Game: Thurn and Taxis - All Roads Lead to Rome

Thread: Re: Who starts the final round of tile returns? ("Offices of Honor")

jedimusic — 2008-08-25T15:50:58+00:00

Played this for the first time yesterday - a 2p and only one of us was able to do tile return (for a point)... but I was wondering what would have happened. Actually the timing of tile return in general was not fully covered in the rules.

I would've assumed the final person to play in the game, since the final tile return could be technically seen to be on their "turn." This would seem to even out the first-player, last-player advantage discrepancy: Since first player gets advantage of drawing/returning tiles first at the beginning of the game, then last player gets advantage of returning tiles first at end.

But I also don't know an official ruling...

Thread: Re: All Roads lead to Rome - but how far?

Motorkopf — 2008-08-11T18:24:23+00:00

It is indeed no. 4 because we both think that it is more efficient to get rid of all your houses very quickly than to be lucky to get the best Rome-chip.

Thread: Re: All Roads lead to Rome - but how far?

jedimusic — 2008-08-11T15:54:55+00:00

I've played a couple of times and they all get to Rome, so seems a little odd.

Possibilities:
1. You know that if you have to move a color carriage - and that color is already in Rome - then you must move another carriage of another color (player's choice).
2. If you didn't place a house in a city because you already have one there - you move the carriage.
3. Lodz requires moving a carriage of any color if you don't place a house there from your route.
4. Maybe you are playing efficient routes (all one color, or one of each color) and they simply don't arrive because your are placing houses for all city cards.

Thread: All Roads lead to Rome - but how far?

Motorkopf — 2008-08-11T11:12:03+00:00

We play mostly two-player, and we almost never get more than one carriage - if at all - to Rome.

Is your experience the same? Or do we play it wrong?

Yes, we started each carriage two cities south of the start.

Thread: Re: When is tile-return triggered when using the administrator?

Rygel — 2008-07-29T21:33:36+00:00

Correct. #2 is the correct order of play.

Everything happens in the normal timing. Once the trigger has been met, then the game pauses and tile replacement/scoring take affect.

Thread: Re: Can you use roles vacuously?

Rygel — 2008-07-29T21:29:14+00:00

No. You get the tile after the action has occurred, not before as you were doing.

No action = No tile

Thread: When is tile-return triggered when using the administrator?

ryang — 2008-07-29T17:55:10+00:00

If there is only one administrator tile left and on my turn I declare I am using the administrator role, which of these cases applies:

1. I take the last administrator tile and tile-return is done immediately.
2. The six face up cards are cleared and replaced, then I take the administrator tile and tile-return is done.
or
3. The six face up cards are cleared and replaced, I draw my card, and then I take the administrator tile and trigger tile-return.

I assume it's case 2, but I wanted to double-check.

Thread: Can you use roles vacuously?

ryang — 2008-07-29T17:50:31+00:00

In the second variant, can you pick up a role's tile by using that role in a useless manner? For example, can I draw one card, say I'm using the Postal Carrier and pick up his tile, but proceed to only play one card? Or suppose I have carriage four already and I complete a five length route. Can I say I'm using the Craftsman and pick up his tile even though the use of the Craftsman has no effect?

Thread: Compatible with Kurier der Fürstin?

Motorkopf — 2008-07-24T18:10:15+00:00

I just bought this expansion and am eager to play it this weekend.

Can we play this together with the Kurier-letters?

Thread: Who starts the final round of tile returns? ("Offices of Honor")

Salt-Man Z — 2008-06-07T19:11:01+00:00

I love the "Officers of Honor" expansion, but the rules seem to be missing one key item: who goes first in the final round of tile returns? During the normal course of the game, a tile-return round is started by the current player, but the final round takes place only after the last player has finished his turn.

Naturally, the order of the final round is important, as the placement of houses is possible, and two players could be competing for the same color-group tile. So who goes first?

There are a number of options: the last player, since he just finished his turn; the first player, since the last player just finished his turn; the player who triggered the endgame, as incentive (though he gets an extra VP and the tiebreaker.)

Until we hear something officially, our group has decided to just go with the first player, meaning the player that originally started the game. It seems to be the fairest choice. What have other people done?

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Artax — 2008-04-21T08:04:56+00:00

Game in progress

Thread: Session in Rome 2-player

sarquin — 2008-04-19T16:05:56+00:00

Another night in the heartland. "Kids in bed, what do you want to play?" My wife picked up all roads lead to Rome a few weeks ago, so she picks this one. Fine.

After seeing the two expansions in one, we decide to play one only. We start with the first one, the Audience. I read the rules twice, ok, seem pretty straight forward.

We both almost randomly select our people for the carriage rides, and away we go.

The normal game progresses quite nicely and we both close a few routes and move a few carriages. The audience expansion was really an afterthought and not much consideration during the normal game. I tried to recall which value people I had where, but didn't remember.

So in the end my wife ended up winning the normal game scoring even though I had all the territories, placed all my houses. I made too many short routes so didn't get any of the the longer route markers where she did.

After scoring the people who had an audience with the Pope my wife one by a single point. 38 to 37 ish.

Thoughts on the Audience expansion:

The expansion at first glance did not add much strategy to the overall game. It felt more like a afterthought and something we "had" to do after closing a route. After thinking about it, there could be some minor strategy, but it will always be secondary to the main game strategy. My opinion.

Thread: Re: First Play Review

domcrap — 2008-04-15T23:11:36+00:00

dtolman wrote:
Agree 100% - this may include two expansions, but only one actually adds to the game.

Ditto with our experience. The Audience is a horribly random addition to a thoughtful game whereas the Officials added an interesting layer.

Thread: Re: First Play Review

dtolman — 2008-04-12T17:17:39+00:00

Agree 100% - this may include two expansions, but only one actually adds to the game.

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Toynan — 2008-04-12T14:11:00+00:00

The withe barouche has arrived

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Toynan — 2008-04-12T14:04:39+00:00

Token points

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Toynan — 2008-04-12T13:59:47+00:00

Thread: Re: First Play Review

wkusau — 2008-04-07T03:22:14+00:00

I had the same feelings after 1 play.

Thread: Re: First Play Review

kevtor — 2008-04-04T22:43:32+00:00

Thanks for your comments. I tend to agree with them, although I also have played with the expansion(s) only one time. Like you, we went ahead and used both. I also found the collecting of the privilege tokens to be interesting, especially with regard to choosing the option that allows you to "sweep" the board. It seemed to make that action more desirable. So I agree that this expansion added an nice new level of thought to the game.

Unfortunately, I also tend to agree with your assessment of the carriage board as well. Wondeful bits, which I appreciate, but it really did seem pretty random. Furthermore, despite a bunch of manuevering to see if it made a difference I believe our scored from the carriages were something like 10-10-10-11. Not much gained from it. I'd be interested in trying the carriages out again to see if there is something more there that I am missing. I suspect there might be, but I don't play T&T enough to suss it out.

Thread: First Play Review

Odinsday — 2008-04-04T16:41:03+00:00

So we sat down last night not sure what to play. The store owner decided to encourage to try out the new Thurn and Taxis expansion. Why not? The base game is a fun, tension driven game.

Out comes a myriad of new pieces and a new board, and we sort it out while our resident rules lawyer (in a good way) reads the 2 sided sheet.

There's two new parts.

The Audience

Carriages race off to Rome down a slightly random looking map with a few decision points (do I go there quickly or slowly?). Like Royal Turf, you can 'bet' by placing token on each carriage. Each player has a tokens worth 1-5, and there's five carriages... so 1 token in each. Each carriage has a colour. These match the colours of the regions on the main board. If you claim a route but don't place a house on the main board in that colour, you move the carriage instead.

Once you arrive in Rome, the occupants pile out. If there's already a token of the same number there when you arrive, it gets knocked out. So you want your high scoring carriage to arrive last to Rome... but you want it to arrive before the end of the game.

The Officials

Each special ability (Take 2 cards, Play 2 cards, Sweep the board or use the cartwright) has a token. When you use that special, you take the corresponding token. When an ability runs out of tokens you have to trade in between 1 and 4 tokens (all different) for a minor effect (1 card, 1 VP, 1 house played).

We played both together. The Audience board seemed random and a little dull. There was a broad sweep of points from it (from 1 to 8), with little control or tactics used. Not knowing which carriage has which tokens on it, and having to memorise your own set up just made it far too random and uninteresting.

The official however added a interesting set of decisions, with some less optimal choices taken on the board to collect sets of official tokens. The 'sweep' (or el beardy) power was used much more than normal to collect the token when players had less interest in what was up.

Certainly the new tokens got me planning in three different directions enough that I managed to block my own route at one stage and had to start out again.... careless, but a sign that there's a little more to think about. Or I was thinking to hard.

In short:
The Audience : random addition that adds little.
The Official : Interesting addition that adds a second layer of decisions.

Thread: Re: Audience expansion Review

SteveK2 — 2008-03-31T18:48:53+00:00

I played both parts of the second expansion together in a single game a couple of weeks ago, and I hated it.

To me, Thurn & Taxis is a nice game, with a smooth rhythm. Pick up a card, put down a card, maybe declare a route.

The first expansion (Power & Glory) was great. Basically a new map with a couple of minor twists. The rhythm remained.

This second expansion was a pain.

The Officials: Every turn, you had to remember to pick up one of those little tiles to say you'd chosen a particular official. Yeah, I know you don't technically have to use an official, but now there's an incentive to use him anyway. Every few turns, you'd then have to interrupt the game for everyone to return tokens and claim their little prize (like a free card). Fiddly and distracting. And people seemed to discard the face up cards more often - not to change the cards so much as to get their little badge.

The Carriages: another interruption. Another little thing to remember. Everytime someone declared a route we had to check to see what towns hadn't had offices placed, then move the corresponding carriage. Only two carriages actually arrived in Rome, and it gave a 1/3/8/9 points spread, which felt both random and significant. I don't really see how this introduces a new strategy to the game - I mean, should I really now be considering my routes based on what towns I don't open an office in?

Maybe we were just having an "off" day, but this expansion just felt like a pile of sand thrown into a well-oiled machine.

Thread: Re: Audience expansion Review

stormseeker75 — 2008-03-31T17:53:58+00:00

I purchased this and have yet to play it, but it looks like the Offices of Power part of the expansion is much better and should probably be integrated straight into the game. Relatively simple rules that add an extra layer to the decision making.

Thread: Re: Audience expansion Review

jjacjackson — 2008-03-31T17:19:06+00:00

That is what I fear of this part of the expansion - it just becomes ignored due to players more focused on their route and house building. I'm very curious to see what people think of the 2nd part of the expansion where you benefit from selecting different roles each turn!

Thread: Audience expansion Review

TrojanDan — 2008-03-31T03:24:33+00:00

The Thurn and Taxis-All Roads Lead to Rome expansion consists of 2 expansions. This review only pertains to the Audience expansion.

The Rules

There are five carriages that are headed to Rome. Anytime a player closes a route and doesn't place a house in the city, the player advances the Rome carriage southward towards Rome. At the beginning of the game, each player places one of his envoys in each of the five carriages. Each of these envoys has a value of 1 to 5 victory points. The carriages will reach Rome at different points in the game. The goal is to be the last person of a particular point value to get an audience. (So if the green player gets their 5-point envoy there first, and then the yellow player gets their second, only the yellow player will get the points).

In the 2-player version, the carriages start halfway down the board, closer to Rome.

The Pieces

As someone has mentioned before, the box is cavernous. The pieces take up maybe one eighth the entire box. The carriages are wood and beautifully painted. The board is colorful and detailed, about a quarter to a third the size of the original board. The envoy cardboard chit pieces are also quite detailed and the artwork is quite nice.

My Opinions

Bear in mind that I've only played the Audience expansion in a 2-player game. My wife and I both felt that the expansion didn't really add much to the game.

There is some strategy to which carriage you should place which envoy. But since all of the carriages reached Rome well before the game ended, none of the envoys were in danger of not scoring points.

Neither of us really let the Rome carriages affect our game play.

Thread: 2 player with just the Audience in Rome Expansion

TrojanDan — 2008-03-31T03:08:27+00:00

The box contains 2 expansions. My wife and I played with just one of the two - the audience in Rome.

In the 2 player version, the carriages start halfway down the board. My wife randomly placed her 5 people, whereas I put my more prized people (3, 4, and 5) in routes that would take longer (grey) or colors where neither of us play very often (orange/red).

During gameplay, my wife focused on getting all of the gray cities. She also finished orange and red first. She also got the first 7-carriage and 5-carriage route bonuses. She also finished purple cities second. During her play, however, she actually helped me out by moving the blue, green, and purple Rome carriages to Rome first thereby allowing me to get the 3, 4, and 5 bonuses from audiences. (All of our carriages reached Rome about 3/4 of the way through the game.)

I managed to get purple, blue, and green city bonuses first and got the orange/red city bonus 2nd. I also got the All color bonus as well as the first two 6-carriage bonus and the last 5-carriage bonus. I also ended the game, thereby getting the 7-carriage route and the extra 1 point for finishing first.

I ended with 2 extra houses and my wife had 3. So pretty much in every scoring area, I had a commanding lead. We didn't bother tallying up the final score, I didn't want her to feel too bad.

Thread: Re: Is this compatible with "Power & Glory"?

Salt-Man Z — 2008-03-28T22:31:54+00:00

Looking at the rulebook, it appears that they should play together, at least mostly.

The Offices of Honor module seems obvious; you just have to play the new board with the old (carriage/Cartwright) rules.

The Audience module should be do-able, too. You just have to substitute the original board's province color-groups with the new board's groups. (Treat Free Cities as you would Lodz.)

That's my educated guess, anyway.

Thread: Re: Is this compatible with "Power & Glory"?

nickguay — 2008-03-28T12:58:44+00:00

I guess another way to ask this questions perhaps is:
Will both expansion play together?

Thread: Re: Is this compatible with "Power & Glory"?

Spielguy — 2008-03-28T12:55:38+00:00

It is an expansion just like Power & Glory was an expansion. You need the base game to play either of these expansions.

Thread: Is this compatible with "Power & Glory"?

Steve777 — 2008-03-28T11:20:40+00:00

Is this expansion compatible with the board from "Power & Glory"?

Thread: Re: Do you only need the orginal game and this expansion?

jearles — 2008-03-23T01:58:32+00:00

No you don't need Thurn and Taxis - Power and Glory, just the base game.

Thread: Do you only need the orginal game and this expansion?

2ndPlace — 2008-03-23T01:37:55+00:00

I have the base game Thurn and Taxis, do you need the Thurn and Taxis Power and Glory to use this new expansion? It looks like you only need the orginal game and All Roads lead to Rome. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Thread: Re: Release date (well, month) and rules for English version

Liggur — 2008-03-14T12:03:51+00:00

Picked up my copy from my local FLGS yesterday.

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Zebu_Alex — 2008-03-06T17:35:42+00:00

The Extra Board

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Zebu_Alex — 2008-03-06T17:34:23+00:00

English Rules Front

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Zebu_Alex — 2008-03-06T17:32:10+00:00

Counters Sheet

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Zebu_Alex — 2008-03-06T17:30:47+00:00

Counters Sheet

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Zebu_Alex — 2008-03-06T17:29:38+00:00

What you get in the box

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Zebu_Alex — 2008-03-06T17:28:22+00:00

Wooden Carts

Thread: Re: Release date (well, month) and rules for English version

JeffyJeff — 2008-02-12T16:17:09+00:00

yup, more info/dates on a ton of other RGG releases at http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/292490

Thread: Release date (well, month) and rules for English version

scwont — 2008-02-12T07:11:58+00:00

Looks like this will be available next month...

http://www.riograndegames.com/games.html?id=255

There is also now a link to the rules in English.

Thread: Re: English rules?

GeoMan — 2008-02-11T01:01:52+00:00

Official English rules from RGG:

http://www.riograndegames.com/uploads/Game/Game_255_gameRule...

Thread: Re: Large empty box...

ropearoni4 — 2008-02-09T20:32:27+00:00

I'm talking about the T&T game expansions in the previous posting concerning the "2nd expansion of t&T which is actually 3&4 since two have already been made for it

Thread: Re: Large empty box...

ropearoni4 — 2008-02-08T19:57:46+00:00

Actually these will make the 3rd and 4th expansions, no?

Thread: Re: Large empty box...

Great Dane — 2008-02-06T09:54:13+00:00

GeoMan wrote:
What are you going to do when the 3rd expansion comes out? Then I will bring out the original box from the attic - just as I did with Siedler von Catan, which for years could fit in the 5/6-player expanson - until the 3rd expansion arrived last year, and I had to use this, larger, box instead

Thread: Re: Large empty box...

GeoMan — 2008-02-05T18:10:51+00:00

Great Dane wrote:
I have taken the original game and the first two expansions and added them to the new one. That just saved me space for half another game!

What are you going to do when the 3rd expansion comes out?

I put everything in the original box so i have some space left if (when) another expansion comes out.

Thread: Re: Large empty box...

Great Dane — 2008-02-05T15:05:59+00:00

The box is for display purposes in the shops.

But I like the large box. I have taken the original game and the first two expansions and added them to the new one. That just saved me space for half another game!

Thread: Re: Large empty box...

khaox — 2008-02-05T14:44:56+00:00

probably to keep with base game box size. But I agree... it could have included Der Kurier der Fürstin without all of that probably-not-so-fresh-Hans-Im-Gluck air Anyway... You still can pack this expansion with base game with really little bulp on box, but it's not the way it should work

It's just another sample of much too big box. Before this my favorite was Carolus Magnus with 70% wasted space

Thread: Re: Here is what this expansion contains

offwater — 2008-02-03T21:46:36+00:00

Holzkutschen = wooden carriage

Thread: Large empty box...

GeoMan — 2008-01-31T23:09:45+00:00

Why such a large box was needed for so few components? They could easily fit in a half-sized box and still there would be plenty of empty space...

Thread: English rules?

GeoMan — 2008-01-31T21:06:42+00:00

Anyone working on an English translation?

Thread: Re: Rules question

khaox — 2008-01-16T11:12:22+00:00

TermiGator wrote:
khaox wrote:
3. In Amt und Wurden - when I take last office chit standard turn order is interrupted to launch token-giving-back-round. And it takes through all players at least once, but can take longer if some office is still without any chit on his desk
Right.
But honestly I cannot figure out weather you continue returning (after the first full round of returning) just until each office has chits again
(Example Player A, B, C, D - A, B finished, if B retured the "critical" chit")
or if there is a complete second round of returning where each player gets to return chits again
(A, B, C, D - A, B, C, D even if A, B or C returned the "critical" chit on his second round)

Rules wrote:
Sobald ein Spieler das letzte Amtsplattchen einer Amtsperson vom Vorrat genommen hat, mussen alle Spieler Amtsplattchen zuruck geben. Beginnend mit dem Spieler, der am Zug ist, muss jeder Spieler 1-4 unterchiedliche Plattchen zuruck geben. [...] Liegt danach bei einer Amtsperson kein Plattchen, werden solande Amtsplattchen nach der oben beschriebenen Regel zuruck gegeben, bis jede Amtsperson wieder mindestens ein Plattchen hat

I'm not sure, but I think that it should enforce each player to use chits and leave each desk with at least one chit. It's harmfull for players to be enforced to give single chit, but that sounds in way first expansion part changes rules making players to hurt each other fighting for place in Rome.
I always played with giving back as full first round and after that as long as there is an empty desk. Works great, but on the other way I should use official rules, so trying to make sure at any little point.

And another question... (in Audienz) is there any order of moving carriage? I assumed, that as I score track I take card after card... In base game scoring was parallel, but as order of arrivals is critical, so there is a question if I'm able to alter order of moving for my own cards in single track.

Thread: Re: Rules question

khaox — 2008-01-15T23:10:35+00:00

well, at start I playing with officials (due to clearer rules)... found it nice for 2 players, but waited for 1st part. At least got clarification from one player, but question here was still hanging

Thread: Re: Rules question

Great Dane — 2008-01-15T17:31:07+00:00

So you have rated the game - but don't really know how to play?

Thread: Re: Rules question

TermiGator — 2008-01-15T17:21:54+00:00

khaox wrote:
I was trying to translate rules, but have some questions.

1. Die Audienz - which City cards I use to move. Every one, for which I havn't set a house? So that ones, where I was unable to build house (already placed it before) and that ones that wasn't going to produce house Ex. When I chose to build in one land, cards from other lands automatically couse moving?
You have to move with each card you didn't place a house for.
As the rules of the basic game speak of you may place houses - I therefore think you can also forgo placing a house you could place and instead move the carriage.

2. Die Audienz - when I arrive to Rome, there is written something about Jokers. I think, it works that I (have to?) choose one card, which havn't coused moving to move ... or (if not possible) chose one of cards lying open on board... or? (if it's still not possible)
Colours of carriages that already reached rome work as jokers and as there is no black carriage Lodz always works as a joker.

3. In Amt und Wurden - when I take last office chit standard turn order is interrupted to launch token-giving-back-round. And it takes through all players at least once, but can take longer if some office is still without any chit on his desk
Right.
But honestly I cannot figure out weather you continue returning (after the first full round of returning) just until each office has chits again
(Example Player A, B, C, D - A, B finished, if B retured the "critical" chit")
or if there is a complete second round of returning where each player gets to return chits again
(A, B, C, D - A, B, C, D even if A, B or C returned the "critical" chit on his second round)

Thread: Re: Rules question

khaox — 2008-01-10T15:20:33+00:00

Just from the box I've opened on tuesday

Thread: Re: Rules question

TermiGator — 2008-01-10T15:14:11+00:00

You got the rules?
Where from?
The expansion isn't even listed on the "Hans im Glüc"-page yet?

Thread: Rules question

khaox — 2008-01-09T14:12:15+00:00

I was trying to translate rules, but have some questions.

1. Die Audienz - which City cards I use to move. Every one, for which I havn't set a house? So that ones, where I was unable to build house (already placed it before) and that ones that wasn't going to produce house Ex. When I chose to build in one land, cards from other lands automatically couse moving?

2. Die Audienz - when I arrive to Rome, there is written something about Jokers. I think, it works that I (have to?) choose one card, which havn't coused moving to move ... or (if not possible) chose one of cards lying open on board... or? (if it's still not possible)

3. In Amt und Wurden - when I take last office chit standard turn order is interrupted to launch token-giving-back-round. And it takes through all players at least once, but can take longer if some office is still without any chit on his desk

Thread: Re: Here is what this expansion contains

30ought6 — 2008-01-04T23:58:13+00:00

Übersichtstaflen = Reference card/sheet.

Thread: Re: What does this expansion contain?

Werbaer — 2007-12-05T20:54:39+00:00

"Spielplan" is game board.
(Platt chen are chits)

Thread: Here is what this expansion contains

JeffyJeff — 2007-12-05T20:46:39+00:00

There's a photo of the back of the German box that says it contains...

1 Spielplan
5 Holzkutschen
26 Amtsplattchen
4 Ubersichtstafeln

12 Siegpunktchips
20 Audienzplattchen

The best translation I could find was with translate.google.com which gives:

1 Schedule (gameboard)
5 wooden carriages
26 official Platt Chen (chits)
4 Availability boards (Reference card/sheet)

12 Victory Point Chips
20 audience Platt Chen (chits)

edit: thanks to Werner and Johan for further trasnslation!