Objective of the Game
In Catan – Oil Adventures, the goal is to extract the most oil and make effective investments in infrastructure and development without causing too much harm to the environment. Players need to find a balance between growth and ecological consciousness to ultimately gather the most victory points.
Game Components
- The base game Catan
- Expansion tiles representing oil fields
- Oil extraction markers
- Environmental board
- Event cards
Setup
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Island Setup: The game requires the base game Catan. Set up the island as described, but at the start, replace some tiles with new oil tiles.
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Settlement Placement: Each player places their two settlements and roads according to the base game "Catan."
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Oil Fields: Oil fields are randomly distributed among the usual landscapes. Each oil field is only fundable for a limited time, so strategic advance is vital.
Game Flow
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Resource Production: Like in Catan's main game, dice rolls determine which landscape fields produce resources. Here, oil is an additional resource.
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Oil Extraction: Each settlement or city adjacent to an oil field can extract oil. It is important to note the island's market is small, and extraction harms the environment.
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Use of Oil: Oil can be traded, used to build roads, settlements, and cities, or for developments. It is also tradable for other resources.
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Environmental Impact: Extraction has ecological consequences. The environmental scale should be monitored as surpassing a critical level may trigger unwanted events.
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Event Cards: These cards are activated when the environmental scale reaches critical levels, bringing unexpected challenges.
Victory Conditions
The player who first collects a certain number of victory points wins, as defined in the base Catan game. Oil quickens the game but may trigger negative environmental impacts.
Strategies and Tips
- Find Balance: Development strategies should be the focus, but do not over-rely on oil extraction as it may lead to environmental events.
- Resource Balance: Unlike the main game, players may focus less on expanding infrastructure and more on optimizing oil trade deals.
- Use Key Cards: Develop a plan to mitigate the impact when negative events happen.
Enjoy the game!
