Re: It's A Crime / Gang vs. Gang

From: griffith@fx.com (Jim Griffith)

Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1992 20:29:43 +0000

ug9232@geovax.ed.ac.uk writes:
> Anyway they are now moderating a variant called Gang vs. Gang in which
>the Bosses are very much played down (and run by the computer) and in which
>you can secure blocks at the heart of your turf. Does anyone have any
>experience of this in the UK, US or wherever? and if so what was the
>impression they got of it compared to IAC.

I'm on turn 31 of game 49 right now.  Gang vs. Gang is pretty interesting,
in that in the normal games, I generally gave up if I didn't make mob boss,
and I was always competing against my neighbors to become mob boss.
In Gang vs. Gang, there is no hierarchy - everyone's the same.  That's kind of
cool.  The game allows for more reasonable player interaction, since players
aren't competing against each other to be mob boss.

The problem with Gang vs. Gang is that it is far more expensive than normal
It's a Crime! if you want to be a truly competitive player.  In conventional
It's A Crime!, the object is to get a large number of mob businesses - you
want to own only the "right" blocks.  Since a single gang can control 40
blocks and you're unlikely to ever see 20 mob businesses, you can be
competitive with a single gang.  With Gang vs. Gang, the object is to control
the most blocks (of any nature).  Since you're limited to 40 blocks (excluding
secured blocks) per gang, you have to split 3 times in order to be competitive
(this allows you to control 160 blocks not including secured blocks).  This
is *very* expensive - instead of spending $3.50 every game week, you're
spending $14.  Figure it out - $14 every 10 days for 36 turns is $504.  Even
allowing for some gangs being split later in the game, you can expect to spend
$400 on Gang vs. Gang.  That's with US rates - I don't know what KJC charges.
But regardless, it'll likely be 4 times as expensive to play Gang vs. Gang
as normal It's A Crime!.

The securing is interesting.  In our game, one of my allies has managed to
secure a huge number of blocks - 100 or so of them.  It can be somewhat
tricky picking your allies such that all of you can secure most efficiently.
I'm caught in the center in our game, so I've only been able to secure 30
or so blocks.

> BTW - The rules summary for Gang vs Gang doesn't contain the firebomb order
>Is this just a misprint or have they excluded what was quite a fun part of
>the original IAC.

The rules for Gang vs. Gang are an addendum to the original rules set.  The
original rules apply except where the Gang vs. Gang rules contradict them.
The A, B, C, D, E, F, H, M, N, P, R, S, T, and U orders are just like in
normal It's A Crime!. The new commands are Q (secure), O (take control of
mob business), I (declare treaty with a gang), and the special order FA
(form alliance).

Jim

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Griffith  /--OO--\     | Two great powers are on our side: the power of
griffith@dweeb.fx.com      | Love and the power of Arithmetic.  These two are
BEWARE BATS WITHOUT NOSES! | stronger than anything else in the world.

References

It's A Crime / Gang vs. Gang
ug9232@geovax.ed.ac.uk
Tue, 07 Jan 1992 23:12:44 +0000