Beautiful family strategy game in which there is more than one might think at first glance

Video at Amazon.com May be for this game I once again created a video where I show the game, the materials and the game play once. Videos can be up to 10 Minunten long here - it shows at the end of the video also. In the time it is impossible to provide a complete analysis or rule declaration, therefore it is simply a question that you so rude an impression of feeling gets and what it's all about. It builds on the review here, so daily quiet time.
The game has just been newly nominated this week for the connoisseur game of the year, as one of three nominees, and it has in my opinion quite good chances of winning, but I have to honestly admit that I consider all three nominated games for very good games and each of the Title deserves and is no worse, just because it not win the prize at the end, it may just be only one (per year)).

Anyone who sees the video, the wirds VLT. go like me, you have everything ever seen. That's right. A new feature of the mechanisms that this game does not single. Of course, all the well-known mechanisms have been implicated in new ways to a great whole, but considered sober, it does not break your socks off, especially if you belong to this ominous group of experienced players, and you really know a lot of games and played many games of this type.
But this group does not belong to anyone, there are plenty of example families who love to play, but have little games in the closet, or even do not know so much and just want to have a good time, new game and for this group is this game ideal, but I had quite my fun in the game and it has given me much, much better liked than I thought after reading the rules and playing the first game.

Let's look at why not put your main points of the game to:
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What's this all about?
As with most games of this kind, the issue is completely arbitrary and interchangeable and probably even less an idea of ​​the author as of the editors of a game publisher. Generally, players take on the role of Italian noble families and think I have the cities and countries with ostentatious buildings extend to rise in the favor of the king. As far as in theory - in practice it is in the game is that we spend money in order to buy raw materials, buy buildings with the raw materials to build these buildings in cities and then either evaluate a particular building or a particular city at the right time In order to receive this money or victory points. The interaction is indeed only indirectly available, but provides pressure and gives the game the necessary oomph - more on that later.
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Rules:
The rules seem at first glance something extensively and who is not so practiced read normally thinks VLT. you would kill them, but actually the opposite is true. The rules are very, very well built, very well structured. There are essentially only three actions you can perform and these are very detailed, and explained in detail with many examples. Even those who have never played anything else other than settlers in the area of ​​strategy games will instantly cope with the rule and can start playing right away after reading.
There are many games in which a person should sit down in any case before, read the rules and should play a sample game on one or two rounds. Substituting the evening together back, grabs the game and begins to read the rule, which can be very frustrating and time-consuming, because then in some cases only after 1-2 hours with the rules by, and still has no plan.
In the palaces of Carrara is different. Here you can buy the game, to sit in the evening at the table, unpack together, build anything, read the rule and start playing. However, you should then allow about one hour more still in the first game. If anyone knows the game he can newcomers to the construction in about 10-15 minutes to explain.
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How to play:
As just mentioned, there are essentially three options:
1) buy raw materials
On the Schedules included in wheel, such as is found in many games. This wheel is divided into different segments, on which are raw materials. When you use this action to first turn the wheel further by one position and fill it afterwards to the extent that again are 11 commodities on the wheel, the new always come in the most expensive category.
Will rotate each time the raw materials cheaper, a raw material will continue to turn pro more for free. In the Professional version you can also simply decide to buy such commodities without turning the wheel, you do not fill it then but.

Build 2) Building
There are on the board from nine random always building, always buy a certain number of raw materials, between 1-5 (in the Professional version there is an additional 8-buildings). What you pay for raw materials, a building does not matter, you can also pay for everything with the cheapest raw materials, the black. How, however, has paid impact on where you can build the building. There are six different cities, bringing the different amounts of money or victory points. The "best" provides the city a triple victory points only absorbs buildings, complete with the most expensive raw materials marble (white) have been paid, the "worst" city delivery, however, only just money (More about it in the vote).

Values ​​3) A town or a building
Each player has 6 markers vote. There are 6 different types of buildings and 6 different cities. As an action you can get a score marker used to evaluate either a city or a particular building. One evaluates such as a city, so you have in the city a certain minimum number of buildings built, otherwise one may not only evaluate them. Each city has different advantages (1xGeld, 1x VPs, 2x money 2x VPs, 3x money 3x VPs). If one evaluates the city with 2x money Counting the cost of construction of all buildings, it takes two times and receives so much money. If one evaluates the city with 3x victory points are added to the construction costs of all buildings, it takes three times as many points and go to the Scoring Track forward. In addition, each building represents a particular symbol. These icons are small wooden markers of which there are as many as buildings. In a vote then one takes the symbols that correspond to the buildings in the city.
If one evaluates a particular type of building, such as all the villas, then to look for each villa where are you located, multiplied the construction costs with the bonus of jeweilgen city and thus can also get a combination of victory points and money in a vote, if the Geäbude built in different cities.
That may now vlt. some have sounded complicated - but it's really from handling her very simple and well explained with examples in the manual.

You play as long until either all the buildings were built or a player announces the end of the game. But certain conditions must be met, which can be seen on a separate card.
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Professional Version
In the game one envelope is included - It is said to have played the game at least twice only is there mysterious plan. The manual warns you emphatically that game to play first in the basic version. That sounds pretty mysterious and secretive, memories of risk evolution to be forcibly awake, but it's all just as bad here. If you play the game with casual gamers, as a family game or games with newcomers so you can play it safe first in the basic version. And more often than 2x. But who knows already many games has also been frequently played strategy games of this type can make it confidently as we - open envelope directly and playing in his first game with all the rules.
This was very easy and we were afterwards agreed that the game without the advanced rules would have been much more boring.
The changes in the professional version are essentially the following
Buy 1) Raw materials: As already mentioned, you can now buy raw materials without turning the wheel and refill
Buy 2) building: Firstly, there are now 8-building. There are also so-called Revaluation for the cities. Whenever a player has an 8-Building Built in, he may take a Aufwerter and put it in his display on a city. As the name suggests, it thus enhances the city. In Pisa example you get by default "3x money" with the Aufwerter "4x money + 1x victory points" - ie a significant improvement
In addition, you can now build over buildings. Eg if you have a 4-building can be there by a 5er building replaced, then you have to pay only a commodity and the old building from the game
3) Rating: There are now two additional rating Fields a permit every city or to evaluate all of the country building

But almost the most important innovation concerns the end of the game and the final scoring. In the basic game, there are three fixed criteria that must be met in order to announce the end of the game can. Now there are tickets for the game end. It must continue to three different criteria be met, but these vary from game to game, so that although the basic mechanics of the game remain the same from game to game, but the conditions on which it is necessary to change work towards getting what the replay value of the game considerably increases and makes it interesting also in the long term. So some variety is offered in otherwise rather rigid gameplay.

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Interaction:
In principle, everyone plays for themselves. One feels not right in the way, attacks do not follow, can make the other nothing broken. In practice, you practice each other constantly push each other out so the game has a very strong interaction. It starts with the raw materials market on the wheel. Prefer risk it that you turn in your next train wheel and can buy a lot of raw materials cheap, or I buy them now prefer a more expensive price to take them away to you.
The decision where to building is hinbaut relevant. Each city can be evaluated only in the course of the game 1x. Not per player but in the entire game only once. Therefore, you would of course really have a lot of buildings in a city in order to make as many points or money. I let my teammates quite unmolested and not build in places where they can build it there erect buildings to building and get as many points or money. So it makes perfect sense, at some point begin to build in the cities, so that these players have values ​​for fear that you yourself do it otherwise.
Even when games end pressure is there. You have to pay attention to what the other players do so. Could one have fulfilled the conditions for the end of the game? But I wanted to still three building types values. In my last game it was really true that I would have needed three laps, so my strategy was a resounding success, given that my dumb teammates simply says at the end of the game and then wins. If I could still values, that would certainly have been different.
So it is permanent pressure since, without which one hurts each other. While it is playing on his game plan for themselves, but have to keep an eye on what the other players so, otherwise you see no sun.
That you can but really good to keep in mind, therefore, needs could make no idea that an overwhelmed the, where you can definitely relate some lessons;)
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Playing time:
The playing time is indicated by an hour, which also comes out very well. As I said the first batch or a game with newcomers can take longer if the rules but does not completely work from the ground up, but it should not be much longer duration. This is very pleasant, because this game for an hour playing time but then offers a lot of fun and even tension
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The two-player game:
We know that in many games: They are playable by 2-5 players, but really only five of really great. Or threes and all the other players figures go, but do not work really. In the palaces of Carrara I can definitely say that I have to second almost like the most the game. One is immediately turn again, what is happening is relatively controlled. With more players enters a similar problem on such as with Village: It happens too much until I'm off, I can not influence it. Couple has more of an opportunity to merge its strategy, as four of the game. Where the game with more players just has the advantage that it is very dynamic. It is not really slow, it does not matter whether you play for two or four, the playing time is always about an hour.
Drivers who only plays so often in pairs, what so many couples like this, especially when you VLT. Has children and in the evening can not play forever so long you have to worry about at the palaces of Carrara, the game is suitable for you.

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Conclusion
So much is written, explains a lot in the video. Anyone who has read everything should already know that I like the game. It provides well-known mechanisms for an interesting new game interwoven, it comes relatively quickly, in an hour, it is played and it even has interaction in which to build pressure on the players, and that does not make the game really vicious and hostile. On the contrary, for the player it is like peaceful first legs in front of him well-suited only just pay attention to what should make the other players as you.
For those who like interesting strategy games like is a great game, freaks prefer to play a game for hours 18xx and can be calculated from this laptop half the trains should then vlt. rather refrain.
However, if you already have experience with such games can equal the envelope open and play the Pro version, otherwise you should always be guided by his own taste and the players. Was sown general but that the "professional" version of the game more interesting and can be especially long interesting and varied.

I press the play all thumbs, as well as the other two to Kennerspiel of 2013 nominated and hope that this review for you was informative and not too extensive.
If you At length you the game I wish you lots of fun and many happy hours with it :)