Tubeblock

[GuyBarry]

I would actually prefer it if the rules could be drawn up in such a way that play outside the central area is possible. I toyed with the idea of requiring both players to start outside zone 1 but the problem there is that player A would then immediately move onto a Circle Line station, winning immediately in most cases. If anyone can think of a way round this I'd be delighted - the main problem with the game at the moment (as I see it) is that the choice of potential starting stations is too restrictive. I'm toying with the idea of dropping the "no interchanges" rule, but it needs a bit more thought.

[tubeguru]

Yes, the very fact that moving to the correct interchange can block the game very early is what should prevent ANY move outside the general area of Zone 1.

[GuyBarry]

Here's a thought: how about dropping the "no direct service" rule for moves outside zone 1?

[tubeguru]

So moving TO a station outside Zone 1 can be done directly?

So Baker Street to Wembley Park, say?

[GuyBarry]

Well yes, but why would you want to do that?

I was thinking of a version where players were required to start outside zone 1, and could make direct moves (in order to avoid being blocked early in the game), but as soon as they entered zone 1, direct moves would no longer be possible.

[tubeguru]

Ah, so even if you go back out of Z1, entering it removes the ability to move directly forever?

[GuyBarry]

Yes, I think that would have to be the case. Otherwise you could just sit on one line and block it indefinitely (well until you ran out of stations).

[GuyBarry]

I've tweaked the rules to allow a greater choice of starting stations. The restriction on starting at interchanges has been lifted, but players are now required to start outside zone 1. There's a special restriction on blocking the Circle line early in the game, in order not to give one player an unfair advantage. Does anyone want to give this version a go? (Changes to the previous rules are in bold.)

TUBEBLOCK - Version 2

(1) Tubeblock is a game for two players (or teams of players), based on the London Underground map.
The object of the game is to prevent the other player (or team) from making a legal move.
(2) For the purposes of these rules the definition of "station" is the same as the GWR definition -
Bank and Monument are counted as separate stations, as are the two Paddingtons and the two
Hammersmiths. Edgware Road (Bakerloo) is excluded from the game as it is currently closed, but when
reopened it will count as a separate station from the other Edgware Road.
(3) A "journey" is defined as any route from one station to another exclusively using the Underground
network as it appears on the standard Tube map - no walking between stations or other forms of transport
are considered.

TWO-PLAYER VERSION

Play proceeds as follows:

(4) Player A chooses any station that is not in Zone 1 or on the Circle line.
(5) Player B chooses any station that is not in Zone 1, or on the Circle line, or on the same line as player A's starting station.
(6) Players A and B now move to stations alternately, according to the following criteria:
(a) Neither player may have moved to the station previously in the game.
(b) The journey from a player's previous station must NOT be possible by direct Underground train; it
must require at least one change. (This stipulation cannot be avoided by following deliberately
indirect routes.) Journeys between two branches of the same line are permitted if there is no service
between them, e.g. West Harrow to North Harrow.
(c) The journey must not pass through any stations that are "blocked" by the other player as defined by rule (7).
(d) A player may not move to a Circle line station until the other player has entered Zone 1. This rule does not
apply if the other player has entered Zone 1 and subsequently left it; nor does it prevent journeys through
Circle line stations. Note that all Circle line stations are prohibited, not just those in zone 1.
(7) All stations that have direct services to a player's current location are "blocked" to the other
player. For example, if player B is at Piccadilly Circus then all stations on the Piccadilly and
Bakerloo lines are blocked to player A. Note that this does not always mean that all stations on the
same line are blocked, e.g. if player A is at Goodge Street then player B can still pass through Bank.
(8) When one player does not have a legal move the game is over and the other player wins.

MULTI-PLAYER VERSION

This is like the two-player version except that "player A" and "player B" should be replaced by "team
A" and "team B". Anyone is free to make a move for either team A or team B, but having made a move
cannot then move for the other team in the same game. If two players respond to the same move, only
the first move posted is accepted.

If four players or more are involved, they may choose to operate the additional rule "No player can
make two consecutive moves for the same team". This should be agreed in advance of play.

[tractakid]

Clarification- is Chesham considered to have direct services to Watford? IE- is one service a day enough for it to be a prohibited move?

[GuyBarry]

Clarification- is Chesham considered to have direct services to Watford? IE- is one service a day enough for it to be a prohibited move?

The Orange One asked this earlier. In practice I think it's unlikely that anyone would want to move between Chesham and Watford, but for clarity I think it's easiest if we just restrict ourselves to lines that actually appear on the map (so not the Watford North Curve).

Also for clarity, my intention was that neither player can start at a Circle line station, but the rules as currently drafted don't actually say that - I'll re-edit them.

Another tweak: the two starting stations had better be on different lines (as in the original wording of the rules), to prevent silly games like
A: Chalk Farm
B: Kentish Town

[tractakid]

What about continuous lines on the map that don't have through services? Richmond-Edgware Road?

Bear in mind I believe there is a Hammersmith-Edgware Road train...

[GuyBarry]

Yes, that one's a nuisance. The way I envisaged it I imagined that a player at Richmond or Hammersmith (D/P) wouldn't block Edgware Road. I didn't even know about the Hammersmith-Edgware Road service.

I'm going to have to think about it again in any case because my suggested revisions still allow the second player an easy win in too many cases. For the time being it looks as though we're stuck with starting games in zone 1.

[tubeguru]

We're in danger of this getting silly ... stop worrying about whether a bloody service actually runs ..

[GuyBarry]

Yeah, I'm more worried about whether my rules actually produce a sensible game!

OK, back to the original version of the game then, amended to take account of tractakid's concerns. No more changes to the rules please.

TUBEBLOCK - Version 1a

(1) Tubeblock is a game for two players (or teams of players), based on the London Underground map.
The object of the game is to prevent the other player (or team) from making a legal move.
(2) For the purposes of these rules the definition of "station" is the same as the GWR definition -
Bank and Monument are counted as separate stations, as are the two Paddingtons and the two
Hammersmiths. Edgware Road (Bakerloo) is excluded from the game as it is currently closed, but when
reopened it will count as a separate station from the other Edgware Road.
(3) A "journey" is defined as any route from one station to another exclusively using the Underground
network - no walking between stations or other forms of transport are considered. A service between
stations is presumed if there is a continuous line on the map, even if no actual service runs (e.g. Richmond-Edgware Road).
(4) An "interchange" is defined as a station served by two or more lines running along different tracks. Stations where all services run along the same tracks (e.g. Bayswater) are not considered interchanges.

TWO-PLAYER VERSION

Play proceeds as follows. It is advisable (though not compulsory) for both players to start in Zone 1.

(5) Player A chooses any station that is not an interchange.
(6) Player B chooses any station that is not an interchange and is on a different line from the station chosen by player A.
(7) Players A and B now move to stations alternately, according to the following criteria:
(a) Neither player may have moved to the station previously in the game.
(b) The journey from a player's previous station must NOT be possible by direct Underground train; it
must require at least one change. (This stipulation cannot be avoided by following deliberately
indirect routes.) Journeys between two branches of the same line are permitted if there is no service
between them, e.g. West Harrow to North Harrow.
(c) The journey must not pass through any stations that are "blocked" by the other player as defined
by rule (8).
(8) All stations that have direct services to a player's current location are "blocked" to the other
player. For example, if player B is at Piccadilly Circus then all stations on the Piccadilly and
Bakerloo lines are blocked to player A. Note that this does not always mean that all stations on the
same line are blocked, e.g. if player A is at Goodge Street then player B can still pass through Bank.
(9) When one player does not have a legal move the game is over and the other player wins.

MULTI-PLAYER VERSION

This is like the two-player version except that "player A" and "player B" should be replaced by "team
A" and "team B". Anyone is free to make a move for either team A or team B, but having made a move
cannot then move for the other team in the same game. If two players respond to the same move, only
the first move posted is accepted.

If four players or more are involved, they may choose to operate the additional rule "No player can
make two consecutive moves for the same team". This should be agreed in advance of play.

[tubeguru]

The rule should not be about whether an actual service runs between two places. If you can trace a DIRECT route between two stations on the same line, regardless of whether an actual service runs along that route in real life, then it is an invalid journey.

So Richmond to Edgware Road is an invalid move, because you can trace a direct route along a green line between the two. Similarly, Upminster to Olympia is invalid, even though no such service exists in real life.

It should be as simple as that.