http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Pax_Porfiriana
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/82728/rules-english-sierra-madre-games
QuotePax Porfiriana – Latin for "The Porfirian Peace" – refers to the 33-year reign of dictator Porfirio Díaz, who ruled Mexico with an iron hand until toppled by the 1910 Revolution.
As a rich businessman (Hacendado) in the turbulent pre-revolutionary borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico, players compete to build business empires of ranches, mines, rails, troops, and banks while subverting opponents with bandidos, Indians, and lawsuits.
Four "scoring" cards (Toppling) are in the game and their effect depends on the current form of government. The government can change if troops are played and as a result of other cards. The form of government also influences different production values of the game, such as how much mines produce. Players win by toppling Díaz, either by coup, succession, revolution, or annexation of Mexico by the U.S. If Díaz remains firmly seated at the end of the game, then the player with the most gold wins.
So, simple enough. The Vassal module, game rules and general description are all linked above. The game supports anywhere from 2-6 players. Ideally, we'd have 5-6, though 4 is fine (I've played plenty that had that number). The game is perfect for play-by-e-mail as there are no "interrupts" or reaction cards aside from some that can be played during the 4 potential topple phases, and even there it is going to be very, very obvious who is going to react.
Turnaround time would be expected to mail your turn within 24 hours, hopefully faster, but not required. Anyone game?
Edit : D'oh. Vassal module only supports 4, for some reason. So...4 is what we're after.
I am SO in.
I'm interested even though I don't usually do PBEM or PBF. I'm going to be AWOL until the 22nd though.
I can join if you need more, though I need to read the rules first and am a complete newbie.
In
That makes four that can start immediately. Frunk, you're welcome to join in the next game if you want.
I'll send out the start file later tonight unless someone else gets to it first. Sol, please PM me your preferred email when you get the chance.
Per the rolls, the order of play is : Habbaku, Solmyr, Tamas, Berkut . Keep to that...it'll be important.
The personalities involved are :
Habbaku (Red) : Bernardo Reyes, Porfirian general (buys troops for half cost).
Solmyr (Yellow) : Venustiano Carranza, politician and wealthy senator (buys black cards for free).
Tamas (Green) : Don Luis Terrazas, cattle baron (Buy Land actions in Chihuahua expend only one action).
Berkut (Blue) : Francisco Madero, intellectual and wealthy land-owner (buys partners for half cost).
When you start the vassal file for the first time, please join as your colors listed above.
The market's been built and everything's ready in the file for play to proceed to the next person (Sol) when he groks the rules sufficiently. Feel free to ask any questions, though, Sol. The rulebook is a bit unorthodox, to be sure, but the actual gameplay is very straightforward.
General Reyes' first actions are :
1 : Buy San German Tannery from Market (zero cost).
2-3 : Buy Krupp Railway Gun for 1. Note that this costs 2 actions since it was the 2nd Market card I purchased in the same turn.
Off to Sol to play.
Sol, Berk, my very limited F2F experience with the game tells me that:
-regardless of what cards will come to the Market, trying to build a "portfolio" bringing steady income is important. The more stable your hinterland is, the less exposed you are to blind luck
-important to remember, if your steady income cannot come from businesses, you can try going for troops and "protect" other players' businesses
Quote from: Habbaku on April 09, 2013, 08:03:54 PM
Per the rolls, the order of play is : Habbaku, Solmyr, Tamas, Berkut . Keep to that...it'll be important.
The personalities involved are :
Habbaku (Red) : Bernardo Reyes, Porfirian general (buys troops for half cost).
Solmyr (Yellow) : Venustiano Carranza, politician and wealthy senator (buys black cards for free).
Tamas (Green) : Don Luis Terrazas, cattle baron (Buy Land actions in Chihuahua expend only one action).
Berkut (Blue) : Francisco Madero, :wub: intellectual and wealthy land-owner (buys partners for half cost).
BTW black cards suck ass, so don't let Sol have ALL of them :P
Will be reading the rules later today, will make my (probably totally clueless) play by tomorrow.
Quote from: Solmyr on April 10, 2013, 03:12:14 AM
Will be reading the rules later today, will make my (probably totally clueless) play by tomorrow.
As Habs said, its pretty easy and straightforward. Just remember: the Glossary is part of the rules :P It discusses important concepts only to be found there.
Okay, I understand more or less what the cards mean and do, no idea about the right strategy yet. :P
Venustiano Carranza purchases Miners and Merchants Bank and First Instance Court for a total of 2 gold.
Log sent, Tamas is next.
Quote from: Solmyr on April 10, 2013, 09:31:28 AM
Okay, I understand more or less what the cards mean and do, no idea about the right strategy yet. :P
Tamas is pretty much spot on in his earlier post. If you can, establish an economic engine to get you money to do bad things later on. If you can't get money early on, focus on making sure no one else does (via depressions, black/orange cards, troop extortion, anarchy regime...).
took the "Chiuhahaua shows the finger and goes red" card, as well as a ranch in Chiauhuaua. Berkut is up.
I have just realized something: how am I supposed to differentiate between what's in my hand, and what I have played?
So when are we kicking Berkut out? :P
Quote from: Tamas on April 10, 2013, 01:40:21 PM
I have just realized something: how am I supposed to differentiate between what's in my hand, and what I have played?
Keep your hand cards in the black area of your color tab and all your in-play cards below that.
Alternatively, we can pick quadrants (up, down, left, right) of the board and situate all our stuff there, leaving our color tabs as only in-hand stuff.
I am still graoking the rules and such. Give me some time and I will be cranking.
Quote from: Habbaku on April 11, 2013, 04:56:27 PM
Quote from: Tamas on April 10, 2013, 01:40:21 PM
I have just realized something: how am I supposed to differentiate between what's in my hand, and what I have played?
Keep your hand cards in the black area of your color tab and all your in-play cards below that.
Alternatively, we can pick quadrants (up, down, left, right) of the board and situate all our stuff there, leaving our color tabs as only in-hand stuff.
there is a black area on the color tab? :o
Quote from: Tamas on April 12, 2013, 01:56:23 AM
Quote from: Habbaku on April 11, 2013, 04:56:27 PM
Quote from: Tamas on April 10, 2013, 01:40:21 PM
I have just realized something: how am I supposed to differentiate between what's in my hand, and what I have played?
Keep your hand cards in the black area of your color tab and all your in-play cards below that.
Alternatively, we can pick quadrants (up, down, left, right) of the board and situate all our stuff there, leaving our color tabs as only in-hand stuff.
there is a black area on the color tab? :o
Looks like I was running an older version of the module that had that black area. The new versions don't have one, alas.
So, as a proposal, I put forth that we should just pick a quadrant each of the main map--top, bottom, etc.--to place our deployed cards.
You can place your leader card and deployed cards next to/under it, per the rules. Of course, the hand is supposed to be secret but those player boxes are visible to all.
Quote from: Solmyr on April 12, 2013, 01:57:26 PM
You can place your leader card and deployed cards next to/under it, per the rules. Of course, the hand is supposed to be secret but those player boxes are visible to all.
Hands being visible don't really matter that much, I would think. Anyone with an excellent memory is going to recall what people are buying from the market. There is no real hidden information in the game other than what cards have been used to randomly seed the starting deck.
Nonetheless, people should refrain from checking other's hands.
WEll, I cannot seem to get Vassal to load the module. Each time I try, it just freezes up. Anyone else have this problem?
It opens the loading wizard window which doesn't appear in the toolbar. Alt-Tab and you should see it.
Guess we'll postpone this until the 22nd when Frunk can join us, then.
Quote from: Solmyr on April 13, 2013, 02:39:08 PM
It opens the loading wizard window which doesn't appear in the toolbar. Alt-Tab and you should see it.
Berkut, have you tried this yet?
I have, I got it working.
Managed to winkle Berkut's turn from him, though it will have to come from me since he's still having Vassal troubles.
Berkut's actions :
1 : Purchase Professor James Douglas from the market for 4 gold (8 base, half cost due to hacendado ability).
2-3 : Purchase Cuerpos Exploradores Rurales troops for 1 gold.
He goes down to 2, then gains 2 for base income, so back up to four.
My turn.
Bernado Reyes' Actions :
1 : Buy Ejido System from the market for 0.
2-3 : Buy Defensas Sociales from the market for 1 (2 base, 1/2 cost for hacendado bonus).
Lose 1 gold, gain 2, end turn with 6.
Off to Sol.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi14.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa313%2FHabbaku%2FMessyPax_zps1b899906.jpg&hash=aa510caf989e5f45c3b7bfd742484063b9877eec) (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/Habbaku/media/MessyPax_zps1b899906.jpg.html)
Business is going to be..."booming" this game.
speaking of income, I forgot to apply mine!
Venustiano Carranza purchases El Teatro de Los Heroes for 2 and Mystic Teresa Urrea for 2. Gain 2 income ending at 3.
Off to Tamas.
took up the Constitutionalists (shitty) unit to my hand for free, played my glorious Hacienda, and used my special ability to extend it as my 3rd action.
and also I forgot to move the market cards :Embarrass:
Tamas, upgrade your Pax module when you get the chance. I get a warning that you used version 1.2 when loading your file.
Quote from: Tamas on April 17, 2013, 07:41:31 AM
and also I forgot to move the market cards :Embarrass:
And apparently can't count, either.
You had 6 gold at the start of your turn (4 + your forgotten income of 2 = 6). You spend 3 to build your ranch. Then you spend another 1 to buy land, leaving you with two. Your income is 4 (2 for hacendado, 2 for ranch), leaving you at 6 again, not 7.
ah right, buy land costs money
Insert something about counting beets here.
Anyone want to take a stab at the odds of getting a turn of this soon?
Does Berkut have the latest version of Vassal?
:zzz
this is fucking ridiculous, we could have completed the game by now!
Is it my turn?
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F2FN3G.gif&hash=c80571f3d0e0db12415df326ca89b3c614370505)
I still cannot get fucking Vassal to even run on my PC anymore. It just refuses to start. No error message, nothing. You click it, it appears to try to start...then nothing.
Christ I hate vassal.
So can we try to get this going again? The game looked fun.
I would like to.
I'm game.