John Company: Second Edition Full Teach (@SDHistCon 2021)

Game designer Cole Wehrle walks through a full teach of John Company: Second Edition.

This teach was streamed on Discord for the digital convention SDHistCon 2021 on Nov 17, 2021.

00:00 Introduction
04:58 Overview
25:53 Teach (Sequence of Play)
1:31:24 Governors, Setup
1:42:22 Events in India
1:57:30 Private Firms + Scenarios
2:15:57 Wrap up (Q+A and Solo overview)

[andreasthedude]

Thank you very much for this one-session-teach. I really love how you improved an already excellent game and made it more accessible for players who want to explore all the scenarios. We had so much fun with the first one so we never tried anything else. The reworked rulebook is going to be really helpful to play it the way it was meant to be played. You are an outstanding designer and i can't await future projects.

[vkt]

I ordered the game. I can’t wait to play it. ❤

[KristofferYiFredriksson]

Thanks for a detailed teach, much appreciated. I really like teaches done using TTS, the ability to zoom in on details and part of the board really helps.

I think I spotted a small typo, you're probably aware of it but I'll post it just in case. The description of the timing of the "Take 2£ or less" says "... prevent a player for paying for upkeep", I believe it should say "... prevent a player FROM paying for upkeep".

Looking forward to my copy, and love the work on the main board. The map is fantastic.

[roberthames]

Fine job. I listened at work like a podcast without video and still learned a ton.

[SilentBeutlin]

This video is a fantastic resource, thank you very much. My lingering worry about getting JC2E on the table is my lack of knowledge on theme and setting, when these go such a long way to explain the (logic of) the rules. How do I translate and convey the appeal of 'managing a company in the 18th/19th century' to players who do not, by themselves, consider this a sexy proposition for a boardgame night - or even the opposite? In my teaches, I've managed to spark interest even in very casual players for the thematic framework of games like Pamir, FCM or Cube Rails Games, but John Company will likely be the biggest ask I've ever put to my players. Maybe there is a video in the future (or past?) going over questions of 'why and how is it fun to simulate this'?

[Irish]

Cole, thanks so much for running these explanation & design videos. I was wondering if this model of negotiation/ruling Empire type system might lend itself to a similar type of like-imperial ruling genres? I began toying with a similar engine that could be tweaked to run the Ancient Roman Republic, having various trade networks, legions instead of regiments, barbarian hordes stirring up trouble in lieu of the Elephant/Event cards. Members of Patrician families might retire to comfortable country villas, while instead of attempting to control company shares, players might compete for seats (shares) of the Roman Senate?

Vulko Ruhnke's invention of the Levy & Campaign system (GMT) saw that once an effective game engine is created (like what you have done with John Company) then transferring such mechanics to other historical genres is something of a possibility. I'm sure you all have enough on your plate than to have to worry about such things, but I just thought I'd share some of the applicable possibilities.

[adelfaidah]

In the last part 2:11:00 why does having at least one share at a private firm that paid dividends give you access to pensioners ? and why does spending money up to the dividends paid allow you to retire them? what's the thematic reasoning for these mechanisms? I can't seem to wrap my head around it

[watersilver]

Is this version using the final rules?

[rafakruczek]

I watched whole video, and somehow I missed when the potential shares become actual shares...