Age of Steam Expansion: Barbados / St. Lucia

Barbados - 5 plays - high score 111 - This is a fun little map that made me curse about goods growth rolls. I have never had such frustrating rolls... but this was probably the thing that made the map so enjoyable! One has to remember to keep the scoring criteria in mind. I found that after a certain point I was better off saving my money to buy back my shares, instead of squandering it on extra track through difficult terrain that would maybe get me one extra link. Thanks to Ted for these entertaining maps! I'll play this one when I want a more standard AoS fix but have no one to play with, and will save the Puerto Rico map for when I feel like solving a puzzle.

2010-06-05 (rating 9):

Barbados (rating 8.5):

Current high score (2010-05-23): 103.

I like the map. However after few games it becomes a bit too random. A lot depends on how initial cubes are set up and how goods production goes.

I am considering to play a variant. Production rules could be used from [gameid=25487] map which would reduce randomness a lot (except for the initial setup).

St. Lucia (rating 9.5):

A very inserting an intensive map. However after three plays I am starting to thinking that the map is very unforgiving. Any error in the first rounds leads to loosing, often awfully.

Right urbanization is crucial on this map. And this leads to turn order being far more important than it might seem at first.

Rating based on St. Lucia expansion

Good for learning the game but not something I'd play frequently.

Barbados: Easy puzzle. It was kinda fun to play but I'm not that interested in solitaires.

St. Lucia: not played.

(Added to 3rd ed.)