tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414685355912892184.post5395017999694912000..comments2023-12-21T15:09:03.181+00:00Comments on First Take Some Dice: Four Houses on Trafalgar SquareRobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065487112995793789noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414685355912892184.post-8677121129032465382016-07-25T11:00:23.183+01:002016-07-25T11:00:23.183+01:00Thanks for the comment. I have not yet tried Chin...Thanks for the comment. I have not yet tried Chinatown, but I have heard good things about it scratching a similar itch to Monopoly in a more modern/smooth way; I think Lords of Vegas seems to hit a similar vibe from what I have heard, though again, I haven't tried it. Interestingly the card game Monopoly Deal does a decent job of bringing some of the better aspects of the original game to a lighter and quicker game, and I can enjoy playing that.<br /><br />I enjoyed reading <a href="https://pastgo.net/2015/11/20/historiopoly-contextualizing-monopoly-in-u-s-american-culture/" rel="nofollow">your post</a>. You've thought about this a lot more than I have, and the roleplay aspect is an interesting one: if you just want to roleplay for a while and not actually find a winner, the game is great. <br /><br />I was also amused by the reference to Dixon's comments on house rules. I should modify the pitches for my games to add that players are free to create house rules to suit their play style, so any imperfections in the base game are irrelevant. That should work, right? :)Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10065487112995793789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414685355912892184.post-64756668814965857312016-07-24T23:38:03.768+01:002016-07-24T23:38:03.768+01:00We had many years of fun playing Monopoly as a fam...We had many years of fun playing Monopoly as a family growing up, and it was absolutely seminal in my development as a game player and as a game designer. But yes: the flaws in it are very glaring these days. Fortunately, there are some good alternatives out there that offer some of the elements of Monopoly that ARE enjoyable, without the problem of the other, clunky or imbalanced mechanics. A favorite of ours is Chinatown, which gives you the negotiation/trading aspect, and the goal of making money, but it isn't burdened by excessive length, randomness, or brutality.<br /><br />Someday (maybe) I'll finish my Monopoly "redux" I've worked on periodically for years. Until then, you may be interested in a related article I wrote awhile back regarding the cultural phenomenon that is Monopoly:<br /><br />https://pastgo.net/2015/11/20/historiopoly-contextualizing-monopoly-in-u-s-american-culture/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16175934077750432926noreply@blogger.com