en - Virtonomics (online economic game) Wiki (original) (raw)

Broker-Yard represents the card stockjobbing game developing ideas of legendary board game Broker (1961).

"Broker-Yard" unlike the board prototypes uses other structure of "turns" which is closer to update model of Virtonomics. Game shares on rounds in which players independently from each other can make all manipulations provided by rules with shares and action cards.

Pilot start of the project in Russian-speaking community of Virtonomics - February, 2012.

Contents

The game purpose

The game purpose is to carry out trading operations with shares to achieve excess of own capital over the capital of the contender or contenders. Each player starting set with the initial capital, aspires to increase it as much as possible, interfering thus with growth of the capital of contenders.

Differences from the board version

1. Essentially other structure of "turns". Game consists of rounds in which players independently from each other can make all manipulations provided by rules. There is no concept of sequence of a turn, the ideology of a round is closer to «update» model of Virtonomics.

2. Potentially unlimited quantity of participants, shares, cards of action and rounds;

3. Integration with Virtonomics (now at level of contributions and prizes);

4. More comfortable game in comparison with the board version. The necessity to sit with the calculator and check another's turns was the scourge of "Shareholder". That complicated game a little. In the electronic version calculations are conducted by the computer and the player can concentrate on strategy and tactics.

5. In future wider choice of game modes and additional effects of cards of action would be availible.

Registration

Only the registered players of Virtonomics can play. To take part in game, it is necessary to open the "Broker-yard" tab of the "Community" menu, to choose interesting mode of the game and to apply by having pressed button "Register". Thus from the player the entrance fee in virtodollars can be demanded.

Processing of applications is carried out during the update. In case the necessary quantity of participants will be enough for the chosen mode, during the update game starts. The system message on game start is recieved by players.

Base concepts

Rounds

Game consists of rounds (turns, updates). The scheme repeats update model of Virtonomics and thus "Broker-yard" rounds last a Virtonomics day, calculation of rounds is carried out in the end of update on the realm from which registration was made.

In future new game modes with other duration of a round (one turn at an hour etc.) are possible to be introduced.

Classic Game mode

For pilot start of "Broker-yard" a game mode is chosen to be close as much as possible to a board prototype. Four types of shares (blue, red, yellow and green) are used, a game field with a grid of the prices from 10$ to 250$ for the share and a classical pack from 52 cards of action (20 "big" cards and 32 "small" cards). In case one pack will not suffice for distribution to all registered players (for a mode of mass start) - more than one pack is distributed.

Pack of the "big" cards

The pack of the special cards named "big" - with use of them player influences cost of interesting for him shares.

A big card named "hundred" means that its use makes the share's value of the given colour increase by 100 dollars. Thus cost of other shares goes down for 10, 20 and 30 dollars - the player have to specify, what shares on how many dollars to lower, otherwise the turn is not set off.

A big card named "minus-hundred" or "anti-hundred", means that at its use make the share's value of the given colour to decrease for 100 dollars. Thus the stock value of any other colour raises for 50 dollars.

Card named "two" (there are two of them for each colour in a pack) allows to increase a share's value of corresponding colour in 2 times or to reduce it (another card) in 2 times. Thus cost of other share - any colour, but only one by the choice of player- accordingly either decreases, or increases by 2 times. If division on 2 has a result ending on 5, rounding off, unlike in the board version, does not happen - it happens later, after summing of the effects made by all players. For example, if the share's price was equal to 210$ and the player has played effect of reduction of the price in 2 times - it will be in memory that the share's price should fall on 210/2 = 105$.

"Zero" card orders share not to change the price. "Zero" cancels three greatest by module effects of the price change. Since juny-2013 "zero" cancels four effects for all games allowing distribution of more than one pack on hands (big games, tournament games etc.)

Thus, the pack of the "big" cards consists of 4 hundreds (one of each colour), 4 minus-hundreds, 4 "zero", 4 multipliers on two and 4 dividers on two - 20 cards total.

For "Duel" mode the classical authentic pack is distributed without minus-hundreds and Zero, but with 12 hundreds, three for each colour.

Pack of "small" cards

The second pack of the special cards is called "small" (32 pieces total - eight of each colour).

With their help player also influences share's value change, though at a lesser degree. Each figure on a card, painted by one or another colour, corresponds to ordered change of a share's value of the given colour, and the unpainted figure specifies respectively changing of share's value of any other colour by the choice of player.

Mode of mass start

One or several big games with unlimited quantity of participants and game-point prize (at presence of at least two players who made an application) starts everyday. The given mode is experimental, it more stronger differs (because of massed participants) from classical board game process and more likely will need strong balancing editings. We ask to concern with understanding probable ideological defects of the given mode.

Automatic fixation of losses (stop loss orders)

In some starting games rules of automatic fixation of losses (automatic place of stop orders) can operate. The Stop order in "Broker-yard" is the instruction to system to sell shares at some price having been set before for case that the share price falls below the given price as a result of update . The stop order is created automatically on a mark "The current price minus spread" for all shares, which price is above spread value. Examples of work of stop orders are described further in the description of update.

Game rules

Start of the game

Two, three or more players can take part in the game. The maximum number of participants is limited by the quantity of cards in both packs and accordingly by the quantity of cards which are distributed among the players. In a mode of mass start some more standard packs are distributed so that cards to be enough for each registered participant.

On start each player is granted one share of each colour on his account. Price of all shares is equal to 100$ for each in the game beginning. Thus, the initial capital of each participant is equal 400$. Besides that, participants of the game receive some cards from both packs. "Broker-yard" uses two popular formulas of distribution: 3+5 (each player receives 3 big and 5 small cards) and 4+6 (4 big and 6 small cards). It is possible to use only one card in one round: accordingly, game lasts 8 or 10 rounds (turns, updates) depending on distribution.

Round

Each round consists of three stages.

Actions during the update

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy and accordingly prescheduled quitting from the game can happen in the case, if the player receives considerable penalty (see above) during the update and this penalty during the next round cannot to be paid completely by sale of available shares. Thus, if the player has negative amount of cash on the account on the update beginning - he becomes the bankrupt, his shares are withdrawn, and his cards of action do not influence any more the prices of shares.

It is important that no automatic sales of shares for payment of penalties happen. The inactive players, who have a minus to the end of a round, become bankrupts even in case, if they theoretically could continue the game, having sold a part of the shares.

Players, who "left in a zero" become bankrupts also. That is having on the account less than 10$ and not owning any share.

Game summarising

The owner of the largest capital is considered the winner. He is defined as follows: all shares, which are available by the end of game at contenders, are multiplied by their definitive cost. The fund of the player, invested by him in all shares of each of colour, are summarised, and the spare capital, which has remained on the account, is added to the result. If there is equality of a total amount of assets, the winner is defined by toss.

Interface

Lobby

The main page providing access to all "Broker-yard" games is the "lobby" page, it is possible to open it from the main "Community" menu ("Broker-yard" tab) and through "Broker-yard" tab in the bottom menu which appear at viewing of subdivisions of the player's company in Virtonomics. On lobby page it is possible to register for an interesting format of game, and also to see links to all own already begun games.

Game field

Tab "Game field" contains the most important components necessary for a game round. In the top third of the screen there is a table displaying the current prices of shares, changes of the prices of these shares for the last round, and also presence of penalties and awards if those were. Besides this, in the right part of the table there is quantity of shares on players' hands displayed in a format "actual quantity of shares of the player + total quantity of shares at all other players in the round beginning".

In second third of screen there are toddlers, using which make it possible to buy and sell shares. Having chosen by use of toddlers number of shares you wish, it is necessary to press the "Save changes" button. The button is inactive, if the player still has negative amount of money on the account as a result of operations of purchase and sale.

In the bottom third of screen there is a form of a choice of a current card. By use of radio-buttons it is necessary to choose a played card, then it is necessary to choose colour for colourless effects of a card. Then to press the "Save changes" button. The button is inactive, if all effects are not chosen or on one colour more than one effects are necessary.

Already played card can be cancelled by use of "Cancel" button.

It is possible to fix changes for both purchase/sale of shares and for the played card by pressing once any of "Save changes" buttons.

Players

On this tab the data on all players is displayed. The quantity of shares at their hands is specified (for the round beginning, all operations with shares during a round are a trade secret), quantity of spare cash on the round beginning, a total result on assets and a report on all already played cards.

Results of a round

On given tab detalization of all rounds made in game is displayed. All transactions with the shares, all played cards with detalization on the chosen effects, and also the assigned penalties and awards are specified.

Other pages

Besides already listed pages, it is possible to go on to page "All games" from the Lobby (the list of all games ongoing at the moment with lists of participants) and "Archive of games" (the list of all ended games with lists of participants). In process of game development probably other pages will be created (the ratings, special tournaments, etc.)

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