Coal is still a big deal in Brass: Pittsburgh, featuring Coal Baron Henry Clay Frick and his feeding the steel mills with the power to shape the city:
Coal Production: Coal works exactly the same as Birmingham, providing the reliable foundation that powered the Industrial Boom in the US. Coal remains essential for feeding the steel production chain and maintaining industrial operations throughout both eras of the game.
Coke Refinement Industry: Coke is coal heated without air to remove impurities, used primarily in steel production. This refined fuel was Frick's specialty and the key to efficient steel manufacturing. Coke sells to the market for substantial money and also gives victory points for each cube sold, making it both profitable and strategically valuable for end-game scoring.
Of particular note is the new industry upgrade mechanism, allowing players to be more strategic and run up their scores:
Industry Upgrading Mechanism: A completely new mechanism in Brass: Pittsburgh called "upgrading" allows you to replace one of your flipped industries of that type and score the replaced tile. When you upgrade an industry, you score the industry tile that you are upgrading from, representing the value extracted from your previous investment before building something better in its place. This creates strategic decisions about when to replace existing infrastructure with more advanced facilities.
What's next?
Expect another reveal in a couple of weeks, and every other week leading into the crowdfunding launch! In the meantime, sign up on the Gamefound page and join the conversation!
