The reason Monopoly games last forever is because nobody ever plays by the rules. Start actually using the rules, you see your games end in about an hour and a half.

I rock face at Monopoly, by the way.

Syd Lexia wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote: The reason Monopoly games last forever is because nobody ever plays by the rules. Uh, play by the rules with the rules with 6 people and tell me it doesn't last forever! Here's how it goes: all the property gets grabbed up, and no one has a monopoly. Unless you're playing with complete IDIOTS, no one is going to get a monopoly either, because no one is going to be dumb enough trade or sell properties to anyone else. The game goes on and on and on until some goes bankrupt, which will take FOREVER, then there's a race to grab their now-available properties. No one has a monopoly yet. It goes on and on forever again until another player goes bankrupt. Now it's down to 4. Now you might start to see some trades. Unlikely, but it might happen. Finally it gets down to 3 players. People start building monopolies, and then the game starts to pick up.

Which is why I never play with more than 4 people, but that's a good point. Except that there should never be a "race to grab now-available properties", since if you go bankrupt, the person you go bankrupt to gets all your stuff. And if you go out to the bank, all your property gets auctioned off.

And if you play with people who never make trades, you're pretty much playing with douchebags anyways. Everything has a price, even that Park Place you need for your Boardwalk. I've never been in a game where you couldn't trade property to complete monopoly + cash for another property to complete monopoly.

Syd Lexia wrote:

It's been awhile, but are you required to sell off houses and mortgage properties to attempt to pay your debt? And if they're mortgaged, don't they go back to the bank when you die?

The answer to the second one is an absolute no. Property never, ever goes back to the bank, and if the bank somehow "wins" it by bankrupting someone, it's immediately auctioned off. Mortgaged properties are the same as any other property except you collect no rent when someone lands on them. When you get one from a bankruptcy, though, you need to either pay it off, or pay 10% and pay it off later.

The answer to the first one is a bit trickier...when you owe money and can't pay it, you have two choices: declare bankruptcy or try and raise funds. You can mortgage stuff and sell houses, as well as try and make deals, to attempt to raise the money, but if you can't do it, it's all canceled out and you have to go bankrupt (no mortgaging all your shit or giving it to someone else out of spite when you lose). Part of going bankrupt is selling off all your houses and hotels, so you need to cash them in either way...but you're never required to even try and pay off your debt if you don't want to.

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Quote: And if you play with people who never make trades, you're pretty much playing with douchebags anyways. Not neceesarily. It just means you're playing with people who think ahead. Let's say you're playing a multiplayer MTG game. One of your friends is playing am annoying, super aggressive deck that no one likes. By turn 3, everyone realizes what's he up to and starts working to kill him. On turn 5, someone swings at him for lethal. You're holding Constant Mists and he begs you for help because it's only turn 5 and he doesn't want to sit out the rest of the game. You could help him, because he's your friend, but he wins a lot with this deck, and sooner or later, he's going to end up fucking you over. So you don't help him. It's the same reason why I'll never sell you Park Place. Ever.

I'd let him die too in that situation. What's in it for me? Never help an opponent out unless it helps you out more.

Let's say that by saving this player, it put you in a better position to win the game. Say he's got an enchantment out that's choking the other players down, but you can deal with it easily. Saving the player, and saving the enchantment, might be the right thing to do.

Sometimes it shoots you in the foot, but the idea of any sort of deal is to have both players benefit, but you benefit more. Yes, I get Park Place, but you're getting St. James and enough cash to build up to 3 houses right away. I get something I want, sure, but if I'm willing to make that deal, you'd be foolish to not strongly consider it.

And really, if your Monopoly games end up being slog-fests where everyone holds onto their stuff with an iron fist and refuses to trade anything, you guys are probably just plain playing the wrong game. The trading aspect is extremely important, and if people aren't willing to do it, go break out Risk or something.

Syd Lexia wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote: (no mortgaging all your shit or giving it to someone else out of spite when you lose). Part of going bankrupt is selling off all your houses and hotels, so you need to cash them in either way...but you're never required to even try and pay off your debt if you don't want to. Well, you're only allowed to initiate at a trade/sale at certain points in the game, aren't you? Isn't it only at the beginning or end of your own turn?

You can trade or mortgage things between anyone's turns, or at any time during your own turn.

username wrote:

what about the free parking space? thats where we normally put the taxes and whoever lands there gets hooked up.

This house rule in particular is the one I was thinking of when I said "if you play by the rules, the game goes a lot faster". This is the one that extends games to be three times as long as normal, because it puts more money out on the table, and the more money there is, the more time it takes to lose it all. Remember the goal of the game is not to have the most money, it's to be the only person with any money, and if money never leaves the table, that's a lot harder.

Knyte wrote:

Syd Lexia wrote: . It's the same reason why I'll never sell you Park Place. Ever. It's one of the last properties to care about. I win 6 out of every 7 games I play, by playing statistics. You want to win? Then you want New York, Tennesee, and St James. What spot are people on more than any other? Jail/Just Visiting. What the most common total you will roll, if you roll 2d6? 7. Which from Jail is "Community Chest." Second most common rolls on 2d6? 6 and 8. Oh look, St James and Tennesee! Trust me. It's worth it to trade for those properties with anything else. I will give you a Park Place/Boardwalk monopoly in exchange for the last orange I need.

Yeah, I didn't want to mention this for strategic reasons, but the Reds and Oranges are way more valuable than the Dark Blues. And actually, the Reds are more valuable, with higher rents...and Illinois Ave. is the most landed on square on the game.

Still, there's "Advance To Boardwalk", which boosts the value up a bit.

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Also, the dark blue properties are the least landed on (apart from brown I think) because you get fucked over by every go to jail/pass go/take the train card.

The Dark Purples are the least landed on, not counting the utilities.