Game: Scotland Yard

Thread: Re: Can a detective pass?

Sphere — 2008-08-26T04:08:52+00:00

The Milton Bradley reprint is quite specific, perhaps as a result of such queries:

"No player can refuse to move and remain in the same location. On your turn you must move the pawn or pawns that you are controlling."

Thread: Re: Can a detective pass?

FerrumEtBombyx — 2008-08-26T03:57:12+00:00

It would also allow "camping" on critical subway junctions. Part of detective strategy is to time arrival at these junctions well. Part of the strategy of Mr. X is to exploit the fact that detectives have to move.

Thread: Re: Can a detective pass?

game_boy — 2008-08-26T03:34:14+00:00

I agree that the (Ravensburger) rules don't state this explicitly enough.

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-24T18:40:15+00:00

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-24T14:57:48+00:00

A brief appearance from Mr. X.

Thread: Re: Passing & Pinning locations

zombiegod — 2008-08-24T14:30:06+00:00

Cheers for the reply. There is no mention of this in my edition.

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T14:16:40+00:00

Ticket to everywhere

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T14:15:34+00:00

Double move for Mr. X.

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T13:11:38+00:00

You are here

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T13:09:32+00:00

Tubeway Army

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T13:08:16+00:00

"Next stop please"

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T13:06:08+00:00

"TAXI!"

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T12:40:47+00:00

The Usual Suspects

Thread: Re: Passing & Pinning locations

DaveD — 2008-08-23T11:32:39+00:00

The rules are clear. You must take your turn when it comes and cannot pass. If the space you want to move to is blocked then you must move somewhere else.

This also prevents you from sitting on a location to block Mr. X, although it is possible towards the end of the game you may get a situation, where you have run out of the correct tickets and cannot move, in which case you stay there until the end of the game.

Thread: Passing & Pinning locations

zombiegod — 2008-08-23T11:25:20+00:00

What are the rulings for passing turns?

In some instances where you would ideally like to arrive at a location that is already covered by another player, would it be acceptable to wait/pass up your turn until the occupied space became free, or are you forced to move out and then on subsequent turns move back 'and then on' again?

The same goes for pinning down a location, is this allowed? If Mr. X only has a few options open and I'm fairly sure of his location can I just wait out my turn and cordon off some of his escape routes? It seems that if this is not allowable you are just stepping back & waving him past on his journey.

Image

zombiegod — 2008-08-22T16:21:42+00:00

Rear box shot of 1992 U.K. edition

Thread: Re: Map (route) question

WineDarkSea — 2008-06-01T23:30:50+00:00

You could compare/contrast this situation with the taxi routes between 190, 191 & 192.
192 --> 191 looks much like 126 --> 114.

Unlike 126 & 132, 192 --> 190 has a separate (direct) taxi route.
To me this indicates that Taxi 126 ---> 114 ----> 132 is correct.

Thread: Re: Map (route) question

Galvatron — 2008-05-31T04:17:39+00:00

My interpretation has been that there is no direct connection from 126 to 132. Making a direct connection would be inconsistent with the vast majority of the other taxi routes, which are generally "one unit" in length (bus routes being typically two or three units in length, etc.).

Thread: Re: Map (route) question

whac3 — 2008-05-15T18:09:05+00:00

Short version is "No, you can't". If you look closely, the line goes first to 114 and only then to either of the others.

Thread: Re: Map (route) question

freduk — 2008-05-15T08:46:37+00:00

We have always played it that you CANNOT move directly between 126-132 (we have the older board). We play that 114 occupies that entire junction. The way the taxi route bends on the approach to 114 is enough to convince us that you have to visit 114.
As long as everyone agrees before the game, it shouldn't really matter either way.

Thread: Re: Map (route) question

Ahiksking — 2008-05-14T22:22:58+00:00

I have always played it that you can move directly 126 - 132. I have the older version of the game and it's good that the newer version seems even more clear that you can make the move.

A nice fun game indeed.

Thread: Map (route) question

skemmuni — 2008-05-14T20:19:57+00:00

We have played Scotland Yard 5 times now - and it's a great game!!

Last time we played we had a question about a taxi route shown in the picture below:
]]>

The question is:
Can you move from Taxi nr.126 directly to Taxi nr. 132? Or is Taxi nr. 114 between taxi 126 and 132:

Can you move: Taxi 126 --> 132

or do you have to move: Taxi 126 ---> 114 ----> 132?

I found a different vision of the map in the BGG wed page:
]]>

In this map it looks like you can travel directly from Taxi 126 ---> 132. Maybe this solved my question

Thread: Re: The Big X

FerretOfTindalos — 2008-05-11T00:00:27+00:00

Well, thank you very much for the gold, the compliment, and for reading! Very appreciated.

Thread: Re: Scotland Yard: Executive Review

vegaz — 2008-05-07T20:02:22+00:00

I understand your criticism, but if the players are more than 2 I would not describe the experience with Scotland Yard as chess-like, since the mere fact that there are many players trying to outguess Mr. X, debating among them his possible moves, is enough, in my view, to avoid that "risk". The 2 player game, on the other side, is actually more cerebral.

Thread: Re: Scotlad Yard: Executive Review

whac3 — 2008-05-07T17:43:17+00:00

we are not, however, at the chess-like attitude that is necessary, say, in Mr. Jack.

I must disagree with the OP's statement here. If one plays by the original rules so that one always has 5 detectives in play and experienced players, it can become quite chess-like. Mr. X for one does not merely "have an unlimited supply of tickets" but rather he has at the start the few tickets not given to detectives out of a very finite supply. Part of play as a detective is to try and limit how Mr. X can move by choosing which way a detective moves. Then also if one plays with the advanced rule that Mr. X cannot pass through a spot with a detective on it-- as I and those I plau with usually do-- it becomes very much a test of wits and skill. Detective players when I've played will spend most of their time answering the question, "Where is it possible Mr. X could be?" and trying to cover all the possibilities. Mr. X tries to maximize the possibilities and especially to create ones the detectives cannot cover.

Thread: Re: The Big X

Hendal — 2008-05-07T16:50:26+00:00

great writing, really really enjoyed it, deserves 2 thumbs up , but a GG tip will have to do,
Have a great day &

Game On'

Thread: Re: Scotlad Yard: Executive Review

Hendal — 2008-05-07T16:41:05+00:00

May have to look this one up. My wife does not like the theme of Mr. Jack, which is sad since I hear it is a great 2 player game. I think she would go for this theme though?

Thanks for sharing.

Game On'

Thread: Scotland Yard: Executive Review

vegaz — 2008-05-07T15:53:41+00:00

With my "executive reviews" I try to distil the essence of a game in a brief summary, adapted to time-challenged gamers (like myself).

Introduction
I started to play this game in the '90s, when it was already past its peak of fame (Scotland Yard was Spiel des Jahres in 1983, and was very popular in the '80s). The game was originally developed around the idea of a fox hunt, only later receiving its actual police theme. The game is set in London, and it depicts the manhunt of the local police to capture the fugitive Mr. X.

Theme
The fact that the original theme was quite different for the one with which the game arrived on the shelves shows clearly that the game is not really "dripping with theme". At the same time, however, the game mechanic is perfectly adapted to the police theme finally chosen: though there are no background information on Mr. X and the reasons why he is wanted by the police, it's really not difficult for the players to feel quite immersed in the (admittedly vague) story.

Components
I have never seen a Ravensburger title with bad-quality components, and Scotlad Yard is no exception. The map of London depicted on the board is really beautiful, even though I prefer the original one, set in daylight, to the one that is now included in the game, which is meant to represent London by night.

Mechanic
One of the players is Mr. X, and his/her goal is to avoid being captured by the police (all the other players). Both Mr. X and the police use bus, taxi and underground tickets, but while Mr. X has unlimited supply of the tickets, each of the agents has only a preciuos little number of them. The taxi tickets allow only short journeys in the city, while buses and especially the underground can transport the players much faster. Mr. X travels secretly on the map, only showing the kind of tickets he is using. He then reveals his position at fixed intervals, at which points he shall better be quite far away from the agents. The agents, instead, will probably try to be, when Mr. X has to reveal himself, in "strategic" places, from where they can take whatever mean of transport can bring them close to their quarry. If the last turn ends and Mr. X is still free, Mr. X wins: otherwise, the police is the winner. To capture Mr. X a police agent has simply to arrive on the same position of Mr. X on the map: of course Mr. X can cheat, since he is the only one to know where he is, but this has never been an issue in my game experience.

Complexity
The game is very easy to learn and to explain, but at the same time it can punish quite harshly a player that choses the wrong move: we are not, however, at the chess-like attitude that is necessary, say, in Mr. Jack.

Length
The game is quick, around 30-45 minutes. If Mr. X plays badly, however, he can be captured within a few turns.

Replayability
Good. I'm always ready to play a game of Scotland Yard: though, in fact, that happens basically during family gatherings and the like. The game is perfectly suitable for non gamers, and is one of the few boardgames you can still see in supermarkets.

Number of players/Solo playability
The game cannot be played solo. It's for 3-6 players, but is perfectly playable even with 2. However, the 2 player game is a little bit fiddly and overly tactical in my opinion, since the police player has to control at least 3 or 4 agents. For a better 2 players experience and a similar concept of game, I would recommend Mr. Jack instead.

Final take
I love Scotland Yard: many will probably disagree, but I consider it an evergreen classic, at least among the "easy" games you can play with your family on Christmas. I have to admit, however, that playing the police is not nearly as funny than playing Mr. X: but a game is relatively short, so everyone can have a shot as Mr. X.
My final rate, anyway, is a big 9 out of 10 (well, I told you that I like it!).

Thread: Re: 2 Excellent Variants!

beckeykevin — 2008-04-29T17:22:45+00:00

otrex wrote:

(2) In the second variant, Mr X needs to make a crucial delivery. After all players draw their starting locations, Mr X draws two. The first one he looks at is his starting location and the second is the location of his delivery. In order to win, Mr X must not only survive, but must visit the appropriate delivery space at least once. After the game, Mr X must prove that he visited the number in question by revealing his movement path. Obviously, this variant requires a very competent Mr X player.

I really like this variant.

Thread: Re: 2 Excellent Variants!

beckeykevin — 2008-04-29T17:20:28+00:00

otrex wrote:
After playing this game with the standard rules a few million times, I have devised a couple variants that some players may find to be a refreshing change.

(1) In the first variant, the players are no longer hunting for Mr. X and instead are fleeing from him! They should all scatter across the city while Mr. X chases them down. All else remains the same including the reveals. Success for Mr X is defined as landing on the same square (and killing) 3 detectives throughout the game, although players can bid pre-game for the number they believe that they can kill with the highest bid playing Mr. X. Killing a detective results in their tickets being lost to Mr X, and their pawn removed. In addition, Mr X is forced to reveal his location each time he lands on a detective's pawn.

My main concern with this variant is that a Detective player could get eliminated before taking a turn.

My suggestion would be to allow a defeated detective player to still participate in the game. Perhaps the defeated detective is mortally wounded, but still able to move around the board. If the defeated detective moves onto the same space as Mr. X, the Mr. X player must announce that Mr. X has been spotted.

Thread: Re: 2 Excellent Variants!

Cole Wehrle — 2008-04-29T14:10:59+00:00

These look wonderful. I've just started playing Scotland Yard and I'm sure it won't be long before we try these variants.

Thread: Re: Question about Passing Over

pankajbharti — 2008-04-02T07:05:55+00:00

thanks everyone

Thread: Re: Question about Passing Over

pankajbharti — 2008-04-02T07:05:29+00:00

thanks

Thread: The Big X

FerretOfTindalos — 2008-03-28T06:35:30+00:00

I've had Scotland Yard for about a year, but only played it for the first time last night. This is mostly because when I get enough people willing to play a game with me, we usually go for something a bit more action-y, like Heroscape, Betrayal, or Arkham Horror. But this time, SY finagled its way onto the table (well, floor) because my roommate wanted to wear the Mr. X hat. Good enough!

She, Libby, was pitted against Becky and myself. Becky and I took two detectives apiece, as suggested in the rules. I was Red and Black, Becky was Green and Blue. Despite it being our first game, it was wrapped up quickly, so a short, half-hearted dramatization may be in order... in the style of Jack Webb...

The session you are about to read is true. Only the names have been changed to make it more interesting.

"This is the city. London. A person can find a bit of everything here. Shops. Sites. Entertainment. Crime. That's where I come in. I carry a badge.
Wednesday, March 26th. It was overcast in London. I was assigned to special fugitive detail under Captain Lestrade. My partners were Greene, Skye, and LeNoire. My name's Redding."

The notorious enemy of the Crown, Mr. X, long suspected an accomplice to the dastardly mastermind Dr. James Moriarty, was once again spotted in London after a long period of hiding. Scotland Yard, pressed for manpower, was able to dispatch only four inspectors to scour the entirety of London and run the criminal to ground.

The inspectors were deployed in haphazard, staggered positions which they found surprising, if not downright random of their superiors. Inspector LeNoire began his search at 91, not far from the Tower, on the north bank of the Thames. Not far from him, on the other side of the river, was the ravishing Inspector Greene at location 117, Southwark Cathedral. Visiting the Old Scotland Yard building at 132 for inspiration was the whimsical Inspector Skye, who had the annoying habit of acting like a female Ellery Queen. Not far from her was the brilliant young Inspector Redding, canvasing the popular instersection at 155.

Unbeknownst to LeNoire, he was the closest to the target, who was beginning his escape in earnest at point 29.

X's initial move by taxi to 55 was impossible to trace, so the inspectors spread themselves a bit for a more effective dragnet. In addition to being short on manpower, Scotland Yard was apparently also short on funds, having given the inspectors only a handful of vouchers for each form of public transportation. No doubt Mr. X had a hand in this, having redirected the money toward convincing Parliament to renumbering all intersections in a confusing manner. The inspectors did have a fair number of taxi stubs, so each and all of them used one as a first movement. Greene headed west to 116, while Skye headed north to 114. Inspector LeNoire elected to cover the southeast area of the city, which would be a relatively easy place to box in Mr. X should he be hiding in the vicinity. He began heading that way, to 107. Inspector Redding, meanwhile, moved west to 167, toward Victoria Station.

X continued surreptitiously southward, this time by bus, to 89. Still with no solid leads on X's whereabouts, Greene continued west to 127, and Skye north to 101. LeNoire took a bus across the Tower Bridge to 119, while Redding reached Victoria station at 153.

At that moment, two fortuitous things happened. Rumors reached the investigators that X was interested in how to charter a boat for passage along the Thames, and X himself was sighted by a Scotland Yard contact as he moved to 88 by taxi. The men and women of the Yard immediately closed in, with Greene bussing it to 102 and Skye taking a cab to 82. LeNoire was forced to go back the way he had just come, and took the bus back to 107, losing precious time. Inspector Greene contacted Redding and pressured him to take the underground, which the intrepid inspector was going to do anyway. He went to the station at 140.

And then, as quickly as he had surfaced, X dropped off the radar again. The Yard's informant was only able to say X hopped into another cab, which sped off. Greene quickly bussed to St. Paul's Cathedral at 86, even as Skye bussed to the underground station at 87. LeNoire bussed to 105 in an attempt to block X from crossing to the other side of the river. Redding was initially tempted to stay in the area, in case X was able to indeed charter a boat, which would have to drop him off nearby. But Redding knew his quarry to be wily, as X had been shifting the map around during the chase and looking from different vantage points to throw off pursuers. He didn't put too much stock in the boat idea, and so took the underground to the station at 89.

As Redding stepped off the train and onto the platform, he bumped squarely into a muttering and chuckling Mr. X, who was immediately identified by the distinctive hat. With a cry of despair, X threw up his hands and was apprehended by Redding, meanwhile lamenting about how his next five "rounds" would have been brilliant moves if he'd only had the chance.

Redding glowered at him stoicly. "That's where you're wrong. You didn't have a chance from the beginning."
X paused in his rambling. "How's that?"
"You're a criminal."
X remained silent, and was led away.

Mr. X, aka X, aka The Guy In The Snazzy Hat, was put on trial for committing Crimes of an Unspecified Nature. In a moment, the results of that trial....

Thread: Re: Question about Passing Over

whac3 — 2008-03-28T02:56:59+00:00

According to the 1985 MD edition, although detectives may not move to the same space, they may freely pass through one another. So for example, if a bus route goes through a spot without a bus stop on it where a detective is, anther detective may go by bs across the space that detective occupies.

If one uses the basic rules, Mr. X may also do so. If one however choses to use the advanced rules, then Mr. X may not even pass a detective. Nevertheless, let me be clear; it the basic rules Mr. X simply cannot move to a space where a detective is but MAY move past a detective so long as he does not land there.

I have always played with the advanced rules as a greater challenge, but that's still a choice.

Thread: Re: Question about Passing Over

freduk — 2008-03-27T09:57:09+00:00

pankajbharti wrote:
My questions is about "or you can pass over each others pawn on the same route to a location (this applies only on a bus route and underground routes, not on a taxi routes)."

Look at the following example where 12, 45, 78 are bus stations, 31 is not. the stations are connected as:

12 (bus) --- 31 --- 45 (bus) --- 78 (bus)

Detective Pink is on 12, Detective Red is on 45. There is no detective on 78.

Can the Pink Detective on 12 pay a bus ticket and move to station 78 ?

No. One bus ticket (or one of any ticket) allows you to move one bus stop only. In your example, Pink (on 12) can only take a bus to 45, or a taxi to 31. It will take two turns (and 2 tickets) to get to 78. As there is a detective on 45 (Red), this option is out, so he can only take a taxi to 31.
What the rules are trying to say is that if Red was on 31, then Pink can take a bus from 12 to 45 without worrying about passing over Red on 31, as it isn't a bus stop.

Thread: Question about Passing Over

pankajbharti — 2008-03-27T09:14:06+00:00

I just bought Scotland Yard. Rules say:

"You can never move an already occupied numbered locaiton. There never can be 2 or more pawns on the same spot and ofcource if MR X moved into an occupied location or a detective moved into a location occupied by Mr X, the game would be over. There are no restrictions to movements.
You can doubleback on your next turn to a location you just occupied or you can pass over each others pawn on the same route to a location ( this applies only on a bus route and underground routes, not on a taxi routes). "

My questions is about "or you can pass over each others pawn on the same route to a location (this applies only on a bus route and underground routes, not on a taxi routes)."

Look at the following example where 12, 45, 78 are bus stations, 31 is not. the stations are connected as:

12 (bus) --- 31 --- 45 (bus) --- 78 (bus)

Detective Pink is on 12, Detective Red is on 45. There is no detective on 78.

Can the Pink Detective on 12 pay a bus ticket and move to station 78 ?

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

thatmarkguy — 2008-03-20T02:52:43+00:00

I haven't played the various methods enough to know from personal experience, but from what I've read from people who have, a lot of people seem to think the game is closest to 'balanced' at 4 detective pawns. With 5 detectives, the detective side should win a healthy majority of the time. With only 3 detectives, Mr X should win a landslide majority of the time. With 4 detectives, it's not clear which side wins most often.

From what I've read, it seems with 5, Mr. X has two basic choices: in early-mid-game, take an unforced risk (move to one of the spaces the detectives could move to, hope they choose other spaces, and slip the net), or try to play it safe (never make such a 'risky' move, and if the detectives play well, they should be able to close the net before the final turn). Experienced groups seem to report that the only way Mr. X ever wins against 5 is by taking an early risk and having it pay off.

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

whac3 — 2008-03-18T11:25:58+00:00

emonika wrote:
Does it really make such a difference whether you have 4 or 5 detectives in the game? 4 is already plenty.

I have never played with 5 detectives, that's why I am asking.

I have the 80's MB version and so have always played with five detectives. However I know from experience that in some areas of London, only all five detectives will be able to trap Mr. X. See my review of that specific edition of this game.

I may well, now that I know how, try out the alternate rules but frankly I have strong doubts. The reason for this is most especially because the detectives' strategy in the game is to try and hem Mr. X in so that the detective players talk to each other about how to cover all the logical possibilities they see. Mr. X of course tries to out-guess them. With fewer detectives, one simply cannot cover the options and so Mr. X has a MUCH easier game.

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

emonika — 2008-03-18T05:06:18+00:00

Does it really make such a difference whether you have 4 or 5 detectives in the game? 4 is already plenty.

I have never played with 5 detectives, that's why I am asking.

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

thatmarkguy — 2008-03-18T04:52:31+00:00

Thanks! That was the one detail I wasn't quite sure of (and assumed incorrectly - doh!) - whether the 80s Ravensburger and 80s Milton Bradley editions had the same rules. I had assumed that the 1990s Ravensburger set, which intoduced the new board art, also introduced that rule. Guess not. Guess Ravensburger's been using that rule all along.

The 80s Milton Bradley edition definitely explicitly instructs players to share detectives as needed but to always have five in play. Even has a little chart saying which players should use which detectives.

http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/ScotlandYard.PDF (top of Page 3).

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

emonika — 2008-03-18T04:04:15+00:00

thatmarkguy wrote:
...

The only rule difference is that the 80s editions suggest that there always be 5 detective pawns in play, giving players unequal numbers of pawns as necessary to achieve this, and state that Mr X plays with 5 black tickets. The 90s+ edition instead states that there only be as many detective pawns as detective-side players (exception: if 2 detective players, each gets 2, for a total of 4 detectives in play - it doesn't describe a game with only one detective-side player, I'd also suggest 4 pawns), and that Mr X gets as many black tickets as there are detective pawns pursuing him.
...
Not sure which 80s edition you are referring to.

I own the German '83 version which we actually played this Saturday.

*getting the rules from downstairs* ...The rules clearly state that Mr X gets as many black tickets as there are participating players. If it's a 3 player game the 2 detective players will get 2 detectives each which will lead to 4 black tickets being issued to Mr X.

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

mst3k4L — 2008-03-17T18:59:57+00:00

I believe the 20th anniversary edition was issued in 2003.
Yes, there are 10 years between 1983 and 1993. I just cannot do math some days.

Now that you know this, you could play either edition by either method. The differences in stop-numbering would only matter if you tried to recreate a logged/transcribed game from one edition using a board from the other. So, basically, it's all a matter of preference in board graphics.
Fantastic! This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank ya much.

Thread: Where we learn that Youth and Talent are no match for Age and Treachery

Nogser — 2008-03-12T11:40:44+00:00

Scotland Yard is a game that is readily available in my part of the world, regularly apprearing on Ebay.co.uk. So it was that a well played, (and presumably loved) copy winged its way to me before last Christmas. I had a couple of games with my wife and a rather memorable one involving my children, (related here), but since then it has lain idle.

Last week however No. 1 son (age 6) pipes up

No 1 son: “Dad, you know that Mr X game?”
Me: “Yes?”
No 1 son: “I want to play it”
Me: “Yeah? Do you remember what happened last time?”
No 1 son: “I want to be Mr X”
Me “Maybe but not now”

Well, there was no convincing him it was to complicated so a few short days later, with much trepidation I find my self in charge of 2 detectives, my wife in charge of 2 more, and we are sitting across the table from the young Mr X. It turns into the Younger gang as No 2 son joins his team and they prepare to lead us on a merry dance around the streets of London. The board is complicated by the chaotic Mr Yellow (aka No. 3 son) and his large pile of yellow taxi tickets.

From under his disguise of a Dublin GAA baseball cap Mr X takes a Taxi and the hunt is on. 3 detectives started south of the Thames start to move purposefully towards the river. No quarter will be given here I warn, this is a proper grown up game. The criminal brains trust confers in hushed tones as Mr X is driven away from the river and the sanctuary of a trip on the river. Move is followed by counter move, the first reveal on turn 3 shows Mr X in North Central London. An unprompted double move casts doubt in the detectives’ minds; could he have doubled back and taken a big gamble? We press on with our dragnet. Turn 8 shows him on the west of Regents Park with detectives hot on his tail.

He tries his best, uses up his second double move to try to wriggle free but turn 12 sees him trapped with nowhere to go.

Me: “No escape for you Mr X, it’s off to bed with you and your sidekick”
“No!!!!”
Mr Yellow emerges from under the table with a taxi ticket. “It’s my move”. Mr Yellow takes his move and calm is restored.

Phew! No protests from the captured criminals who seem happy with their short time on the run. Most importantly, for now at least, I haven’t been bested in a game of wits by a 6 yr old taking advice from a 5 yr old.

edit: removed duplicate word

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

whac3 — 2008-03-12T00:45:58+00:00

thatmarkguy wrote:
I believe the 20th anniversary edition was issued in 2003.

All versions published in the USA are in English. Some versions published in non-English-speaking countries are not. Once you're past the rules, and you know which colour of transport tickets correspond with which methods of transit, the game is language-independent anyway. Er, assuming the language in question uses the numerals 0 to 9.

There are really, effectively, two versions - 80s and 90s+. The board network is not different except that some stops are differently-numbered. The colouring is different - the 80s editions use bright daytime colours with lots of yellow and green and cartoony graphics, while the 90s+ editions use a darker, bluer, more 'serious' look.

The only rule difference is that the 80s editions suggest that there always be 5 detective pawns in play, giving players unequal numbers of pawns as necessary to achieve this, and state that Mr X plays with 5 black tickets. The 90s+ edition instead states that there only be as many detective pawns as detective-side players (exception: if 2 detective players, each gets 2, for a total of 4 detectives in play - it doesn't describe a game with only one detective-side player, I'd also suggest 4 pawns), and that Mr X gets as many black tickets as there are detective pawns pursuing him.

Now that you know this, you could play either edition by either method. The differences in stop-numbering would only matter if you tried to recreate a logged/transcribed game from one edition using a board from the other. So, basically, it's all a matter of preference in board graphics.

I've got an 80's edition [which I bought in early 1986] which actually doesn't look so "cartoony" to me. Still, I've wondered about the differences myself.Still, having played tis games countless times since then, I think playing it the original way is best. My experience is that one really does NEED all five detectives in play.

Thread: Re: How many different versions are there?

thatmarkguy — 2008-03-11T22:36:23+00:00

I believe the 20th anniversary edition was issued in 2003.

All versions published in the USA are in English. Some versions published in non-English-speaking countries are not. Once you're past the rules, and you know which colour of transport tickets correspond with which methods of transit, the game is language-independent anyway. Er, assuming the language in question uses the numerals 0 to 9.

There are really, effectively, two versions - 80s and 90s+. The board network is not different except that some stops are differently-numbered. The colouring is different - the 80s editions use bright daytime colours with lots of yellow and green and cartoony graphics, while the 90s+ editions use a darker, bluer, more 'serious' look.

The only rule difference is that the 80s editions suggest that there always be 5 detective pawns in play, giving players unequal numbers of pawns as necessary to achieve this, and state that Mr X plays with 5 black tickets. The 90s+ edition instead states that there only be as many detective pawns as detective-side players (exception: if 2 detective players, each gets 2, for a total of 4 detectives in play - it doesn't describe a game with only one detective-side player, I'd also suggest 4 pawns), and that Mr X gets as many black tickets as there are detective pawns pursuing him.

Now that you know this, you could play either edition by either method. The differences in stop-numbering would only matter if you tried to recreate a logged/transcribed game from one edition using a board from the other. So, basically, it's all a matter of preference in board graphics.

Thread: How many different versions are there?

mst3k4L — 2008-03-11T19:10:52+00:00

I really want to buy this game because the idea sounds fantastic. When I went looking for it on ebay though, I found so many different versions I could not keep them all straight. Obviously, some of those ebay posts could be wrong, but that still begs the question, "How many versions of Scotland Yard are there?"

Versions that I think exist, but could still be very wrong:
1983 Ravensburger
1985 Milton Bradley
1991 Ravensburger
1993 20th Anniversary Edition
1999 N.Y. Chase

I know that N.Y. Chase is a very different game, but how are all the other versions different? Is it simply aesthetic changes, or do the rules also change? Is the board layout ever different? Are all the versions in English? I know some versions limit how many dectectives can play and how many black tickets Mr. X has. I personally like the older, more cartoony look of the board, but am willing to buy any version. I simply do not want to waste my money on an inferior version of this game! Any help would be great.

Thread: Re: Comprehensive Review

sveinmain — 2008-02-22T12:45:08+00:00

whac3 wrote:
I prefer to play it like we do in Preikestolen Gamers. The quick and funny way. Mr. x got 2 black tickets and one 2x. All the chasers can take the transportation they want. No limit on tickets etc. If there is fewer than 5 chasers, one or more players play with 2 cubes. You can also play with more than 5 chasers.

I do not understand this statement for a few reasons:

1. There are ALWAYS five and exactly five detectives ["chasers"] no matter how many people are playing.

You can add detectives, but there must be a lot of them, at least 5, even with only 4 players (one player plays 2 detectives)!

2. Resource management is an ESSENTIAL part of the game. Mr. X tries to manipulate the detectives into positions where they will get stranded without tickets to move.
You loose this one, but get a more funny and quicker game!

3. "Cubes"? What are these? There are NO dice in this game.
Sorry about the expression cubes. Detectives is the right word!

Then the hunt begins. Mr. x can start where he wants after the chasers have been placed out in the city of London.

Okay, so you play a variant where ther initial positions are not drawn from an initial set of possible locations. I personally think the game design for initial positions is one of its strong points but we can agree to disagree.
Only Mr.x will choose locations. The other ones pick!

We have still someone in our gameclub that is called Mr. x, because of his early retreat from the game.

"Retreat from the game"? Mr. X can't leave the board [London]. What do you mean here?
Get caught! Some has got caught when they has revealed themselves in 3 round. Then they get nicknamed mr. x.

Sorry about a late reply of your questions. I will get quicker next time...

Thread: Re: How to catch Mr.X?

Ed_the_Red — 2008-01-22T15:08:15+00:00

We tend to play that each player takes it in turn to be Mr X for a game - the one who last longest, wins! We also find that 5 detectives means he is generally caught pretty quickly, with 4 he usually lasts a fair while but does get caught, whereas with 3 he gets away unless he makes a big mistake.

A fun game! For an old design it has stood up very well.

Eddy

Thread: Re: How to catch Mr.X?

oatesatm — 2008-01-22T01:42:40+00:00

I have also had success in catching Mr. X and having played with all combinations of players have found a basic rule of thumb, although not an exact science:

3 Detectives --- Strong Advantage for Mr X.

4 Detectives --- Even Advantage

5 Detectives --- Strong Advantage for Detectives

It seems that each general area has about 4 escape routes and with only 3 detectives, we have very little success capturing a good Mr. X, but with 5 detectives he hardly ever gets away. 4 detectives seems to be the most balanced, but a very skilled strategist playing Mr. X may enjoy having 5 chasing him.

Thread: Re: How to catch Mr.X?

Thosw — 2008-01-21T14:47:42+00:00

The last time I played as the detectives, I made sure to keep from using the bus stations. Since Mr. X has a limited number of tickets for them, if he uses them early (or you take advantage of his "popping up" and keeping him from getting near a bus station), you can severely limit his opportunity to travel across large swaths of the map. Then it's just a case of closing in.

Of course, that requires that the detectives work together.

Thread: Re: How to catch Mr.X?

Ahiksking — 2008-01-21T14:43:49+00:00

Agree with the second post. If you have (and you do need) at least 3 hunters then you should be able to pin Mr. X either into a corner or to somewhere where his routes out are limited. The quicker you can do this, the sooner he uses up his black cards. Eventually he will be pinned.

I think my ratio is about the same i.e. escapes less that 20% of the time.

Thread: Re: How to catch Mr.X?

Chachito — 2008-01-21T13:29:19+00:00

Wow, I have had exactly the opposite experience. We have played 6-7 times, and Mr. X has only gotten away once. Maybe instead of trying to catch him right away, you should focus on corralling him. Try to cut off escape routes and keep him in one corner of the board, then move in carefully without letting him get by. Eventually, you always get your man.

Thread: How to catch Mr.X?

dp10 — 2008-01-21T13:12:27+00:00

Hi guys, I have played this game a couple of times with my friends and my family, but we have never managed to catch the Mr.X...Just wondering if it is almost impossible to catch the Mr.X? U see, Mr.X has got black tickets, 2X moves cards, unlimtied supply of tickets and he can even see how and where the detectives move, whereas the detectives have got limited tickets...I find that it is a very unbalanced game as Mr.X has got plenty of advantages...Or am I playing it wrongly? Please advice.

Cheers,
Alex

Thread: Re: Help! No English rules for newer edition!

zol84 — 2008-01-18T09:15:57+00:00

Okay thanks!! I can wait
heres my email address: zol_84@freemail.hu

Thread: Re: Help! No English rules for newer edition!

squash — 2008-01-18T01:44:16+00:00

zol84 wrote:
squash wrote:
Rygel wrote:
If you still have questions e-mails me and I will scan my rules and e-mail them to you. I have the 97' version, but with English rules.

It would certainly be useful to have a hard copy of the rules. I've sent you my e-mail address, and I am very grateful for your assistance.

The helpfulness of strangers on this site never ceases to amaze me!

Hello, I'm from hungary and i'd like to ask you to scan your hungarian rules for me.

I don't have a scanner, but I'll try to find someone who does so that I can send them to you. You'll just have to give me a couple of weeks because I'm extremely busy right now!

Thread: Re: Help! No English rules for newer edition!

zol84 — 2008-01-17T22:23:02+00:00

squash wrote:
Rygel wrote:
If you still have questions e-mails me and I will scan my rules and e-mail them to you. I have the 97' version, but with English rules.

It would certainly be useful to have a hard copy of the rules. I've sent you my e-mail address, and I am very grateful for your assistance.

The helpfulness of strangers on this site never ceases to amaze me!

Hello, I'm from hungary and i'd like to ask you to scan your hungarian rules for me.

Thread: Re: Play well as 4 players?

whac3 — 2008-01-08T03:23:24+00:00

thatmarkguy wrote:

From discussions I've seen over the years, it seems the consensus is that four detective pawns is 'just right'. Even with him getting 5 black tickets, 5 detectives usually are able to catch Mr X; conversely, even limited to 3 black tickets, 3 detectives really have little chance. At 4 detectives (and 4 black tickets) seems to be where the game is closest to 50-50.

I disagree here. I've found that, yes, with five detectives Mr. X needs to be good to survive but not unreasonably so. I've a 1980's version and frankly when I play Mr. X, I usually win.

Thread: Re: Play well as 4 players?

thatmarkguy — 2008-01-07T19:23:07+00:00

whac3 wrote:
shadow9d9 wrote:
Just curious if the game plays decently with 4 players? I realize that 2, 3, and 5 would play well, but not positive about 4..

With 4 you could have 3 each have a detective and all of them agree to movements of a 4th perhaps?

My rules set states clearly that if there are 4 people playing detectives [i.e., 5 total players, one being Mr. X], then one player must play two detectives. I'd recommend the most experienced player do this or else draw lots or something to be fair.

The versions differ on this matter. The 1980s MB edition clearly states that all five detectives should always be in play and players control multiple detectives as needed to this end. The 1990s+ Ravensburger edition clearly states that each player always controls one detective (except when there are only two detective-players, in which case each one gets two), and Mr X gets as many black tickets as there are detectives in pursuit.

From discussions I've seen over the years, it seems the consensus is that four detective pawns is 'just right'. Even with him getting 5 black tickets, 5 detectives usually are able to catch Mr X; conversely, even limited to 3 black tickets, 3 detectives really have little chance. At 4 detectives (and 4 black tickets) seems to be where the game is closest to 50-50.

Thread: Re: Play well as 4 players?

whac3 — 2008-01-03T02:34:09+00:00

shadow9d9 wrote:
Just curious if the game plays decently with 4 players? I realize that 2, 3, and 5 would play well, but not positive about 4..

With 4 you could have 3 each have a detective and all of them agree to movements of a 4th perhaps?

My rules set states clearly that if there are 4 people playing detectives [i.e., 5 total players, one being Mr. X], then one player must play two detectives. I'd recommend the most experienced player do this or else draw lots or something to be fair.