1888-N

Designer: Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler

Northern China (the Beijing area): the first of a Chinese trilogy (1888-N, E and S) that can be combined to expand the map and companies.

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1888-N Contents

How it works

Setup

Cash by player count: from ¥1,200 (2) to ¥400 (6); ¥9,000 bank
Random turn order
Auction of the 6 privates: buy the cheapest at its card price or bid on another
If everyone passes, the Kaiping Tramway drops ¥5 each time
Once all privates are sold, the normal stock round follows

Stock round ×1

In turn: sell as you like and buy one share
Nothing can be sold in the first stock round
Floats at 60% sold: receives 10 × par
Each share sold drops the share price
At the end, sold-out companies go up

Operating round ×1-3

Private income
Each company, highest share price first:
1. Track: one yellow or one upgrade
2. One station (¥40, later ¥100)
3. Trains: bonus for running home to destination
4. Pay out (right) or withhold (left)
5. Buy trains (mandatory if it has none)
At the end of the set, the top train is exported if it's a 2, 3 or 4

↻ Repeats until the end

End

The bank runs out: the current set of operating rounds finishes
A bankruptcy: the game ends at once
Cash, privates and shares at share price count
Highest total wins

Components

Players

Cash
Shares (max. 60% of a company)
Privates (count toward the certificate limit)
Limit: from 28 (2) to 11 (6) certificates

Companies

8 companies, fully capitalised
Each has a home and a destination, with a ¥20 to ¥40 bonus
3 or 4 stations
From phase 3, trains can be sold between them

Privates

Kaiping Tramway, Terracotta Army, Heng Shan
Great Wall, Yanda Railway Ferry, Forbidden City
A company can buy them from phase 3, for 50% to 150% of face value

Bank

¥9,000
[IPO] and open market
Trains: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and diesel

Map

Mountains, rivers and the Great Wall have a cost
OO and B hexes: only green tiles go there
The port: end of a run, doesn't count toward length
Red off-boards that rise in value with the phases

Where the money goes

Players Bank [IPO] and open market shares, privates at auction
Bank Companies On floating, all capital at once; dividends on open market shares; withheld revenue
Bank Players Dividends, private income, share sales
Companies Bank Trains, terrain and stations
Companies Players Buying a private from its owner (from phase 3)
Players Companies Forced train purchase: the director makes up the shortfall

Phases

Start

—

Yellow, 1 operating round, 4 trains per company

1st 2-train

2 · ¥80

Red off-boards pay their yellow value

1st 3-train

3 · ¥180

Green, 2 operating rounds, private purchases and trains between companies

1st 4-train

4 · ¥300

2s rust; 3-train limit

1st 5-train

5 · ¥500

Brown, 3 operating rounds, limit of 2; privates close

1st 6-train

6 · ¥630

3s rust

1st diesel

D · ¥900 (¥700 trading in)

Grey; 4s rust

Trains get exported: at the end of every set of operating rounds a 2, 3 or 4 disappears, and phases move on even if nobody buys.
Open market shares pay the company; [IPO] shares pay the bank.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the game's rules (North map): 4 players with ¥600 each. We follow [P1] and their company, the [LYR], based in Yantai with Qingdao as its destination, through the first two stock and operating rounds.

Before starting Starting capital Phase 1

With 4 players, each gets ¥600 from the bank and the limit is 16 certificates. Turn order is chosen at random.

[P1] cash

¥600

[LYR] treasury

—

[LYR] share price

—

[LYR] trains

—
Private auction The Kaiping Tramway Phase 1

[P1] buys the cheapest private, the Kaiping Tramway, at its card price: ¥25. It has no ability, but pays ¥5 every operating round.

Anyone wanting a pricier private bids at least ¥5 over its price. It's resolved once it becomes the cheapest.

[P1] cash

¥575

[LYR] treasury

—

[LYR] share price

—

[LYR] trains

—
Stock round 1 Starting the [LYR] Phase 1

With all privates sold, the stock round begins. [P1] picks a par price of ¥85 and buys the director's certificate (20%) for ¥170. The money goes to the bank.

Possible par prices are ¥70, 75, 80, 85, 90 and 95.

[P1] cash

¥405

[LYR] treasury

—

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

—
Stock round 1 Floating at 60% Phase 1

Over the next turns, [P1] buys three more shares (¥255) and [P2] buys one. With 60% sold, the [LYR] floats and receives 10 × ¥85 = ¥850 from the bank.

Nobody can sell in the first stock round.

[P1] cash

¥150

[LYR] treasury

¥850

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

—
Stock round 1 Passing Phase 1

[P1] holds 50% and passes. The round ends when everyone passes. The [LYR] isn't sold out, so the share price doesn't move.

[P1] cash

¥150

[LYR] treasury

¥850

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

—
Operating round 1 Income and home station Phase 1

The bank pays the privates: [P1] collects ¥5 from the Kaiping. The [LYR] places its station in Yantai for free, which already has printed track.

[P1] cash

¥155

[LYR] treasury

¥850

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

—
Operating round 1 Track over the mountain Phase 1

It lays a yellow on the mountain between Yantai and Qingdao. The first tile on a mountain hex costs ¥30.

Terrain is only paid with the first tile. Upgrades are free.

[P1] cash

¥155

[LYR] treasury

¥820

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

—
Operating round 1 No trains, no revenue Phase 1

No station this time. With no trains there's no run: a ¥0 dividend moves the share price one space left, from ¥85 to ¥80.

[P1] cash

¥155

[LYR] treasury

¥820

[LYR] share price

¥80

[LYR] trains

—
Operating round 1 The first 2-train Phase 2

A company can't end its turn without a train. The [LYR] buys a 2-train for ¥80. It's the first one sold: phase 2 begins.

[P1] cash

¥155

[LYR] treasury

¥740

[LYR] share price

¥80

[LYR] trains

2
Operating round 1 A train goes abroad Phase 2

All companies have operated and the set of operating rounds is over. The top train of the stack is a 2: it's exported and leaves the game.

Exports also open phases: if the exported train is the first 3 or 4, the phase changes just the same.

[P1] cash

¥155

[LYR] treasury

¥740

[LYR] share price

¥80

[LYR] trains

2
Stock round 2 One more share Phase 2

[P1] buys an [LYR] share from the [IPO] at par, ¥85. They now hold 60%, the maximum allowed.

[P1] cash

¥70

[LYR] treasury

¥740

[LYR] share price

¥80

[LYR] trains

2
Operating round 2 On to Qingdao Phase 2

The Kaiping pays another ¥5. The [LYR] lays a yellow city tile in Qingdao, which has no terrain cost. Its track now links home with destination.

[P1] cash

¥75

[LYR] treasury

¥740

[LYR] share price

¥80

[LYR] trains

2
Operating round 2 Home, destination and port Phase 2

The 2-train runs from Yantai (¥40) to Qingdao (¥20) and ends at the port (¥10), which doesn't count toward length. Since it passes through home and destination, it adds the [LYR]'s bonus: ¥20. Total: ¥90.

A run can't use the same stretch of track twice, and two trains can't share any.

[P1] cash

¥75

[LYR] treasury

¥740

[LYR] share price

¥80

[LYR] trains

2
Operating round 2 Paying out Phase 2

The [LYR] pays out: ¥9 per 10%. [P1] holds 60% and collects ¥54; [P2], ¥9. [IPO] shares pay the bank. The share price moves one space right: back to ¥85.

[P1] cash

¥129

[LYR] treasury

¥740

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

2
Operating round 2 The first 3-train Phase 3

There are no 2-trains left in the stack. The [LYR] buys the first 3-train for ¥180. Phase 3 begins: green tiles, two operating rounds per set, and private purchases.

[P1] cash

¥129

[LYR] treasury

¥560

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

2 + 3
Operating round 2 The company buys the Kaiping Phase 3

Still on its turn, the [LYR] buys the Kaiping Tramway from [P1]. The price must be between ¥13 and ¥37, and [P1], who runs both sides, picks ¥37. From now on, the ¥5 income goes to the treasury.

A private is never sold to another player, only to a company.

[P1] cash

¥166

[LYR] treasury

¥523

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

2 + 3
Towards stock round 3 Watch out for the 4-train Phase 3

At the end of this set another train will be exported. From now on, each stock round will be followed by two operating rounds. The first 4-train will rust the [LYR]'s 2-train, and it'll need money to replace it.

[P1] cash

¥166

[LYR] treasury

¥523

[LYR] share price

¥85

[LYR] trains

2 + 3

1888 — Summary

(North Map variant)

Capitalization type

Full capitalization: upon floating (50% sold), the company receives its entire capital (par price × 10) into the treasury at once.

Floats at 60% of shares sold (single threshold for all corporations)
No player may hold more than 60% (6 out of 10 certificates) of a single corporation
Certificate limit per player: 2 players — 20; 3 players — 20; 4 players — 16; 5 players — 13; 6 players — 11

Starting cash by player count

2 players: ¥1,200 starting cash
3 players: ¥800 starting cash
4 players: ¥600 starting cash
5 players: ¥480 starting cash
6 players: ¥400 starting cash
The bank starts with ¥9,000

End game triggers

The bank runs out of money: the current full operating round set is finished
A company goes bankrupt: immediate end

Number of phases

6 phases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, D), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type
Brown tiles unlock in Phase 5 and gray tiles in Phase D

Train list and prices

2 train — ¥80 (7 units; rusts with the first 4-train)
3 train — ¥180 (6 units; rusts with the first 6-train)
4 train — ¥300 (5 units; rusts with the first Diesel)
5 train — ¥500 (3 units; buying it closes the private companies)
6 train — ¥630 (2 units)
Diesel (D) — ¥900, unlimited; allows trading in an old train for a ¥200 discount
2, 3, and 4-trains are also "non-permanent": they're removed after a set amount of time, on top of the usual purchase-triggered rusting

List of private companies

Kaiping Tramway (KT) — ¥25, revenue ¥5 — no special power
Terracotta Army (TA) — ¥50, revenue ¥10 — allows placing the red Xi'an tile with no connection required
Heng Shan (HS) — ¥75, revenue ¥15 — allows placing the mine on hex C5; any train reaching it adds ¥40 to the treasury
Great Wall of China (CW) — ¥100, revenue ¥20 — allows placing up to two free yellow tiles on the Great Wall hexes
Yanda Railway Ferry (YRF) — ¥125, revenue ¥25 — places the special ferry tiles at Dalian and Yantai
Forbidden City (FC) — ¥150, revenue ¥30 — can be exchanged during a stock round for a share (IPO or market) of a company with a token in Beijing

List of corporations

Jingha Railway (JHR) — home at C9 (city 1) — destination D12 (+30)
Shenshan Line (SSL) — home at B18 — destination C13 (+20)
Changda Line (CDL) — home at A19 — destination E17 (+20)
Hanji Railway (HJR) — home at F6 — destination G9 (+20)
Taijiao Line (TJL) — home at E3 — destination H4 (+20)
Lanyan Railway (LYR) — home at F16 — destination H14 (+20)
Jingzhan Railway (JZR) — home at C9 (city 0) — destination B6 (+40)
Zidong Railway (ZDR) — home at G11 — destination F12 (+40)

Game-specific mechanics

Floats at 50% (not 60%)
Revenue bonus when a single route connects a company's home city and its designated destination city
Public companies can only buy privates from Phase 3 onward, at 50%-150% of face value
Harbour at hex H16: mandatory terminus for any route using it, but doesn't count toward train range
Mine at hex C5 (via the Heng Shan private): adds ¥40 to any route reaching it

Emergency sell

Note: on the online 18xx server this is the "North" map variant of a single game called 1888, not a separate title. The funding order matches 1830 — treasury, then the president's cash, then a forced sale of any shares the president holds — but two things differ: a corporation must always hold a train, not just when a route needs one, so emergency funding is triggered far more often; and it can only ever buy from the bank or depot, never from another corporation's train stock.

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and map
1830 covers the northeastern US. 1888 moves the action to the Beijing area of northern China, with distinctive local geography that has no equivalent in 1830: Great Wall hexes, an off-board area at Xi'an, a mandatory harbour at hex H16, and a sea connection between Dalian and Yantai.

2. Privates with active map-tied powers, not just flat income
In 1830 most privates simply pay a fixed income, with the odd exception. In 1888, five of the six privates grant an active power tied to a specific hex: the Terracotta Army allows a bonus tile placement at Xi'an without needing a connection, Heng Shan lets its owner place a mine on hex C5 that adds ¥40 to any route reaching it, the Great Wall of China grants free yellow tile placements along the wall hexes, and the Yanda Railway Ferry places a special blue ferry tile connecting Dalian and Yantai.

3. The priciest private converts into a founder's share of any company with a Beijing token
In 1830, the B&O is a private tied specifically to one single company (itself). In 1888 the most expensive private (Forbidden City, ¥150) can be exchanged for a share (IPO or market) of any company that has a station token in Beijing, chosen by the owner at the moment of exchange.

4. Private purchases restricted in both timing and price
In 1830 a public company can buy a private at any point in the game, for any agreed price at or above face value, with no upper limit. In 1888 these purchases can only happen from Phase 3 onward, and the price must fall between 50% and 150% of face value.

5. A lower floating threshold
In 1830 a company floats once 60% of its shares are sold. In 1888, 50% is enough.

6. A bonus for connecting a company's home city and destination city
In 1830 every city simply contributes its printed value, with no special relationship to who owns the route. In 1888 a company earns extra revenue when a single route connects both its home city and its designated destination city.

7. Two obsolescence clocks running at once
In 1830 a train only rusts once the next type is bought. In 1888, on top of that usual mechanism, the early trains (2, 3, and 4) are also "non-permanent": they're removed once a set number of operating rounds has passed, even if nobody has bought the next train type yet.

8. A harbour as a mandatory terminus that doesn't count toward train range
1830 has no equivalent hex. In 1888 the harbour at hex H16 must always serve as one end of any route that uses it, but, unusually, it does not count toward the train's range limit.

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