The Theme makes a lot more sense when you research the actual World's Fair its based on. The reason the board is based around the Ferris Wheel for example is probably this: A Ferris wheel saved the fair from financial ruin. Despite the money raised by private investors and the U.S. government (through the sale of the commemorative coins and stamps), squabbling amongst the organizers and numerous construction delays resulted in a huge budget deficit. Another costly mistake was the refusal to allow showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his troupe of sharpshooters, cowboys and Native American performers to appear at the fair. A disgruntled Cody brought his Wild West extravaganza to Chicago anyway, setting up shop right outside the fairgrounds and siphoning off visitors. The fair’s precarious finances received a boost in June 1893 with the long-awaited debut of a new invention from Pittsburgh-based bridge builder and steel magnate George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Intended to rival the highlight of the 1889 fair in Paris (the Eiffel Tower), Ferris’ 264-foot-tall wheel was an engineering marvel. It could fit 2,160 people at a time, and cost 50 cents to ride-twice the price of a ticket to the fair itself. The world’s first Ferris wheel proved so popular it was moved to Chicago’s North Side, where it remained in operation for 10 years before it was sold to the organizers of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-1893-chicago-worlds-fair
Wolf Helser oh no, I love the theme and get why it's the Ferris Wheel, I just have a hard time historically comprehending what your workers are actually doing each turn.
I would guess that "sending out your supporters to gain favor with influential people and secure the grand exhibits that will be put on display" means that your workers are talking to the very wealthy people who can afford to contribute the money needed for all of the grand events that took place. For example, ELECTRICITY: Westinghouse and Edison were both in a war to be the ones to power the fair. The effort to power the Fair with electricity, which became a demonstration piece for Westinghouse Electric and the alternating current system they had been developing for many years, took place at the end of what has been called the War of the currents between DC and AC. Westinghouse initially did not put in a bid to power the Fair but agreed to be the contractor for a local Chicago company that put in a low bid of US$510,000 to supply an alternating current based system. Edison General Electric, which at the time was merging with the Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric, put in a US$1,720,000 bid to power the Fair and its planned 93,000 incandescent lamps with direct current. After the Fair committee went over both proposals Edison General Electric re-bid their costs at $554,000 but Westinghouse under bid them by 70 cents per lamp to get the contract. Overall, the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 was so huge (690 acres) and had so many visitors (27,300,000 approximately) that it took an army of various kinds of workers to design it, build it, maintain it, and simply keep it clean. The Exposition was an influential social and cultural event and had a profound effect on architecture, sanitation, the arts, Chicago's self-image, and American industrial optimism. I'm actually amazed they managed to take such a grand event and distill it into such a small game.
That''s an excellent point, and not too abstracted for that matter. Also thanks for the information about Edison and Westinghouse. Fascinating stuff! One of my favorite eras of history for sure.
Check out the book "Devil and the White City" by Erik Larson and you will have even more appreciation for this game.
nice review I feel exactly the same about this game. It's great to have a game with a theme that is a little out of the ordinary.
Next up WWI review
Tremendous Sax close lol. The Cold War is coming soon though ;)
The Theme makes a lot more sense when you research the actual World's Fair its based on.
The reason the board is based around the Ferris Wheel for example is probably this:
A Ferris wheel saved the fair from financial ruin.
Despite the money raised by private investors and the U.S. government (through the sale of the commemorative coins and stamps), squabbling amongst the organizers and numerous construction delays resulted in a huge budget deficit. Another costly mistake was the refusal to allow showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his troupe of sharpshooters, cowboys and Native American performers to appear at the fair. A disgruntled Cody brought his Wild West extravaganza to Chicago anyway, setting up shop right outside the fairgrounds and siphoning off visitors. The fair’s precarious finances received a boost in June 1893 with the long-awaited debut of a new invention from Pittsburgh-based bridge builder and steel magnate George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Intended to rival the highlight of the 1889 fair in Paris (the Eiffel Tower), Ferris’ 264-foot-tall wheel was an engineering marvel. It could fit 2,160 people at a time, and cost 50 cents to ride-twice the price of a ticket to the fair itself. The world’s first Ferris wheel proved so popular it was moved to Chicago’s North Side, where it remained in operation for 10 years before it was sold to the organizers of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.
www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-1893-chicago-worlds-fair
Wolf Helser oh no, I love the theme and get why it's the Ferris Wheel, I just have a hard time historically comprehending what your workers are actually doing each turn.
I would guess that "sending out your supporters to gain favor with influential people and secure the grand exhibits that will be put on display" means that your workers are talking to the very wealthy people who can afford to contribute the money needed for all of the grand events that took place.
For example, ELECTRICITY: Westinghouse and Edison were both in a war to be the ones to power the fair.
The effort to power the Fair with electricity, which became a demonstration piece for Westinghouse Electric and the alternating current system they had been developing for many years, took place at the end of what has been called the War of the currents between DC and AC. Westinghouse initially did not put in a bid to power the Fair but agreed to be the contractor for a local Chicago company that put in a low bid of US$510,000 to supply an alternating current based system. Edison General Electric, which at the time was merging with the Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric, put in a US$1,720,000 bid to power the Fair and its planned 93,000 incandescent lamps with direct current. After the Fair committee went over both proposals Edison General Electric re-bid their costs at $554,000 but Westinghouse under bid them by 70 cents per lamp to get the contract.
Overall, the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 was so huge (690 acres) and had so many visitors (27,300,000 approximately) that it took an army of various kinds of workers to design it, build it, maintain it, and simply keep it clean. The Exposition was an influential social and cultural event and had a profound effect on architecture, sanitation, the arts, Chicago's self-image, and American industrial optimism.
I'm actually amazed they managed to take such a grand event and distill it into such a small game.
That''s an excellent point, and not too abstracted for that matter. Also thanks for the information about Edison and Westinghouse. Fascinating stuff! One of my favorite eras of history for sure.