Beefy Boxes and Bandwidth Generously Provided by pair Networks
Think about Loose Coupling
 
PerlMonks  

Perl Monopoly Board

by eyepopslikeamosquito (Archbishop)
on Apr 28, 2006 at 03:24 UTC ( [id://546172]=perlmeditation: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??

Though the classic Monopoly board game has been localized for the many communities in which it is played, Parker Brothers are yet to produce a version localized for the Perl community, to the best of my knowledge. This meditation remedies that.

Given the limited number of squares available, the vast number of Perl modules, and the many and various Perl sub-cultures, many different Perl board configurations are possible. Here is my feeble attempt at composing a Perl Monopoly board. How would you do it?

Dark Blue Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
MayfairBoardwalkPugs
Park LanePark PlaceParrot

Green Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Bond StreetPennsylvania AvenueDBI
Oxford StreetNorth Carolina Avenuemod_perl
Regent StreetPacific AvenueCatalyst

Yellow Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
PiccadillyMarvin GardensTemplate Toolkit
Conventry StreetVentnor AvenueMason
Leicester SquareAtlantic AvenueAxKit

Red Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Trafalgar SquareIllinois AvenueModule::Build
Fleet StreetIndiana AvenueCPANPLUS
StrandKentucky AvenuePAR

Orange Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Vine StreetNew York AvenuePOE
Marlborough StreetTennessee AvenueInline
Bow StreetSt James PlaceYAML

Light Purple Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Northumberland AvenueVirginia AvenueParse::RecDescent
WhitehallStates AvenueXML::Parser
Pall MallSt Charles PlaceHTML::Parser

Light Blue Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Pentonville RoadConnecticut AvenueLWP
Euston RoadVermont AvenueWWW::Mechanize
The Angel IslingtonOriental AvenueCGI

Dark Purple Set

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
WhitechapelBaltic AvenueAcme::Bleach
Old Kent RoadMediterranean AvenueAcme::EyeDrops

Stations

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Kings Cross StationReading RailroadPerl Monks
Marylebone StationPennsylvania Railroaduse.perl
Fenchurch Street StationB&O RailroadYAPC
Liverpool Street StationShort LinePerl Whirl

Utilities

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
Electric CompanyElectric CompanyTest::Harness
Water WorksWater WorksTest::More

Other Squares

LondonAtlantic CityPerl
GOGOBEGIN
Income TaxIncome TaxNon Perl Work
JailJailPython
Free ParkingFree ParkingFree Software
Go to JailGo to Jailgoto Python
Super TaxLuxury TaxBug Report
Community ChestCommunity ChestPerl Community
ChanceChanceRisk

Update 15-Dec: As noted in Yanick's use.perl journal there are some (expensive) Customizable Monopoly Products commercially available.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by graff (Chancellor) on Apr 28, 2006 at 04:53 UTC
    I think you're being a bit too flippant with the dark purple set. Many a time I've seen (enjoyed or hated, depending on the situation) cases where a hotel on those two lowly properties has played a decisive role in a game.

    Those slots cry out for modules that are seemingly mundane and uninteresting (despite fairly large man pages), but when studied and wielded with full force can provide a rewarding sense of power:

    LondonAtlantic CityPerl
    WhitechapelBaltic AvenueGetopt::Long
    Old Kent RoadMediterranean Avenue Pod

    Really, these two things deserve to make it onto the board somehow, and this is as good a place as any.

      ok, this comment is more monopoly related than perl related, but you brought up the power of Baltic/Mediterranean Ave.

      It turns out that these two are some of the most valuable properties in the game, if you know about an obscure rule of monopoly (often only followed in official tournaments, or when playing with rules lawyers such as myself). Basically, you can buy both of these properties very cheaply, and then build 4 houses on them very cheaply. Then, ideally, you have a couple of more expensive properties, and at least one of the other available monopolies on the same side of the board as baltic/mediterranean (as those can also build houses for $50 a pop). You do NOT want to build hotels (at first) if you are following this strategy. You DO want to be the only player with any properties having 4 houses.

      The rule is usually referred to as 'housing shortage' - once the board runs out of houses (there are 32 supplied with the game), no one can build any more houses. And unless they already have 4 houses in place when you run out, they cannot build hotels. You control ALL building improvements. You can retain control of the game by only building hotels when you have space and money to buy back the four houses on the same turn, making it impossible for anyone else to use them (unless they buy them from you, for insanely high prices.)

      Then you just sit back and wait to win while your opponents beg and curse at you for mercy (once they've looked it up and are forced to go along with it.)

      I have won actual monopoly tournaments using this strategy (well, one.. and several less official games). The problem: it only works once against a given opponent. If are aware of the danger, and you know someone else is trying to cause a housing shortage, you can prevent it by getting four houses of your own somewhere.

      So, I heartily agree with the parent poster.

Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by tbone1 (Monsignor) on Apr 28, 2006 at 11:57 UTC
    Actually, I wouldn't say "Jail->Python". More like "Jail->.NET". And I would make the Super Tax/Luxury Tax correspond to "homework", because that's just part of the price we have to pay.

    And maybe CPAN would be better used as Community Chest? Just a thought.

    --
    tbone1, YAPS (Yet Another Perl Schlub)
    And remember, if he succeeds, so what.
    - Chick McGee

Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by apotheon (Deacon) on Apr 28, 2006 at 03:49 UTC

    Anything that involves "goto" begs to be Basic (or BASIC) rather than Python.

    print substr("Just another Perl hacker", 0, -2);
    - apotheon
    CopyWrite Chad Perrin

      Or Fortran 77. When I have to program in that language, it does feel like a jail...
Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by gawatkins (Monsignor) on Apr 28, 2006 at 22:05 UTC

    Monopoly is very suited to be done in Perl, it is the only game that I have played in that everyone has a distinctly different set of "house rules" that they play. For example, putting tax money in a pot and giving it to the next person to land on Free Parking. With that being said, please consider changing Chance to "TIMTOWTDI"

    Thanks,
    Greg W.
Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by Herkum (Parson) on Apr 30, 2006 at 13:24 UTC
    For Chance, don't you think rand() would be more appropriate?
Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by radiantmatrix (Parson) on May 03, 2006 at 18:13 UTC

    My thoughts for Other Squares (assumes relevant changes elswhere for consistency):
    LondonAtlantic CityPerl
    GOGOcontinue {}
    Income TaxIncome TaxDonate to YAPS (or) Buy Perl Books
    JailJailMatt's Script Archive
    Free ParkingFree ParkingCPAN (Free Modules!)
    Go to JailGo to Jailbe forced to use Matt's Scripts
    Super TaxLuxury TaxDebugging Session
    Community ChestCommunity ChestPerl Community
    ChanceChanceUntested Code

    I tease a bit about Matt's Script Archive, but it's the first thing I assocaited with that "oh no!" or "ick" feeling of Go To Jail.

    As for GO being continue {}, I imagine a card that instead of "proceed to Go" would simply say next;

    <-radiant.matrix->
    A collection of thoughts and links from the minds of geeks
    The Code that can be seen is not the true Code
    I haven't found a problem yet that can't be solved by a well-placed trebuchet
Re: Perl Monopoly Board
by Anonymous Monk on Dec 11, 2006 at 09:08 UTC
    Since noone likes to do it, and you need to do more of it when you have more code, I'd name one of the taxes "Write Documentation"

Log In?
Username:
Password:

What's my password?
Create A New User
Domain Nodelet?
Node Status?
node history
Node Type: perlmeditation [id://546172]
Approved by bobf
Front-paged by hsmyers
help
Chatterbox?
and the web crawler heard nothing...

How do I use this?Last hourOther CB clients
Other Users?
Others having a coffee break in the Monastery: (4)
As of 2024-03-19 10:22 GMT
Sections?
Information?
Find Nodes?
Leftovers?
    Voting Booth?

    No recent polls found