Post originally by Antonius at 2003-04-17 08:05:48
Converted from Phorums BB System
Very good review.
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However, the way you pointed out the 'sth OR sth else' bargain and the difficulty it presents leads to some confusion, since I don't understand how you mean 'responder and requester'.
The person fulfilling the 'sth OR sth else' part of the exchange is ALWAYS the one who choses what he will give, irrespectible if it is an offer or a request.
Examples:
My turn, I REQUEST a R or A, a player REQUESTS a G. HE CHOOSES what to give since he fulfills that part of the deal.
My turn, I OFFER a R or A, a player OFFERS a G. I CHOOSE what to give since I fulfill that part of the deal.
My turn, I REQUEST a R or A, a player REQUESTS a B or G, I choose whether I give a B or G, he chooses whether he gives a R or A.
My turn, I OFFER a R or A, a player OFFERS a B or G, I choose if I give a R or A, he chooses whether he gives a B or G.
To expand it, I admit I don't have the rules at hand, but I don't remember them implying that players can have any form of comuncation concerning their exchange apart from what is already specified at the rules of trading. In addition, and again should I remember well, it is not stated that cards are opened in order for the players to see what it is exhanged.
To be precise, if I give a 'R' for a 'B or G', I accept the possibility of taking either a 'B' or 'G' and it is not I who will make the decision, it is the player who will fulfill that part of the deal. And he will pick it up according to whim, and without accepting any information from me whatsoever.
To repeat it, if both willing traders are making a ' sth OR sth else' suggestion, eg. a 'R OR G' for a 'B OR A', nobody gets to pick what he will get, it is the one making the 'OR' offer that makes the choice. One can only hope.
In addition to that, the players not participating in that double 'sth OR sth else' exchange, they will have no idea whatsoever about what was exchanged, since the cards are not opened for them to see.
The implications on strategy are enormous. It makes the game a lot more tricky, as 'OR' exchanges become a double-edged sword if not thought of properly and in advance.
Clever players can turn it to an advantage though, this is a quite usual tactic: player offers a 'R OR A',othr player showing interest replies with 'will give you a R'. He knows what he gets, the A, right? Check this out now though, a player offers 'R OR A', other player replies 'for G or A'. If both players are equally clever, none will give the A out of fear of echxanging A's and thus wasting their turn for nothing.
Again, I don't have the rules at hand but I am sure that this was the way it was meant to be played.
And something I thought of just now: if people can actually indicate or, even worse, specify what they want out of a 'sth OR sth else' exchange, it would be quite idiotic to offer a single thing alone, thus making the single thing offer moot.
This even more enhances my belief that at no point in the game can players indicate or specify what they want out of a 'sth OR sth else' exchange, and that it is not a 'requester or responder' question but a question of whose part it is to fulfill that part of the deal.
Linear Mode
