Ticket to Ride

[The Guardian]

Having split off the "game review ideas," I was wondering if anyone would be interested in brainstorming some house rules to spice up TtR a bit? I haven't played the expansions yet, but I had a few thoughts on some ways to add a little more strategy without getting too crazy.

Ideas:
Ditch a route--if all players have at least 10 trains remaining, a player may choose to discard one of his routes as his turn. However, he must then surrender 5 of his remaining trains and may not draw new route cards for the remainder of the game. If this puts him below 10 remaining trains, all other players have the option for that round only to ditch a route (at the same cost of 5 trains).

Player trades--as his turn a player may offer to trade 3-5 train car cards with any other player by saying "I wish to trade X train cards." If multiple players are interested in trading, the player may choose who he trades with. However, if he offers a trade and just one other player is interested, he must make the trade with that player. In addition, neither player can reveal what colors they are trading. It is simply an even 1:1 trade. If no one is willing to do a trade, the player may still take another action.

Pair royal--if three train cards of the same color are face up next to each other a player may take all three as a "pair royal" if he has not taken any other cards yet. So if he takes one face up card and the replacement card puts a pair royal on the board, he cannot take those three but the next player can (unless the original player takes one of the three as his second card). The option remains for all players whenever there is a pair royal face up.

Buying trains--if the game owner still has the extra two trains for each color that come with the game, players may choose to "buy" an extra train by trading in three train cards of the same color without using "wild cards" (unless the player wishes to trade in three wild cards).

Thoughts on any of these house rules? Going to suggest them the next time I play and see how they work out.

[Prof Underwood]

Ditch a route--

I don't think I'd want to play with this rule.  It seems overly like an overly complex way to get rid of that route you had to keep when you drew 3 extra routes and couldn't complete any of them.  So you kept the little 6pt one, and want to get rid of it.  It's not worth losing a turn and 5 trains to get rid of a measly -6pts.  I suppose you could also ditch a big route that you thought you'd finish, but got cut off.  However if you play well, that should almost never happen, so again I don't see the point.

Player trades--

Again I don't think I'd like to play with this one.  People often talk about wanting to trade cards, but if you want to trade cards then play Settlers.  And saying that they can't reveal their colors of cards when people are going to be competing with each other to be able to trade is going to lead to problems.  Some people will try to get around that rule with codes, etc.  One of the reasons TTR is popular with my wife is that there is NOT really a lot of players messing up what other players are doing.  So adding arguments about trading cards would make the game less fun for her.

Pair royal--

This is a great idea.  It would occasionally give people a chance to take 3 cards instead of 2 (which is actually a big bonus).  This would help reset the available cards more often as sometimes there gets to be 3 of the same color that no one really wants.  But if they could get all 3 of them, they might take them anyway and hope they could use them later.

Buying trains--

This is an interesting idea.  I'm not sure how much it would come up as I seem to never be 1-2 trains short.  But I like it as an option, and it would be another reason to pick up that "pair royal" of the color you didn't need

[YourMathTeacher]

I am moving this post back from the new thread that was created, since it was about Ticket to Ride:

I picked up the 1910 US Expansion. The cards are full size like playing cards, which is nice. To say there are more Destination Tickets is a bit of an understatement. The original game had 30 Destination Tickets (DTs), while the expansion has added 39 new ones, for 69 total! 

Four of the new DTs were apparently reprints of a promo set that was given out at an Essen convention. Oddly enough, the new tickets still don't include Raleigh, which seems weird. They added only one DT with Charleston. If they're going to add that many new tickets, why not give the forgotten cities their due. 

Anyway, one of the new game variations does allow for the "Draw 5 Pick 3" for your opening DTs others have mentioned. You also "Draw 4 Pick 1" on your future turns. With so many new DTs to existing cities, the opportunity to overlap existing routes increases significantly. This is important for the other new addition in the expansion pack: the Globetrotter Bonus. This is a 15 point bonus for whoever completes the most DTs. Realize that some of the new DTs are like the Essen promos - Vancouver to Portland. 

[The Guardian]

Thanks for the feedback, Mark. 

The "ditch the route" idea was the result of games where it seems several players got overlapping routes while the other player didn't have to compete at all for spots on the board.

The "trade" idea was a way to give a player an additional option for acquiring cards. Perhaps a player needs just one more card of a certain color but there are none on the table (and no wilds). Instead of picking two cards at random from the deck, he can offer five cards for another player's five random cards and take a chance he gets the one color he needs. The drawback is of course that he does not gain any additional cards that turn and he could even get the exact same cards back in return! Perhaps one thing I should have clarified is that once the player declares how many cards he wants to trade, there are no "counter-offers." So the player says, "I would like to trade 4 cards." Another player cannot offer 3 cards--he must do 4 or there is no trade.

Exactly my thoughts on the pair royal--and the cost of two turns to grab the pair royal and buy the extra train would keep it balanced.

A couple weeks ago, I was in a game at a Christmas party and I was all set up to complete 5 routes and likely win the game. With a few turns to go, I realized that I had miscounted my available trains and I would end up missing 2 routes because I was 1 train short. I looked longingly at the two extra trains just sitting in the box taunting me for my mis-calculation... 

[YourMathTeacher]

Alright so we have seen some people's high scores, but what about low scores. I recently won a five player game with a score of 76. We all had east-to-west cross-country routes to complete, but didn't realize it until it was too late, as we inadvertently cut each other off just trying to make connections. We all missed at least one major Destination Ticket. 

[Prof Underwood]

I recently won a five player game with a score of 76.

Wow!  I don't think I've ever seen anyone win with less than 100 points before.

[YourMathTeacher]

I recently won a five player game with a score of 76.

Wow!  I don't think I've ever seen anyone win with less than 100 points before.

And that was with the longest route bonus. 

[TheMarti]

Ouch.

[The Guardian]

The "pair royal" idea was tested last night and worked out pretty well. Pair royals came up twice, and I believe each one was passed up once before the next player took it (both came late in the game so most players were going after specific colors rather than more cards).

It was not over-powered, but rewarded the player who "reset" the board in a sense.

I would definitely recommend trying this rule!

[Prof Underwood]

It was not over-powered, but rewarded the player who "reset" the board in a sense.

That's exactly what I expected/hoped would happen.  Cool idea.  I'll try it next time I play

[YourMathTeacher]

Reviving this thread for two reasons:

1.) I have tried the "house rules" of the Royal Pair (which we love) and the trading (which has not really worked). The Royal Pair came up at least six times in a recent 5 player game, but the eventual winner did not get any of them. It ended up being more of an equalizer.

2.) Since I posted my amazing low winning score earlier in this thread, I thought I would mention my new high score (as of today). Bear in mind that this was a two-player game with the 1910 expansion. I completed 27 Destination Tickets for a total score of 391. I wish I could have completed one more 9-point ticket, just for the milestone. 

[TheJaylor]

I completed 27 Destination Tickets for a total score of 391.

Daz kinda ridiculous. What all does the 1910 expansion add? I've only ever played the original game.

[YourMathTeacher]

What all does the 1910 expansion add? I've only ever played the original game.

I explained my observations a few posts up. Here is what I wrote back then:

I picked up the 1910 US Expansion. The cards are full size like playing cards, which is nice. To say there are more Destination Tickets is a bit of an understatement. The original game had 30 Destination Tickets (DTs), while the expansion has added 39 new ones, for 69 total! 

Four of the new DTs were apparently reprints of a promo set that was given out at an Essen convention. Oddly enough, the new tickets still don't include Raleigh, which seems weird. They added only one DT with Charleston. If they're going to add that many new tickets, why not give the forgotten cities their due. 

Anyway, one of the new game variations does allow for the "Draw 5 Pick 3" for your opening DTs others have mentioned. You also "Draw 4 Pick 1" on your future turns. With so many new DTs to existing cities, the opportunity to overlap existing routes increases significantly. This is important for the other new addition in the expansion pack: the Globetrotter Bonus. This is a 15 point bonus for whoever completes the most DTs. Realize that some of the new DTs are like the Essen promos - Vancouver to Portland. 

I bolded the most significant portion related to higher scores. My score was obviously an anomaly, but it was because I was able to draw so many Destination Tickets (DTs) that I had already completed. On one draw, I had already completed all 4 DTs. My route started in Seattle, went through LA, then cut through the middle of the board to Chicago, and swooped over to include NY, Boston and Toronto. Those are the most frequent cities to appear on the DTs. I was able to complete that route very quickly (luck of the draw on colors). I also was given plenty of time to keep drawing DTs, because my opponent had really tough DTs to complete that included Miami and Helena. I actively avoid those cities, since they require specific colors (and a lot of them).

Incidentally, my previous high score was 345, which I accomplished with 21 completed DTs. 

[Prof Underwood]

1.) I have tried the "house rules" of the Royal Pair (which we love) and the trading (which has not really worked). The Royal Pair came up at least six times in a recent 5 player game, but the eventual winner did not get any of them. It ended up being more of an equalizer.

I've also been playing with this "house rule" ever since this thread and it's been a great addition to the game every time.

[The Guardian]

Out of curiosity, do you allow the Pair Royal whenever there is 3 of the same color out or only if the 3 are all side by side?

[YourMathTeacher]

Out of curiosity, do you allow the Pair Royal whenever there is 3 of the same color out or only if the 3 are all side by side?

I just go with any 3. Like I said, it gave no apparent advantage, since the winning player did not ever get one.

[Prof Underwood]

I just go with any 3.

I do the same.