Tesla vs. Edison: War of Currents
Tesla vs. Edison: War of Currents Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 game board
- 41 cards: 5 inventors, 18 luminaries, 18 propaganda
- 35 stock certificate cards: 6 regular and 1 preferred shares certificate for each company (Brush, Edison, Maxim, Tesla, and Thomson)
- 110 paper bills: 40 $1,000, 20 $5,000, 20 $10,000, 20 $20,000, and 10 $50,000 bills
- 100 wooden company markers, 20 for each of 5 companies
- 2 wooden game markers
- This 12 page rule book
The game board includes seven primary areas:
- Map of the United States with electricity projects
- Project Profitability, listing project costs and stock gains based on city size
- Fame tracks, one for the companies and one for AC/DC technologies
- Technology Tracks, one each for AC, bulb, and DC technologies
- Turn Track
- Stock Market
- Company Profits
The sections of the United States map used in a game are determined by the number of players (5 players / 2-5 players / 4-5 players / 3-5 players areas are marked on the map).
Setup
Place the game board on the table. The sections of the United States map that will be used in your game are determined by the number of players, as illustrated on the game board. Place one game marker on the 1-spot of the turn track and another on the start spot of the AC/DC fame track. Sort the paper bills by denomination and place them by the board. Give each player $14,000 as follows: (1) $10,000 bill and (4) $1,000 bills.
Arrange the cards: Three types of cards are used in the game: propaganda, luminary, and inventor. Propaganda cards are split into three decks: Phase 1, phase 2, and phase 3. Luminary cards are split into two decks: Phase 1 and phase 2. The size of each deck is determined by the number of players, as follows:
| No. of players | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Propaganda cards, phase 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Propaganda cards, phase 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Propaganda cards, phase 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Luminary cards, phase 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Luminary cards, phase 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Inventor cards | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
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Propaganda cards (megaphone icon): Deal the cards face-down into 3 piles, one for each phase. Propaganda cards for each phase are revealed after the auction.
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Luminary cards (star icon): Deal the cards face-down into 2 piles, for the first and second phases only. Luminary cards allow players to take actions on their turn.
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Inventor cards: Lay out all 5 cards with their corresponding company markers and stock certificates. Inventors are luminaries but also have card text describing a unique ability that supersedes normal game rules. For example, Thomas A. Edison's card reads:
THOMAS A. EDISON (1847-1931) — Invention 2, Manufacturing 2, Finance 1, Propaganda 2. Special ability, Enterprising: "Edison's company ignores $ requirements when filing patents, and ignores patent fees when claiming projects, unless he was previously exhausted this turn."
As an inventor, Edison has the four ratings like all other luminaries but also has a special ability unique to him: in his case Enterprising.
Basics
Players begin by selecting a company through a draft process. This provides them with an inventor who will lead their company. They will acquire other luminaries to join their inventor via an auction at the beginning of each new phase. On every turn each of your luminaries take one of four actions and then are exhausted: (1) Claim a project, (2) Advance in technology, (3) Engage in propaganda, or (4) Visit the stock market. Bookkeeping is done at the end of each turn. The player whose stock portfolio is worth most at the end of the game is the winner.
The game has six turns, split into three phases of two turns each. Each turn consists of taking actions followed by bookkeeping. Players exhaust one or more luminaries to take one of the four actions. Inventors are also luminaries but not vice-versa.
Card Ratings
Each luminary has ratings between 0 (blank) and 3 for each of four categories:
- (lightning bolt icon) Invention
- (gear icon) Manufacturing
- ($ icon) Finance
- (megaphone icon) Propaganda
The Stock Market
During the game your stock prices go up for a variety of reasons, and go down each time one of your stock certificates is sold. When stock prices go up, move the marker up to the number above it on the track, increasing by 1 each time. Once it reaches the top of a column, it starts moving up again from the bottom of the next column to its right. When stock certificates are sold the price always goes down by one space to the left — an entire column. Early in the game this will be a small loss, while later in the game it could be a substantial one. Because not all columns are the same height, there will be times that there is no spot to the left for the stock to move to. If so, move it to the top of the column to the left.
Stock prices increase by the amount indicated. Stock prices only decrease when a certificate is sold, moving one spot to the left or, if there is not a spot to the left, to the top of the column to the left.
Getting Started
Company Draft
Players begin by selecting a company through a draft process. The player whose birthday is coming up next goes first. She chooses a company and takes the corresponding inventor card, preferred shares certificate, and company markers. Place 4 of her company's regular stock certificates face-up near the board to form the open stock market from which stocks will be bought and sold during the game. Set aside her company's 2 remaining certificates for now; they will be used later in the luminary auctions. Next, she places one of her company markers on each of the »START« spaces on the three technology tracks, on the 12-spot on the stock market, and the lowest available spot (the 6-spot for the first player) on both the present and future fame tracks.
Place one of your control markers on each of the »START« spaces on the three technology tracks, another one on the »12« spot on the stock market and one on each of the lowest open spots on the two company fame tracks.
The player to the left of the first player drafts next. She selects a company and positions her markers on the board. In this case the lowest spot on the fame tracks will be the 5-spot.
The process is continued until each player has selected a company.
Luminary Auctions
At the start of the game, and again at the beginning of phase 2 and phase 3, players have an auction to add 1 new luminary to each company. Place the luminaries for the current phase face-up on the table for all players to examine. If it is the second or third phase, include any luminaries that were not auctioned in the prior phase. The player whose company is highest on the present fame track makes the opening bid for a luminary of her choice. She must bid at least $1,000 and not more than the cash she currently holds. The player to the left is next: he can either pass or make a higher bid. Passing would remove him from further bidding on that luminary. This process continues clockwise around the table until a winning bid is made. The winner is the player who makes the highest bid. She takes the luminary and pays the winning bid to the bank. The auction continues with the player whose company is in the highest spot on the present fame track (who has not yet acquired a luminary this phase), opening the bidding for the luminary of her choice. This process continues until every player has acquired one new luminary. Once a player has won a bid, she may not participate in the remainder of that phase's auction. Note that the last player to acquire a luminary has no opponents to bid against so she just selects one of the remaining luminaries and pays $1,000. Any luminaries that were not auctioned become available again for auction in subsequent phases. There are no luminaries remaining after the auction in phase 3.
Example: Joan, Brian, and Alexa are playing a three player game and seated in that order. Joan is highest on the company fame track, so she gets to bid first. She thinks Charles Coffin is the best fit for her and bids $1,000 on him. Brian decides to pass, because he is interested in John Kruesi instead. Alexa was also hoping to get Coffin so she enters the fray with a $2,000 bid. Joan is not ready to give up on Coffin and quickly responds with $3,000. Brian already passed and may not bid on Charles Coffin any more. Alexa now has a difficult choice: She really wants Coffin, but she also has costly plans on the tech tree for the first turn. However, she calculates she has enough to go higher and still complete her actions so she bids $4,000. Joan is less worried about the first turn and has a longer term plan for Coffin and her company, so she puts in the $5,000 bid. Alexa immediately passes meaning Joan pays $5,000 and takes Coffin. Since Joan won the auction for Coffin, the next-highest player on the company fame track starts the bidding on a new luminary. Joan is excluded from the bidding.
Before the phase 2 auction, shuffle the two leftover stock certificates set aside during the draft process and deal one face-up onto each luminary. It is included free with that luminary.
The auctions for phase 2 and phase 3 are conducted in the same manner as phase 1, except each luminary brings with them one stock certificate that is added to the winning bidder's stock portfolio. The certificate is determined randomly by shuffling the two leftover certificates from each company set aside during the draft process and dealing one face-up with each luminary before the phase 2 auction.
Three-player game, setup for auction in phase 2: Two phase 1 luminaries are leftover from phase 1 (Charles A. Coffin, 1846-1926, Manufacturing 1 Finance 1 Propaganda 1, with a Brush Electric Light Company certificate; J.P. Morgan, 1837-1913, Finance 2, with a Maxim Electric Incorporated certificate), four new phase 2 luminaries are added (George Westinghouse, 1846-1914, Invention 1 Manufacturing 1 Finance 1, with a Brush certificate; Benjamin G. Lamme, 1864-1924, Invention 1 Manufacturing 1 Finance, with an Edison certificate; William Arnold Anthony, 1835-1908, Manufacturing 2, with an Edison certificate; Henry Villard, 1835-1900, with a Maxim certificate), one random share is placed on each of the luminaries.
When the auction is over remove any remaining propaganda cards from the previous phase and reveal the new propaganda cards for the current phase.
Actions
The player whose marker is highest on the present fame track goes first and takes one of the four actions: (1) Claim a project, (2) Advance in technology, (3) Engage in propaganda, or (4) Visit the stock market. Continuing down the track in order, each subsequent player also takes an action. After taking an action, the player flips any luminary card(s) she used face-down to show they are exhausted.
Turn order is based on the present fame track, from highest to lowest. Players alternate taking actions, exhausting at least one luminary each time. Remove leftover propaganda cards from the previous phase and reveal those for the current phase.
The four actions are:
- Claim a project
- Advance in technology
- Engage in propaganda
- Visit the stock market
Once a player has exhausted all of her luminaries, she cannot take any additional actions that turn. Continue taking actions until all players have exhausted all of their luminaries. Players may pass their turn but, if they have unexhausted luminaries remaining, they must exhaust one to do so.
1 - Claim a Project
You may exhaust one luminary to claim a project. Each project may only be claimed by one company.
A player must identify (1) the luminary that she will exhaust and (2) the unclaimed project that she wishes to take. The player must also meet a technology level and a financial requirement. Each project may only be claimed by one company.
Technology
You must meet the technology requirement by having advanced both your bulb and at least one of AC or DC power technology up to or above the project's requirements.
Each project has a required technology level ranging from level one (I) to level five (V). To claim a project, a player must have advanced both her bulb technology and at least one power technology (AC or DC) up to or above the project's technology requirement. Every player starts out with a technology level of one (I).
Example: Akira is interested in the large project in New York City with a level III technology requirement. He is already on level III in bulb technology, level IV in AC technology, and level II in DC technology. So he is only eligible to use AC technology to complete the project, as his DC is not advanced enough to be considered acceptable to the city. Akira has thus already achieved the technology requirements and assuming he can afford the cash to pay for it, may claim the level III New York City project.
Financial
Then pay to the bank the project cost for the city size modified by:
- Regional Reputation Penalty. Add $1,000 × the game phase number to the cost for each city between the city you are claiming and the nearest city where you already have a project.
- Luminary $ Rating. Subtract $1,000 × the game phase number to the cost for each $ rating the luminary has.
Additionally, pay each player that holds the patent for each technology you are currently using $1,000 × that technology level.
The amount of money required to claim a project is determined by four factors:
A — Project Cost. The amount the player must pay to the bank depends on the size of the city in which the project lies. It is listed in thousands of dollars in the Project Profitability section on the game board. (Project Profitability example: $4K cost / +4 stock; $8K cost / +5 stock; $12K cost / +6 stock.)
B — Regional Reputation. There is no regional reputation penalty for the first project a player claims and none for subsequent projects in the same city or in a city adjacent to the city, thereafter. However, to claim a project not adjacent to one a player already claimed, she must add an additional amount to her project cost — $1,000 × the game phase number for each city between the city she is claiming and the nearest city where she already has a project.
Example: If Maxim wants to claim the Buffalo project (level II) he must pay a regional reputation penalty to skip Rochester (level III) on his way to Albany, where his existing project lies.
C — Luminary $ Rating. For each $ rating on the luminary card used to take this action, she may take a discount of $1,000 × the game phase number.
Example: During phase 2 of the game, Paolo wants to claim the first project in New York City. Both his bulb and AC technology ratings are at level III, so he is eligible to make the claim. Since it is a large city, the base cost of the project is $12,000. The nearest project he has claimed is in Washington, DC which is not adjacent. To get to New York City he needs to go through 1 city, Philadelphia. Since it is phase 2 he will need to pay an additional $2,000 ($1,000 per phase) for going through Philadelphia. The new total is $14,000. He is using Henry Villard as the luminary for this action and Villard has a $ rating of 2. Villard will provide a discount of $4,000, multiplying his $ rating (2) by the phase number (2). Paolo owes a total of $10,000 to the bank.
(Henry Villard, 1835-1900: Finance 2, Propaganda 1. "The newspaper magnate was also an Edison investor.")
D — Patents. If other player(s) hold patents for one or both levels of technology that she is using to claim the project, she must pay them an amount equal to $1,000 × the technology level of the patent being used. Players are always using the highest technology level that they have developed, so patent payments are determined by current technology level, not that required by the project.
In summary, the amount paid to the bank is:
Project Cost + Regional Reputation Penalty – Luminary Rating Discount
Any patent fees are paid directly to the player(s) holding the patents.
Example: In the above example where Paolo is claiming the project in New York City, even though he is currently at level III in both bulb and AC technology, he does not hold the patent for either. They are held by his opponents, Catherine and Lynn, respectively. In order to complete his claim for the project he must pay each of those opponents $3,000, since the patents being exploited are for level III technologies.
After claiming a project, a player advances her marker on the stock market a number of spaces equal to the STOCK gain indicated in project profitability for the project's city size, plus or minus any STOCK gain from the AC/DC fame track depending on which technology was used. She then places one of her markers on the project. Level V projects are labeled »STOCK x2«, indicating that the stock gain is doubled for those projects. Any fame modifier is applied after the gain for city size is doubled.
Example: Later in the same game Soo claims the Niagara project. A city the size of Niagara normally has a gain of 4, but since it is a level V technology »STOCKx2« project, the gain is doubled to 8. The marker on AC/DC fame track is at the top spot which yields a +2 STOCK gain for AC projects. Thus, Soo's net stock gain is 10 spaces (4x2+2). She moves her stock value from 43 to 53 and places one of her company markers on the project.
2 - Advance in Technology
After claiming a project advance your marker on the stock market equal to the STOCK gain indicated in project profitability for the project's city size, plus or minus any STOCK gain from the AC/DC fame track depending on which technology was used. Then place one of your markers on the project. Level V projects provide double the stock gain, taken prior to the fame modifier.
You may exhaust one or more luminaries to advance your marker on one technology track. The combined Invention and Manufacturing ratings of the luminaries must meet or exceed the Invention and Manufacturing requirements for the next technology level. Advancing multiple levels is allowed, thus skipping levels, provided the combined requirements for all levels are met.
A player may exhaust one or more luminaries to advance her marker on one technology track. It is important to note that this is the only action that allows you to exhaust more than one luminary.
Example: Freida is at level II on the DC track and wants to advance to level III. Looking ahead she notices the level III requirements are 1 Invention and 2 Manufacturing. She controls the Thomson company, and Elihu Thomson alone can complete this requirement with his 2 Invention and 2 Manufacturing. But wait! Thomson's special ability is that, as long as he was not exhausted by a previous action, other luminaries in his company can ignore Manufacturing requirements when claiming technologies. Freida happens to also have Lewis Latimer who has a 1 Invention rating but no Manufacturing rating. Thanks to Thomson's ability, the less valuable Latimer can claim the project instead. But wait! Freida looks at level IV of DC and realizes the requirement is 2 Invention and 2 Manufacturing. By exhausting both Latimer and Thomson on the action she can skip level III entirely and claim level IV! Freida exhausts them both and moves her technology marker from DC II directly up to DC IV. Once her bulb technology also reaches level IV or higher she may claim level IV projects on the map.
Optional: File a Patent
When advancing in technology file a patent if it is still available and the combined $ rating of the luminary(s) you exhaust equals or exceeds the requirements for all levels. Place one of your markers on the patent and advance your stock price equal to the level of the technology. Each patent may only be claimed by one company, and you may only claim the patent for the level your marker advanced to.
If no patent exists on a player's new technology, and if the combined $ rating of the luminary(s) exhausted on the action equals or exceeds one $ for each technology advanced, she may claim the patent for herself. In that case, place her marker on the patent spot and advance her stock price equal to the technology level the patent represents. Each patent may only be claimed by one company, and, if you advanced more than one level of technology, you may only claim the patent for the level you finished at.
Example: Continuing the previous example, when Freida moved straight from DC II to DC IV, no other player had yet filed the patent for DC IV. In order to do so, her luminaries must combine to equal or exceed the $ requirement for the tech level they achieved as well as those that they skipped. That is a total of 2 $ and, thanks to her good planning, Thomson and Latimer also combine for 2 $. Freida places her company marker on the patent spot for DC IV and advances her stock 4 spots, equal to the level of the patent. Freida does not get to place her marker on the DC III spot even though a patent has yet to be filed.
3 - Engage in Propaganda
You may exhaust one luminary to use their Propaganda rating to move one marker on either the future or AC/DC fame tracks that number of spaces. Then, if any propaganda cards remain for this phase, take one of them and move one marker on the indicated track the number shown. Finally collect the cash shown on the propaganda card, adding $1,000 × the game phase number for each $ rating of your luminary.
When adjusting the future fame track, the marker being moved displaces other markers, shifting them up or down one space in the direction the move came from. Markers may not move beyond the top or bottom of either track.
Taking this action enables a player to receive cash and move a marker on one or both of the fame tracks. The future company fame track is the one that gets manipulated and sets the turn order for the subsequent phase; the present company fame track only changes during the Bookkeeping part of the turn. The AC/DC fame track provides stock price gains or penalties to players claiming projects depending on the position of the marker. The fame tracks also confer stock gain benefits during Bookkeeping.
To engage in propaganda choose a luminary to exhaust and, if they have a Propaganda rating, move either a marker on the future company fame or AC/DC fame track up or down equal to that rating. Next, select a propaganda card, if any are still available, and move a fame marker up or down the number of spots shown, and collect the indicated amount of cash from the bank plus for each $ rating for the exhausted luminary, $1,000 × the game phase number. The propaganda card is removed from play after use.
When adjusting the future fame track, the marker being moved displaces other markers, shifting them up or down one space in the direction the move came from. When a marker is moving up, the marker it lands on and any directly below it all bump farther down; when a marker is moving down, the marker it lands on and any directly above it all bump farther up. Markers may not move beyond the top or bottom of either track.
(Sir Hiram Maxim, 1840-1916: Invention 2, Manufacturing 2, Finance 1, Propaganda 2. Special ability, Worldly: "Maxim pays only half the regional reputation penalty, rounded up, when he personally claims a project.")
Example: Todd is tired of being rock bottom on the company fame track. He controls Maxim's electric company and uses Maxim's 2 Propaganda rating to move two spaces up the track, moving his marker from the bottom 6 spot up to the 4 spot on the future (not present – that only gets moved at the end of the turn!) fame track.
But wait: The propaganda card »Mark Twain« is still available. It will allow him to move one marker on the company fame track by two additional spots. Todd grabs the Twain card and, on the future (not present - that only gets moved at the end of the turn!) fame track moves his marker from the 4 spot up to the 2 spot. Happily for him, Betty is on the 3 spot and Keith on the 2 spot. By moving up, he skips over Betty and lands right on Keith at 2. That means that Keith bumps down one space onto 3, thus bumping Betty down to the 4 space that Todd just vacated. Finally, the Mark Twain card also provides him with $6,000. Since Maxim has a $ rating of 1 and the game is in phase 2 he receives and additional $2,000 for a total of $8,000. He takes the money from the bank and discards the Twain card.
(Mark Twain propaganda card: Propaganda +2, +$6K, Phase 2. "The eloquent raconteur was a great fan of Tesla and wrote about him lovingly.")
4 - Visit the Stock Market
You may exhaust one luminary to buy and/or sell any number of stock certificates from the market. However, you may not both buy and sell certificates from the same company during the same action, and may never own more than four shares in an opponent's company. Certificates are bought and sold one-at-a-time with the stock price changing between each transaction.
To buy, pay the bank that stock's price in thousands and take the certificate. Take a discount equal to the luminary's $ rating × game phase number. Move the stock's price up equal to the game phase number.
To sell, take from the bank that stock's price in thousands and return the certificate to the market. Take a bonus equal to the luminary's $ rating × game phase number. Move the stock's price one spot to the left or, if there isn't one, move it to the top of the column to the left.
Taking this action enables a player to buy and/or sell stock certificates from the stock market. There is no limit to how many shares are bought and sold with the action. However, you may not both buy and sell certificates from the same company during the same action, and you may never own more than four shares of stock in an opponent's company. Certificates are bought and sold one-certificate-at-a-time, with the stock price changing between each transaction. A stock's price may never go below 12 or above 77.
Buying Stock
If a player takes a stock certificate from the market, she pays the bank an amount equal to that stock's price in thousands. If the luminary that the player exhausted has a $ rating, then the player receives a discount in thousands equal to that $ rating × game phase number. After paying for her certificate, the player moves that stock's price up a number of spaces equal to the game phase number.
Selling Stock
If a player returns a stock certificate to the market, she receives from the bank that stock's price in thousands. If the luminary that the player exhausted has a $ rating, then the player receives a bonus in thousands equal to the $ rating × game phase number. After doing so, slide that stock's price one spot to the left. This will decrease it a variable amount depending on the stock's current price. If there is no spot to the left, move it to the top of the column to the left.
Example: Luis has been planning for this action: He is the only player still holding a luminary, meaning he gets the last action of the turn. Amelie has been blocking him all game and now he is going to get a bit of sweet revenge. He plays his remaining luminary William Stanley Jr. – a luminary without any $ rating, meaning he will not get any additional financial benefit from the transaction – to sell a share of Amelie's stock, right before she gets her profits during Bookkeeping! Amelie's stock is currently at 42, so Luis takes $42,000 from the bank and returns the share of stock to the market. As nice as the money is, the next part is even nicer: he moves Amelie's stock marker one spot to the left, to 38. That means during Bookkeeping Amelie is only going to collect $24,000 instead of $28,000 in profits for her company. Ah, yes!
Bookkeeping
Change the present fame track to match the future fame track. Advance the stock price of the company leading on the fame track, and the company holding the highest level patent in the more famous of AC or DC technology (both technologies provide the bonus if fame is tied) one spot per game phase. Each company takes their profit. Flip all luminaries face-up. Advance the turn marker and, before turn 3 and 5, proceed to the next luminary auction. After turn 6, the game is over.
At the end of each turn of the game follow these steps:
- Change the present fame track to match the future fame track. This sets the turn order for the next phase. Advance the stock price of the company at the highest position one spot per game phase number.
- Check the AC/DC fame track. Advance the stock price of the company that has the highest level patent in the preferred technology one spot per game phase number. If a marker on the AC/DC fame track is in the center position, the top patent holders in both AC and DC advance.
- Each company takes cash equal to the amount of profit listed below the column for their stock price.
- Flip all luminaries face-up to indicate they are no longer exhausted.
- Advance the marker on the turn track one space and if it advances to:
- Turn 2, 4, or 6: proceed with the next turn.
- Turn 3 or 5: have the next luminary auction, remove any unused propaganda cards from play, and reveal the propaganda cards for the upcoming phase, then begin the next turn.
- If the marker is already on turn 6, it cannot advance and the game is over.
Example: Both Maxim and Brush take $14,000 as their profit.
Game End
The player with the most valuable stock portfolio wins the game. Each stock certificate is worth the number of points indicated by its current price. The preferred shares certificate is worth the same amount as four certificates. In case of a tie, the player who is holding the most cash wins!
Designer's Notes
Like many of my games, the design of Tesla vs. Edison started when I was reading a book on the topic of the War of Currents, specifically Jill Jonnes' Empires of Light. While I had a design for the theme by the time the book was over I was not in any hurry to actually make the game. Then came The Oatmeal cartoon celebrating Nikola Tesla that broke the Internet, followed by the massive Indiegogo campaign to create a Tesla museum at the site of his old Wardenclyffe laboratory. All of the affection and attention being paid to these events convinced me that this was a game I needed to make.
Like most people who consider themselves geeks I admire and identify with Nikola Tesla. However, recent propaganda around him and Thomas Edison does not paint a realistic portrait of the men or their juxtaposition to each other. Not a terrible human being, Edison was a capitalist of his time. In contrast to Tesla – who was unusually brilliant and, being hampered by his limitations in commercializing his ideas, also unusually sensitive in a more modern way – Edison was both genius and a man's man. This during a time when gender roles were far more polarized and the world was grittier and harder. Edison was a paragon of his time while Tesla was more of an oddity. So it is less villainy that catapulted Edison to success and stardom but rather how successful he was in being a man by and of his very time.
Of course, while Tesla and Edison get all of the attention, my greatest insights during this project had to do with the other characters, many of whom I had never heard of: Elihu Thomson, who was probably the closest to the modern ideal of a geek of any of this story's main characters. Charles F. Brush, who like Edison was a man of his time but lacked the scale of ambition enjoyed by his counterpart. George Westinghouse, who could be easily transplanted to Silicon Valley today and would naturally build companies around technologies in a remarkably modern way.
My favourite part of the game design process is learning lots of new things about the theme being depicted. Making this game has made me familiar with so many interesting and wonderful people and moments from this very exhilarating time in technology and business. I hope my way of telling the story through this game succeeds in sharing some of that with you. Please enjoy.
— Dirk Knemeyer, Granville, Ohio, April 20, 2015
First Edition Credits
- Design, Research, & Development - Dirk Knemeyer
- Lead Developers - Rob Seater, John Coveyou
- Art & Graphic Design - Heiko Günther
- Custom Illustration - Jess Riola
- Early Reviewers - Richard Ham (Rahdo Runs Through), Lance Myxter (UndeadViking), Alex Rosenwald (Board Game Quest), Michael (NVS Gameplays)
- Additional Development - Elizabeth Rodriguez, Michael W. Tan, Patricia Tan
- Additional Research - Shannon Quesnel
- Additional Graphic Design - Hojin Kang
- Kickstarter Support - Brian Liston, Jamey Stegmaier, Nate Lovett
- Rules Editing - Our super, awesome, terrific Kickstarter backers
- Playtesters - Adam Rhodes, Andrew Kanis, August Ratzlaff, Ben Bruckart, Benny Sperling, David Taylor, Donnie Clark, Greg Walter, Gustavo Fiuza Ribeiro, Homer Hensley, Jasmine Tan, Jason Grantz, John Kemp, Jonathan deHaan, Mac Drizzle, Mickie Grantz, Momoko Uchiyama, Nils Herzmann, Raymond Chandler III, Reo Onozawa, Royce Banuelos, Ryan Barrett, Stephen Stover, Trey Proctor, Yuuchi Senokuchi
Player Aid (Quick Reference)
Setup
- Place one game marker on each the 1-spot of the turn track and the start spot of the AC/DC fame track.
- Give each player $14,000.
- Create decks of cards as indicated by the setup table above.
- Draft companies to play, starting with the player whose birthday is coming up next, continuing in clockwise order. Players take their inventor card, preferred shares certificate, and company markers. Put four certificates of the company's stock in the stock market; set aside the remaining two certificates for use in the luminary auctions.
- Place a company marker on each of the START spaces for the three technology tracks, on the 12-spot on the stock market, and the lowest available spot on both the present and future fame tracks.
Phase Start
- Luminary auction: Reveal new luminaries and, in phase 2 only, randomly add a stock certificate to all of the available luminaries. Bidding is opened by the player highest on the company fame track and proceeds clockwise. Passing removes you from competing for that luminary. Continue until every player has added one luminary.
- Remove propaganda cards remaining from the previous phase and reveal the propaganda cards for the upcoming phase.
Actions
Exhaust one luminary to take an action.
(1) Claim a Project
- Meet or exceed the technology requirement.
- Pay the bank the project cost modified by:
- Regional Reputation Penalty. An additional $1,000 × the game phase number for each city between a city where you already have a project and the city you are claiming.
- Luminary $ Rating. Deduct $1,000 × the game phase number for each $ rating your luminary has.
- Pay opponents who hold patents you are using an amount in thousands of dollars equal to the technology level of their patent.
- Place your marker on the project you claimed and advance your stock price the amount for the city size you are claiming, plus or minus the number indicated on the AC/DC fame track.
(2) Advance in Technology
- Exhaust one or more luminaries.
- Advance up one technology tree as far as you'd like, so long as the luminary(s) being exhausted equal or exceed the total requirement in Invention and Manufacturing.
- If the patent is available and your $ rating also equals or exceeds the requirement, file the patent and increase your stock price equal to the technology level of the patent.
(3) Engage in Propaganda
- Move one marker on either fame track up to as many spaces as your luminary's Propaganda rating.
- If propaganda cards remain this phase, take one and move one marker on the track it indicates up to as many spaces as indicated.
- Collect the cash shown on the propaganda card from the bank, adding $1,000 × the game phase number for each point of $ rating your luminary has.
- Discard the propaganda card.
(4) Visit the Stock Market
- Buy or sell as many stock certificates from the stock market as you like. Cannot both buy and sell certificates from the same company.
- Players cannot own more than four shares of stock in any one opponent's company.
- For each certificate you buy: Pay the bank an amount equal to that stock's price. Take a discount equal to the luminary's $ rating × game phase number. Move that stock's price up a number of spaces equal to the game phase number.
- For each certificate you sell: Take from the bank an amount equal to that stock's price. Take a bonus equal to the luminary's $ rating × game phase number. Move that stock's price one spot to the left.
Bookkeeping
At the end of each turn:
- Change the present fame track to match the future fame track.
- Advance the stock price of the new company fame leader one spot per game phase number.
- Advance the stock price of the company with the highest level technology patent in whichever AC or DC technology is the fame leader (or both if tied) one spot per game phase number.
- Each company takes their profit.
- Flip all luminaries face-up for the next turn.
- Advance the turn marker and proceed with the next turn.
- At the start of turn 3 and 5, have the next luminary auction, replace unused propaganda cards with those for the upcoming phase.
- After turn 6, the game is over.
Game End
The player with the most valuable stock portfolio wins the game. Tiebreaker is whoever holds the most cash.
— ARTANA, © 2015 Artana, www.artana.com