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‘Industrial Waste’ by Jurgen Strohm
Dicken is impressed to learn that Malcolm is a pilot and might miss tonight’s games if he manages to get a slot for night flying. ‘He must have a lot of money!’ .... ‘Not anymore.’
Malcolm appears on cue. He looks bemused at the sight of an empty table. Spiller has rung to say he’s bringing ‘Industrial Waste’ (courtesy of Dicken and Kendall) for us to trial. As he hasn’t yet read the rules or even peeled off the shrink-wrap, it might be presumed he’d arrive early. But no......and twenty minutes later Tim (Kendall’s son who is ensconced playing Yu-Gi-oH) is deputed to phone the man. On cue.... Spiller arrives (he’s had a sleep).
After parrying a hail of cheeky banter (from Tim), Spiller asks why ‘Acquire’ has been set up. Reading the bottom of the box reveals that ‘Industrial Waste’ is a 60 minute game, so without further ado it is agreed that rules and game can still be fitted into the session. Kendall is given the rule book, while the team get to work pushing little round bits of card out of big square bits of card ... so creating peg holes.
The components are quite substantial, and the Euro bank notes are particularly nice. Dicken is discovered to be older than Malcolm (was this surprising?) and so he is the Banker. Spiller is definitely younger than Malcolm, so he goes first. He receives the distinctly odd Euro (first player) marker. It won’t stand up to look like a Euro, but flopping onto its side it could well be the big M of McDonald’s – is this significant?
Kendall is instructed to slow down with his reading. When he does, it becomes apparent that the rules are fairly straight forward, somewhat repetitious and occasionally patronising and pedantic. At one point the reader is informed that the game doesn’t exactly reflect the way industry is managed – really, and yet it still takes 60 minutes to play!
The game commences. Spiller queries a rule (‘I think it could be of vital importance’). The rules are referred to for a further ten minutes, before Spiller concludes that .. ‘...it might sort itself out as we go along...’
The game involves resources, workforce and waste production all of which are improved through technical innovation. As they improve, industry becomes more efficient and ultimately more victory points will be scored for more advanced industries. Money sloshes in and out as players buy resources and achieve productions. Waste builds up after each production and this can be ‘of vital importance...’ The game is driven by Event cards, three of which are chosen by players at the start of each round.
There’s more to it obviously, but after a couple of rounds there is a feeling that anyone used to balancing factors in a game is going to find this pretty straight forward. Then, Dicken over-cooks his production sending his Waste into the yellow zone and then the red zone. Everyone (except Malcolm) makes that alarm sound you tend to hear in submarine films or anything to do with nuclear reactors. Sure enough there’s an Emergency Event and Dicken is parted of a few million Euros.
This happens a few more times – Dicken being unable to choose the Events that would reduce his Waste. Before long he has to take out a loan, which can prove tricky to get rid of. The rest of the crew take stock and head off to the technicians to get their waste production down.
Meanwhile, the other major plank of inter-action (i.e. other than the choosing of the three Events) is the buying and selling of resources. Driven by Event cards and a one round auction, players have a chance to pick up profit from other players or pay the top price to the bank. As the number of resources becomes more scarce, their relative value becomes higher (until the end game). Why this happened is unclear, as the amount of resources needed per production also reduced. Probably the Ragnars were their usual Gordon Brown selves at the start of the game, but such ‘Prudence’ means that only Dicken needs a loan throughout the entire game.
Game on. Malcolm seems to be doing very well – or is he too anxious about his Waste. Kendall and Spiller look to the profit motive. Dicken ‘tries out the systems’. It’s not too clear where the best strategy lies. Money is worth 50% points at game end. Technical advance increments points at the rate of 1, 3, 6, 10, 15. – but does require a lot of Innovation and possible unbalancing at the expense of something else. Developing a factory seems a poor way to raise Victory Points and is easily hauled back through Emergencies – though it does raise more money when producing.
Spiller’s ‘vital rule’ is still perplexing. Why should a player wish to increase his workforce, unless you make a bizarre mistake and reduce it too early?
Dicken reduces his workforce too early (thereby not being able to produce). It is a bizarre thing to do and only he didn’t notice.
No time for ribaldry. This is a fairly intense game and it’s taking a good deal longer than 60 minutes. Malcolm has nearly fully developed his factory, which would mean the game ending. He is encouraged to do so as time is getting on.
Final scores Spiller 69, Kendall 68, Malcolm 56, Dicken 45. A game that needs playing again soon. ‘The best game you’ve ever bought me’, but then Spiller likes winning. What is pleasing is the sense of plenty of control of your own patch, together with significant interaction and some well-balanced ‘fortune’. Sounds like the recipe for any good game.
Nearing 11.00 and only ten hours ‘til the start of the Rugby World Cup Final. Dicken’s place it is then.
N.B. Kick off has come and gone and England are WORLD CUP champions!
Condolences to the Aussies and we are sure that they will take the defeat with good grace.
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