Age of Industry USSR @ The Missing Piece

Age of Industry is often described as a "streamlined redesign of Brass: Lancashire", and Wallace himself said "You can now play something with the depth of Brass, but in half the time." But this understates the game's originality and quality. See the overview below for details.

I'll teach the game; to learn yourself, use the following resources:

• How to play Age of Industry.
• Age of Industry | Board Game | BoardGameGeek.

Overview
The theme is the Industrial Revolution; players invest in the production of raw materials, the manufacture of goods, and the transportation networks needed to connect them to markets. Among the notable differences from Brass Lancashire are the following:

• There is only one era, rail. This is more than a simplification; it dramatically alters the development process. In Brass Lancashire (and Birmingham), players must stage, or setup, rail era development in the canal era. Not having to do this creates a single integral development process.
• Age of Industry uses region cards instead of location cards. This is a less random constraint on player strategies.
• Ships in Age of Industry are meaningful components of the development process (not just raw point generators as in Brass Lancashire). Ships provide access to goods.
• We'll be playing the USSR map: Belgium (2) and the USSR (3-5).

Distinctive Features of the USSR Map

1. State-Controlled Industry: Unlike other maps where players have more freedom to develop industries, the USSR map simulates a centrally planned economy. This means that industrial expansion is more regulated, and players must navigate the constraints of state planning.​
2. Resource Scarcity and Distribution: The map reflects the challenges of resource allocation in the Soviet Union. Players must deal with limited resources and strategic distribution, making logistics and planning crucial aspects of gameplay.​
3. Unique Building Opportunities: Certain industries or regions may have specific rules or limitations, representing the focus on particular sectors or areas within the Soviet economy. This adds a layer of strategic depth as players decide where and what to build under these constraints.

This is part of the occasional "Endangered games" series. These are outstanding euros that are at risk of fading into oblivion, usually due to lack of vendor support and investment.