[cerveza_fiesta]

Gnaw, on 10 May 2013 - 05:34 PM, said:

I'm none too bright. It turns out that if I look at the update on an actual computer as opposed to the iPad I can read it.

Nah, some of them are just plain unreadable even in the source file.

Best thing is to use the rule books (PDF) and compare the pics to the descriptions in those. That's what I ended up doing a lot last game until I knew the pictures and what they meant.

[cerveza_fiesta]

ALSO@ ALL

If you can get me orders on those hexes that just came up, I'll make sure a nice juicy new board update is done so we can all make sure things look right as we head into the next turn around the board.

[D'rek]

Thanks CF!

cerveza_fiesta, on 10 May 2013 - 05:40 PM, said:

Also, quick rule clarification: There are more tier 1 hexes than there are slots for hexes. Do the extras get shuffled into tier 2? Same for when Tier 2 is full. Do the extras pass to Tier 3?

They do not. The extra unused hexes are simply discarded once all the tier 1/tier 2 spots on the board are filled. This is different from the tier 3/outer hexes, where technically you are supposed to shuffle them, and then remove the appropriate number for the pile "on the table" to now be the correct number of tier 3 hexes.

So if there was one hex left to be placed on the board in a tier and you explore it but discard it, in tier 1 or 2 if you explored again it would be a different hex, but in tier 3 it would be the same one. I assume the reason behind this all is so that when playing with a physical game set you don't accidentally allow more tier 3 explores than you are supposed to.

[D'rek]

I will orient Beta Leonis so that the only side with no wormhole points to the SE.

Influence it and colonize the grey planet with a money cube.


So Snape, you can either orient Chi Draconis to connect to Beta Leonis, and eventually we could connect and have a diplomacy pact, or you can orient it to not connect to me (if you are being very cautious, I suppose). Likewise, you can also orient it to connect to Tapper or not.

This post has been edited by D'rek: 10 May 2013 - 05:49 PM

[cerveza_fiesta]

oh, and I find Kappa scorpii after exploring due south of my homeworld.

Influenced and populated the science planet.


Orientation as shown.

 kappa scorpii _ CF.png (59.99K)
Number of downloads: 0

[twelve]

Influence Capella Rotate hex so wormholes are NW, N NE, SE Do not settle any population cubes

[cerveza_fiesta]

Hey khell, if we connect down south, want to exchange diplo?

[cerveza_fiesta]

Ok, @D'rek

RE the tier 3 tiles. WHat is the correct number of tiles. I kept all of each type, but now I guess I should not have?

I don't understand the discard mechanics, really....sorry bout that.

It's not a big deal though. Once I know how many there *should* be of each type, I'll just randomly pick the appropriate number to remove. Given that we've been randomly selecting anyway, it's functionally equivalent to randomly discard now.

[twelve]

CF I'm going to accept diplomacy with you now. Place a money cube on my tile

[twelve]

CF I've decided to settle two material and one science planet. Settle both planets on Iota Bootis and just the material on Capella.

[D'rek]

cerveza_fiesta, on 10 May 2013 - 06:13 PM, said:

Ok, @D'rek

RE the tier 3 tiles. WHat is the correct number of tiles. I kept all of each type, but now I guess I should not have?

I don't understand the discard mechanics, really....sorry bout that.

It's not a big deal though. Once I know how many there *should* be of each type, I'll just randomly pick the appropriate number to remove. Given that we've been randomly selecting anyway, it's functionally equivalent to randomly discard now.

The discards and piles mechanics is a lot easier to handle with physical pieces than digitally, I think.

Here's how it works with tier 1 and 2 in a physical game:

Spoiler

There's 8 tier 1 hexes:

Spoiler

101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108

At the start of the game, the pile is shuffled and placed face down:

Spoiler

107
104
108
102
103
101
106
105

Players explore 5 of the tier 1 hex places and don't discard any.

Spoiler

101
106
105

A player explores the last tier 1 spot, draws 101 (top of the face-down pile) and discards the hex. The drawn hex (101) is placed face up in a seperate pile

Spoiler

106
105
---
101

Another player explores the last tier 1 spot, draws 106 (top of the face-down pile) and again discards the hex. The drawn hex is placed face up with 101

Spoiler

105
---
101
106

Another player explores the last tier 1 spot, draws 105 (only hex left in the face-down pile) and again discards the hex. The drawn hex is placed face up with 101 and 106.

Spoiler

---
101
106
105

Now the pile is empty but there are tier 1 spots left to explore. The face up hexes are shuffled into a new face-down pile.

Spoiler

105
101
106

A player explores the last tier 1 spot, draws 105 (top of the face-down pile) and keeps it. Now there are no more tier 1 spots left to explore so 101 and 106 are removed from the table.

Of course in our digital game since you are modding we just randomize the remaining hexes in the pile each time a hex is explored. But, if anyone decides to discard an explored hex, it is important to keep that one seperate from further randomizations until every remaining hex in the pile has been discarded.



Here's an example for Tier 3 for a physical game:

Spoiler

Players figure out what hexes they are going to use in the game, since warp portals, hives, pulsars, supernovas, etc are optional add-ons. Those that are not used are discarded. So let's say we're using everything except pulsars:

Spoiler

301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
382
381
391
392

All these hexes are shuffled into one big face-down pile:

Spoiler

318
320
382
304
323
317
312
302
305
308
392
315
324
321
309
391
301
319
303
313
306
322
307
311
316
314
381
310

Then, as many hexes as necessary are removed (from the top or from the bottom, or whatever) to make the pile the right number. For 9 players, there should be 24 outer hexes.

We have 28 in our pile, so let's take 4 off the top. We can see here what numbers they are, but in a physical game we would not see this and I think people are not allowed to look! So all the supernovas and hives could have been taken out but you don't know that until all the outer sectors are explored!

Spoiler

323
317
312
302
305
308
392
315
324
321
309
391
301
319
303
313
306
322
307
311
316
314
381
310

Now we have a pile of 24 outer sectors. Whenever anyone explores one of these, they take the top one and flip it over. If they discard it (including via the Draco explore mechanism), the hex goes into a face-up pile like with Tier 1. When all the face-down hexes have been used, the face-up ones are shuffled and turned face-down and we continue with those. When we run out of outer sectors, no one can explore outside tiers 1 and 2 anymore.

Other than the 4 we took off the pile at the start to make it 24 hexes, we never toss any more hexes off the table.

Again, in our digital game we want to keep the moderator from knowing what is coming up so randomizing each time a hex is explored makes sense. BUT, in order to meet the 24-hex limit we need to keep track of how many outer hexes have been explored and after the 24th stop allowing it.

OR we can house rule to just use all the hexes for a bigger game.




(also, I don't think I ever answered you about the homeworlds question from earlier - the rules indeed don't state that each terran/magellan homeworld goes with a certain alien race, but they don't need to say it because in the physical game those homeworlds are two sides of the same hex. So whether you pick Hydrani or Terran Federation, you get the same player board and hex, with Hydrani on one side and Terran Federation on the other. You can't take a different Terran homeworld hex in the physical game because someone might choose to play the aliens on the other side of it)

[D'rek]

After Snape and Tapper give orientations for Chi Draconis and Zeta Herculis, I'll post a new simple map.

[cerveza_fiesta]

@ Twelve,

Diplo accepted my many-eyed friend.

Now to see if the KRACKENS will accept the similar offer.

I see a southern non-aggression pact as a good way forward given the power-hexes some of the others are drawing.

[twelve]

D, on 10 May 2013 - 06:46 PM, said:

After Snape and Tapper give orientations for Chi Draconis and Zeta Herculis, I'll post a new simple map.

Would you mind posting this in your Page one summary post? Since everyone goes there to update their posts I figure having this on the first page would make the most sense.

[D'rek]

cerveza_fiesta, on 10 May 2013 - 07:16 PM, said:

@ Twelve,

Diplo accepted my many-eyed friend.

Now to see if the KRACKENS will accept the similar offer.

I see a southern non-aggression pact as a good way forward given the power-hexes some of the others are drawing.

Power-hexes my tush. I have 2 usable cube slots and no disco tiles... sad...

[Tattersail_]

I want to colonize I'm Fucking drunk. One past said Earley on. Colonise science planet stop not orient so it stays as is. Now, also, wait, Erm what was I going to say? Hmm, yeah, I cannot update opening post cause I coils destroy it in one post. Can someone see that?

[D'rek]

@GP/Tatts - this may be a bad time, but I'm curious as to what you're planning to do next and whether you are going to explore north of Pollux. I've been staring at the map a bit too much today, I don't like the idea of you taking that hex and then us making diplomatic relations. If you did, then I would take the tier 2 hex below my homeworld, and I am very unlikely to get a hex there that I can orient away from both the hex north of Pollux and Morgy's tier 2 hex (I assume he wants that one). Thus, I end up with both that tier 2 hex and Beta Leonis as border hexes with at least 4 wormhole routes into them, and if I ever want to take the GC I then end up with 3 border hexes and even more wormholes. Yeah, we'd have diplomatic relations, but I'd be very worried about you using that as a foothold to jump to Rigel and I'd have to spread my forces out a lot to cover that possibility.

In short, I don't think I'd be comfortable with it and I'll end up attacking you to reduce my border hexes and consolidate my defenses better.

I'd much rather grab that hex myself, and orient my tier 2 hex south of Rigel away from Morgy so that that one hex can be my sole border hex to both you and Morgy. Being able to plop a couple starbases in a single "doorway" hex would ease my nerves a lot more and allow us to keep a harmonious diplomatic relations and exchange going.

[Solidsnape]

Hi folks, looking for a bit of help here.
Is there any way I can make use I those planets? Like colonists ships? If I want to place a disc I have to destroy the ancients eh? Is there anyway I can benefit from this rather tasty system without combat for now?

[D'rek]

Solidsnape, on 10 May 2013 - 08:22 PM, said:

Hi folks, looking for a bit of help here.
Is there any way I can make use I those planets? Like colonists ships? If I want to place a disc I have to destroy the ancients eh? Is there anyway I can benefit from this rather tasty system without combat for now?

For now, the only way you can benefit from it is that the ancients serve as a bit of a buffer. If there's a wormhole connection you want to have later in the game but not use now, you can set it up and the ancients block it for a little while until someone destroys them. But until they are destroyed, you cant use the planets or discovery tile, no.

[Gnaw]

D, on 10 May 2013 - 08:16 PM, said:

@GP/Tatts - this may be a bad time, but I'm curious as to what you're planning to do next and whether you are going to explore north of Pollux. I've been staring at the map a bit too much today, I don't like the idea of you taking that hex and then us making diplomatic relations. If you did, then I would take the tier 2 hex below my homeworld, and I am very unlikely to get a hex there that I can orient away from both the hex north of Pollux and Morgy's tier 2 hex (I assume he wants that one). Thus, I end up with both that tier 2 hex and Beta Leonis as border hexes with at least 4 wormhole routes into them, and if I ever want to take the GC I then end up with 3 border hexes and even more wormholes. Yeah, we'd have diplomatic relations, but I'd be very worried about you using that as a foothold to jump to Rigel and I'd have to spread my forces out a lot to cover that possibility.

In short, I don't think I'd be comfortable with it and I'll end up attacking you to reduce my border hexes and consolidate my defenses better.

I'd much rather grab that hex myself, and orient my tier 2 hex south of Rigel away from Morgy so that that one hex can be my sole border hex to both you and Morgy. Being able to plop a couple starbases in a single "doorway" hex would ease my nerves a lot more and allow us to keep a harmonious diplomatic relations and exchange going.

@GP She's saying, "I really don't want to go out with you. But it's not me, it's you."