Cin

by Richard Smith 1999

INTRODUCTION

Cin is a game for 5-7 players (best with 7) based loosely on Civ with more than a hint of Dip and the usual splash of bad taste normally associated with any SMEG game.

Each player rules a Western European country in the present day. Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy, or Switzerland. Each player should give a top 3 preferences for choice of country. With 6 players, Spain is excluded, with 5 players, Britain goes too.

The object of the game is to have the least sinful society at the end of 8 turns. This is measured using the "Cindex" which starts at 0 but rises each turn for each sinful thing going on in your country. To win the game you need to protect your population from corruption whilst infesting rival countries with filth and depravity.

Each country starts with €300m and no cards. Each turn, (except the last), additional income of €100m is gained by each country and there are {4 x number of players} exposed cards available to buy. Each country may bid for up to 10 cards and (except on the first turn) play any number of cards gained on previous turns. There is no limit on the number of cards a player may own.

Alliances (and of course back-stabbing) between countries are permitted. Conditional orders are not allowed - cards which cannot be actioned are simply retained for later use. Press is encouraged.

There are 49 different cards in the deck, and 4 of each type making a total of 196 cards - which is also, by design, 7*7*4.

THE PLAY

Note that there is no "cards phase" in round 1 and no "bidding phase" in round 8.

1) CARDS PHASE

Each country may play any number of cards. Specials are played first. Then knowledge cards which are followed by constructions. Next, defences are put in place, and finally attacks are performed. Thus outlawing Blue Movies would protect a country from a shipment delivered that turn.

1.1. Specials

The Spy can be played to steal knowledge from other countries. The spy card is effectively converted into a copy of any knowledge card possessed by any other country. Alternatively a spy may be used to foil terrorist attacks for one turn. If more than one attack takes place, only one of them is blocked. The spy card is used up even if no attack takes place.

The Terrorist is used to destroy an enemy construction (including transport devices). The victim retains any attack or defence cards he was intending to play using the construction.

A destroyed transmitter, satellite or web server ceases transmission immediately. Existing attacks are lost (new card required) but defences are retained and will resume on construction of a replacement unit.

If a church or police station is destroyed, protection against sins already outlawed or proscribed religiously is suspended until the police station or church is rebuilt, when they are re-enforced (no need for a new defence card).

The Neighbourhood Watch is a special "free" defence - it requires no knowledge or construction. It will reduce by 1 the Cindex score for Drugs AND Prostitution. Neighbourhood watch schemes are not cumulative with each other, but can be combined with a Religious Edict to achieve a -2 modifier.

The Joker can be used as any other card, and is played in the normal sequence for that card.

1.2. Knowledge Cards

Knowledge cards are permanent and are needed to enable you to play construction cards. They do not need to be "played" per se - owning them is sufficient.

1.3 Construction Cards

Construction cards build things which are permanent. Each one requires possession of a particular knowledge card. In Table 1, the knowledge to the left is the one needed. Constructions, once built, may be used unlimited numbers of times, but trucks, ships and planes can only be used once each in a turn.

1.4 Defence Cards

Defence cards permanently protect your country from one or more forms of attack. Each one requires a particular construction to exist. Constructions required are shown to the left in Table 1 can be played in the same turn.

The Outlaw card permanently bans one sin, except Net Porn which the cops can't touch. For example a country suffering from, and then outlawing prostitution would gain no further Cindex points as the existing prostitutes are rounded up. Further influxes of prostitutes would be immediately arrested by the police.

The Cybersitter card stops 50% of Net Porn getting through and thus reduces the damage to 1 per turn. A web server may be used to attack and cybersit at the same time.

The Religious Edict card reduces the effect of any one sin by 1 Cindex point per turn, as some of the population obey the proscription.

The Jammer card protects your country from unwanted broadcasts. Each jammer must be positioned for satellites OR transmitters so two cards are required to protect against both, though a jammer may be repositioned each turn. A transmitter being used for jamming may also be used to attack.

1.5 Attack Cards

Attack cards work once only. Constructions required are shown to the left in Table 1 and can be played in the same turn. Each attack must be sent out to an enemy using transport or electronic dissemination. See Table 2 for which attacks can use which type of transport.

Truck - can cross up to two borders in a turn, and unload at any time. Thus it can deliver to a bordering country and return in one turn, longer trips occupying it for two or more turns. A truck must be back home at the start of a turn to be loaded up.

Ship - reaches one country with a sea port. It takes a turn to go from one seaport to another typically one to get there and one to get back, but it delivers an extra-big load which is worth 4 Cindex points in the first turn. Like trucks, ships do not have to unload straight away - they can lurk at an enemy's port or move on to a different enemy's port if they wish.

Aeroplane - reaches any one country (there and back same turn), but must unload straight away.

Transmitter - reaches all bordering countries, plus others in range (see Table 3)

Satellite - reaches all countries

Internet - reaches all countries

Attacks launched via a truck or plane are worth +3 Cindex points (ship +4) in the turn they are deployed, +2 in the next, then +1 in the third turn. After that the effect is dissipated.

Attacks broadcast via transmitter, satellite or internet are worth +2 Cindex points as long as they are maintained. A new attack card is required if the dissemination unit is destroyed.

See Table 3 for which countries border each other or have sea ports.

2) CINDEX PHASE

Each country is then checked for sinfulness, and its Cindex raised accordingly by 0, 1, 2 or 3 points for each sinful practice taking place. A negative score is not possible (e.g. the third turn of a drugs attack countered with a Religious Edict and a Neighbourhood Watch simply scores zero.)

Note that inflicting a sin on an opponent that they already have does not have a cumulative effect, rather the greater of the two is counted. So if a country was still getting +1 Cindex from a batch of porno mags, and a new deployment was sent in, the damage would be +3 rather than +4.

Any country which launched an attack using a sin which it has Outlawed gets a one-off penalty of +2 Cindex points due to shame, or a lesser penalty of +1 if it has a Religious Edict against the sin.

3) BIDDING PHASE

The results of the previous turn's bidding are determined. Monies are deducted and cards added to hands. All this is visible in the turn report.

Four cards per player are then laid out (e.g. 28 cards for a 7-player game) for players to bid for. Each player may bid for up to 10 cards.

The bidding works as follows: There is a minimum bid of €1m, but no maximum bid (funds permitting) and the highest bid for each card secures it. Failed bids are returned. Unclaimed cards are returned to the deck. Where two cards the same are available, the first and second highest bids for that card type get one each (i.e. players simply say "bid €20m for Police Station").

In the event of a tie, the card remains on the table for bidding next turn in addition to the [4 * number of players] new cards. If there are two cards the same and the top 2 bids tie, they get a card each. If there is a tie for second highest bid, then the second card remains on the table.

Special: Available for hire each turn is the Mafia card, highest bid secures it for use in the next turn. The player controlling the Mafia can order them to deliver a truck attack to any country (no cards required) at a penalty of +1 Cindex point for the shame of consorting with criminals.

Sample Orders

Bidding: €50m for the Joker. €30m for Outlaw. €15m for Police Station. €5m for Chemistry. €5m for Literature. €1m for Seduction.

Cards: TV Studio (got Broadcasting), and Obscene TV (using my existing transmitter).

Press: France: Bonjour mes amis! Voila la Eurofilth pour vous. Beaucoup d'encouling avec des moutons. Bon signale en Wales, j'espere!

TABLE 1 - THE CARDS

* Also requires Telecommunication

TABLE 2 - DISSEMINATION

TABLE 3 - BORDERS

[ ] = in transmitter range