Goldenturkey wrote:
This is a lot to ask, but would people suggest/argue connection costs on a zone by zone rota
I'm not quite sure what you're asking, here.
You want us to discuss the actual connection cost from each city to every other?
The strongest part about this is the way you want the game to 'feel' when you play. (Yeah, to a power grid fanatic, they do play differently enough!)
For example, Rome has high cost resources, low cost connections, with some exceptions. The costs balance themself out enough that the power plants are generally useful enough at most occasions. But it always feels like you are pinching your pennies in resources.
France is a difficult push and shove in the north, fighting for position in and around Paris, with resources being somewhat cheaper, because of nuclear accessibility. In this map, location is more vital for board position.
The map AS IS, will be a slow progress game, with connection costs being high, and this will mean that power plants are in abundance, so high power availability, and then resource costs will drop to mostly being around 1-3 for the main resources. If city connection progresses too quickly, power plants will be discarded more frequently (lack of purchase funds), or less cities will be purchased but every player will be able to power all their cities. The game could end 'prematurely' with step 3 coming out before step 2 if blocking techniques are utilised.
The cost of connections.. I see three 0, a 3, and a couple 5's. These will be highly fought for, so blue will be popular, in particular Norwich.
From Norwich, taking Kings Lynn, Cambridge, and Ipswich, then moving to Nottingham would be a likely plan, and thus, these locations will be contested.
Another highly contested ground will be the two free cost connections being close. In one sense, it would almost be worth buying the 3 plant for 3, and paying 40 electros to set up in three of those. With the remaining 7 electros you would buy 2 oil for your production generating 22 electros. Then with superior board position, you could sit on your income for two turns, buying another cheap power plant next turn.
Of course, this would have problems of its own (low income, requiring advances in power plants, high resource cost, etc.) but is this something you wish available to players? If not, you'll need to reconsider the position of the free connections.
Consider the cost of getting blocked in. With 22 electros after turn 1, will a player be able to buy a plant and leap to build a second city? How often? How often will it be impeded?
At first glance I can't see any problem spots for this, but it would require a few plays to assess the situation properly.
If someone purchase the seven or eight power plant on turn one, will they be able to purchase two cities and a connection to utilise it? Is this something you wish to happen? If they get the 7 or 8, they aren't going first or second, so the two free connection locations will be gone. They also require resources. It usually costs around 17 electro to do this with the 8 plant, from memory, leaving 33. That's a 13 connection, so it's possible I think. Does this restrict opening plants?
One thing I DO like is the connection between Glasgow and Bangor.
I don't know much about the UK, geographically, so I don't know if there's any geographic (or even political) reason for this connection, but it allows you to select red as a colour group without selecting green.
Can I find six feasible beginning locations? I think so.
Norwick, Chester/Liverpool, Birmingham/Coventry, Fracombe, Gateshead/Newcastle, and... well, I'd hate to be player 6, even if you were using all colours. I'd also hate to be the player that player 6 started near! Perhaps somewhere in Scotland (Stormway, Fort William, Glasgow, are on par, and the connection between these and Edinburgh are ok).
However, starting with 5 colours will make a cramped game. Still, that's how it feels in London, I'm told!
I am just curious why it costs so much to connect to London from all directions. I would imagine that is where you WANT the game to centralise. I would skip it.