1817WO

1. Setting, map and number of players
1830 covers the northeastern USA for 2-6 players. 1817WO carries 1817's spirit across the whole planet, on a map much smaller than base 1817 in order to fit the entire world, and designed for games of just 2 to 5 players (versus 1817's recommended 5-7), with starting capitalization running from $330 (2p) down to $168 (5p).

2. Oceans instead of mountains as rough terrain
A substitution unique to 1817WO: since the world map has few usable mountains, ocean hexes (marked with a blue triangle) do the job that mountains (brown triangle) do in 1817 and, by extension, in 1830 — including being where coal tokens can be placed. It's the only 18xx in this group where the reference "rough terrain" is water rather than mountains.

3. "Minor" companies that merge up, from an even smaller roster
As in 1817 (absent from 1830), there are 2-share "minor" companies that merge into 5-share and later 10-share companies. 1817WO trims the total roster to 20 companies and removes 8 before the game starts, leaving only 12 in play — even fewer than 1817NA's 15, to match a smaller map and player count.

4. Limited, numbered loans printed on the map
Absent from 1830: as in 1817, companies can take out loans that accrue interest. 1817WO has a fixed grid of 39 available loans (in rows of 3), funded by $100 of starting seed money — an even tighter cap on debt than 1817NA's (56 loans, $150).

5. Short selling, as in 1817
Unlike 1830 (where you can only sell what you actually own), 1817WO lets players short sell shares they don't hold, with the same recommended "Ten Shorts" variant as 1817NA to widen 1817's usual limit on short positions.

6. Mergers, hostile takeovers and liquidations
Just like 1817: dedicated rounds where the same president merges two companies amicably, different presidents trigger a hostile takeover (paid in bonds the second time it happens to the same company), and a company that can't pay its debts may end up liquidated. None of this exists in 1830.

7. A trimmed private company roster adapted to the world map
1830 has 6 traditional privates. 1817WO uses 11, dropping the Union Bridge Co, the Major Coal Mine, and the minor and major Mail Contracts from base 1817. The Ohio Bridge Co survives, but now connects Mare Nostrum (the Mediterranean) and Dynasties as its bridge cities; the coal token can never be placed on hex C8. As in 1817, no private ever closes during the game.

8. Nieuw Zeeland: a special location bought via IPO
A mechanic with no equivalent in either 1830 or base 1817: starting in phase 3, any company floating with a 5+ share IPO can bid to place a token in Nieuw Zeeland (plus a second, free token in any open city on the map). The company holding that token earns $20 from the bank every operating round if it has no outstanding loans, or has one loan's interest payment waived if it does.

9. Round structure and bank, as in 1817
Just like 1817 (and unlike 1830's simple SR+OR cycle): every cycle weaves together a stock round, an operating round, and a merger & acquisition round, twice in a row. The bank is also practically unlimited in practice, so running it dry is rarely what ends the game.

10. Its own train roster, the shortest in the group
1830 has a single fixed train progression: 2/3/4/5/6/Diesel. 1817WO trims the quantities even further than 1817NA: unlimited 2-trains, 2 "2+" trains, 7 of type 3, 5 of type 4, 3 of type 5, 2 of type 6, 2 of type 7, and unlimited 8-trains, reflecting the smaller player count and map.

1817WO — Schematic summary (vs 1830)

SETTING

• World map, much smaller than 1817's; oceans (blue triangle) serve as rough terrain instead of mountains
• 2-5 players (vs 5-7 in 1817); starting capitalization from $330 (2p) to $168 (5p)

COMPANIES AND PRIVATES

• 2-share "minor" companies that can merge into 5-share and later 10-share companies, as in 1817
• Roster of 20 companies, 8 removed → 12 in play
• 11 privates adapted to the world map (Ohio Bridge Co now at Mare Nostrum/Dynasties); never close; coal token barred from hex C8

FINANCES

• Corporate loans with interest, capped at 39 fixed loans on the map, funded by $100 of seed money
• Short selling allowed (recommended "Ten Shorts" variant); practically unlimited bank
• Nieuw Zeeland: special location from phase 3, requires a 5+ share IPO; pays $20/OR with no loans or waives one loan's interest

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

• Dedicated merger/acquisition rounds, as in 1817: same president = friendly, different presidents = hostile
• Possibility of corporate liquidation

TRAINS AND ROUND STRUCTURE

• Trains: unlimited type 2, 2 "2+" trains, 7 of type 3, 5 of type 4, 3 of type 5, 2 of type 6, 2 of type 7, unlimited type 8
• Round cycle: Stock → OR → Mergers → OR → Mergers (as in 1817, far denser than 1830)