Northwest Passage [Quenched]

[shakeycat]

I'm finding this version is growing on me too. I do prefer the wider gameplay, though I'm still not sure if it in itself pulls attention from the objective. It's not as pretty as the colours, but I suppose that's all worked out in the next forum anyway. Still with some unmatching bits, here's today:

Click image to enlarge.

With Amund Ringnes neutral to bring it down to 47 starting. Trying different route colours as well.

And now I disappear for just over two weeks.

[iancanton]

looking good! a neutral on one region of the +3 south qikiktaaluk bonus ought to do it.

ian.

[ender516]

Aren't 47 or 46 poor numbers for starting territories? I thought the good numbers around this size were 42, 43, 44, and 52 and 53. With 47 or 46, in games with 2 or 3 players, everyone starts with 15 territories, which yields 5 troops for the first deployment, and then it is easy for the first player to take one territory from an opponent and bump that player down to 14 territories for 4 troops.

[Victor Sullivan]

Good insight, ender. Yes, this would definitely be problematic and probably abused to a certain extent. What is the current territory total?

[ender516]

Another aside: the box unearthed from the cairn up north last month had nothing of historic value in it.

[iancanton]

With 47 or 46, in games with 2 or 3 players, everyone starts with 15 territories, which yields 5 troops for the first deployment, and then it is easy for the first player to take one territory from an opponent and bump that player down to 14 territories for 4 troops.

that's true, ender. if we let one region of the +3 south qikiktaaluk start neutral, as i suggested above, then remove the starting neutral from yellowknife, then we have 47 starting regions. this, coupled with 4 start positions for northwest territories, will result in 16 starting regions per player in 1v1. this leaves 3-player games with 15 starting regions per player, but does have the advantage that we don't have to lose 2 or 3 regions from the map.

one thing i'm not seeing though: to which bonus does mansel island belong?

ian.

[Victor Sullivan]

You think you could tint the continents the color they are on the mini map? Just a tiny bit of color would be nice, as I find it a tad difficult to determine the boundaries of certain bonuses. I know you already tried a color one:

Click image to enlarge.

...but I was thinking of something less intense.

Cheers,
Sully

[shakeycat]

Okay, I'll be getting back on the horse soon. Back from holiday.

Sully - tinted but less intense, I will try it.
Ender - Was just discussing that case this morning! I hear the box was pretty much empty, since everything in it had been removed 30 years ago.
Ian - Mansel belongs with Melville, Igloolik, and Prince Charles.
Victor - 47/69 if I count correctly. 69 territories, 47 are open to start on (22 neutral).

[iancanton]

Ian - Mansel belongs with Melville, Igloolik, and Prince Charles.

in that case, ignore everything i said about moving the neutral from yellowknife to one of those three regions. the neutral can go to one of the sverdrup islands instead, since that's a 3-region bonus zone that's easier for someone to drop.

ian.

[shakeycat]

What if the land territories of the expeditions were available to start on? It wouldn't change things much. The biggest change is that 3/10 Franklins potentially start with someone on them: no advantage. And it would give us 52 territories open to start on. 52/3 = 17 each and 1 spare in a 1v1. And we can keep the neutrals on easy bonuses (neutrals start with 2).

Click image to enlarge.

ever changing .. but it's about gameplay at the moment.

What else am I forgetting?

[Victor Sullivan]

Looks good! I agree that you should include the land expedition territories as drops. That wouldn't increase the chances of someone dropping a bonus by anything significant, would it?

[shakeycat]

Oh wait .. that makes Greenland a possible drop with 3 open territories. Will remove neutral from Yellowknife and place on Disko Island or Ilulisat. All other bonuses appear safe.

[Victor Sullivan]

I just noticed: there aren't obvious connections between the islands and other territories...

[shakeycat]

What connections? Islands connect to water.

[Victor Sullivan]

Oh! I get it now. Are there any benefits/penalties for occupying a sea territory?