73	11	112
2	33	7	82	12	118
3	44	8	90	13	124
4	54	9	98	14	129

[Galzria]

In!

[bozzball]

In! I'd rather play USA map, but I'm easy.

[Galzria]

For bidding, will we go back and forth, or simply have the player who starts the auction declare, and then each person send you a "top price" if they want in, or pass otherwise (both by PM)?

If we do "top price", you can post the current bid number, and then give the second bidder one more chance in thread to go higher. Example:

Plant 13 has been set for Auction. Opening bid is 13 by Player A.

Player A sends you a PM - he will bid up to 20.
Player B bought already, so passes.
Player C sends you a PM - he will bid up to 16.
Player D passes.
Player E sends you a PM - he will bid up to 19.

Assume 1 increments since each player wants it for as cheap as they can get it:

C bids 14
E bids 15
A bids 16

(This all happens automatically)

You announce to threads:

"Current bid is 16 by player A, player C, do you wish to outbid? Current bidders are A, C and E"

After C decides (we'll assume he passes), you continue:

E bids 17
A bids 18
E bids 19
A bids 20

"Current bid is 20 by player A. Player E, do you wish to outbid?"

etc.

[theorel]

That sounds like a good idea to speed up the auction phase.  I'd be fine with it.  So, anyone signing up, let me know if you have issue with it.

[bozzball]

Do you only get one chance to up your current price? I can imagine a situation where how high I am willing to go depends on who I am bidding against.

[Watno]

The problem with that bidding idea is that if your naximum bid is 20, you might not go from 18 to 19, with a higher danger of being overbid, but would bid 20 right away.

[Galzria]

Do you only get one chance to up your current price? I can imagine a situation where how high I am willing to go depends on who I am bidding against.

Once you've passed, you're out. If you reach your "top price", but decide to stay in, then it'll likely have to resort to bid by bid in thread, unless you declare to the mod a new "top price"

But I think the answer to your question is "no". If you up your current "top price", you're still in the bidding until you pass or win. The nice thing about doing it this way is that it automates much of the process, while never penalizing a player (they will always win it for the cheapest amount they can, up to their top price).

[bozzball]

Once you've passed, you're out. If you reach your "top price", but decide to stay in, then it'll likely have to resort to bid by bid in thread, unless you declare to the mod a new "top price"

But I think the answer to your question is "no". If you up your current "top price", you're still in the bidding until you pass or win. The nice thing about doing it this way is that it automates much of the process, while never penalizing a player (they will always win it for the cheapest amount they can, up to their top price).

I am in for this description.

[Galzria]

The problem with that bidding idea is that if your naximum bid is 20, you might not go from 18 to 19, with a higher danger of being overbid, but would bid 20 right away.

If someone exceeds you by jumping a greater increment than 1, you would still get the chance to respond, obviously. And if you yourself don't want to penny up, you can send a CO with your bid to the mod asking to up the bid to "X" on your turn.

[theorel]

I was considering offering the option to force your max bid (i.e. if opponents use consistent increments before your next bid and that would exceed your maximum, you jump to your max bid).  But thought that might complicate matters unnecessarily.  I'm willing to do it if anyone would prefer.

[theorel]

Oh also, everyone should select a color.

[Galzria]

Purple, or if someone has their heart set on that, then Red.

[Tables]

If there's space I'm definitely /in. I play with Blue

Oh looks like there is plenty of space, just lots of back and forth discussion . Yeah I'm fine with this bidding system, it might not 100% capture the F2F experience, but some things do change slightly (for better or worse) when you go to PBF.

[shraeye]

How sharp is the learning curve on this game?  Could I go from "knowing nothing" today, to something other than "this game would be more fun if a better player were playing" within a reasonable timeframe?

Do you think this will start within the week (bad for me), or within two weeks (better for me), or even later (best for me)?

[Galzria]

How sharp is the learning curve on this game?  Could I go from "knowing nothing" today, to something other than "this game would be more fun if a better player were playing" within a reasonable timeframe?

Do you think this will start within the week (bad for me), or within two weeks (better for me), or even later (best for me)?

The learning curve is not steep at all, but like any good game the intricacies for great play run deep. I read the rules on Saturday and played F2F on Sunday with people I've got a ton of respect for. They're beyond smart, and very solid gamers. I had no problem holding my own, and the two people who game less than I who also played did just fine.

As for when it'll start, that's up to Theorel, but I'm hoping as soon as we fill up. I wouldn't cry over having to wait however.

[liopoil]

/in!

[theorel]

Given that we have 4 already confirmed in, and 1 presumed, we'll probably be starting tonight/tomorrow.

[liopoil]

I'd like green if possible.

[shraeye]

Ok ok, I'll get to reading the rules.  I'm interested, and love playing non-mafia games by forum here.  So far it's shown me two new awesome games that I love.

I'll /in

However, I'm going to be somewhat busy until Wednesday evening when I will read the rules.  Apologies for the holdup.  If you all are itching to play and another player arrives, feel free.  Maybe me and theorel can share a QT where we congratulate/make fun of players and talk about the game.

Color for me is irrelevant.

[liopoil]

I think you should be able to increase your max vote as many times as you want, to account for who you are bidding against. People should submit their max vote assuming the same people will still be in when the vote gets that high. You should only want to increase your max vote if somebody has passed since, or you've had a change of heart. To speed things up maybe we should only give people the option to stop bidding if somebody has passed since they last submitted their last vote.

[liopoil]

Watno makes a good point...perhaps in the PM to theorel you should state when to jump to your max bid, if at all? auto increment of 1 sounds good otherwise

USA map I guess. Don't care much

[theorel]

Force max bid option: (I can include this even if no one will ever use it)
You may include a Force Max Bid option in your PM.
If you do so, and your bid takes you close enough to your maximum that the other players bids will meet/exceed your maximum you will jump the bid to hit exactly your maximum.
Example (shamelessly stolen from Galzria):
A bids 13 on the 13. PMs max of 20.
B passes
C bids 14 with a max of 17.
D passes.
E bids 15 with a max of 20, selects to force his max bid.

A then bids 16 automatically.
C bids 17 automatically.
E would bid 18.  HOWEVER, if he bid 18 and A and C each bid up by 1, then he would be left with a next bid of 21.  He opted to force his max of 20, so he bids 20.  Note: C actually was expecting to be passing, so E didn't actually need to bid 20 to beat him.  If A had selected to force his max bid he still would only have bid 16 because he didn't "expect" E to bid 20.

Note that in this instance E would bid 20 even if A and C both had max bids of 17.  So, he could be way overpaying.  That's the risk of forcing your maximum.

The same result could be achieved by E selecting a max auto-bid of 17.  And then bidding 20 when given the opportunity to up his bid (using the "set value bid" option)

[theorel]

@shraeye: I'm still giving QVist dibs due to his post in Tables' thread.

[Qvist]

Thanks theorel

/in

Now I have to read the rules.