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Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by sokoloff on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @01:16PM (#22425625)
I would argue that if I hold 2 of the yellow and 1 of the green properties and you hold 1 of the yellow and 2 of the green in a 3+ person game, that we do have an intentional action that can leave us both better off.
Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by bhelkey on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @02:45PM (#22426536)
If the two people involved in the two people involved in the trade are exactly x better off and the, lets say, two people not involved in the trade are exactly x worse off, that transaction is still zero-sum.

Zero-sum games are not limited to two player games.

Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by stiglitz on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @09:15PM (#22429735)
You are only better off in the sense of having more opportunities to collect rent from each other. The result is still zero-sum.

Here’s a mental shortcut: as long as the objective of the game is to bankrupt all other players (i.e. to own all of the money), the game is zero-sum. No other details matter. It’s a cake-cutting game where everybody wants all the cake.

Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by dr_dshiv on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @01:26PM (#22425709)
Is trading legal in Monopoly? I'm assuming that's what you are referring to.
Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by sokoloff on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @01:36PM (#22425806)
Yes. It's part of the official rules (and the absence of it would be fairly disastrous to the game dynamics I think).
Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by e12e on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @01:53PM (#22425958)
Apparently not in the original :

http://landlordsgame.info/rules/lg-1904p_patent.html

However:

> Borrowing: A player may borrow from the “Bank" in amounts of one hundred dollars, and for every one hundred dollars borrowed the " Bank" takes a mortgage on one or more of the borrower's lots, the total value of which must be at least ten dollars more than is borrowed. For every one hundred dollars borrowed from the "Bank" a bank mortgage is placed upon the property on which the loan is made, and the player puts his note in the "Bank," paying upon each note five dollars (interest) every time he receives his wages. One player may borrow from another, giving a mortgage on any property he may own and making the best bargain he can as to interest, terms of payments &c. The player loaning the money places his individual, mortgage on the top of the borrower's deed to show that he has a mortgage on that property, Should a loan be repaid before passing the beginning-point, the borrower saves the interest.

But there are a few variations... This one looks closer to "modern" monopoly - I can't seem to locate the "two rulesets" referenced by Wikipedia though (one "pro" one "contra" monopoly - in the second everyone supposedly benefits from created value).

http://landlordsgame.info/games/lg-1906/lg-1906_egc-rules.ht...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_(game)

> Magie created two sets of rules: an anti-monopolist set in which all were rewarded when wealth was created, and a monopolist set in which the goal was to create monopolies and crush opponents.

See also: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/11/secret-...

[edit: here are the combined rules with rules for "prosperity" https://landlordsgame.info/games/lgp-1932/lgp-1932_rules.htm... ]

Re:Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capital... by jmpman on Wednesday February 26, 2020 @01:35PM (#22425790)
It is in my house.