Game: Poleconomy

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

Bigland — 2008-07-06T09:32:27+00:00

Couldn't find any copyright on the rules. The only date on the box is 1983. Mine is made by Woodrush Games.

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

mevans444 — 2008-07-02T14:13:51+00:00

Yep! It's confirmed. My copy has plastic player tokens shaped like British Pound symbols. I checked the copyright on the box and rules. It's the 1987 printing, manufactured by Dotam International BV for J.W. Spears & Son.

I see that the game first came out in 1977, but I don't know which version came first. Was the British version adapted later for the Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand versions, or what?

You other guys with copies containing the octagonal pieces, what year are your game's copyrights?

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

Philip Thomas — 2008-06-25T12:40:32+00:00

Good to see all the other parties ganging up on the Socialists.

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

Bigland — 2008-06-25T11:46:41+00:00

And here they are:

]]>

Image

Bigland — 2008-06-25T11:26:03+00:00

The relatively uninteresting British pieces.

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

Philip Thomas — 2008-06-25T10:47:13+00:00

Octagonal Prisms here too.

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

Bigland — 2008-06-25T09:59:54+00:00

All I've got in mine are octagonal prisms. You don't see as many of those in the wild as you used to.

Thread: Re: What are the British Pieces ?

mevans444 — 2008-06-25T07:07:27+00:00

I'll have to go back to recheck my copy, but I believe they're British Pound symbols.

Thread: What are the British Pieces ?

day_viewing — 2008-06-24T23:29:38+00:00

The Canadian pieces are beavers, the Australian are Kangaroos and the New Zealand are Kiwis, but what are the British pieces? Also, I believe there is a South African version ?

Thread: Re: A Hard Cell

Axelfudge — 2008-06-21T05:45:20+00:00

But the memories....

Thread: Re: A Hard Cell

liberor13 — 2008-06-20T18:11:06+00:00

Thats fair, its not a "wow" kind of game. I imagine it seemed quite innovative in the 80's but compared to newer games it doesnt cut it anymore. Shame really

Thread: Re: A Hard Cell

zuviel — 2008-06-20T17:57:46+00:00

Pretty much spot on from my experiences with the Canadian version.

I enjoy the concept of combining an economic and political game, but I found the execution here didn't manage to wow me.

Thread: A Hard Cell

liberor13 — 2008-06-20T16:45:57+00:00

A game based on politics and Economics? Thats going to be a hard sell!

Poleconomy first came to my attention during my youth when it belonged to my father and I was always curious how somthing that had no miniatures or fighting could be interesting

Fast foward fifteen years and my interest in politics has massively increased and I decided to pick this game up on the cheap on Ebay (£6 including delivery, not bad at all)

The game is classic 80's drab. A long dull looking box (with no blurb on the back, funny that they used to do that!) and a highly unispiring board. Add to that the ULTRA thin paper money and the lack of inspiration is complete. The only really nice touch is the rules written out on an FT like sheet of broad paper. This was a nice touch

The rules themselves are written in three stages of increasing complexity. Basically players roll and move, buying companies or advertising. If someone lands on your company, they pay you ($100K times by inflation) If they land on advertising that you own, you can move them to any company you like. If you land on your OWN company, then you recieve $100K timex inflation from the bank. Thats a nice little money spinner

Players, however, are also members of parliament and the Prime Minister sets which direction inflation runs. Squares on the board see inflation move a number of spaces, triggering events like Govt salaries, taxation or Bonds. The prime minister can also, through parliament, change taxation policy to suit himself and his allies. This is about as broad as the strategy gets!

So all in all its a neat but very chaotic little roll and move game. The game features some nice touches but nearly everything lives or dies at the roll of a dice. A double six and you lose EVERYTHING except for your life insurance (which is worht $1M at the end of the game, hard to see why you WOULDNT buy some) This disaster can be insured against with a $100K policy (but again, why WOULDNT you buy one?)

Takeovers are also resolved with a roll of two dice, as are elections and the Basic Income (We've upended that one, its very unfair)

So in conclusion, this is an interesting curio from the bygone era of the 80's, when the Euro's were a distant vague idea and the wargame and roll and move were still kings. This is a fossil, but an intersting one and is a darn sight more interesting than Monotony (which my g/f owns about 90 copies of, dont ask)

Its probably more of a curio than a game as such, but I still enjoyed it. With the right group, it might be worth one try!

5/10

Image

Inkygirl — 2008-03-11T11:39:06+00:00

Image

Inkygirl — 2008-03-11T11:34:15+00:00

Image

nickguay — 2007-10-30T18:41:49+00:00

Box 2 Canadian Version

Image

nickguay — 2007-10-30T18:41:02+00:00

Box Open Canadian Version

Thread: Re: Another edition

candoo — 2007-05-19T01:40:40+00:00

The Canadian edition has little beavers.

Thread: Re: Another edition

Karlsen — 2007-02-07T09:14:34+00:00

And English and Canadian too!

Thread: Another edition

citylife — 2007-01-17T20:27:23+00:00

For those of you that love your kiwi's there is also a New Zealand editions that is almost identical to the Australian version. the board colour and packaging is the same, as is the money and the bonds. What differs is the companies and of course the player pieces. Instead of little plastic kangaroo's there are little kiwi's instead.

Given the choice of exotic foreign animals the refined board game collector would naturally take the class and style of the kiwi. Perhaps a fan of twister would choose the Kangaroo edition, but the fan of battlelore would defintiely choose the kiwi.

So don't forget that rarer kiwi edition when you consider Poleconomy.

Image

fellonmyhead — 2006-12-30T07:22:03+00:00

Spears Games version.

Thread: Re: Very similar to Monopoly but different

fellonmyhead — 2005-12-14T18:49:24+00:00

I always remember how clever and innovative I thought the arrow marker for inflation was when I first played this game. I wonder if anything similar has been used in the more modern games? It would be interesting to know, but I can't think of anything right now. There are those that come close, but nothing that allows a player to put some control into the direction of the overall economy in this fashion whilst allowing external or uncontrollable elements to affect it.

I also remember how powerful an advertising strategy was; if you bought up most of the advertising on the board you could move almost anywhere in your turn, with the exception of a few dice rolls which would put you somewhere you didn't want to be.

Thread: Re: Very similar to Monopoly but different

Philip Thomas — 2005-11-11T19:39:34+00:00

Perhaps it is a little harsh to pick on a new user. It does help if you read some reviews before writing one, though. Your statement is small enough for a comment on your personal record about the game (at the bottom of the game's web page). Reviews should be longer, not least because they are worth geekgold (not that you necessarily know that).

This game is like Monopoly in that you buy spaces on the board Companies and Advertising in this case. Companies earn the owner a fee whenever someone lands on them (including himself!). Advertising telports the piece landing on it to a Company of the owner's choice- you negotiate a fee from that Company owner. Other forms of property include Life Insurance (costs 200,000, worth 1,000,000 when the game ends, but 10,000 if you have to sell it in between, Treasury Bonds (which pay out regularly) and Business Insurance.

Business Insurance is needed because of the Bankruptcy Rule. Roll a 12 on the 2 dice used for movement, and you lose everything, cash, assets, the works. Unless you have Business Insurance, in which case you only lose your Insurance Policy.

The Game comes in three rule varieties, the more complex ones adding in Politics to the Economic aspects of the base game. The Prime Minister is elected by die roll...and he and his government control taxation, ministerial salaries, and the direction of the economy. A special Inflation Marker rests on a space in an inner track, and the PM can turn the arrow either way. The arrow's movement is more or less random and causes prices to rise (and fall, but they rise above the start of the game level), and taxes to be collected, wages to be paid, bonds to pay out and elections to be held (roll those dice again).

The Advanced Game is marred by the great influence accruing to someone who buys up Treasury Bonds. The Treasury funds are seperate from the Bank. If the Treasury goes bankrupt everyone loses. (If the Bank goes bankrupt the game is ended and winner determined). The Treasury starts with 30 Bonds, worth 100,000. People can buy Bonds at effectively any time (Due to the movement system, which is a lot more flexible than Monopoly). Bonds pay interest of 100,000 whenever the Inflation Marker lands on Bonds, and this interest can be paid in the form of more Bonds. The Treasury gains from Taxes, but it also has to payu Governement Salaries. If the Opposition holds enough Bonds, it can hold tne Government to Ransom. If the Government has enough Bonds, it will hold the new Government to Ransom when power changes plans. This can lead to some pretty dull games, but is easily fixed (Treat Treasury Bankruptcy as Bank Bankruptcy, or alternative rule that when the Treasurry goes bankrupt all bonds are valueless and are returned to the treasury.)

The Game as a whole is still rather random for my tastes, though it made for a very entertaining 12th Birthday Party.

Thread: Very similar to Monopoly but different

jchernofsky — 2005-11-07T14:08:14+00:00

I picked up this gem at a rummage sale and I have to say that this game was very similar to monopoly. Not in a bad way but in a good way. I got the canadian version so that was nice to see canadian businesses on the game board.

all in all i would say it is a very fun game to play with anyone

Image

EndersGame — 2005-10-18T20:19:08+00:00

Close-up detail of some of the Australian businesses and companies featured on the Poleconomy gameboard

Image

EndersGame — 2005-10-18T20:19:06+00:00

Close-up of part of the Poleconomy board, highlighting some of the Australian businesses and companies featured on the board.

Image

EndersGame — 2005-10-16T15:51:59+00:00

Poleconomy game in progress, showing detail of playing board, plastic inflation marker, two kangaroo playing pieces, and dice.

Image

EndersGame — 2005-10-16T15:51:59+00:00

The contents of the Poleconomy gamebox in the plastic storage tray

Thread: HOUSE RULES

editor — 2005-07-08T21:06:39+00:00

The following are rules that my friends and I tend to play under...

*****HOUSE RULES*****
BANK COLLAPSE
When the Bank collapses, it pays out pro rata what it can as it goes under… unless this is changed in legislation!
ELECTION SPEECHES
All party leaders give a speech.
CHANCELLOR`S SPEECH
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is expected to make a speech in which he announces his measures, BUT this can be as short as `F*** you`.

STATUTES & JURISPRUDENCE
All laws and jurisprudence are applicable AT THE TIME OF THE RELEVANT EVENT.
STATUTE BOOK AND BOOK OF JURISPRUDENCE must be recorded on paper, regardless of if someone is paid to do it.
STATUTES & JURISPRUDENCE is OPEN AND PUBLIC.AND FREE
A PM can install a Jury instead of a HOME SECRETARY using a roll of the dice to decide on legal and tax matters or a roll of a dice to see who is a Jury member.

TAX
All laws and Jurisprudence is applied as they stood at the time of the event, REGARDLESS of inconvenience as a result of forgetfulness, so if the PM taxes Road Haulage and then forgets and buys a transport company, and it`s tax time, HE PAYS.
No tax can be introduced that only affects only ONE COMPANY, but can be passed so that there is an obvious target, plus a spurious one which might still be `in the pack`
Due to complexity and consumption of time, only events that are immediately noteworthy are taxable. Hence one can tax what companies someone owns, but NOT what he has owned since the last one.
Specific companies cannot be named in targeting taxes.

TYPES OF TAX
PROGRESSIVE TAXES - Higher income, higher percentage
REGRESSIVE TAXES - Lower income, higher percentage
POLL TAX - Per person or PER COMPANY
INDUSTRIAL CONCENTRATION TAXES - Exempt for those with more or less than a certain number of companies, maybe of a given type.
Taxing presence on squares and their inherent value is allowed
Due to complexity and consumption of time, GST, PST, QST are not usually allowed.
PRESENCE ON A PARTICULAR SQUARE

GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS (Suggestions)
HOME SECRETARY or MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR of MINISTER OF JUSTICE
- Makes rulings on what falls under certain tax brackets, so if the Chancellor claims `CANADIAN TIRE`is a railway company and it is disputed, then the HOME SECRETARY can rule on this, BUT however silly his decision, it must be abided AD NAUSEAM!
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE
In charge of brides, whoops, I`m sorry, that`s Industrial development grants.
In charge of Industrial classifications (can be challenged)
PRESIDENT OF THE STAR CHAMBER
In charge of personal brides, whoops, I mean development grants to noteworthy achievers in our society.
MINISTER OF CIVIL SERVICE
- Records JURISPRUDENCE and STATUTES
LORD CHANCELLOR
Highly paid sinecure.
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
- Poorly paid sinecure

- Robert

Thread: Re: Poleconomy..... A Game That Allows Imagination

Tokinz — 2005-05-26T21:38:18+00:00

Do you have all of the "Acts of Parliment" in writting? Do you mind shareing them?

Thread: Poleconomy..... A Game That Allows Imagination

PrivyCouncillor — 2004-10-10T03:16:40+00:00

Poleconomy is surely one game that allows players to use their imagination. The very rules of this game, when playing "Game 2", allow for the creation of Acts of Parliament, appointment of Cabinet Ministers. This has lead me to set up my own "additional rules":

- Prime Minister and Cabinet's responsibilities are set out in the "Cabinet Rights and Responsibilities Act" and fair play is encouraged under the "Conflict of Interest Act".
- Minister of Finance and Public Institutions is responsible for more than just the "Basic Income Tax Act" and "Bond Interest Tax Act"....... and administers the "Business Bank Incorporation Act" as well as the "Lottery Incorporation Act."
- Minister of Economic and Political Development is responsible for more than just the "Development Assistance Act" and the "Investment Fund Act"...... and administers the "Political Parliament Act" and the "Parliamentary Elections Act"
- President of the Treasury and Investment Board is responsible for more than just the "Treasury And Investment Board Act"..... and administers the "Government Investments Act", "Corporate Trust Act" and the "Budgetary Priorities Act"

Also in keeping with our Canadian constitutional heritage, "The Privy Council Act" was created to "privde an institution in which the services of former Ministers and eminent persons are recognized and affirmed."

Poleconomy is a game of political and economical imagination and is truly "The Game of Canada." My thanks to the creator!

Thread: General Comment

BoardGameGeek — 2002-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

A widespread game in the UK, the rules are printed on pink paper, instantly recognisable as a copy
of the pink pages of the UK's leading business newspaper, the Financial Times.