Monopoly

[Jexik]

Am I the only one here who likes Monopoly?

I think it's a classic game for a reason, and it's a lot of fun.

I often hear people say that it's a game based solely on luck, but these are usually the same people who admittedly don't like it, and don't spend time trying to understand the ins and outs of the game. To be honest, I think Heroscape is actually more swingy than Monopoly, and the better player usually wins. At it's core, it's really just a math game, so if you don't like math, I can understand that problem with it.

I also hear people say that it takes too long, but most games I play last about 2 hours or less. Are people always playing with the Free Parking= tons of money house rule? That rules variant tends to lengthen and add luck to games, and it isn't in the rulebook.

[Sci-fi Messiah]

It's not the length of the game, I just don't like it. It bores me. God help me, I have no idea why. Just don't like it.

[NecroBlade]

It's ok. Mostly because I never win. :(

[that guy]

I hate Monopoly. Too much math and too much time. I don't even know what you mean by the free parking money thing. But I don't care, I hate that game.

[Uprising]

Hell, I'm always up for a game of Monopoly. I've had a version of Star Wars Monopoly that has been sitting in my closet for like 3 years just waiting to be played.

[Jexik]

I don't even know what you mean by the free parking money thing.

At least where I'm from, a very common rules variant is to play where any time someone has to pay taxes or any fee that is Chance or Community Chest-based, you put the money in the center of the board instead of the bank. When someone lands on Free Parking, they win all of that money. Often, a 50 (or even 500) is placed there to start, and some people even put a new one in every time someone wins the pot.

It adds more luck and length to the game.

Hell, I'm always up for a game of Monopoly. I've had a version of Star Wars Monopoly that has been sitting in my closet for like 3 years just waiting to be played.

Is it the Star Wars Episode I version? Although the movie sucks, this is by far my favorite Monopoly board ever! (For those who haven't played on this one, you place the deeds on the spaces themselves, and they fit in snugly. Whenever someone lands on one, you don't have to ask if it's already owned or search for the deed. The house/hotel replacements also stack nicely and clip in.)

[Hendal]

As a kid I loved it, haven't played for ever. I do agree there is some strategy to it, but a lot is how god you are at talking others into trades - Look into my eyes, trade with me -

Kinda like risk has a lot to do with talking others not into attacking you, and/or attacking others, I say it is more showing them common sense that helps them and really helps me.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Is it the Star Wars Episode I version? Although the movie sucks, this is by far my favorite Monopoly board ever!
I recently bought this version for my son at a thrift store.


Is it the Star Wars Episode I version? Although the movie sucks, this is by far my favorite Monopoly board ever! (For those who haven't played on this one, you place the deeds on the spaces themselves, and they fit in snugly. Whenever someone lands on one, you don't have to ask if it's already owned or search for the deed. The house/hotel replacements also stack nicely and clip in.)
How do you keep track of who owns which deed?
We play with the deeds already on the board and when a player buys the space, they pull the deed. Seems more sensible for me to do it this way.

[Jexik]

Is it the Star Wars Episode I version? Although the movie sucks, this is by far my favorite Monopoly board ever! (For those who haven't played on this one, you place the deeds on the spaces themselves, and they fit in snugly. Whenever someone lands on one, you don't have to ask if it's already owned or search for the deed. The house/hotel replacements also stack nicely and clip in.)
How do you keep track of who owns which deed?
We play with the deeds already on the board and when a player buys the space, they pull the deed. Seems more sensible for me to do it this way.
The deeds have a spot on the board, but they are easily removed. When you buy a property you take it just like you normally do in Monopoly. They can also be flipped upside down to show that they've been mortgaged. It really speeds up the game, and it might be part of the reason I like Monopoly again. It sounds like we do the same thing.

There's also something to be said for turning your friends against each other and then reclaiming the galaxy as dark lord of the sith.

[allskulls]

Monopoly is a great game but I would have a hard time getting people to play. We always played with the free parking "lottery" back in the day too. Never played any other version than the original though. I do have Star Wars Risk but only played once. If I could, every night would be family boardgame night...stupid video games :evil:

[Uprising]

It's the Star Wars Saga Edition so I think it's all 6 movies. Here is a link to it
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15046

[Dreaded Gazebo]

Given the plethora of outstanding games out there (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/browser.php?itemtype=game&sortby=rank) I see no reason to ever return to Monopoly.

[K/H_Addict]

my family and i play monopoly every year on new years eve. It tends to give good stories for work/school when you go back, because SOMEONE, every year, ends up spending half the night in jail:

How was your new year?
I spent half the night in jail!
O.O!?

[Trav11111]

My friends and I use to play monopoly all the time. We slowed down lately, but it's still fun. I own around four different versions, and Advance to Boardwalk(lots of fun).

I agree that if you follow the rules it is an awsome game. It doesn't take long and if you play it enough the math you figure out is really simple.

[Malechi]

I'll play a game if that's what is brought to the table (I even own about 7 different versions including a copy from 1938), but I find it way too much "Roll your dice, Move your mice!" for my taste.

However, when playing with a good humored group, massive luck games like Monopoly have there place and can be rather fun while cheering and moaning the rolls of the dice.

[Parduz]

I NEVER liked Monopoly.
First reason is that i usually don't like games when you have no way to "hurt" other players (Scrabble is the BIG exception...uhm... maybe the only exception)
Second is that i'm not so much involved in the theme... i need to be "in" a game, to enjoy it completly.
Last, i'm famous 'cause i don't have any luck with dice... NEVER... (guess who usually loose when i play HS?), so a game SO dependent on dice is my curse.

[Metaknight]

Now, when I picked Never, it means I've Never played it!

[NecroBlade]

I find it way too much "Roll your dice, Move your mice!" for my taste.You prefer your games more "Move your mice, roll your dice!" like Heroscape, right? :P

[ej]

For my family, if we were playing a game, we were playing Monopoly. It's played out. It's over. There's nothing in Monopoly I enjoy anymore. I'm trying to convert the family over to Ticket to Ride as the default game.

I'm sure for many, the question "Do you want to play a game?" means "Let's break out Monopoly." Familiarity breeds contempt, and I have SO MUCH familiarity with that game.

And the many Monopoly variants don't help. (http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000721.php)

[jbbnbsmith]

Remember the skit on the Carrol Burnett Show when they were playing Monopoly (it was one of the "Mama" skits.) That was one of the funniest things ever on television; mostly because it was an accurate portrayal of just about every Monopoly game I've ever played (and I've played a lot)
I'll have to see if it's on Youtube somewhere.

You have to love the internet:

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=carroll+burnett+monopoly

[allskulls]

Have you guys seen the new electronic Monopoly? It keeps track of all your money and purchases for you like the old Mall Madness (yeah I said it).

[jbbnbsmith]

Have you guys seen the new electronic Monopoly? It keeps track of all your money and purchases for you like the old Mall Madness (yeah I said it).
I gave my daughter Mall Madness for Christmas two years ago. I like it, actually.

[allskulls]

Have you guys seen the new electronic Monopoly? It keeps track of all your money and purchases for you like the old Mall Madness (yeah I said it).
I gave my daughter Mall Madness for Christmas two years ago. I like it, actually. :D
I used to play MM with my little sister when it first came out. I got a copy of the original and we played on Thanksgiving. My 15yr old nephew did not want to play at first but when he finally gave in, he had a blast. The game is great it just has that girly theme about it that turns people off. I just say think of it as a scavanger hunt :wink: What was funny is I had one item left to get but no money so everyone kept sending me to the arcade, for icecream, for pizza and my lights were even left on in the parking lot. My sister who was in last place for most of the game ended up winning.

I think their patent must be up and that's why Monopoly is so late using the electronic payment method.

[Jexik]

Interesting, that would probably speed up the game. I find that once you get used to the concept that each side of the Monopoly board is ten spaces long, counting movement also becomes that much easier.

If you're on a 5 spot on the board (the railroad) and you roll a 2, move to the 7 spot on that side. If you roll a 12, go to the 7 spot on the next side. If you roll a 10, go to the next railroad, etc. I never count each individual place unless I want to emphasize the fact that I didn't land your Boardwalk for the 5th time in a row.

[mrbistro]

Hasbro just released tiny 20 minute versions of their games. I'm kind of curious how that version of Monopoly works.

[allskulls]

Hasbro just released tiny 20 minute versions of their games. I'm kind of curious how that version of Monopoly works.
From what I understand it's all dice rolling. The one that looks interesting to me is Life. You can actually play a demo online. That one caught my eye because I have some extra rules I added to our Life game to add more options and fun. The best part is the Spouse Cards. A friend of mine had Fertile Myrtle who has an extra baby every time you land on a life space. He had an extra car to hold all his kids :D

[The Super Atheist]

Horse and Rider FTW!

Playing monopoly is so impossible. I like it, but it's not fun with 2 people. It's impossible becuase halfway through the game everybody quits!


You need at least 4, so then you get the teamplay aspect in.
Like, "Lets team up on him" or "I'll give you $1000 if you buy boardwalk from player 3 and give it to me becuase he won't sell it to me".


I hate it when people stall and don't take their turn, so they spend like 5 minutes just getting to roll the dice. And I also hate when 5 people take their turns sooooo fast that you don't even have time to get the deeds from the banker, and then everything gets ****ed up.

[allskulls]

Horse and Rider FTW!
It's all about the THIMBLE!

[Jexik]

Horse and Rider FTW!

Playing monopoly is so impossible. I like it, but it's not fun with 2 people. It's impossible becuase halfway through the game everybody quits!


You need at least 4, so then you get the teamplay aspect in.
Like, "Lets team up on him" or "I'll give you $1000 if you buy boardwalk from player 3 and give it to me becuase he won't sell it to me".

You're right. Like Catan, Monopoly is a lot better with around 4 or 5 people. With just 2, it feels a lot more luck based to me, and there's little reason to trade.

[Cavalier]

Horse and Rider FTW!
It's all about the THIMBLE!
Wheelbarrow...to haul around all my loot :twisted:

[The Super Atheist]

Horse and Rider FTW!
It's all about the THIMBLE!

Ah, one of the many monopoly tokens that you can wear as a little hat for your finger. :lol:

[DoesntCompute]

Have you guys seen the new electronic Monopoly? It keeps track of all your money and purchases for you

I oppose this version. Classic Monopoly actually has some value in teaching kids math and how to count money. Having a computer track how much money everyone has takes away from that and by having the kids swipe their cards is teaching kids to use plastic at a very young age. Also, there is something impressive with having a boatload of cash sitting in front of you. It will stay classic Monopoly in my house.

[allskulls]

Have you guys seen the new electronic Monopoly? It keeps track of all your money and purchases for you

I oppose this version. Classic Monopoly actually has some value in teaching kids math and how to count money. Having a computer track how much money everyone has takes away from that and by having the kids swipe their cards is teaching kids to use plastic at a very young age. Also, there is something impressive with having a boatload of cash sitting in front of you. It will stay classic Monopoly in my house.
But it might help you since you don't compute :wink:

[LongHeroscaper]

Jexik, could you explain why you like Monopoly? Maybe after hearing from you and other people here, I will change my mind about the game. It's fun, but it gets boring fast and it takes too much time to play for me. Thanks :) !

[Hard-Core Newb]

Monopoly is an okay game, but you've got to have a lot of time. it's really hard to keep going if you leave off for a while.

[Hard-Core Newb]

well, personally i really like board games, though i can't really explain why. i know it takes a really long time to play, but its fun to sit there and play really any sort of game.

[Kepler]

Have you guys seen the new electronic Monopoly? It keeps track of all your money and purchases for you

I oppose this version. Classic Monopoly actually has some value in teaching kids math and how to count money. Having a computer track how much money everyone has takes away from that and by having the kids swipe their cards is teaching kids to use plastic at a very young age. Also, there is something impressive with having a boatload of cash sitting in front of you. It will stay classic Monopoly in my house.

Agreed.

[mrbistro]

I like to play the iron. When someone lands on my property I heat it up, then press it against their neck and yell, "Feel the burn sucka!" I get beat up a lot when I play Monopoly.

[Jexik]

Jexik, could you explain why you like Monopoly? Maybe after hearing from you and other people here, I will change my mind about the game. It's fun, but it gets boring fast and it takes too much time to play for me. Thanks :) !

1. Everyone knows how to play. It's almost as much a part of American culture as baseball. It needs no explanation and is very accessible.

2. I like looking ahead and trying to figure out what specific deal will win me a game, and trying to make it sound good to the other people. There are a lot of variables to keep track of, and I very rarely actually find myself bored while playing Monopoly. I keep general tabs on how much money and property people have, and what their and my income is likely to be over the next couple turns. Sure, 1 or 2 rolls can be bad for you, but it's far less debilitating than a lot of games that I've played. A good player won't get hit for $2000 on Boardwalk because he'll prevent his opponent from getting that far in the first place.

3. I'm good at it.

My games usually take 2 hours or less, which is about as much time as it takes to set up, play, and take down a 500 point game of Heroscape for me. Maybe once I have a few dedicated tables at some point...

[DeathWalker (big number)]

When I play Monopoly my name is Donald, Donald Trump. :twisted: Your Fired!

[Grungebob]

Monopoly = http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/31/37/23283731.jpg

[Rodriquez]

growing up monopoly was a staple game at our house, we played pretty often.
and games would last awhile, let's just say me and my dad were pretty competitive at it.

one way to shorten the game is use the quick start rules(not sure if they stll package these into the games or not) which ye hide the cards and ppl randomly pick 1-2-3 to start with depending on number of players, ye also started with more money at the start, twice the usual number.

cheers
Rod

[Onacara]

I love Monopoly (and Scrabble).

I have played about 40 different versions of the game and have played it as a drinking game and for real money. I almost always win too maybe that's why I like it so much.

[Agent Minivann]

Horse and Rider FTW!
It's all about the THIMBLE!
Wheelbarrow...to haul around all my loot :twisted:
I prefer the wheelbarrow upside-down, aka the grasshopper.

[RichardD]

I'm another confirmed hater. Yes, there are ways to reduce the luck and increase the tactics, but the game is still fundamentally flawed. It's too long; ithas player-elimination (REALLY bad idea in a long game); and it has minimal player-interaction (OK money moves around a bit, but it's not the money that I want to interract with). most people do not use the auction/trading rules anything like enough to rescue the otherwise grim experience.

The comparison with Heroscape's dice/luck is somewhat unkind; in HS, so many dice are thrown that it tends to even out over the course of a game. Whereas in Monopoly, one lucky/unlucky roll can swing the entire game.

Frankly, with all of the other great games that I own, I cannot see my ever playing Monopoly again.

[Roland]

I love Monopoly! Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is strategy, which properties do you try and won first? Which ones are key, and others just nice to have? Who are you playing with and how easy is it to haggle with them? There is a lot of interaction when I play monopoly.

[Jexik]

I do agree that eliminating a player is a bad mechanic in a long game, but it happens in a team game of Heroscape, and can be just as bad in a game like Settlers of Catan where one player gets started off with an early lead or deficit. I also find that my games of Monopoly are in the 2-3 hour range, tops.

The comparison with Heroscape's dice/luck is somewhat unkind; in HS, so many dice are thrown that it tends to even out over the course of a game. Whereas in Monopoly, one lucky/unlucky roll can swing the entire game.

I disagree with this point. In Monopoly, there is a much smaller, more predictable realm of possibilities on any given turn. You know that at least on your first roll, you'll move somewhere between 2 and 12 spaces forward. Most of the time, it will be between 4 and 9 spaces. If 3 or 4 of those spaces are owned by an opponent, you have a pretty good chance of landing on one of those spaces. Doubles mess with this somewhat, but I find that it's much easier to plan ahead in Monopoly. Most of the time, there's only one die roll made per turn, and it's with only 2 dice.

It might also be because I've been playing Heroscape for only 6 months, but it's a lot harder to plan around what happens than in Monopoly.

Just last night I played a team game against someone who was using Deathwalker 7000. My teammate got a gladiatron next to him, keeping him in place. Then his teammate shot the gladiatron, killing him. The DW then broke free, rolling an 18 and inflicting 4 wounds to both Mimring and Krug. That effectively neutralized Mimring for the rest of the game, and made Krug much easier to deal with. What if he had rolled a 2? He'd have done nothing. What if my teammate's Gladiatron had survived that ranged attack?

In that same game, one player's Kaemon Awa took out Raelin on equal height in the space of one turn. 3 skulls v. no shields, and then 3 skulls v. one shield. Dead. The next order marker was on Raelin, and she was going to attack the Kaemon Awa who only had one life left. That same Kaemon Awa had rolled 3 shields against a 4 skull attack earlier. Math will tell you a lot of what to expect from a given attack and defense in Heroscape, but the elimination of a key figure can lead to very swingy results.

I once lost Major Q9 to an attack from a single Ninja of the Northern Wind. Q9 had height, and no wounds on him. 4 skulls vs. 0 shields, boom. There went 3 turn markers, and the game.

I've frenzied with Venoc Vipers 3 times in a row, killing 300 points worth of figures in the space of a single order marker. In a 500 point game, that's a big deal.

I once moved 4 4th Massachusetts line figures and fired up at my opponent's Deathreavers. With 5 defense, 3 of them blanked against 1-skull attack rolls, and died. After that, he only had 1 Deathreaver left.

I haven't seen things like that happen in my last 5 games of Monopoly.

I love Monopoly! Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is strategy, which properties do you try and won first? Which ones are key, and others just nice to have? Who are you playing with and how easy is it to haggle with them? There is a lot of interaction when I play monopoly.

1. I find that the best 3 Monopolies in the game are the Light Blues, Oranges, and Yellows (the second monopoly in each of the first three sides). They cost the same to upgrade as the earlier ones on those lines, but give you more for your money.

2. Boardwalk and Park Place are highly overrated and a waste of time. They are only two spaces, and they are prohibitively high to upgrade. Most games end before anyone even gets close to putting hotels on them.

3. Putting a 3rd house on any property is a huge jump in value. 1-2 is hardly worth it, and 4 is questionable at times unless you've got the extra cash.

4. When it comes to the first row (Dark purple and light blue) it's worth it to spring for the hotels simply because they're so cheap. It's good to get one or both of these for easy money, but neither are usually enough to win you the game. You might stop at 4 houses if you want to play for a housing shortage strategy.

5. The real meat of the game is in trades. I don't always get one of my big 3 monopolies, but it helps. You should never give someone a Monopoly if they have the money to immediately build it up. There is no luck in a trade. I can usually point to one key deal that changes the tide of a game.

6. RailRoads are nice and cheap, and a good source of steady income. Not really a game-breaker either way though. It helps to try to keep someone else from getting all 4.

7. I also find that timing of your upgrades to houses and hotels is important. I usually build up my own land shortly after I've passed my leading opponent's 'danger zone' and when I see 2-3 of the other players getting close to mine. That way I'll likely get more money before I have a chance of having to pay out very much.

Oh no, I'm letting out my secrets!

As for the people I play with and the willingness to trade, I generally play with people my age with similar education experience, in a group of 4-6 players. I guess one way they could beat me would be to just never trade, but I usually find a way to sweeten the deal. Once I get a good Monopoly or two, I generally just insist that they pay me the money if they land on my property. Once they've mortgaged everything, there's no way to come back.

[Malechi]

1. I find that the best 3 Monopolies in the game are the Light Blues, Oranges, and Yellows (the second monopoly in each of the first three sides). They cost the same to upgrade as the earlier ones on those lines, but give you more for your money.

I tend to want the opposites, the Purples, Reds and Greens (the first monopoly sets on the last three sides). They seem to appear, at least to me, to be landed on more often.

[Jandars_Hope]

1. I find that the best 3 Monopolies in the game are the Light Blues, Oranges, and Yellows (the second monopoly in each of the first three sides). They cost the same to upgrade as the earlier ones on those lines, but give you more for your money.

I tend to want the opposites, the Purples, Reds and Greens (the first monopoly sets on the last three sides). They seem to appear, at least to me, to be landed on more often.

I tend to go for the light blues, oranges, and reds.

[RichardD]

Statistically speaking, the oranges and reds are the best, followed by the yellows. But the financial return on the reds is questionable, so oranges/yellows is the way to go. Ignore utilities, and stations, and stick three houses on every monopoly. Then hope for the odds to work in your favour over the next 2.5 hours.

Or play a game like Settlers, where the dice may very well screw you, but at least you're only stuck in the game for 45 minutes.

[Jexik]

Or play a game like Settlers, where the dice may very well screw you, but at least you're only stuck in the game for 45 minutes.

Unless you play Cities and Knights. I played a 4 hour game of that once with 3 players because the one with the most military prowess kept letting Catan burn.

[Trav11111]

I just got Monopoly Mega edition. They add one more property to each set except the rail roads. From what I read from the rules it seems that they also made is so the propertys get bought fast at the begining, then you are forced go on to propertys that are owned near the end.

Also:
Bus tickets
train depot
$1000 bills

[XSI Addict 32]

When I was younger, I was a huge fan of monopoly. Having that kind of money in front of me was a rush, especially when I had more than everyone else. However, as I got older, and started to see patterns in games, I lost interest fast. When I play board games, I am a passive aggressive player. I plan far ahead, keeping a general idea of the status, wealth, and general moods of the other players. I begin setting up my advantages really early. When it gets to the end game, I don't want victory to be a toss up, I want to win. I want my hotels on at least 2/3 of the board. I play with that thought in mind. I rarely ever pass up the opportunity to purchase property early in the game (with the exception of the first 2 colors). Now the general trend of our family games run as follows: My mother always goes out first. Always. She just doesn't buy enough early on, and make poor deals mid game. Next my sister or father goes out. Now here's the kicker. When one goes out, rather than even distribution, they give it to the other in hopes they will be able to beat me. The last thing that gets me is that they will work together (all 3 of them) to dismantle the illusions I create with my deals. My Grandmother won't even listen to my deals after I got her with one particular deal...So while enjoy the early and mid game, the end game is so depressing, watching them all stand firm on the other side of the table against me every time. I understand that I have much to do with it. I can be very smug and arrogant when I'm winning, which I am working on...they also like to root for the underdog, which is almost never me given my playing style. So it’s a vicious cycle, they work together early on to try and stop me from getting big, which forces me to buy up property aggressively, trying to stay alive. As my mother falls into the red zone, my lead only increases, leaving the other two teaming up to stop my reign. That is why I have lost interest in family game night for the most part. That trend does not end with Monopoly. It extends to other games like Rail Baron, Blockus, Clue (slightly different here, but general pattern of who's ahead is the same), and Elemental Shift (a game of my own creation).

[Roland]

Actually just played last night for the first time with my family in a long long time.
The most disappointing part is they weren't willing to make deals near the beginning, allowing my stepdad to get 2 monopolies [which I was trying to prevent] and the game just went downhill from there.

[ParaGoomba Slayer]

We never do the auction thing. Instead, we do this, "If you buy X property for me, i'll pay you X amount of money." Much more interesting.

Giving your teammate(s) all your money (except for $1) and all your properties if you're about to lose makes your opponents soooo angry becuase all they get when they bankrupt you is 1 measly dollar! Lol. Ownage.

[Roland]

We make odd deals. If you give me X properties I will give you immunity. You have to pay rent on the next 5 spaces I land that i don't own. Make me a sandwich I'll give you 50 bucks...

[Roland]

We make odd deals. If you give me X properties I will give you immunity. You have to pay rent on the next 5 spaces I land that i don't own. Make me a sandwich I'll give you 50 bucks...

[ParaGoomba Slayer]

Alliances quickly form, and are usually never broken.

There is little or no trading between the two teams.

And we ALWAYS run out of $100 bills, so then the banker gets all pissed off becuase 6 people need to exchange money all at the same time.

[Roland]

My family would disown you if you pulled alliances out on them. There are no such things in our house.

[Aquaryan]

I have not really played Monopoly in years. However, since I have been looking at various board games, I decided to check out

Make Your Own Opoly Game


You create your own version of Monopoly. It has major flaws, though. you cannot change everything on the board. When you change the words, it can be different sizes.

Since it will be my version, I am going to figure out something creative with the game.