This variant is intended for larger maps. All the standard rules of RR, including house rules, apply except where amended below...
The map must support 6 or 8 players, and the starts should allow for teams of 2 with partners starting not too close together. For the setup round, players may optionally specify a preference order for who will be their partner (otherwise random). The teams are announced along with the usual acronyms, starts and colours in the "round 0" report.
There are no fees for touches, parallels or ferry use between partners. Companies must still commence all builds from a hex containing their own existing line, not their partner's.
Companies do not have to pay to use their partner's track for solo runs, but as per the standard game, the route must contain at least one hex of their own track. This restriction also applies to joint runs...
If the team members order the same hexes for a race then a joint run happens (payments for other companies' track are shared as per the standard rules). If the ordered routes are different they will race separately, but they still don't pay each other for line or ferries. Companies may not JR or XRP with anyone but their partner, unless they have gone solo...
Either partner can dissolve the partnership at any time from round 9 on and it is permanent. The split is declared at the start of orders for a round so all races and builds in that round are done as separate companies. Players cannot use conditional orders for this happening so an unexpected termination could result in costly payments, or a race entry disallowed for more than 10 hexes payment. Where the (ex-)partners have ordered the same route, it will be a JR or XRP as per the standard rules.
All players in the game may exchange emails as they see fit but no agreements are binding. Press is also an option and the GM will include it in the turn report.
The company with the most points wins, regardless of whether or not it is in a partnership at the end of the game.
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