i am posting what i got from my last attempt at this… however note i have many new ideas not yet put to paper.
Note that lumber may be a 5th business model
Bonanza:
Strike it Rich!
This game is for up to four players. The game can be won by only one player who amasses the greatest wealth by a time limit decided before the start of the game. Wealth is created by investments that are prospected, developed, and generates income each game turn. Players roll to start game with the high roll playing first and play continuing clockwise. The map represents the principle sections of California, Nevada, and Arizona where oil, Railroads, cattle, and mines (both silver and gold) were predominate investment opportunities from 1870’s- 1930’s
Starting cash reserves:
Each player is given $80,000 in bills, Four $500, Eight $1,000, Four $5,000, and Five $10,000
The game features four starting areas of the map: Barkley Ranch in Stockton, Ponderosa Ranch in Lake Tahoe, Daniel Plainfield’s Signal Hill tract, and High Chaparral Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.
Turn sequence:
1. Draw and play one income card
2. Make purchase decisions
3. Make selling decisions
4. Draw and play one event card
5. Calculate income profit or loss
1. Draw Income Card:
Each player begins his turn by drawing a card which determines a number of options he has for the current turn:
• Whether he can purchase options of a new territory.
• What his oil or mine investments are going to generate per site.
• Whether he has some new oil wells or mines that are dry.
• Changes in shipping cost for using rail lines that are owned by others.
2. Make Purchase decisions:
The game features four different types of investments:
Territory allocations: The map has printed territories and within each has a number of potential sites where they are allocated for a type of investment. Oil derricks, Cattle, and Mines require one allocation. If a well runs dry, the cap is placed and it cannot again be used for any other allocation latter.
OIL
For each territory, where you are granted the original drilling option to purchase (by way of income card) you may develop oil wells also equal to the number of potential drilling attempts granted by the card from 1-4 different wells. Each time you drill you are assessed a cost depending on how far the drilling requires to produce oil and sometimes you may even drill a dry well which does not generate any income. In both cases you pay a fee to prospect. Roll a D6 and consult the following chart:
Die roll:
1= no oil- broke Rig, pay $3,000
2= no oil- damaged Drill, pay $2,000
3= no oil- lost tools in shaft, pay $1,000
4= oil found- substantial depth, pay $6,000 and place oil derrick
5= oil found- moderate depth, pay $4,000 and place oil derrick
6= oil found- surface depth, pay $2,000 and place oil derrick
Money is paid in full once the oil derrick is placed. Producing oil derricks generating income each turn are required for results of 4-6.
Note: If you do not have the original option to the territory, you may still drill for oil on your turn on a territory where the original drilling option is granted to another player. This is known as a leased drilling option. By playing double the printed territory cost to that player for each time you drill, you can still prospect in that territory. The number of leased options would be limited only to what you got on the income card you drew on your turn. In addition, anytime any player drills adjacent from a potential oil site from a producing oil derrick, he may allow for a die modifier of +2. Of course, the original player will usually try to develop adjacent oil wells first depending on his cash situation.
Oil produces an income each turn depending on the rate printed on the income card, but to gain this income the oil must be transported to specific areas of the map representing key rail centers for transport to outside of California, or by way of a pipeline to a sea sport. Each oil derrick costs one territory allocation.
Pipelines:
Pipelines cost $25,000 to build and allow the free transport of all producing oil derricks to an adjacent territory. Only one pipeline can be built between two territories. Each time you use the pipeline of another player your shipment is charged shipping costs of $1,000 per occurrence in each effected territory.
RAIL
Rail is the second method of wealth accumulation. Each player may fail at developing oil in a new territory, but allocate money to buy his own rail line. The board has many rail lines all color coded which connect the territories to areas where the oil can be shipped to remove the shipping cost of travel via pipeline. You can also charge other players a shipping rate determined on the rail cards property profile. When all the rail lines have been purchased, the rates are double. Rail lines do not require a territory allocation.
CATTLE
If you prefer a more cautious investment strategy you may develop large cattle/livestock reserves in any territory you control up to the limit of the development limit. Each cattle raised produces $500. Each cattle raised requires one territory allocation. Some event cards may alter this however.
MINES
This form of investment requires many turns to prospect, but at times can provide a cash cow to the investor or prove a financial failure. A shed is constructed and placed in a territory and uses one territory allocation. The income cards elucidate when you have a strike. If a strike is discovered it may be either gold or silver depending on the area and your claim will immediately generate the dollar amount each turn until another card is drawn by you or another player that ends this income leading to an dormant mine. Mines like oil require shipping but only by way of Rail to the same locations as oil.
Other units:
HOUSING
Every mine requires one house unit
Every oil derrick requires two house units
Every cattle requires three house units
Each house unit costs $2,000 and is paid during the purchase phase.
3. Make selling or trading decisions:
On your turn, you can sell Territories, developed oil derricks, cattle, or mines. You can do things like charge another player a protection charge to keep your enforcers from attacking his assets or protect them against other players. Whatever can earn you money you must use your assets to your advantage.
You may sell back anything to the bank at ½ rate or to sell or trade with another player for other assets. This is all part of the wheeling and dealing part of the game. You only able to make deals when it’s your own turn, unless you have been first offered by that player who is playing his turn. If you cannot sell enough of your property to pay your debts your considered bankrupt and out of the game. If you’re bankrupt all your properties go back to the bank and are available for purchase.
4. Draw and play one event card
You now draw the event card and follow the instructions, which can have some good and bad effects on you or other players. Some of these cards are random events like outside attacks, or stampedes, or squatters etc. The results of the card must be settled before the next and last phase. During this phase, you can also move units that are able to move (e.g. hired guns) one space and engage in shootouts. The following outline some of these:
THE LAW
In the event of lawlessness, event cards, or disputes of claims or assets the appearance of the local Sheriff may resolve disputes between parties. These units are not paid for any player and are otherwise controlled by the bank but can be bribed to leave your dispute alone allowing you to solve it by violence. The bribe is set by consulting the bribery table below:
THE LAWLESSNESS
These represent desperados who are hired killers to enforce and steal assets of other players. For game purposes we refer to them as hired guns. These are placed in controlled territories or sent to adjacent territories to engage in a showdown or gun battle. They may even be used to defend the rampage of Indian or Mexican raids that are featured on some of the event cards. They attack and defend at three or less. Hired guns cost $1,000 each per turn and can move one territory. All combat consists of a shootout described below:
THE SHOOTOUT
Each player that has decided to resort to violence can engage in a showdown with his adversary allocating his hired guns in a shootout.
The active player rolls first a D6 trying to hit on a three or less. The passive player rolls the same and the result is compared. If both players hit, the player who rolled lower gets to score his hit first and remove the opposing unit. If it is a tie, then both players lose a hired gun. Of course, if one player hits and the other player miss, then the first player chooses the defender loses. Sometimes your hired guns are fighting Mexican desperado’s, which attack at two, or Indians, which attack at one. At times, the event cards can ally the Mexicans or Indians with your side to fight as a united force.
Note: If the Sheriff is involved and or his deputies, they attack at four.
5. Calculate income profit or loss
The active player adds up his investments and tracks their path for shipping, calculating these costs and playing other players or the bank. Any gain is tracked as a profit of capital and a decline of revenue is your income loss. The player who gains the most net income total by the last turn of the game is declared the winner. The time limit is agreed in advance.
Note the new game is really nothing like this, but i am just showing you what i came up with in 2008.
I made 3 maps of western USA of various types using old western period maps to lend an air of realism. My new concept is more abstract because i prefer a property track like Monopoly that surrounds the land map.
The size of these maps in some cases goes over 1 GB, so i cant get a picture.
