Age of Steam Expansion: Human Body/Synapses
Age of Steam Expansion: Human Body/Synapses Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Synapses Map (3-5 players)
This map has no hexes. Instead, the connections representing the neurons and synapses of the human brain are drawn in advance.
Translator's note: neurons are the white spiky spheres, and synapses are the thin lines joining the spikes of the neurons. Even a synapse that looks like one continuous line is considered broken wherever a neuron's spike touches it along the way. Synapses do not join one another partway along a line. A part that looks that way actually connects to a neuron's spike (that is, there is always a neuron between two synapses).
Setup
Place 2 cubes on each coloured neuron, and place cubes on every space of the goods display, as in the base game.
Track Laying
Instead of hexes, players place discs on empty neurons to represent their links. Discs cannot be placed on neurons that have a number printed on them. Even if a player chooses the Engineer action (see below), only 2 discs can be placed in one round.
The cost of placing one disc on a neuron is the number of neurons connected to that neuron. Example: the placement cost of the most central neuron is $6.
A player who chose the Engineer action may, instead of placing a third disc, place one of his discs on a neuron that already has discs on it (one to several), paying the normal cost. This counts as one of the two discs allowed in the round. However, a player cannot place two of his own discs on the same neuron. Example: in a 4-player game, no neuron will ever have more than 4 discs, since each player has one disc at most.
Urbanization
Place one new city tile on one of the uncoloured neurons. A neuron on which there is even one player disc cannot be urbanized. Thus, as the game progresses, fewer neurons can be urbanized.
Shipping
A connection (synapse) can be used only once per shipment. However, the same neuron (player disc) may be passed through more than once.
Connection Examples
The example diagrams referred to below are not reproduced here.
- A purple player's disc connects Blue 2 and Blue 3 (red line). This neuron has 5 other neurons connected to it, because although it has only four spikes, two synapses extend from its upper-right spike. Its placement cost is therefore $5.
- B: a purple player's disc connects Blue 3 and Red 5 (yellow line), and also connects Blue 3 and Red 3 (orange line). It is connected to 6 other neurons, so its placement cost is $6. Note that the purple disc below Blue 3 also connects Blue 3 and Red 5 (green line).
- A, then C, then Purple 5 (bottom-left corner): a series of neurons belonging to the purple player (blue line) connects Blue 2 (upper) and Purple 5 (bottom-left corner).
Game End
At game end, each disc is worth 2 victory points. Add these to the normal income points.
Human Body Map (3-5 players, 3-4 recommended)
This map shows the human body. The cities of the base game are replaced by various important organs. Each organ is made up of several hexes but counts as one city. Blue hex groups represent organs that require carbon dioxide, and red hex groups represent organs that require oxygen. Odd rounds are "inhale" and even rounds are "exhale".
Setup
Place 2 goods on each organ with one number, and 4 goods on each organ with two numbers.
Place 1 track tile face down (showing the side without track) so that it covers the blue hex at the upper right of the map.
In a 3-player game, place 1 grey disc on the Urbanization action. This action cannot be chosen in round 1.
Track Laying
As in the base game, up to 3 track tiles may be laid (4 for the Engineer), and the laying cost of every hex is $3.
Organs themselves cannot have track laid on them. Remember that each organ consists of several hexes forming one "city", and track is only connected to its edge. Since each organ consists of several hexes, several players can connect to the same organ.
For the LUNGS, a link can be connected by placing 1 disc on the disc symbol located on the boundary line between the two lungs (laying cost $3).
Translator's note: the laying cost for BONE is also $3 in every case. It does not depend on the number of track lines, as with towns in the base game.
Shipping
As in the base game. Round 1 is inhale, so, as the red hex visible at the upper left corner of the map shows, all blue organs are treated as red (red organs remain red). In the next round (exhale), all red organs are treated as blue (blue organs remain blue).
The KIDNEY always accepts goods of two colours: yellow plus red, or yellow plus blue, depending on the colour visible at the top of the map.
Translator's note: the shipping rules above also apply to new cities (new organs).
Round End
In a 3-player game, at the end of each round: if the grey disc is on the Urbanization action, move it to the Engineer action; if it is on the Engineer action, move it to the Urbanization action. An action covered by a grey disc cannot be chosen.
Also, move the face-down track tile at the top of the map so that it covers the opposite hex (red to blue, or blue to red).