Game: Aqua Romana

Thread: That good?

trebro — 2008-09-28T15:42:23+00:00

Is this game that good in that it sold out on Tanga in less than an hour? At a roughly $40 price including shipping?

Thread: Aqua Romana - A lot better than I expected

Grimwold — 2008-09-10T20:23:19+00:00

Players: Andy (grimwold), Steve (SteveK2) and Tim (laticpot)
Duration: 60 minutes

Tim had brought Aqua Romana with him, which neither Steve nor I had played before, although I had seen the game briefly at Essen in 2005. Tim gave us an explanation of the rules while he was setting up the board.

The idea in Aqua Romana is to build waterways out from your own reservoir, in such a way as to score more points than your opponents. Each player builds 4 sections of waterway, and the scores are based on the length of each waterway, however there is only space for one player on each of the scoring podiums (except at 7 and 3, where there is space for 2 players on each), so if not scored early, a long waterway could earn a lot less points as the podium spaces fill up. The game uses a tile placement mechanism, however it is not the usual random selection and placement, as players can only place tiles of certain types, depending on which builders their workers can see from where they are positioned. As a builder is used, it is moved clockwise around the outside of the board. This means there is a lot of scope for tactical play, as moving the builders may allow other players to use them on their turn...

We all got the hang of the game pretty quickly, and were building nice long waterways, however I was a bit cunning in some of my builder-usage, forcing the others to use ones they didn't want, and get hemmed in or come up short, since a player has to build if he can see a builder, and if there's only 1 to choose from it can end up being the wrong piece!

My waterways scored on podium positions 12, 10, 9 and 3, and I also earnt +4 and +2 for having the 1st and 3rd highest places. Steve scored on positions 11, 7, 5 and 4, with a bonus of +3 for having the 2nd highest podium position. Tim ended up getting blocked in and only scored on positions 8, 7, 6 and 1. This meant that I won with an overall score of 40, whilst Steve was second with 30 and Tim came in last with 22... although we did not know this at the time, Tim regularly loses a game when he's doing the explaining, and it has happened numerous times since.

Grim (12 +10 +9 +3 +4 +2)
Steve (11 +7 +5 +4 +3)
Tim (8 +7 +6 +1)

Overall I thought Aqua Romana was a lot better than I had expected... I knew nothing of the builder machanics prior to playing the game, so had not anticipated the level of planning and strategy involved, and whilst the mechanism for having builders in line of site and moving them around clockwise feels very artificial and incongruous with the theme, it does actually work very well as a game mechanism.

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machollic — 2008-06-21T11:58:17+00:00

Same way of thinking, same body language

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machollic — 2008-06-21T11:55:59+00:00

aqua romana session at 2C Cafe, Jakarta, Indonesia

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Bridyhelphelp — 2008-06-17T04:26:04+00:00

Quick Aqua Romana game at the office

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rbayu2 — 2008-06-14T18:20:02+00:00

Aqua Romana at cafe shop

Thread: Re: UnReceived 2 wooden master builders?

rbayu2 — 2008-05-28T03:49:56+00:00

yup, the master builders were missing. we know about the spare stickers. we were going to play the other night but was cancelled due to the missing pieces.

Thread: Re: UnReceived 2 wooden master builders?

k1mm1ngs — 2008-05-26T13:21:17+00:00

Are you sure you're missing pieces? The stickers in the grey box at the end of the sheet are spares.

Thread: UnReceived 2 wooden master builders?

Bridyhelphelp — 2008-05-19T08:06:55+00:00

Does anyone know how do I contact Queen games to ask 2 missing pieces of wooden master builders sent to my address?
Because I just realized it when stick those stickers and recheck it again.

I had sent the e-mail to queen games, but still no reply yet.

Any suggestion what should i do ?

Thread: Re: starting from scratch. Man, am I confused.

keel — 2007-12-30T01:32:34+00:00

Thanks everyone for the great answers. I am no longer confused. Wait until I play my first game - then I'll be back. ha!

Thread: Re: starting from scratch. Man, am I confused.

jtj608 — 2007-12-30T01:18:15+00:00

keel wrote:
First, the stickers. How many of each type are to be placed on the master builders? I mean, they give you 17 wooden figures but almost twice that number of stickers. I figured out only one joker but just tried to balance out the rest at 4 bridges, 4 straight, 4 double curve, 2 left turn, 2 right turn. Am I close?

You do have the numbers right. The clue on the sticker sheet, if I remember correctly, is the word "Ersatz." In English, "ersatz" means fake or dubious, but in German it means extra or spare. In addition, there is no difference between a left turn and a right turn. If you take a "left turn" tile and turn it 90 degrees counter-clockwise, it becomes a "right turn" tile. All master builders with an "elbow" pictured on them allow you to take an "elbow" tile and either turn right or left with it when you use it to build.

Second, when it says 'line of sight' - if there is more than one master builder in line of sight, does this mean you get to place that many tiles? or just one tile no matter how many master builders are in line of sight?

When more than one master builder is in the line of sight of your little builder, you still play only one tile, but you get a choice of any one of the master builders he sees. So, if your little builder sees an elbow to the north and a straightaway to the west, you can choose either an elbow or a straightaway.

Third, after tile laying, if the master builder is blocked, does he stop or does he jump past him?

The master builder moves clockwise on the outer track to the next empty space. If there are other master builders in the way, he jumps over them.

I am totally lost as regards the reserve master builders - the rules say that after closing an aquaduct, that you pick up the corresponding number of reserve master builders to play. Corresponding to what? I'm assuming it's my choice which builder to take.

If one aqueduct is completed, then the player takes one reserve master bulder. If one tile placement completes two aqueducts for the same player, then he takes two reserve master builders, as long as there are still at least two available. If one tile placement completes an aqueduct each for two different players, then each player who had an aqueduct completed takes a master builder from the reserve, starting with the player who placed the tile and processing around the table, as long as there are still master builders in the reserve.

The reserve only contains five master builders: the joker, one "elbow," one "straightaway," one "double elbow," and one "bridge." You may take any master builder from that reserve when you complete (or have completed for you) an aqueduct, but most people choose the joker if he is available. When you take a master builder, place him in front of you and put him on the master builder track before the beginning of your next turn.

The rules are a mess, but the game is quite good. Hang in there!!

Edit: Darn, beaten to the punch, and by someone much more comprehensible and concise than I. Heh.

Thread: Re: starting from scratch. Man, am I confused.

jearles — 2007-12-30T00:35:46+00:00

1. Sticker both sides of each Master Builder with the same style of sticker. There is 1 joker, 4 curve (there is no need to differentiate left/right), 4 double curve, 4 straight, and 4 bridge (cross-over).

2. Just one. As long as a workman has at least one Master Builder in line of sight you can build with it. If there are two (or more) you get to choose which Master Builder builds.

3. A Master Builder that has built will move forward clockwise to the next free space. If the Master Builder is blocked he jumps over any blocking Master Builders to the first available free space.

4. For each of your aqueducts that was closed you may choose one reserve Master Builder. You must place any reserve Master Builders you choose at the start of your next turn.

Thread: starting from scratch. Man, am I confused.

keel — 2007-12-30T00:18:47+00:00

First, the stickers. How many of each type are to be placed on the master builders? I mean, they give you 17 wooden figures but almost twice that number of stickers. I figured out only one joker but just tried to balance out the rest at 4 bridges, 4 straight, 4 double curve, 2 left turn, 2 right turn. Am I close?
Second, when it says 'line of sight' - if there is more than one master builder in line of sight, does this mean you get to place that many tiles? or just one tile no matter how many master builders are in line of sight?
Third, after tile laying, if the master builder is blocked, does he stop or does he jump past him?
I am totally lost as regards the reserve master builders - the rules say that after closing an aquaduct, that you pick up the corresponding number of reserve master builders to play. Corresponding to what? I'm assuming it's my choice which builder to take.
Dave
keel131@comcast.net

Thread: Re: Clarification required: end game condition

GeoMan — 2007-10-13T12:19:35+00:00

Easy to determine: check who placed a tile last. If his turn comes again, no other player placed a new tile (because he couldn't or because he was out of the game) and he doesn't/can't place a tile, the game ends.

Thread: Clarification required: end game condition

hagin — 2007-10-13T11:11:29+00:00

We played a game of this today and an interesting situation comes up. The rules say if a whole round goes by with noone placing a tile the game ends. We had a three player game where someone got eliminated. Soon thereafter I took my last worker off the board leaving one guy. On his next turn he couldn't place a tile. We weren't sure (with my elimination and there being only one of him) whether that counted as endgame. We played it as though it wasn't for that first one but I think that was wrong.

Any ideas?

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Marsh — 2007-09-11T21:23:27+00:00

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Marsh — 2007-08-18T14:34:33+00:00

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Marsh — 2007-08-18T14:24:08+00:00

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gamephotos — 2007-05-07T19:29:09+00:00

Builders Enjoy Another Watercooler Moment

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gamephotos — 2007-05-07T19:27:25+00:00

Stack of Tiles

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gamephotos — 2007-05-07T19:25:58+00:00

Reserve Builders at Game Start

Thread: Re: Compulsory turn vs Cannot join two aquaducts

Bernd — 2007-03-30T09:18:16+00:00

greglios wrote:

We ruled that since the only possible tile would be an illegal move it was the same as if the player had no workers with line of sight to master builders and so they simply moved one of the master builders around the outside without laying a tile.

That's correct. No tile will be placed in this situation.
Because we don't want to introduce "partner"-aquaducts in the game, we exclude any junctions between different lines (e.g. between lines which each having a worker).
Hope that helps and all the best from germany
Bernd

Thread: Re: Compulsory turn vs Cannot join two aquaducts

cymric — 2007-03-29T17:51:54+00:00

I'd say the rule about not joining two aquaducts takes precedence here.

Thread: Compulsory turn vs Cannot join two aquaducts

greglios — 2007-03-29T16:49:39+00:00

In a recent game a situation came up which caused a little confusion. The player whose turn it was only had one worker with a line of sight to a master builder, which was the tile with a straight section on it. Directly across from this worker was another player's worker at the end of their aquaduct, and so if the tile was played it would connect the two aquaducts.

The rules say that if a player has a worker with line of sight they must play a tile, but the rules also say that two aquaducts cannot be joined together.

We ruled that since the only possible tile would be an illegal move it was the same as if the player had no workers with line of sight to master builders and so they simply moved one of the master builders around the outside without laying a tile.

Can anyone give any clarification on this? Hopefully you can all understand my explanation!

Thread: Acquiescence

Paul Mackie — 2007-03-20T13:00:53+00:00

Pat suggested this, citing that it hadn’t had a decent showing when it was first acquired. Both Brian and Pat began tentatively, while I used double loops and crosses to maximise all four of my aqueducts close to home.

But Pat used the bonus tiles (from Master Builders turning corners) to great effect, causing the eventual closure of two of my pipelines that could easily have run to 12 spaces or more. These two tracks hence yielded a mere 7 and 3 points respectively. Bummer. And congratulations to Pat.

10 minutes rules; 40 minutes game time.
Results: Pat: 34. Brian: 22. Paul: 20.

(Originally posted on www.themineshaftgap.com. Pic by http://www.boardgamegeek.com/user/Mijjy.)

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

s031720 — 2007-02-23T20:30:59+00:00

Hmm, to me its perfectly simple. I HAVE read the rules you know.

I didnt understand from the above comment what you where disagreeing about

I dont have the rules before me right now, and havent played since I laste wrote a comment here, but you can place that turn-around-the-corner-tile anywere thats is unconnected. As I remember anyway.

Maybe I should go home and look it up before posting. Nah. Somebody will surely correct me if im wrong.

Thread: Re: Aqua Romana video exploration and review

jimv — 2007-02-12T18:49:25+00:00

Excellent overview of the game, Scott! I wish I had seen your video *before* I tried playing this game with its terrible rules translation.

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

virre — 2007-01-24T00:04:27+00:00

s031720 wrote:
Bought the game the otherday, and I see no problems with the swedish translation.

If = overseer in line of sight = place tile/move overseer: if round corner = place extra tile.
If not= worker in line of sight = move overseer: if round corner = no effect.

Cheers
Roger

Then you haven't read the good and through out...

espacally the rounding corner tile part. As in where you acctuly can put it.

That one has been heavly discussed, and I have seen many variants of how to pull that. It's that extends again I think...

(and some other rules are quite unclear, enough for me to go look in the Norweigan ones)

Thread: Re: Placing of bonus tiles

virre — 2007-01-20T22:16:13+00:00

The Swedish rules explictly says you can't continune *any* aqueduct with the bonustiles. But then again , the Swedish rules aren't of a good quality, (horrendous acctualy)

Thread: Solitarie variant...

virre — 2007-01-20T01:46:10+00:00

Well I recently got the game, have only played two 2player games of it. But tonight when I was bored I tried to play it as a solitarie game. It did function, I used the setup for four players. And the standard rules, but that didn't function that well, the bigest trouble is going at the corner, and placing extra tiles... Thats not a good thing in solitare variants, so that rule need to be reversed. Then to place the builders most have a better solution to.

Well anyone else have any sugestions on this?

Thread: The Game That Flows...

jack.kelley — 2007-01-19T18:12:36+00:00

Game Overview:
Aqua Romana is a tile-based game based on building aqueducts in Ancient Rome. You play as a builder in an attempt to build the longest aqueducts possible. When an aqueduct reaches it end – that is, it can no longer be extended, you score points for that aqueduct. When no more aqueducts can be extended, the game is over – whoever has the most points is declared the winner!

Gameplay:
The game is played by players referencing the Master Builder positioned around the outside of the board, drawing an aqueduct tile that matches one of the Master Builders, and placing at the end of one of their aqueducts. Once a tile is placed, the Master Builder that was reference is now moved once space forward. There are four types of tiles, two with curves and two with straight lines. While you are building your routes, so are the other players. The challenge lies in seeing the Master Builders and all the tiles available. You can apply a light strategy by attempting to plan your tile ahead, but other players may swoop in and use the Master Builder you were planning on using. Once your aqueduct is closed off (by another player or yourself), you score points for how many tiles were laid in that particular aqueduct. Your builder is removed from the board and placed in the corresponding point value in the scoring track. The strategy involved is light and game is quick and easy.

Length:
The first play through of the game is not much longer than subsequent sessions. An average play session can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes depending on the number of players. The rules are simple enough to learn on the first go, and any questions should be answered by the end of the second session.

Theme:
The theme is light, but present on every tile and even on the Master Builders. The mechanics of the game would have worked with any route building theme. The production value on the game components was very good, so theme is there really to make the game visually appealing.

Key Mechanics:
Master Builder (Tile Type)
The Master Builders are pieces located on the outside edges of the playing area. They determine which of the four types of tiles can be laid at the end of an aqueduct. Once a Master Builder has been used, it moves to the next open space on the path. This means that the types of tiles that players can lay are always changing. Furthermore, there is a reserve pool of five Master Builders that are played one at a time whenever a player scores.

Building Aqueducts (Laying Tiles)
On each turn, players may add one tile to the end of any one of their aqueducts. They do this by looking towards the edge of the board and checking to see if the route they wish to extend lines up with a Master Builder. If it does, they can lay the type of tile shown on the Master Builder. The tiles a player lays can be a straight path or curved. There is a bit of strategy and planning involved when deciding which tile to use. Choosing the wrong tile can lead to your aqueduct being closed to early!

Scoring
You can score anywhere from 1 to 20 points for building an aqueduct. Scoring is not usually a main mechanic in the game, but the scoring track generally has only room for one player on one point value (3 and 7 are the exception). This leads to a little bit of strategy when closing off an aqueduct for points. If you score an amount already claimed by another, you go to the next lowest and open point value!

Ratings:
Presentation
The tiles and board are nicely well illustrated and carry the theme well. The pieces and Master Builders are wooden, with the Master Builders requiring a sticker to be placed on them. I found the stickers to be a bit tacky, and would have preferred the image to be part of the Master Builder. The presentation of this game is the only thing that keeps the theme in the gameplay at all.

Mechanics
The mechanics in the game are fairly easy to understand, and provide a bit of strategy to consider. This lends itself to making the game to be more of a filler style of game. The appeal of this game is in the light mechanics and the short session time they offer.

Replayability
The randomness of the placement of the Master Builders and subsequent aqueduct routes means every game has its own unique flair. Playing this game more than twice in one session may be unlikely, but it is a perfect game to play while waiting for everyone to show up.

Review Slant
I enjoy playing light strategy games, and find game with a bit of randomness to be quite fun. I am also a sucker for game with high production values. For these reasons I find this game quite enjoyable.

Overall
I found this to be a good filler game, and a reprieve from the standard tile or route based games. Multiple player interaction is low, but it can be played with two people which make it an option for smaller groups. This is a good filler game, especially if you a change from a route-based game like Metro, or a tile-based game like Carcassonne.

Thread: Re: Placing of bonus tiles

vlasak — 2007-01-08T08:15:19+00:00

guys,
and what about the joker going around the corner? do you have to use as bonus tile the same type of a tile you used to cause the joker to go around, or you can choose for the bonus tile a different type? I guess, not even the original german rules are specific about this...

thanks and regards from prague.

kv

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

s031720 — 2006-12-31T13:37:02+00:00

Bought the game the otherday, and I see no problems with the swedish translation.

If = overseer in line of sight = place tile/move overseer: if round corner = place extra tile.
If not= worker in line of sight = move overseer: if round corner = no effect.

Cheers
Roger

Thread: Re: Stickers for Master Builders?

Palpatine — 2006-12-31T04:29:28+00:00

RPardoe wrote:
I also the international version - And the sticker sheet was labeled Ersatzaufkleber for the 10 stickers at the bottom of the sheet.

The types are distributed equally in the game. Specifically, the 17 Master Builders are 4 of each + 1 Jester:

4 Straight
4 Double Straight (Crossing)
4 Single Bend
4 Double Bend
1 Jester (Joker)

For completeness, the spares are 1 pair of each:

1 Single Bend
1 Double Bend
1 Straight
1 Double Straight
1 Jester (Joker)

Thanks very much! After carefully looking at the sticker page, I figured that this was it as well. Thanks for the quick confirmation!!

Thread: Re: Stickers for Master Builders?

RPardoe — 2006-12-31T02:25:43+00:00

I also the international version - And the sticker sheet was labeled Ersatzaufkleber for the 10 stickers at the bottom of the sheet.

The types are distributed equally in the game. Specifically, the 17 Master Builders are 4 of each + 1 Jester:

4 Straight
4 Double Straight (Crossing)
4 Single Bend
4 Double Bend
1 Jester (Joker)

For completeness, the spares are 1 pair of each:

1 Single Bend
1 Double Bend
1 Straight
1 Double Straight
1 Jester (Joker)

Thread: Re: Stickers for Master Builders?

Palpatine — 2006-12-31T01:54:51+00:00

I'm still confused on this. I have the international version with ten extra stickers.
COuld someone please tell me how many curves...straights, intersections etc I should have when I have correctly stickered my 17 master builders?
Thanks!!!!!

Thread: Multiple builder varient

mister_monopoly — 2006-12-03T19:58:26+00:00

I havn't tested this yet (heck, I don't even have the game) but I beleive this would work. When you first get the game, put the 2 DIFFERENT stickers on each master builder. When the master passes the board corner, not only do you get the tile-laying bonus, but you also flip him so that he has a new set of blueprints. This probly will make the game more complex, though

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

cymric — 2006-12-01T18:45:44+00:00

shawn_low wrote:
Well Maarten, not every bought the game when it first came out. Also, are owners of the game EXPECTED to trawl through thread after thread searching for the 'correct' way to play when they expect it straight out of the box?
No, they are not. My apologies for the somewhat harsh tone of the above message---it wasn't directed at anyone in particular, and if you felt it did, then again, my apologies. I was venting frustration in seeing how this thread turned up suggestion after suggestion which always managed to miss the mark in a crucial spot.

But I do maintain my point that the translations from Queen are not very good and that you should try and get hold of the German version if that language is not a problem. I agree that is quite a sour realisation for many native English-speaking people who just want to play the game they just bought, but that's the way it is, unfortunately.

Then you for clarifications. I agree with you. In fact, I have taken off my rating for the game and will rerate after I play it with the 'right' rules.
That's very sportsmanlike of you.

Someone on this forum (Bernd) has given clarifications. I assume that he works for Queen games. However, I must add that his contributions are useful but his explantions are entirely clear owing to his poor english.
My English is not too bad, I think, but I can tell you stories which would have you rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically, for quite a while. But that's another discussion.

Thread: Re: Possible "fix" for a possible "flaw"

AnakinOU — 2006-11-29T03:07:45+00:00

Sure, it's part of the game strategy. But when the "strategy" seriously benefits two players who quite possibly don't need to really try for the first 3-4 turns of the game, and doesn't easily apply to the other two players...it can rub players the wrong way. My game this past weekend definitely turned one player off the game, possibly permanently. He had no move for the first 4 or 5 turns, and just watched as two other players moved clockwise without any difficulty. The rest of the game didn't go much better.

And yes, changing the direction of half the master builders would complicate the game a bit. I'd gladly take a little bit of complexity if it adds strategy that applies to all players.

Thread: Re: Possible "fix" for a possible "flaw"

dcjackso — 2006-11-28T22:25:38+00:00

I agree with GeoMan. In addition, changing the movement of *some* of the master builders would make the calculations for this game that much harder, which would increase turn length...

Thread: Re: Possible "fix" for a possible "flaw"

GeoMan — 2006-11-28T20:21:53+00:00

Going clockwise to follow the builders is part of the game strategy. I don't think that is a flaw.

Thread: Possible "fix" for a possible "flaw"

AnakinOU — 2006-11-28T18:59:30+00:00

After a game of this with a couple friends this past week, one player said it seemed like players "going clockwise" (i.e. with one of their builders starting off to the right) seem to have an advantage. Now, I haven't played the game enough myself to make a definitive statement one way or the other on that issue, but I can't say I disagree with him. I've played the game a handful of times, and there have been a few times where I've been able to take extreme advantage of the clockwise movement of the master builders.

So, while mulling this all around in my head, I *may* have come up with a fairly simple solution: just have half the master builder move counter-clockwise. The master builder bits are leaning in one direction already...just turn half of them (evenly divided amongst the different tile types) 180 degrees when you initially set up the game. When you move a master builder, move him in the direction he leans, rather than strictly clockwise around the board.

If anyone tests this out, please let me know how it works.

Thread: Review from Gameblog

msaari — 2006-11-27T08:27:42+00:00

Aqua Romana is a tile-laying game where players build Roman aqueducts. Theme doesn't make much sense, as usual - the players score points for the length of aqueducts, so efficiency flies out of the window. However, the Roman theme is used well in the art, and the board is a real treat for eyes.

Follow the masters

The game has an interesting indirect mechanism for laying the tiles. There are four types of tiles (straight, curve, crossing, parallel curves) and each of the type has few builders for them. The builders move on a track outside the board. The workers that build the aqueducts can build a tile, if they see a builder - seeing means being on a same vertical or horizontal row with the builder.

When a tile is placed, the worker advances to the end of the tile and the builder takes one step forward. Now the worker might see another builder. If no builders are in sight, the player misses a turn, but gets to move any builder one step. This is unfortunate, boring and happens too often. Sure, some forward planning can reduce the missed turns, but it's still quite annoying.

No space to score

One more twist: the scoring track has limited space. In each space there's only room for one worker (except three and seven points, which can accommodate three workers). So, when an aqueduct is finished, the worker is placed on the highest free spot on the scoring track starting from the length of the aqueduct. So, finishing your aqueducts fast is a good idea. It's also possible to quit an aqueduct early (otherwise the aqueduct is done when it runs to the edge of the board or side of a tile).

Aqua Romana is not a bad game, but I found it mediocre and boring. The four-player game is a bit too chaotic for my tastes, and the two-player game isn't much better. The game is fairly easy, though, and wouldn't be a bad choice for someone who's looking to advance from Carcassonne to something new. Seasoned gamers will find little new in this offering.

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

shawn_low — 2006-11-26T23:55:26+00:00

cymric wrote:
*Sigh*. This discussion is getting old. First of all, all owners of Queen Games games should know that the translations into different languages are not very good. Crucial elements are left out, sentences come out wrong, and so forth. If you can read german, I highly recommmend getting out the german document from Queen Games' site. (To be found here: http://www.queen-games.de/PDFHelp/46_3.pdf)

1c. If you don't want to take your turn because the only move at your disposal is a bad one, tough luck. Bite the bullet and build the tile.

In other words, you either extend your own aquaducts, or you don't build anything at all. That's all there is to it.

Well Maarten, not every bought the game when it first came out. Also, are owners of the game EXPECTED to trawl through thread after thread searching for the 'correct' way to play when they expect it straight out of the box?

Then you for clarifications. I agree with you. In fact, I have taken off my rating for the game and will rerate after I play it with the 'right' rules.

Someone on this forum (Bernd) has given clarifications. I assume that he works for Queen games. However, I must add that his contributions are useful but his explantions are entirely clear owing to his poor english.

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

cymric — 2006-11-25T15:59:14+00:00

*Sigh*. This discussion is getting old. First of all, all owners of Queen Games games should know that the translations into different languages are not very good. Crucial elements are left out, sentences come out wrong, and so forth. If you can read german, I highly recommmend getting out the german document from Queen Games' site. (To be found here: http://www.queen-games.de/PDFHelp/46_3.pdf)

The compulsory turn isn't very difficult. There are no 'problems' with it. There is no reason to turn down the game because of 'rule inconsistencies'. Here's the breakdown:

1a. On your turn, if your workmen have an overseer in their line of sight, you must lay down a tile so that these workmen can extend an aquaduct.

1b. If at the same time an aquaduct of a competitor is extended, that's just fine. (Or not, depending on the situation, of course.)

1c. If you don't want to take your turn because the only move at your disposal is a bad one, tough luck. Bite the bullet and build the tile.

2. If your workmen don't have an overseer in their line of sight, you forfeit your turn. No tile whatsoever is laid down. You do move an overseer as usual; if he rounds a corner, which would normalle invoke the bit 'place an extra tile not at the end of an aquaduct', this bit is not carried out.

In other words, you either extend your own aquaducts, or you don't build anything at all. That's all there is to it.

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

shawn_low — 2006-11-25T14:43:54+00:00

Erm, not to throw another spanner into the works, but doesn't the rules also say that players MAY choose to take their actions? This means that they can choose not to lay a tile if the don't wish too.

Of course, this means that the game could end if all players pass...

But this means that the wording of the rule about having to place a tile even a player's disadvantage is a little off.

Man, I know quite a few people who've bagged this game exactly because of these rules inconsistencies!

Thread: Re: Aqua Romana video exploration and review

dmomo — 2006-10-29T23:57:34+00:00

Scott,

Thank you very much for that video. I will be sure to visit your site again. I was thinking of buying Aqua Romana. It looks quite interesting.

I've decided that I should try to play it first as you've made it clear that it's a bit too chaotic. I find that decisions-making is too arbitrary with games of this sort. However, I think it might work well if the game in question is short. So, from your review, I think that Aqua Romana could be a fun game if it isn't too long.

Thread: Re: What REALLY happens when Master Builder rounds a corner?

ssmooth — 2006-10-03T17:49:34+00:00

Bob, I'm not sure what you're getting at exactly. But it's correct that you cannot use this "bonus tile" play to cut off an aquaduct. The usual tile play you take on your turn, where you're extending your own aquaduct, can indeed have the intentional side effect of cutting someone else's aquaduct off.

Thread: Re: English Rules are a nightmare - Clarification included.

NickDanger42 — 2006-10-03T17:43:31+00:00

I've played it both ways, and as long as your consistant and all know what is what. Fine.
The ONLY way to resolve this is...let's hear it from the designer.

Thread: Re: What REALLY happens when Master Builder rounds a corner?

NickDanger42 — 2006-10-03T17:36:06+00:00

The Queen rules merely say that you cannot play a tile which would *extend* any aquaduct (either yours or another player's). Charlie's rules say that you can neither *extend* nor play a tile which *closes* any aquaduct. Thus you cannot play a tile onto any square where any aquaduct would be building to. Our native German speaker agreed; apparently the key point is the exact meaning of the German verb "angrenzend."

Eh? This sounds like I can't play a tile in a 'lone' space if it will cutoff a nearby aquaduct.
Can't be right.
Perhaps you meant to say "Thus you cannot play a tile that either directly extends or ends any aquaduct"

Thread: Re: Stickers for Master Builders?

gerald — 2006-09-02T01:27:55+00:00

I just noticed the extra stickers! Lucky I sorted them first before sticking them on.

Also, a major PITA is that the stickers are not correctly cut, it's impossible to lift them with the fingers. I had to cut each sticker with scissors, trying to guess the limits by putting the sheet at a correct angle against the light...

Is it just me, or has anyone else experienced this?

Thread: Re: Line of sight

GeoMan — 2006-08-28T18:41:13+00:00

Nothing blocks the line of sight.

Thread: Line of sight

nsolitander — 2006-08-28T18:30:52+00:00

In the rules posted by Steve Cox (posted here on BGG) there's an interpretation of the rules that is not clear-cut for me from the other rule-versions (but not contradicted either):

From the rules translation of Steve Cox
"As there are always four possible “sight lines” for a worker, it follows that he can have up to four master builders in his line of sight [ie. the lines of sight are not blocked by other workers, aqueducts, etc]."

Are there anything in the original rules that states that the line of sight is blocked by other workers and aqueducts? Any clarification appreciated.

Thread: Re: What deos "next highest" mean?

RPardoe — 2006-08-20T17:54:24+00:00

mark_biggar wrote:
Which rule?
How to play if (some of) your builders don't see the master builders. You can't skip or voluntarily pass - you must build even if it is not to your advantage:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/112739

Thread: Re: What deos "next highest" mean?

mark_biggar — 2006-08-20T17:06:01+00:00

Moviebuffs wrote:

The English translation for this one is notoriously awful. They even managed to get one rule completely wrong.

Which rule?

Thread: Re: What deos "next highest" mean?

RPardoe — 2006-08-20T16:46:41+00:00

Moviebuffs wrote:
I think I'd read a review of the game which mentioned the scoring rules, so I probably glossed over it.
I glossed over it as I had seen Board Games with Scott prior to reading the rules: http://www.boardgameswithscott.com/?p=42

Thread: Re: What deos "next highest" mean?

Moviebuffs — 2006-08-20T09:57:19+00:00

Note I would have called that the "next lower open" space, it's less confusing.

The English translation for this one is notoriously awful. They even managed to get one rule completely wrong.

Funnily enough, I didn't even notice the bad wording of this bit, but I think I'd read a review of the game which mentioned the scoring rules, so I probably glossed over it.

N.

Thread: Re: What deos "next highest" mean?

RPardoe — 2006-08-20T02:48:18+00:00

Correct. One scores the highest available space equal to or less than the length of the aquaduct.

Thread: What deos "next highest" mean?

mark_biggar — 2006-08-20T02:42:53+00:00

The rules say that when scoring an Aquaduct if the space for that length is already occupied, you take the "next highest" available spot. Now I would normally read that as the next open space with a higher value, but from the reading the examples it appears they really mean the highest available space with a value less then the length of your aquaduct. I would just like to comfirm that you do take the highest available space equal to or less than the length of your aquaduct; Note I would have called that the "next lower open" space, it's less confusing.

Thread: Re: Placing of bonus tiles

Bernd — 2006-08-18T22:51:46+00:00

Hi Greg,
yes, you can cut off unconnected tiles.