Mornington Crescent

[FourEyedTroll]

Hey folks,

I'm new to the forum, though given that I was in the chat a bit for DB5 (First time I've seen it live) I thought I ought to get on to the forums.

This really a question just to gauge the level of similarity in the forum community to my own spheres of amusement (Other than LRR of course), but how many folks here know the rules for Mornington Crescent?

I'm guessing those that do will be 99% UK based posters, although I can't discount a few avid BBC Radio 4 listeners from overseas.


Aside from regular games of 'Crescent' with some work colleagues and acquaintances, I tend to play a lot of long-winded games of various genres (Total War, Civilization IV, Baldur's Gate) so if anyone ever wants an opponent/comrade for an all-day marathon game of something turn-based, let me know...

[JackSlack]

Yeah, but I prefer playing Mornington Peninsula instead. The rules are just a titch more variable and interesting, although I admit that they do reduce the strategy of the game. Plus, y'know, I'm Australian, so...

[LogicSword]

I'm a Yorkshireman through and through, therefore I refuse to play any form of the game that doesn't involve the "In Nidd" rule.

Although I will make exceptions for new players, provided Finch's Parallels are still observed.

I just recommended ISIHAC to Keab about an hour ago on twitter as well xD

[Master Gunner]

I ran a game or two of Mornington Crescent here a few years back. I'd be up for a new game.

[FourEyedTroll]

Ahoy all,

Well I think the Nidd rules have fallen out of favour somewhat since the passing of the game's foremost umpire. However Finch's parallels are somewhat of a given unless you're a proponent of the Second Edition New Modern Rules' interpretation on Mortimer's Bakerloo Hypothesis, and I am most certainly not...

In any case I'd be interested in a game, always on the lookout for new opponents.

Shall we start it off easy with a round of 'Stovold's Mainline Variation'? or dig in with the somewhat rules-lawyerish version that is the 'Clapham Junction Diagonals Protocol' to help newcomers with understanding the finer points of play?

[Dibria]

'Stovoid's Mainline'? Why not just play monopoly if you're going to simplify the rules to that extent, any rule set that let you go from Park Lane to Mornington Crescent via a trim is built purely to be accessible at the expense of strategy.

I used to play a lot using Hong Kong Tournement Rules but that's purely a spectator variant, it lets flash manoeuvres that impress the crowds but for the players it's a little tedious; can anyone say circle line? Amusing to watch but a dull slog to play.

I'll bend to Clapham Junction Diagonals though, I'm not a fan but it does ease new players into some of the harder movement rules and it's nice to be alowed refer to an A to Z if you get stuck - saved my bacon a few times when I first started.

[LogicSword]

Hmmm, that's a good point about Hong Kong Tournament Rules. Have you tried the Beijing variant? It still allows for exuberant moves while still maintaining enough difficulty and tension for it to be enjoyable to hardened players.

Speaking of hardened players, where's Samantha when you need her?

[Dibria]

No I haven't tried the Beijing variant though you have me intrigued, I started playing Hong Kong Tournament rules at university because we often had too large a group to be competitive if we all played but two few to make two real games. Does the Beijing variant still have you ignore parallels in certain scenarios? That was always a major weakness of the Hong Kong Tournament rules in my opinion but if you start having house rules you quickly dissolve into anarchy, tried making some once and ended up with a game so broken I lost by moving to Euston!

My advice? Never EVER make a rule set and forget to include corner rules - if you don't write them down people will assume they can do whatever they want.

[Metcarfre]

Bit of a beginner myself, but has anyone considered running one with a more of a retro kick? Something like the particular perturbation as established in the 1986 Pan-America Trilateral Commission? True, it fails to address the now-standard solution to the weakness of the Jubilee line maneuver, but perhaps we could invoke the specific addition from section 48.33b of the latest ruleset?

[JackSlack]

Blah, blah, blah. God. Pick a ruleset and get playing. None of us here are professionals and Hawaii 1952 is probably not going to wind up being attempted. We all know the risks of it and frankly if any of us tried the rest of us would all just swoop in for Piccadilly; and by that point the first guy's pretty much out of the game anyway.

[Geoff_B]

In that case shall I start? Nice and easy for now. Nothing fancy.

Goodge Street

[Dibria]

Hang on are we going with Clapham Junction Diagonals or the 1986 pan-america tribunal variant?

Either way I will say Fenchurch street but it is kind of important to establish which rule set you decided on before jumping in.

Fenchurch Street.

[Drinnik]

Are we including rules from the St. Jude's edition?

But I'm going to play Liverpool Street, because it's good to go there for new players.

[Dutch guy]

Even though I'm a first time player I'm going for a rather risky move and play Willesden Junction.

Also, shouldn't we be including the Pre-Nocturnal Brekkenham Directional if we are using the Clapham Junction Diagonals in combination with the Beijing rules set?

[Geoff_B]

Sorry you should have said. Well if that's the case I'm going to invoke Cribbit's Non-Repeating Perpendicular Variation and go to Knightsbridge.

[Dutch guy]

I hadn't realised the implications of the 1985 Pickeldon v. Ficking ruling on the Tripstick Passing move meant that under Beijing rules the Clapham Junction Diagonals mean that Tottenham Court Road and Warren Junction are basically unreachable unless you play the Dillinger Leapfrog switch via St. Paul's and Holborn. By including the PNBD the main line opens and the Ticksing Coordination means both blocked stations come back into play. That's why I suggested we use the PNBD to prevent another 1927 Toogan Happening (god have their souls)

[Geoff_B]

So in that case your move is to Westminster?

[Dutch guy]

Well, I was waiting for some new players to join the game, but if it's my turn again I'm going to invoke Ruperts Folley and move to King's Cross.

[Geoff_B]

I shouldn't have done that if I were you, as the next player to make a move will demonstrate.

Ruperts Folley without being in Nip is just Sheer Folly

[FourEyedTroll]

I guess I should step up to that call then...

For the new folks to the game there's little decision needed on this one as I'm sure you can see. The key here is to enclose your opponent without intercepting Goodge Street on the lateral axis...


Ealing Broadway

[Dibria]

That wasn't very clever, that would be fine if we were playing straight Clapham Junction Diagonals but with the Bejing rule set as silly mid on I could go to Kings Cross and from there the next person could leapfrog all the way to Mornington Crescent!

In the interest of keeping things going and giving new players a feel for the boundaries I'll say Stonebridge Park - I know it forces the next couple of payers to play waning moves but it prevents an early end to the game.

(for players that are struggling to understand what's going on: http://www.afn.org/~alplatt/tubemap.gif)

Stonebridge park.

[Drinnik]

If you're at Stonebridge Park, I'm going to play the "Accidental Traveller" rule and say you accidentally went to London City Airport and have boarded a plane to Rome.

You do miss a go, but it does mean we get to include the Rome Metro and experiment with the International Edition.

[the amativeness]

A nice, simple start:

Vauxhall.

[Metcarfre]

In the spirit of keeping things clean, I'll say South Kensington.

Now be nice.

[FourEyedTroll]

I fear Dibria has inadvertently overlooked that 1994 revision of the Clapham Junction Diagonal Protocol that allows a shunt on the vertical axis unless the player were to have sacrificed Seven Sisters. Given that this has not been superseded in any of the subsequent variations we're using to allow more imaginative play, this does allow me to declare...

Dollis Hill

I know that's perhaps rather unsporting, but it does place Dutch guy in Nidd until play carries through to Finsbury Park or Oxford Circus...