POLECONOMY THE GAME OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INTRODUCTION

Transcription

1 POLECONOMY THE GAME OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INTRODUCTION Poleconorny is a role playing game about money and power where each player is both Tycoon and Politician. As a Tycoon buying and selling some of the United Kingdom's largest companies, running advertising and public relations campaigns, investing in insurance, buying bonds and making takeover bids, the player faces the perils of inflation and commercial disaster. Profits are taxed by a government elected from among the players. As a Politician each player is a member of Parliament. Whether as a member of the government or opposition, depends on elections which are held frequently throughout the game. A player is appointed Prime Minister who will ultimately have to face re-election, and whose decisions will affect the financial destiny of every player. There are two introductory games. Game 1, which all new players should start with, demonstrates the financial options in the game, while Game 2 introduces the political options. Having mastered the introductory games, players will be ready to play Poleconorny in its full version, Game 3. Poleconomy is a game for 2 to 6 players. It is best played with 4 to 6. For Games 2 & 3 each player will need paper and pencil to record their voting strength in Parliament. 1

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3 Inner Circuit Income Square Option Square Outer Circuit Position Of FT Index Marker at Start of Play. FT Index Circuit Clockwise direction of play. FT Index Square Start GAME 1. BEFORE PLAY 1. Each player selects a playing piece and places it on START. 2. A banker is chosen who is responsible for the distribution of all money, company cards, advertising and public relations cards, insurance policies and bonds. 3. The banker distributes 600,000 per player. Players receive further income, paid by the banker whenever they land on an Income Square. Players landing on Income Squares receive income of 100,000 multiplied by the number marked on the Income Square. 5. An election is held to determine who will be Prime Minister. Each player throws two dice starting with the banker and going clockwise. (Doubles throw again and both totals are totaled.) The player with the highest total is elected Prime Minister. A player may not serve as both the Prime Minister and the banker. The Prime Minister begins play which then move clockwise around the board. The Prime Minister places the FT Index Marker (pointing in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction) on the FT Index in the centre of the game board, on the blue ELECTION space showing a The banker shuffles the company cards (face down), and issues 4 to each player clockwise. 3

4 THE FT INDEX. The FT Index indicates the current prices and profits of companies in Poleconomy, as well as determining when certain government activities affecting all players will take place. During play the FT Index Marker is moved around the FT Index circuit whenever a player lands on a FT Index Square. In that case they must throw one dice, and then move the FT Index Marker the designated number of ( spaces around the FT 'Index circuit in the direction of the arrow on top of the FT Index Marker. If the dice throw is 3 for example, the FT Index Marker must be moved 3 spaces along the FT Index circuit clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending on which direction the arrow is pointed as determined previously by the Prime Minister At the beginning of the Prime Minister s turn the Prime Minister may reverse the direction of the arrow, thus directing the course of the FT Index number to a higher or lower group of numbers.. The number of the FT Index multiplies the current prices and profits of companies. Each space on the FT Index circuit also has a directive which must be immediately carried out as follows. Election. (Blue,) Elections are held at the start of play and then Throughout the game, whenever the FT Index Marker lands on a space marked Election. The current Prime Minister must resign and the successor is determined as before by throwing two dice Government Salary. (Orange.) Whenever the FT Index Marker lands on Government Salary, the Prime Minister receives a Government Salary of 150,000 from the banker. The Prime Ministers Government Salary is NOT multiplied by the FT Index number.. Taxation. (Red.) All players who own companies must pay tax to the bank at the rate of #40,000 per company held. Players pay only from their cash supply. They do not sell assets, including bonds, to raise cash. A player has no further tax liability after tax has been paid to the extent of cash held. Bonds. (Green.) Players who own Treasury Bonds receive interest from the bank at the rate of 5O% ie; #50,000 for each bond. Treasury Bonds are purchased from the bank for #100,000each. PLAY. At each turn a player has the choice of either making a dice move or taking a position on an Option Square. A player can not do both. At the completion of the turn play passes clockwise to the next player. If the player chooses to go to an Option Square play is as indicated under Option Square. If the player chooses to make a dice move play is as follows. DICE MOVES. For a dice move a player throws 2 dice and moves clockwise the number of squares indicated along the circuit the player is on. Further action depends on the square the player lands on (Company, Income, Opportunity, FT Index). Throwing a double does not entitle a player to another throw. Players throwing a double 6 in the course of a dice move suffer a business disaster and must forfeit all their assets (money.company Cards, Advertising and Public Relations Cards Life Insurances, Treasury Bonds). Business disasters can be insured against by Purchasing Business Insurance. (See under Option Squares/ Business Insurance. Company Squares. There are 41 squares on the game board Representing well known British companies or their products. When landing on a Company Square play progresses as follows: The player may purchase the company if it is not already owned. The purchase price is #100,000 times the current FT Index number. For example if the ET Index Marker is on 4 the player would pay 100,000 X 4 which is #400,000. The player pays the bank and receives m return the Company Card. If the player chooses not to buy the company it is put up for auction. The bidding starts at #10,000. The auction price is paid to the bank by the highest bidder, who then receives the Company Card. The player who chooses not to purchase the company, may NOT participate in the auction. If a player lands on a company owned by another player, the landing player must pay profits to the owner of #100,000 times the current FT Index number. If a player has insufficient cash to pay company profits, either assets must be auctioned to the highest bidder until there is sufficient to cash to pay company profits, or there must be attempt to make a deal with the owner of the company landed on by trading a certain company, companies or other assets, to make payment. A l h ll 4

5 company times the current FT Index number, or to another player for any amount. If a player has auctioned or traded all assets, but still owes company profits, then the player is bankrupt, The player then has no further liability to pay outstanding company profits and may still continue to play. Players landing on their own companies may choose to send themselves to any square on the game board except an Income Square that also indicates 'Opportunity. For example, the choice may be to go to the only Income Square X 10 that does not also indicate Opportunity, and receive from the bank Income of #100,000 X 10, which is #1,000,000. Income Squares. Any player landing on an Income Square is paid by the bank Income of # 100,000 tunes the number on the square. The 'Start' Square is also an Income Square. Opportunity Squares. Three of the Income Squares are marked 'Opportunity' and are all on the outer circuit. Since they are Income Squares, the landing player receives first a basic income of # 100,000 times whatever the number is on the Income Square The player may then immediately move to any other square except another Opportunity Square. For example, the player may go to the only Income Square with a multiplication factor of 10 that is not also an Opportunity Square, and receive additional income of 10 X #100,000 which is #1,000,000. Another example is that a player may move to any FT Index Square and throw one dice, thus effecting the movement of the FT Index Marker on the FT Index circuit and perhaps forcing an Election for a new Prime Minister. FT Index Squares. When anyone lands on any FT Index Square, they must throw one dice and move the FT Index Marker the designated number of-spaces along the FT Index circuit, in the direction that the arrow is pointing. OPTION SQUARES. A player may choose to move to an Option Square instead of throwing two dice. You cannot do both. The Option Squares are the only entry ways to the Outer circuit of squares and vice versa. Players cannot land on an Option Square by throwing dice, and may only position themselves on an Option Square by choosing not to throw dice as a turn. When positioning on an 0ption Square, the player may make the investment indicated as follows, or choose just to sit there. On the next turn the player must throw two dice and move onto the Inner or Outer circuits. You cannot move to another Option Square as your next turn. The investments available on Option Squares are as follows: Treasury Bonds. A player may buy up to 5 bonds per turn at their face value of #100,000 each, pay the bank and receive the bonds in return. When the FT Index Marker lands on Bonds on the FT Index circuit all players holding bonds collect 50% interest on each bond held. i.e. #50,000. Bonds may be sold back to the bank for face value at any time, or used as cash to purchase other assets. To purchase bonds players must first position themselves on the Bank Option Square adjacent to START. Business Insurance. A player throwing double 6 in the course of moving around the Inner or Outer circuits suffers a business disaster If this occurs all assets are forfeited to the bank. (Double 6 thrown in an Election is not a business disaster.) By purchasing a business insurance policy for #100,000 a player can avoid having a business disaster. The player must take position on the Business Insurance Option Square and pay #100,000 to the bank which issues a policy in return. Then, if the player throws a double 6 while insured, all his assets are retained but the policy must be returned to the bank. A player may hold any number of business insurance policies at a time, but may only buy up to 2 policies at any turn. The policy, if owned prior to throwing a double 6, is protection against one business disaster only, but a player may take out a fresh policy at the next turn if any are still available. A player can sell any business insurance. owned to another player for any amount, but must sell it to a player PRIOR to a business disaster occurring. There are 5 business insurance policies, so it is usually advisable for a player to insure early in the game. PLAYERS HAVING A BUSINESS DISASTER DO NOT MOVE THEIR TOKENS, WHETHER INSURED OR NOT, AND PASS THE DICE T0 THE NEXTPLAYER. Life Insurance. Players may purchase a life insurance policy for #100,000. They may buy up to 2 policies at any one turn, but may own more than 2. A player may surrender the policy back to the bank at any time for #80,000. 5

6 The policy is worth #1,000,000 if held until the end of play. Takeovers. A player may attempt to takeover any company that is owned by another player at half its current value. The player does so by moving to the Takeover Option Square, by nominating the company and paying #50,000 to the bank. This sum is not refundable, whether the takeover bid succeeds or fails. The player then throws 2 dice. The defending player also throws 2 dice. If the defending player's throw is equal to or higher than that of the player making the takeover bid, then the takeover fails and that is the end of that players turn. If the takeover succeeds the defending player must hand over the Company Card, and receives from the player making the bid half of its current value as determined by the FT Index. After a successful takeover the player may attempt one more takeover bid, but must again pay #50,000 to the bank, which is not refundable. After the second takeover bid his turn ends. (A double 6 thrown during a takeover bid is not a business disaster) Advertising & Public Relations. A player may purchase advertising or public relations cards for #50,000 per card. Advertising must be purchased on the Advertising Option Square and Public Relations on the Public Relations Option Square. Up to 2 cards maybe purchased at any time, but the player can own any amount Players landing on companies that are supported by advertising and/or public relations must pay #200,000 additional profit per card held. Players can choose when to use their advertising and/or public relations cards, and do not have to use all or any when other players land on their companies. Once a card has been used for additional profits it must be returned to the bank.- END OF PLAY. The game ends in any of three ways: If the bank runs out of money. At the end of an agreed period of time. By mutual agreement WINNER. The player who holds the most assets at the end of play is the winner. Assets: Money. Companies. Advertising. Public Relations. Life Insurance. Business insurance. Treasury Bonds. Face value. current Value Value at current ET Index rate (FT number multiplied by #100,000.) #200,000 per card held. #200,000 per card held. #1,000,000 per policy held. #100,000 per policy held. #100,000 per bond held. GAME2. Game 2 differs from Game I in the following ways: 1. To create a more volatile political climate m the game, players start with different levels of income, 2. Players form political parties. Two or more players may join together and form a majority and elect a Prime Minister of their choice. (In Game 1 the Prime Minister was determined simply by the throw of a dice.) 3. The Prime Minister has the power to exempt certain players from payment of tax, including the Prime Minister. 4. The Prime Minister may also appoint Cabinet Ministers who receive Government salaries. BEFORE PLAY. 1. Each player selects a playing piece and places it on START. 2. A banker is chosen who is responsible for the distribution of all money, company cards, advertising and public relations cards, policies of insurance and bonds. 3. Starting with the banker and moving clockwise, each player throws 2 dice. (Double dice do not entitle another throw.) The total thrown, multiplied by #20,000 is a players basic income which the player records. For example, if a player threw a dice total of 6, then basic income would be 6 X #20,000 which is #120,000. A players basic income remains the same throughout the game. (Throwing double 6 dice whilst throwing for income levels does not constitute a business disaster.) 4. The banker pays each player basic income times 6, as all players are on the START Income Square which indicates a 6. Players receive their different levels of income from the banker when they again land on any Income Squares. 6

7 5. Tbe banker shuffles the company cards (face down) and issues 4 to each player clockwise. 6. Starting with the banker and moving clockwise, each player throws 2 dice. Players throwing doubles are entitled to another throw. The count is totaled from both dice throws. The number thrown by each player is the number of votes that each player controls in Parliament which the player should record 7. Players add together all the, votes held. This represents the total number of votes in, Parliament. If one player holds more than half the total votes, the player is in the majority and becomes Prime Minister. If no player has a majority, players may join together, and form a party that has the majority of the votes in Parliament. These players will control Parliament until the next Election. The Prime Minister is the player with the most votes in the party If no player or party can control the majority of votes in Parliament, then there must be a Re-Election. When forming political parties, players may offer Tax Exemptions and Cabinet Positions to convince other players to join them. them. (All players must pay tax, unless exempted by the Prime Minister, at the rate of #40,000 per company held.) Cabinet Positions are fictitious roles, and could be for example Chancellor of the Exchequer or Minister of Education. They would also receive Government Salaries of #150,000 together with the Prime Minister whenever the FT Index Marker landed on Government Salary on the FT Index circuit. 8. The Prime Minister places the FT Index Marker, pointing in either a clockwise or anti Clockwise direction on the FT Index circuit on the ELECTION (Blue)space showing a 1. PLAY. Rules of play follow identically with Game 1. END OF PLAY. Game 2 ends exactly the same as Game 1. The Winner and Assets are also calculated as in Game 1. GAME 3. Having mastered Games 1 & 2, players will be ready to play Poleconomy in its complete version which is the real Political game.. Game 3 differs from Game 2 in the following ways: There is a Treasury for government funds which the Prime Minister controls All payments to the government and the running of are now made to and from the Treasury, i.e. Interest on Treasury Bonds, Tax and Government Salaries. The Prime Minister has more power, and can set tax rates, make payments to chosen players in the form in the form of Tax Rebates, set Government Salaries including the Prime Ministers and issue Treasury Bonds to the bank to raise cash for the governments BEFORE PLAY. The rules are the same for Came 2 except that the Treasury Tray has all the Treasury Bonds placed in it, and is set aside until after an Election. In Games 1 and 2 the Treasury Tray had no function. The elected Prime Minister receives the Treasury Tray, and controls it. A player wanting to become Prime Minister should exercise some prudence in what is offered to attract votes, as in Game 3 the Prime Minister must finance the government spending. If too much is offered the Treasury could be bankrupted, which would end the game without a winner PRIME MINISTERAL POWERS. Compared with Game 2, the Prime Minister has far more power, but may have to use these powers of office to maintain the support of other players. The PM s supporters may want Cabinet Positions, tax exemptions or other benefits. The Prime Minister must retain their support, but still keep the economy healthy and the Treasury solvent. And at the same time, must attempt to win the game as an individual player. The Prime Minister may use personal official powers whenever making a move, but at no other time; exercising these powers before moving, and may then move in the same manner as other players. The Prime Minister s powers are as follows: Control of the Treasury. The player who is Prime Minister controls the Treasury. All taxes, government salaries, and interest on bonds are handled through the Treasury, not the bank as in Games 1 & 2 The Prime Minister must always keep personal funds separate from the Treasury. Neither the PM nor any other player may lend money to the Treasury. ) 7he Prime Minister by controlling taxes, government salaries and other payments 7

8 must make sure that the treasury Tray never runs out of money. If the Treasury goes bankrupt, the game ends. If the Treasury is temporarily short of money, the prime Minister may sell any number of bonds to the bank for #100,000 each, and can then meet any immediate debts such as government salaries. Though the prime Minister can raise cash for the Treasury by issuing bonds, a new treasury debt is created by these actions. Each tune the Index Marker lands on BONDS, the Prime Minister must pay out of the Treasury interest on each bond held by the bank and individual players at the rate of #50,000 per bond. To avoid this repeating interest liability the Prime Minister may, with cash from the Treasury, (earned from taxing the players), buy back any bonds which have been issued. Bonds may be redeemed from the bank and players at their face plus 50%, i.e.: #150,000. If the Treasury does not have enough cash to pay interest on bonds when it becomes due, the Prime Minister can issue more bonds if any remain in the Treasury. The Prime Minister cannot sell bonds directly to players and may only sell them to the bank. Players purchase bonds m exactly the same way as in Games 1 & 2 except that there is no limit on the number of bonds they may purchase at one time. Players may only purchase bonds to the extent that they are available. The Prime Minister is not obliged to issue bonds to satisfy the demand of players. Cabinet. The Prime Minister may appoint any of the majority party (or coalition) to Cabinet positions, and can choose to demand their resignation later. Government Salaries. The Prime Minister determines the salary of any Cabinet member including the PM s. Control the direction of the FT Index. As in Games 1 & 2, the Prime Minister may change the direction of the FT Index Marker when it's the PMs turn. Taxation. The Prime Minister decides who will pay tax and at what rate and may exempt certain players, including the PM. Tax decisions must be recorded by the Prime Minister PRIOR to Tax becoming due as a result of the FT Index Marker As in Games 1 & 2 players pay tax only from their cash supply and then have no further tax liability. Players do not have to sell their assets including bonds to raise cash for tax payments. If the Prime Minister forgets to, or chooses not to set any tax rates, then no tax is payable when the FT Index Marker lands on Taxation. Tax can be calculated on the number of companies owned with a rate per company; or there could be a flat rate charged for all players, or different rates for individual players. Special Payments. The Prime Minister may pay money from the Treasury to any player, or players, including the PM for any purpose specified, for example as a Tax Rebate or to" Stimulate Investment". These payments may only be made during the PM s turn. The Prime Minister may not make any Special Payments to the PM alone; neither may any individual player receiving a Special payment receive less than the Prime Minister PLAY. The play is the same as in Games I & 2. However compared with Games 1 & 2 the FT Index functions differ slightly: Bonds. Interest at 50% is payable to bond holders out of the Treasury and not the bank. Government Salary. The Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers salaries are paid out of the Treasury and not the bank. Played incomes received when players land on Income Squares are paid from the bank as in Games I & 2. Only Government salaries are paid from the Treasury and not Incomes. Taxation. Taxes will be paid to the Treasury and not The bank. END OF GAME & WINNER. The game will finish immediately if the Treasury is ever unable to meet any of its financial obligations, i.e. Government Salaries or interest on Treasury Bonds. If the game finishes this way there is no winner and the Treasury and the country is bankrupt. Otherwise the game finishes in exactly the same way as in Games 1 & 2. The Winner is also determined as in Games 1 & 2. 8