From: njs@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (nicholas.j.sauer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Monopoly Rules
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:53:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnewsh.1992Nov6.155332.27860
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Nov5.235315.22990@bcrka451.bnr.ca>, mdm@bnr.ca (Diane MacMartin) writes:
>
>Over the years, Parker Brothers has had many coprighted sets of
>rules for Monopoly.  When two or three generations get together
>to play (Grandma / us / our kids) we agree beforehand on what
>variations we are playing with today, but this has made me 
>curious as to what has changed since 1929 (or whenever the original
>set of rules was printed).

As far as I have been able to determine the rules have not changed
at all since the Darrow version of the game was released by PB in
1935.  As another poster stated there have been some clarrifications
made but, no actual changes to the rules.  So, any variations are
probably house rules which have been handed down over the years.

>3.  You must ask for your rent before the next player rolls.  We
>play anytime until your roll comes up, you can ask, to prevent 
>collusion.

The actual rule is that you must ask for your rent before the SECOND
player after you rolls.  This is one rule that I have seen many people
misinterpret.

>6.  Housing shortage auction - this supercedes the rule that you
>must build at the beginning of your turn.  But my husband's family
>doesn't play this rule.  Was it not in the rules at one time?

Again, I think this has always been there but, like a previous poster 
said no one reads the rules to Monopoly before they actually play it so...

>Are there other variable rules anyone else plays?

The only one I have not seen posted so far is that you have to go around
the board once before you can buy any properties.  (My sister-in-law is 
the queen of Monopoly house rules.  I try not to play with her that often.)

The only variation I have seen that I feel adds to the game is the auction
variant.  This was presented in R. Wayne Schmittberger's (probably mangled the
name) book New Rules for Classic Games.  The change to the game is that any
property landed on is put up for auction (the landing player can not just buy
it).  Starting price is the normal sale price and all players may bid on
the property.  

There was also a Stock Exchange expansion released by PB in 1936.  It has the
neat effect of replacing the Free Parking null space with the Stock Exchange
but, otherwise is sort of just there.  It does help introduce money later in
the game (when it seems to be most desperately needed) and we still do play
with it.

>My real question is - I was wondering if the history of Monopoly
>rules has ever been compiled? 

There are two Monopoly books written that I know of and have read.  The first
is the Monopoly Companion.  It is fairly recent (late 1980's) and comes in a
"trade paperback" size softcover format.  The other book was called, I think,
the Monopoly Book.  This book was a disaster from the word go.  A friend of
mine borrowed it from our local library and, it is the first book that we
felt compelled to actually write corrections into.  The book is written with
this "official" tone to it but, continuously screws up the rules throughout
the text.  The cruel irony is that the full text of the rules is actually
printed in the back of the book (to show how big a moron the author was, or
something).

Both of them talk about the history of the game and, neither of them mention
any changes made to the rules.


Nick Sauer



 
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