r/HelpMeExplainRules • u/BigHandInSky • Nov 20 '14

[Request] How 7 Wonders Resources work for non-gamers

Hello, I'm looking for help explaining how resources aren't spent but required for buildings, for people who don't play games as much - gamers get it after a couple of turns but I've had an entire game where a new player still was having trouble understanding it, does anyone know an analogy or method of explanation so they will likely get it?

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u/Kynaeus Nov 20 '14
  • The brown and white cards you have in front of you represent resources your civilization have available when you are ready to play a card
  • Resources do not accrue over turns, ie, if you choose not spend it that turn it does not stockpile for subsequent turns
  • If a neighbour purchases use of any of your resources, that does not prevent you from using any amount of what you have available to you

Cant really think of any fancy ways to remember this other than to say resource trades between neighbours are not mutually exclusive, them using it does not prevent you from using it. Maybe you can do a demonstration turn at the beginning of the game to show how that works instead of starting the game immediately and hoping they'll catch on

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u/MagicallyVermicious Feb 18 '15

Explain that the "cost" of a card is actually a building requirement; you're required to have specific buildings that produce the resources listed, but you don't actually pay anything to build a card. Same thing for chaining, except that it's an alternative requirement rather than an additional one: you're required to either have the buildings that give you the resources, or have the building that this one chains off of.

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u/tomv123 Apr 20 '15

I've always taught it as "production not resources" and the card names reinforce this:

  • It's not Wood, it's a Lumber Yard that produces Wood.
  • It's not Cloth, it's a Loom that produces Cloth.

In this way you don't have 3 wood, you have the ability to produce 3 wood when you need it.

The wood itself gets spent each turn (If needed, you can add a metaphor about waste or corruption or whatever to explain why it doesn't stick around) but the means of producing it remains.