Mapmaker Instructions (Kickstarter Draft)pdf
Mapmaker Instructions (Kickstarter Draft)pdf
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  1. ThesearetheofficialrulesforMapmaker:TheGerrymanderingGame.Pleasenotethatthisdocumentisadraft.We’restillformatting,addingtotheFAQsection,andaddingan“AboutGerrymandering”sectionattheend.Letusknowifyouhaveanyfeedback(GerrymanderingGame@gmail.com).Thanks!Youareamapmaker,whichmeansyoumakemaps...anddeterminewhowinselections.Components1boardEachhexagonontheboardisacounty.110districtborders75votertokensThereareeighteenvotertokensperparty(valued1-10).Thereisalsooneneutraltoken(valued0),alongwithtwosparetokens.28districtmarkersThereare7districtmarkersperparty.
  2. SetupEachplayerchoosesaparty:RedElephants,BlueDonkeys,YellowPorcupines,orGreenLeaves.Randomlydistributeallvotertokensoftheparticipatingparties,along withtheneutraltoken,ontheboard.(Flipthetokensontotheirblanksides,mixthemup,andturnthembackoveragain.)Withtwoplayers,usethe37centralcounties.Withthree,usethe55centralandlightgreycounties.Withfour,useall73counties.Thereshouldbeonevotertokenpercounty.Therandomsetupdoesnotgiveanyplayeranoticeableadvantage.GoalAttheendofthegame,theentireboardwillbesectionedoff intodistricts.Whoeverhasthemostdistrictswins.GameplayPlayerstaketurnsplacing districtborders.Whoevervotedmostrecentlygoesfirst.Thefirstplayerstartsbyplacingonlyonedistrictborder.Thesecondplayerplacestwo.Thenextplacesthree.Thenplayerscontinueinorder,eachplacing fourdistrictbordersperturn.Youcanplacedistrictbordersnearoneanotherorscatteredacrosstheboard.Youcannotplacethemonedgesoftheboard.Thisisarandomsetupforathree-playergamewithRedElephants,BlueDonkeys,andYellowPorcupines.
  3. Adistrictisafullyclosed-off groupofcounties.Eachdistrictmustcontainatleast4counties.Agroupofcountiesisnotconsideredadistrictifthecountiescanbesplitintosmallerdistricts.Thisisthesmallestpossibledistrict.Itcontainsfourcounties,fullyclosedoffbydistrictbordersandedgesoftheboard.(3playergame)Thisisnotadistrict.Itcontainseightcounties,whichcanbesplitintotwodistrictsoffour.(4playergame)
  4. Thisisadistrict.Itcontainssevencountiesthatcannotbesplitintotwoseparatedistrictsofatleastfourcountieseach.(2playergame)Eventhoughitcontainseightcounties,thisisadistrictbecauseofhowthedistrictbordersareplaced.Itcannotbesplitintotwoseparatedistrictsofatleastfourcountieseach.(3playergame)
  5. Allcountiesmustbecomepartofadistrict.Youcanneversurroundfewerthanfourcounties.Placingaborderhereisillegalbecauseitwouldcreateagroupoffewerthanfourcounties.(3playergame)Youcannotplacedistrictbordersinsideanalreadycompleteddistrict.Whenadistrictisformed,theplayerwiththemostvoteswinsthedistrict.Thisplayerplacesoneoftheirdistrictmarkersinsidethedistrict.TheYellowPorcupineshave11votes,sowinthedistrict.TheRedElephantsonlyhave9votes,andtheBlueDonkeysonlyhave5votes.(3playergame)
  6. Thewinnerofthedistrictdoesnotneedtobetheplayerwhoclosesitoff.However,ifthereisatieformostvotes,whoeverclosedoff thedistrictgetstochoosethewinneramong thetiedplayers.TheYellowPorcupinesplacedthefinaldistrictborder.SincetheRedElephantsandBlueDonkeysaretiedformostvotes,theYellowPorcupineschoosewhichofthesetwopartieswinsthedistrict.Inthiscase,theYellowPorcupineschooseRedElephants.(3playergame)Whentheentireboardissplitintodistricts,thegameends.TheWinnerWhoeverhasthemostdistrictsattheendofthegamewins.TheYellowPorcupineswinthisgamebecausetheyhavemoredistricts(5)thantheBlueDonkeys(4)andRedElephants(3).(3playergame)
  7. Ifthereisatie,whoever(among tiedplayers)controlsthemostswing countieswins.Swing countiesarethecountiesvalued0and1(coloredpurple).Allpartiesaretiedwith4districtseach.RedElephantswinbecausetheycontrolmoreswingcounties(2)thantheBlueDonkeys(1)orYellowPorcupines(1).(3playergame)Ontherareoccasionthatthere’sstillatie,gototheSupremeCourt.Whichevertiedplayerhasthefewesttotalvotesfortheirownpartywithintheirowndistrictswins.StrategyTipsAtfirst,Mapmakercanseemoverwhelming sinceplayershavesomanyoptions.Hereareafewstrategytipstogetyoustarted.1.Goforswing counties.Thegameoftenendsinatie,withswing countiesdetermining thewinner.2.Packyouropponent’svoters,clumping alotofthemintoonedistrict.Thentheywillhavefewervotestowinotherdistricts.3.Crackyouropponent’svoters,splittingthemacrossdifferentdistricts.Trytowinthesedistrictsbynarrowmargins.FAQQ:DoIneedtoplaydistrictbordersontheedgeoftheboard?A:No.Theedgeoftheboardactsasdistrictborders.Q:CanIwinaswingcountythatdoesn’tbelongtomyparty?A:Yes.Thecolorofasinglevoterswingcountyonlyindicatesonevotertothegivenpartyindetermining whowinsthedistricts.Buttheultimatewinnerofthedistrictcontrolstheswing countyforbreaking end-gameties.
  8. SoloPlayerRules(easyversion)RandomlydistributeRedElephantandBlueDonkeyvotertokens(andtheneutralswing county)asifyouwereplaying atwoplayergame.Chooseoneparty.Placeanynumberofdistrictbordersuntiltheboardissectionedintodistricts.Inthisgame,you(BlueDonkeys)win7-1.Attempttowinbyasmanydistrictsaspossible.(You’renotallowedtotiedistricts.)Yourscoreisjustyournumberofdistrictsminustheotherparty’snumberofdistricts.Ofcourse,likeinrealgerrymandering,it’seasytowinwhenyou’retheonlyoneplaying...Nowtrymaking competitivedistrictsforamorechallengingsoloplayergame.SoloPlayerRules(CompetitiveDistricts)RandomlydistributeRedElephantandBlueDonkeyvotertokens(andtheneutralswing county)asifyouwereplaying atwoplayergame.Chooseoneparty.Using asmanydistrictbordersasyouneed,separatethevotersintodistrictssothateverydistricthasthesamenumberofRedElephantsandBlueDonkeys.Differentdistrictscanbetiedatdifferentamounts(e.g.onedistrictcanhave7RedElephantsand7BlueDonkeys,whileanotherdistricthas15RedElephantsand15BlueDonkeys),butalldistrictsmustbetied.Youonlywinifeverydistrictistied.Youthenscore10pointsperdistrict,minus1pointforeverydistrictborder.Yourgoalistocreateashighofascore—ascompetitiveofdistricts—aspossible.
  9. Inthissologame,youmanagedtocreate6tieddistrictsusing51districtborders.Yourfinalscoreis6x10-51,whichequals9.
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