Alternative House Rules for MONOPOLY: Strategic Property Devaluation & Double-Dipping Rent Collection Vs. Eviction
Cineviews
and
STRATEGIC DEPRECIATION OF OPPONENTS' PROPERTY VALUES
Alternative House Rules for Parker Brothers' "Monopoly" game
(C) Copyright 2000 by James W. King (cine...@aol.com); All Rights Reserved.
I would appreciate feedback and constructive criticism of these alternative
house rules that I created and developed for "Monopoly" not only in hopes of
bringing a little more modern-day real-world chaos into the game but also to
enhance enjoyment of the game in a different way. Please consider trying them
out by playing "Monopoly" using them before rending an opinion.
-- James King
> DOUBLE-DIPPING RENT COLLECTION VERSUS EVICTION
When a player lands by exact count on one of his own properties where one
or more other players' tokens already rest, he has the choice of collecting
rent from select ones while evicting others OR collecting rent from all of them
OR evicting them all. When a property owner evicts an opponent(s), he advances
the opponent(s) to "Go"; BUT, the affected player(s) shall not be able to
collect $200 upon being advanced to "Go" as the result of an eviction.
> STRATEGIC DEPRECIATION OF OPPONENTS' PROPERTY VALUES
After the acquisition of several Complete Color Groups of properties, a
player may choose to strategically exploit some of them in order to depreciate
the rent and land values of adjoining properties not yet purchased OR already
owned by opponents. In doing so, however, the player must readily accept the
consequences for wielding a double-edged sword which depreciates not only the
value of his opponents' properties but also that of his own which might be
situated directly adjacent to the very one(s) he would exploit thusly.
The ultimate aims for using such an underhanded strategy in the first place
are to demoralize your opponent by diminishing his properties' earning capacity
as well as to use the ploy as leverage to eventually acquire your opponents'
properties by either forcing him to sell them to you or by bankrupting him
altogether.
The player carries out the opponent-property-depreciation strategy by
constucting a Trailer Park instead of Houses. Each Trailer costs exactly half
the price of the House cost listed on the respective title deeds. For example,
for the strip on the Monopoly board from Mediterranean to Connecticutt Avenues,
Houses cost $50 each. Thus, Trailers would cost $25 each on that side of the
board. Hotels in that strip cost $50 plus 4 Houses; thus, Quickie Motels cost
$25 plus 4 House Trailers.
This "build-down" ploy depreciates the value and rent of opponents' adjacent
color-group properties by 5% for each House Trailer and 25% for each Quickie
Motel that you construct in your adjacent complete-color-group properties.
For this variation of the game, you should create your own icon tokens to
use as House Trailers and Quickie Motels. Such customizable items can be
customized for use purchased at craft & hobby shops. An appropriate icon to
symbolize a House Trailer would be a small flattened-marble bead or similar
object painted yellow. A small rectangular object (possibly a small woodcraft
shape) can be painted blue to symbolize the Quickie Motels. You should try to
create at least 40 House Trailers and 12 Quickie Motels.
If a player has already constructed a House(s) or Hotel(s) on his
properties but wants to convert them into a Trailer Park, he must first
demolish the Houses or Hotels on his own properties. Just as he constructed his
Houses and Hotels evenly on his color-group properties, the player must
likewise demolish them evenly as well.
The cost to demolish each House or Hotel on a property is 10% of its
original building cost. In the Green Color Group properties (used in the
examples below), Houses cost $200 each and Hotels, $200 plus 4 Houses.
Therefore, it would cost $20 to demolish each House and $100 to demolish each
Hotel. When he demolishes Houses or Hotels, the player pays the Bank and
returns the affected House or Hotel tokens to the Banker. He cannot, however,
begin parking Trailers on his property until his appointed turn.
A player cannot build Trailer Parks or Quickie Motels on properties which
are mortgaged to the Bank.
When landing on a properties of Complete Color Groups where Houses and
Hotels have already been demolished but the property hasn't yet been converted
into a Trailer Park or Quickie Motel, opposing players still pay double the
rent. However, once when even one House Trailer has been constructed there, the
player who owns those properties is no longer entitled to collect double rent
on the remaining unimproved properties. Instead, he can only charge the regular
rent.
A player must demolish all Houses and Hotels on all of his same-color-group
properties before beginning construction of Trailer Parks on them. He may
demolish Houses or Hotels at any time during the game; however, again, after
demolishing his last Houses or Hotels, he cannot simultaneously purchase a
Trailer(s) from the Bank to begin his Trailer Park. He must wait until his next
appointed turn to do so. Thereafter, just as with the construction of Houses
and Hotels, the player can begin to park Trailers on his properties in an even
fashion.
Trailers can be bought only from the Bank and can only be parked on lots of
a Complete Color Group *which the Player already owns.* If he buys one Trailer,
he may park it on any one of his lots. The next Trailer he buys and parks must
be put on any one of the unoccupied lots of this or any other Complete Color
Group property he may own.
A player may buy and park as many House Trailers as his judgment, coniving
and financial standing will allow, but he MUST park them on his properties
evenly. And just as he is expected to park them evenly, he must also unpark his
House Trailers evenly as well if/when he decides to sell them back to the Bank.
Trailer Parks and Quickie Motels may be resold to the Bank only. This may
be done at any time and the Bank will pay 25% the price paid for them. (Quickie
Motels cost the price of 5 Trailers.) All Quickie Motels on a Complete Color
Group may be sold complete at one time to the bank for 25% of original cost, or
Quickie Motels may be torn down one Motel at a time, evenly, in reverse of the
manner in which they were built up.
Trailers and Quickie Motels cannot be mortgaged. Before a lot containing
Trailers or a Quickie Motel can be mortgaged, a player must sell back to the
Bank all buildings (mobile and otherwise) on that lot and on all other lots of
the same Color Group. The Bank will repay 25% of what was paid for those
buildings.
In order to rebuild a Trailer Park on mortgaged property, the owner must
pay the Bank the amount of the mortgage plus 10% interest charge and buy the
Trailer back from the Bank at its full price. (All other mortgage rules apply.)
The formula for determing the rental price for opponents to pay you for
their having landed on your property containing a Trailer Park or Quickie Motel
is to reference the established corresponding categories on the respective
title deed card, only instead of the # of Houses and Hotels, translate them
into terms of # of House Trailers and Quickie Motels by referencing the
corresponding rental price for Houses and Hotels and using a portable
calculator, subtract 75% from those prices. (Or multiple that price by .25)
The following are some random examples using the Yellow Color Group
properties -- Atlantic & Ventnor Avenues and Marvin Gardens -- which you, the
player, have decided to convert into a Trailer Park (and later into a Quickie
Motel).
> Normal Rental Prices for
MARVIN GARDENS
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $24
Complete Color Group Rent: $48
With 1 House: $120
With 2 Houses: $360
With 3 Houses: $850
With 4 Houses: $1025
With Hotel: $1200
Mortgage Value: $140
Houses cost $150 each.
Hotels cost $150 plus 4 houses.
Rental Prices for
MARVIN GARDENS
with 25% property devaluation
due to your intention to construct a Trailer Park and Quickie Motel on it
Rent for landing on Marvin Gardens as a still-unimproved property of the
Complete Yellow Color Group when any fellow yellow property, Atlantic Avenue or
Ventnor Avenue, contains at least one House Trailer or Quickie Motel: $6
With 1 Trailer: $30
With 2 Trailers: $90
With 3 Trailers: $213
With 4 Trailers: $256
With Quickie Motel: $300
Trailers cost $75 each.
Quickie Motels cost $75 plus 4 Trailers.
By converting select Complete Color Group properties of yours into Trailer
Parks, you depreciate the value of opponents' adjacent color-group properties
by 5% for each Trailer you parked on your properties and by 25% for each
Quickie Motel you build. One major catch though: If you own a Complete Color
Group of properties adjacent to one which you're converting into a Trailer
Park, you likewise depreciate those as well. (The Mortgage Value of those
properties, however, remains unaffected.)
Of course, figuring out the reduced rent value of properties is just part of
this variation of the game. And yes, it's actually *meant* to be an annoyance,
too! However, with a small handheld calculator, it's very easy to do.
The Conversion of Your Complete Yellow Group Properties
ATLANTIC AVENUE, VENTNOR AVENUE and MARVIN GARDENS,
into a Trailer Park and Quickie Motel as a Deliberate Ploy to Depreciate the
Value of Surrounding Red-Group and Green-Group Properties Owned by Opponents
Example: You land on Pacific Avenue, a Green Group property, owned by an
opponent who has four houses on it. Normally, you would pay $1100 in rent.
*However,* since you converted your adjacent Yellow-Group properties into
Trailer Parks having three trailers on each one, your opponent would have to
figure the amount you pay for rent thusly:
Three Yellow-Group Properties X 3 House Trailers on each property = 9.
9 House Trailers X 5% = 45% depreciation in rental value for adjacent
Green and Red Group properties.
$1100 normal rent for landing on 4-House-covered Pacific Avenue MINUS 60%
(the depreciation value) = $605, the amount of rent that you actually end up
paying for having landed on Pacific Avenue, thanks to your strategy.
Random Examples of How the Red Color Group Properties
PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES
Avenues) Are Affected by Trailer Parks and Quickie Motels Built in the Adjacent
Red Color Group:
For comparison:
> Normal Rental Prices for
PACIFIC AVENUE
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $26
Complete Color Group Rent: $52
With 1 House: $130
With 2 Houses: $390
With 3 Houses: $900
With 4 Houses: $1100
With Hotel: $1275
> 1 Trailer built on any one of the adjacent Yellow Group (Atlantic & Ventnor
Avenues and Marvin Gardens) properties reduces the rent on PACIFIC, NORTH
CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 5%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 5% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $25
Complete Color Group Rent: $49
With 1 House: $124
With 2 Houses: $371
With 3 Houses: $855
With 4 Houses: $1045
With Hotel: $1211
______________________________
> 2 Trailers built on any two of the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduces
the rent on PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 10%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 10% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $23
Complete Color Group Rent: $47
With 1 House: $117
With 2 Houses: $351
With 3 Houses: $810
With 4 Houses: $990
With Hotel: $1148
______________________________
> 3 Trailers built on the three adjacent Yellow Group properties reduces the
rent on PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 15%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 15% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $22
Complete Color Group Rent: $44
With 1 House: $111
With 2 Houses: $332
With 3 Houses: $765
With 4 Houses: $935
With Hotel: $1084
______________________________
> 4 Trailers built on the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on
PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 20%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 20% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $21
Complete Color Group Rent: $42
With 1 House: $104
With 2 Houses: $312
With 3 Houses: $720
With 4 Houses: $880
With Hotel: $1020
______________________________
> 8 Trailers built on the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on
PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 40%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 40% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $16
Complete Color Group Rent: $31
With 1 House: $78
With 2 Houses: $234
With 3 Houses: $540
With 4 Houses: $660
With Hotel: $765
______________________________
> 12 Trailers built on the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on
PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA & PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 60%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 60% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $10
Complete Color Group Rent: $21
With 1 House: $52
With 2 Houses: $156
With 3 Houses: $360
With 4 Houses: $440
With Hotel: $510
______________________________
> 3 Quickie Motels (comprising a Red-Light District) built on all three
adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on PACIFIC, NORTH CAROLINA &
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUES by 75%:
Example: PACIFIC AVENUE (after 75% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $7
Complete Color Group Rent: $13
With 1 House: $33
With 2 Houses: $98
With 3 Houses: $225
With 4 Houses: $275
With Hotel: $319
_____________________________________________
Random Examples of How the Red Color Group Properties
KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES
Avenues) Are Affected by Trailer Parks and Quickie Motels Built in the Adjacent
Green Color Group:
> Normal Rental Prices for
ILLINOIS AVENUE
(without property depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $20
Complete Color Group Rent: $40
With 1 House: $100
With 2 Houses: $300
With 3 Houses: $750
With 4 Houses: $925
With Hotel: $1100
______________________________
> 1 Trailer built on any one of the adjacent Red Group (Kentucky, Indiana &
Illinois Avenues) properties reduces the rent on KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS
AVENUES by 5%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 5% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $19
Complete Color Group Rent: $38
With 1 House: $95
With 2 Houses: $285
With 3 Houses: $731
With 4 Houses: $879
With Hotel: $1045
______________________________
> 2 Trailers built on any two of the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduces
the rent on KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES by 10%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 10% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $18
Complete Color Group Rent: $36
With 1 House: $90
With 2 Houses: $270
With 3 Houses: $675
With 4 Houses: $857
With Hotel: $990
______________________________
> 3 Trailers built on the three adjacent Yellow Group properties reduces the
rent on KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES by 15%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 15% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $19
Complete Color Group Rent: $37
With 1 House: $93
With 2 Houses: $278
With 3 Houses: $694
With 4 Houses: $856
With Hotel: $1018
______________________________
> 4 Trailers built on the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on
KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES by 20%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 20% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $16
Complete Color Group Rent: $32
With 1 House: $80
With 2 Houses: $240
With 3 Houses: $600
With 4 Houses: $740
With Hotel: $880
______________________________
> 8 Trailers built on the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on
KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES by 40%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 40% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $12
Complete Color Group Rent: $24
With 1 House: $60
With 2 Houses: $180
With 3 Houses: $450
With 4 Houses: $555
With Hotel: $660
______________________________
> 12 Trailers built on the adjacent Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on
KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES by 60%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 60% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $8
Complete Color Group Rent: $16
With 1 House: $40
With 2 Houses: $120
With 3 Houses: $300
With 4 Houses: $370
With Hotel: $440
______________________________
> 3 Quickie Motels (comprising a Red-Light District) built on the adjacent
Yellow Group properties reduce the rent on KENTUCKY, INDIANA & ILLINOIS AVENUES
by 75%:
Example: ILLINOIS AVENUE (after 75% property-rental depreciation)
Incomplete Color Group Rent: $5
Complete Color Group Rent: $10
With 1 House: $25
With 2 Houses: $75
With 3 Houses: $188
With 4 Houses: $231
With Hotel: $275
______________________________
> Random Examples of the Ultimate Red-Light-District Effect That a 75%
Depreciation Rate by ATLANTIC & VENTNOR AVENUES and MARVIN GARDENS with Quickie
Motels on Them Would Have on the Adjacent Red and Green Color Groups:
Rent per # of Houses With
1 2 3 4 Hotel
Illinois Avenue $25 $75 $188 $231 $275
Marvin Gardens* $30 $90 $213 $256 $300
Pacific Avenue $33 $98 $225 $275 $319
_____________
*Note: The category headings for Marvin Gardens, your stretegic depreciation
property, should in this case be understood to mean the rent per # of House
Trailers and with a Quickie Motel on its property. Illinois and Pacific Avenues
are understood to be normal properties with Houses and Hotels.
Trailer Parks and Quickie Motels built on adjacent color-group properties
by the same or different players do not depreciate each other's property
values.
A player is allowed to improve his properties, even after converting them
into Trailer Parks and Quickie Motels, but before he can build Houses, he MUST
sell back the Trailers to the Bank for 25% of their original cost and/or have
the Bank demolish the Quickie Motels. (Trailers are never demolished per se
because they are mobile and can be more easily moved.) Just as he would Houses
and Hotels, the player pays the Bank 10% of the Quickie Motels' original cost
for their demolishment.
The only Color Groups whose property depreciation rates will never exceed
50% are the Purple Color Group properties, Mediterranean & Baltic Avenues, and
the Blue Color Group properties, Park Place and Boardwalk. That's because, of
course, that there are only two properties for each of those color groups, and
because of that fact, only two Quickie Motels may be constructed for them.
Building a Trailer Park or Quickie Motel on Mediterranean & Baltic Avenues,
the Purple Color Group properties, will never depreciate the value of nearby
Park Place and Boardwalk, the Dark-Blue Color Group properties, and vice-versa,
because although they are seen to be physically adjacent on the game board
itself, they are respectively understood to be on different ends of the
property-value spectrum, nowhere near each other in financial terms.
Therefore, building a Trailer Park or Quickie Motel on Park Place and
Boardwalk will only depreciate the value of the Green Color Group properties:
Pacific, North Carolina and Pennsylvania Avenues.
And building a Trailer Park or Quickie Motel on Mediterranean & Baltic
Avenues will only depreciate the value of the Light-Blue Color Group
properties: Oriental, Vermont & Connecticut Avenues.
Bart Lidofsky
wrote:
> I would appreciate feedback and constructive criticism of these alternative
>house rules that I created and developed for "Monopoly" not only in hopes of
>bringing a little more modern-day real-world chaos into the game but also to
>enhance enjoyment of the game in a different way. Please consider trying them
>out by playing "Monopoly" using them before rending an opinion.
How about a REALLY rare variation; playing Monopoly with the
rules, as originally printed. The Socialist underpinnings of the game
tend to disappear with most "house rules".
Bart Lidofsky