An Auction System for Avalon Hill's History of the World
An Auction System for Avalon Hill's History of the World
If you have played History of the World before, you know the game contains a clever rule for assigning Empires at the beginning of each Epoch. The rule is designed to reward good play, but it does inject an element of luck into the process. There are always those players, however, who want to eliminate the random aspects of the rules. The following "open" auction system is for them. It provides a method of assigning each Empire to the highest bidder.
Rules for Auction HOW
1. Overview
At the beginning of each Epoch, players hold an auction to determine what Empires the players receive. The highest bidder for each Empire receives the corresponding Empire card and subtracts the bid from his or her Victory Points.
2. Scope of Rules
The rules for Auction HOW affect only the History of the World rules for the Empire-card distribution that takes place at the beginning of each Epoch. HOW rules 3.1, 3.11, 3.2, 3.21, and 3.22 are replaced by the rules for Auction HOW. All other rules for History of the World are unaffected.
3. The Auction
3.1 PREPARATION: At the beginning of each Epoch (turn), place a Bid Board at a convenient location next to the game board. (To construct a Bid Board, use an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper (turned lengthwise). Place the first four Empires of the current turn side by side above the top edge of the paper. Place the remaining Empires of the current turn side by side below the bottom edge of the paper. The cards do not have to be placed in any particular order.) Each player rolls the dice to determine who will go first during the auction. Low roller goes first. Play then passes left around the board. Low roller for Epoch I also sets up and plays Sumeria per HOW rule 3.11 (in addition to bidding for and playing his own Empire).
3.2 PLAYER TURN: On his turn during the auction, a player must perform one of two actions:
1. he must make one, and only one, bid; or
2. he must pass.
3.3 THE BID: During his turn, the player writes a bid on the Bid Board above or below the card of the Empire he is bidding on. A bid consists of the number of Victory Points a player is willing to spend in order to have the privilege of playing a particular Empire. Next to the bid the player should write his initials to mark the bid as his own. During his turn, a player may make a bid on any one Empire on the board. It may be an Empire for which he has already made a bid, or it may be one he had not previously bid on. A player may thus have simultaneous bids on every Empire. Note that although he may have bids on any and all Empires, he may bid on only one Empire per turn.
3.4 RAISES: Any bid a player makes must be higher (by a minimum of one) than any previous bid for that Empire.
3.5 MINIMUM BIDS: The minimum bid is zero for an Empire where no other bids have been made.
3.6 CONTROLLING AN EMPIRE: A player who has the highest current bid for any given Empire is said to "control" the Empire. A player may never simultaneously control more than one Empire.
3.7 REQUIRED BIDS: If, on his turn, a player does not control (per 3.6 above) any Empire on the Bid Board, he must make a bid that gives him control of an Empire. The bid may be for an Empire on which he previously bid or one on which he has not previously bid (as per Rule 3.3 above).
3.8 PASSES: If a player at the beginning of his turn already controls an Empire, he must pass (i.e., not make a bid).
3.9 ENDING THE AUCTION: The auction ends when each player in turn passes with no intervening bids.
3.10 TIME LIMITS: If players take excessive time in making their bids, it is recommended that a time limit be set for each bid.
4. Assigning Empire Cards
4.1 PAYING THE BID: At the end of bidding, each player receives the Empire card for the Empire he controls. He subtracts the bid he made for the Empire from his Victory Point total.
4.2 NEGATIVE VICTORY POINTS: A player may run a negative Victory Point total in order to pay for his bids. Use an army marker (instead of the Victory Point marker) on the Victory Point track to indicate negative totals.
Auction Strategy
When using the above auction system, the last surviving bidder in the auction will always get one of the remaining Empires for free (zero Victory Points). Players must bear this fact constantly in mind if they are to adequately assess how much to bid for the Empires they are interested in.
Say, for the sake of argument, that the worth of any Empire is equal simply to its Strength Points. For example, in a four-player game in Epoch III, the most valuable Empire would be the Romans (25 Strength Points), followed by Macedonia (15), the Han Dynasty (12), and Maurya (10), in that order. The last player left in the auction will get Maurya for a bid of zero Victory Points. Since we are assuming here that worth equals Strength Points, no player should bid more than 15 for the Romans. A bid of 15 for the Romans exactly equals a bid of zero for Maurya (that is: (25 - 15) = (10 - 0) = 10). A bid of less than 15 is a bargain, a bid of more than 15 is a rip. In the same way, no player should bid more than 5 for Macedonia or 2 for the Han Dynasty.
Of course, the interesting part of bidding comes from the fact that Empires are NOT worth simply their Strength Points. Geography, opposing armies and fleets, and turn order all are important factors in judging the amount you should bid for your Empire. When taking these factors into account, however, always base them on the overriding consideration: Somebody (maybe you) will get an Empire for free.
AUCTION VARIANTS
If the above auction system is not enough for you diehard History of the World fanatics, here's five more auction variants or subvariants. In most cases these are not complete rule systems just guidelines, with the details left up to you.
The Fates
Normally during the auction, the less desirable Empires never get bid on. If you miss the Scythians sweeping out of the Caucasus, try the following. Before the auction for the present Epoch, shuffle the current Empire cards and randomly deal each one to the Bid Board. Deal only as many cards as there are players in the game. The leftover cards are set aside, out of play.
Back to the Minors
In this variant, the Minor Empire Event cards are not given to the players as part of their Event-card hand. Instead, randomly place the Minor Empire card for the current Epoch with one of the Major Empires on the Bid Board. Bids are for both the Major Empire and the Minor Empire associated with it.
Blood, Sweat, and 5000 Years
At the beginning of the game, separately shuffle each Epoch of Empire cards. Deal one card from each Epoch into each of seven stacks. At the end of this process, you will have six stacks of seven cards (one card from each Epoch) and one stack of six cards. Discard the six-card stack from play. Spread each of the other stacks face up for inspection by all players. Players then bid for the complete stacks using the rules for normal auction rules. Each player will thus have a complete set of Empire cards before the start of the game. This makes for some fairly complex long-range planning. When using this rule each player should keep his Empire cards open for inspection by all players during the game.
The Pit
This variant is reminiscent of the free-for-all commodity trading in the pits at the Chicago Board of Trade or The Merc. Do not use the Bid Board. Before the start of the game, randomly deal one card from each Epoch to each player until they have a full hand of seven cards. Players are then allowed to simultaneously trade cards between each other. Players do not take turns. Trading, however, must be made on a card-for-card and Epoch-for-Epoch basis. For example, if you trade two cards to another player, you must receive two cards in return. If you trade an Epoch-V card, you must receive an Epoch V, etc. To prevent the trading from going on forever, set a time limit. Hint: Single-Epoch deals are often hard to come by; look for two- or three-Epoch trades.
Extreme Free-For-All
The rules for this variant are the same as for The Pit except that the card-for-card and Epoch-for-Epoch rules are not used. Thus, for example, a player can trade two or more cards in exchange for one card, and can trade an Epoch II for an Epoch V, etc. Depending upon the trades made, a player can end up with multiple Empires in some Epochs and none in others. This perverse variation places so much emphasis on trading that the actual play of the game becomes almost insignificant. It is recommended only for the most frivolous or insane of gamers.
Charles Bahl / hexdude@aol.com
The Quake Coast Game Club
San Jose, CA
If you have played History of the World before, you know the game contains a clever rule for assigning Empires at the beginning of each Epoch. The rule is designed to reward good play, but it does inject an element of luck into the process. There are always those players, however, who want to eliminate the random aspects of the rules. The following "open" auction system is for them. It provides a method of assigning each Empire to the highest bidder.
Rules for Auction HOW
1. Overview
At the beginning of each Epoch, players hold an auction to determine what Empires the players receive. The highest bidder for each Empire receives the corresponding Empire card and subtracts the bid from his or her Victory Points.
2. Scope of Rules
The rules for Auction HOW affect only the History of the World rules for the Empire-card distribution that takes place at the beginning of each Epoch. HOW rules 3.1, 3.11, 3.2, 3.21, and 3.22 are replaced by the rules for Auction HOW. All other rules for History of the World are unaffected.
3. The Auction
3.1 PREPARATION: At the beginning of each Epoch (turn), place a Bid Board at a convenient location next to the game board. (To construct a Bid Board, use an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper (turned lengthwise). Place the first four Empires of the current turn side by side above the top edge of the paper. Place the remaining Empires of the current turn side by side below the bottom edge of the paper. The cards do not have to be placed in any particular order.) Each player rolls the dice to determine who will go first during the auction. Low roller goes first. Play then passes left around the board. Low roller for Epoch I also sets up and plays Sumeria per HOW rule 3.11 (in addition to bidding for and playing his own Empire).
3.2 PLAYER TURN: On his turn during the auction, a player must perform one of two actions:
1. he must make one, and only one, bid; or
2. he must pass.
3.3 THE BID: During his turn, the player writes a bid on the Bid Board above or below the card of the Empire he is bidding on. A bid consists of the number of Victory Points a player is willing to spend in order to have the privilege of playing a particular Empire. Next to the bid the player should write his initials to mark the bid as his own. During his turn, a player may make a bid on any one Empire on the board. It may be an Empire for which he has already made a bid, or it may be one he had not previously bid on. A player may thus have simultaneous bids on every Empire. Note that although he may have bids on any and all Empires, he may bid on only one Empire per turn.
3.4 RAISES: Any bid a player makes must be higher (by a minimum of one) than any previous bid for that Empire.
3.5 MINIMUM BIDS: The minimum bid is zero for an Empire where no other bids have been made.
3.6 CONTROLLING AN EMPIRE: A player who has the highest current bid for any given Empire is said to "control" the Empire. A player may never simultaneously control more than one Empire.
3.7 REQUIRED BIDS: If, on his turn, a player does not control (per 3.6 above) any Empire on the Bid Board, he must make a bid that gives him control of an Empire. The bid may be for an Empire on which he previously bid or one on which he has not previously bid (as per Rule 3.3 above).
3.8 PASSES: If a player at the beginning of his turn already controls an Empire, he must pass (i.e., not make a bid).
3.9 ENDING THE AUCTION: The auction ends when each player in turn passes with no intervening bids.
3.10 TIME LIMITS: If players take excessive time in making their bids, it is recommended that a time limit be set for each bid.
4. Assigning Empire Cards
4.1 PAYING THE BID: At the end of bidding, each player receives the Empire card for the Empire he controls. He subtracts the bid he made for the Empire from his Victory Point total.
4.2 NEGATIVE VICTORY POINTS: A player may run a negative Victory Point total in order to pay for his bids. Use an army marker (instead of the Victory Point marker) on the Victory Point track to indicate negative totals.
Auction Strategy
When using the above auction system, the last surviving bidder in the auction will always get one of the remaining Empires for free (zero Victory Points). Players must bear this fact constantly in mind if they are to adequately assess how much to bid for the Empires they are interested in.
Say, for the sake of argument, that the worth of any Empire is equal simply to its Strength Points. For example, in a four-player game in Epoch III, the most valuable Empire would be the Romans (25 Strength Points), followed by Macedonia (15), the Han Dynasty (12), and Maurya (10), in that order. The last player left in the auction will get Maurya for a bid of zero Victory Points. Since we are assuming here that worth equals Strength Points, no player should bid more than 15 for the Romans. A bid of 15 for the Romans exactly equals a bid of zero for Maurya (that is: (25 - 15) = (10 - 0) = 10). A bid of less than 15 is a bargain, a bid of more than 15 is a rip. In the same way, no player should bid more than 5 for Macedonia or 2 for the Han Dynasty.
Of course, the interesting part of bidding comes from the fact that Empires are NOT worth simply their Strength Points. Geography, opposing armies and fleets, and turn order all are important factors in judging the amount you should bid for your Empire. When taking these factors into account, however, always base them on the overriding consideration: Somebody (maybe you) will get an Empire for free.
AUCTION VARIANTS
If the above auction system is not enough for you diehard History of the World fanatics, here's five more auction variants or subvariants. In most cases these are not complete rule systems just guidelines, with the details left up to you.
The Fates
Normally during the auction, the less desirable Empires never get bid on. If you miss the Scythians sweeping out of the Caucasus, try the following. Before the auction for the present Epoch, shuffle the current Empire cards and randomly deal each one to the Bid Board. Deal only as many cards as there are players in the game. The leftover cards are set aside, out of play.
Back to the Minors
In this variant, the Minor Empire Event cards are not given to the players as part of their Event-card hand. Instead, randomly place the Minor Empire card for the current Epoch with one of the Major Empires on the Bid Board. Bids are for both the Major Empire and the Minor Empire associated with it.
Blood, Sweat, and 5000 Years
At the beginning of the game, separately shuffle each Epoch of Empire cards. Deal one card from each Epoch into each of seven stacks. At the end of this process, you will have six stacks of seven cards (one card from each Epoch) and one stack of six cards. Discard the six-card stack from play. Spread each of the other stacks face up for inspection by all players. Players then bid for the complete stacks using the rules for normal auction rules. Each player will thus have a complete set of Empire cards before the start of the game. This makes for some fairly complex long-range planning. When using this rule each player should keep his Empire cards open for inspection by all players during the game.
The Pit
This variant is reminiscent of the free-for-all commodity trading in the pits at the Chicago Board of Trade or The Merc. Do not use the Bid Board. Before the start of the game, randomly deal one card from each Epoch to each player until they have a full hand of seven cards. Players are then allowed to simultaneously trade cards between each other. Players do not take turns. Trading, however, must be made on a card-for-card and Epoch-for-Epoch basis. For example, if you trade two cards to another player, you must receive two cards in return. If you trade an Epoch-V card, you must receive an Epoch V, etc. To prevent the trading from going on forever, set a time limit. Hint: Single-Epoch deals are often hard to come by; look for two- or three-Epoch trades.
Extreme Free-For-All
The rules for this variant are the same as for The Pit except that the card-for-card and Epoch-for-Epoch rules are not used. Thus, for example, a player can trade two or more cards in exchange for one card, and can trade an Epoch II for an Epoch V, etc. Depending upon the trades made, a player can end up with multiple Empires in some Epochs and none in others. This perverse variation places so much emphasis on trading that the actual play of the game becomes almost insignificant. It is recommended only for the most frivolous or insane of gamers.
Charles Bahl / hexdude@aol.com
The Quake Coast Game Club
San Jose, CA
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