[Galactic Council]

It should be noted that if anyone who hasn't yet played any games is interested in playing, we have 2 players signed up for both game 4s at the moment, so space can be made in either this game or the other one for up to 2 more players (more if we group new people up with experienced players). If you're interested in playing, please don't hesitate to post in either of the game 4 signup/setup threads!

This will be the game that I (Blend) am running.

6 player game, 8 standard strategy cards, 11 points, and for the fun of it, we'll use the Rich_Early Bird map from here! Look under the spoiler tags for a high resolution image of the map.

Spoiler

All factions will be in game. When we get to the faction selection phase, we will choose them and starting locations like we did last game. I'll randomize the player list to create a table order. First player chooses either race, starting location or speaker token, then 2nd and so on until we reach the end, then last player will choose whichever they haven't chosen yet and we go back to the start. If only the Speaker token is left at the end, then it goes to a random player, otherwise whatever is left goes to whichever player chose the speaker token.

Players:

1. Gnaw
2. Twelve
3. Drek
4. IH
5. Morgoth
6. Khell


If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

---

Initiative Order for selection phase is as follows:

1. Morgoth - Starting Position # 3; Yin
2. Gnaw - Starting Position # 5; Yssaril
3. Twelve - Starting Position # 6; Saar
4. IH - Speaker Token; Starting Position # 4; Letnev
5. Khell - Starting Position # 1; Naalu
6. Drek - Starting Position # 2; Sol

This post has been edited by Galactic Council: 27 June 2019 - 07:56 PM

[D'rek]

Yup, if there's any new players wanting to give this a try I will happily give up my seat in one of the games (and can even help you through starting the game via PM, too)

[twelve]

D, on 24 June 2019 - 06:49 PM, said:

Yup, if there's any new players wanting to give this a try I will happily give up my seat in one of the games (and can even help you through starting the game via PM, too)

Ditto

[Galactic Council]

Map under the spoiler tag in the OP is now the high resolution version!

I figure we'll leave 'signups' open for the rest of the week and do our race/starting position locations over the weekend or next Monday if we can't get it done over the weekend!

[Morgoth]

I'm sure Mac would like to play, I asked him at least.

[Macros]

Sorry guys, I just don't have any time. and to be honest this game is way over the complication level of simple online games for me. I top out at diplomacy realistically

[Morgoth]

well then.. Do we just start?

[Tattersail_]

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

The map going to be exactly like you've shown or just the size and we place the planets? I ask because a couple of positions look really hampered from the start.

[Imperial Historian]

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2019 - 09:35 AM, said:

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

The map going to be exactly like you've shown or just the size and we place the planets? I ask because a couple of positions look really hampered from the start.

Really? There isn't a starting position i wouldn't take there...

[Imperial Historian]

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

It should be noted that if anyone who hasn't yet played any games is interested in playing, we have 2 players signed up for both game 4s at the moment, so space can be made in either this game or the other one for up to 2 more players (more if we group new people up with experienced players). If you're interested in playing, please don't hesitate to post in either of the game 4 signup/setup threads!

This will be the game that I (Blend) am running.

6 player game, 8 standard strategy cards, and for the fun of it, we'll use the Rich_Death Trap map from here! Look under the spoiler tags for an image of the map. Will add a bigger resolution version tonight when I get home and can build it on my home computer!

Spoiler

All factions will be in game. When we get to the faction selection phase, we will choose them and starting locations like we did last game. I'll randomize the player list to create a table order. First player chooses either race, starting location or speaker token, then 2nd and so on until we reach the end, then last player will choose whichever they haven't chosen yet and we go back to the start. If only the Speaker token is left at the end, then it goes to a random player, otherwise whatever is left goes to whichever player chose the speaker token.

Players:

1. Gnaw
2. Twelve
3. Drek
4. IH
5. Morgoth
6. Khell


If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

What if the player who takes the speaker token has race left to pick? They just pick from what's left?

[Tattersail_]

Imperial Historian, on 25 June 2019 - 12:11 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2019 - 09:35 AM, said:

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

The map going to be exactly like you've shown or just the size and we place the planets? I ask because a couple of positions look really hampered from the start.

Really? There isn't a starting position i wouldn't take there...

So you would pick race first? There's no one position you'd prefer over others?

After looking properly they all have similar total resource value in their wedges.

[Blend]

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2019 - 12:16 PM, said:

Imperial Historian, on 25 June 2019 - 12:11 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2019 - 09:35 AM, said:

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

The map going to be exactly like you've shown or just the size and we place the planets? I ask because a couple of positions look really hampered from the start.

Really? There isn't a starting position i wouldn't take there...

So you would pick race first? There's no one position you'd prefer over others?

After looking properly they all have similar total resource value in their wedges.

These maps are meant to be very balanced and this map specifically is meant to be for experienced players. I figured it would interesting to give it a shot!

What is under the cut will be the map we play with in this game. Not sure what Gnaw is planning for his game, though he mentioned map building similarly to how we did last game. If you would prefer I am sure we can swap you over to his game?

[Blend]

Imperial Historian, on 25 June 2019 - 12:13 PM, said:

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

It should be noted that if anyone who hasn't yet played any games is interested in playing, we have 2 players signed up for both game 4s at the moment, so space can be made in either this game or the other one for up to 2 more players (more if we group new people up with experienced players). If you're interested in playing, please don't hesitate to post in either of the game 4 signup/setup threads!

This will be the game that I (Blend) am running.

6 player game, 8 standard strategy cards, and for the fun of it, we'll use the Rich_Death Trap map from here! Look under the spoiler tags for an image of the map. Will add a bigger resolution version tonight when I get home and can build it on my home computer!

Spoiler

All factions will be in game. When we get to the faction selection phase, we will choose them and starting locations like we did last game. I'll randomize the player list to create a table order. First player chooses either race, starting location or speaker token, then 2nd and so on until we reach the end, then last player will choose whichever they haven't chosen yet and we go back to the start. If only the Speaker token is left at the end, then it goes to a random player, otherwise whatever is left goes to whichever player chose the speaker token.

Players:

1. Gnaw
2. Twelve
3. Drek
4. IH
5. Morgoth
6. Khell


If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

What if the player who takes the speaker token has race left to pick? They just pick from what's left?

Correct.

[Blend]

Blend, on 25 June 2019 - 01:11 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2019 - 12:16 PM, said:

Imperial Historian, on 25 June 2019 - 12:11 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2019 - 09:35 AM, said:

Galactic Council, on 24 June 2019 - 06:15 PM, said:

If anyone has any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!

The map going to be exactly like you've shown or just the size and we place the planets? I ask because a couple of positions look really hampered from the start.

Really? There isn't a starting position i wouldn't take there...

So you would pick race first? There's no one position you'd prefer over others?

After looking properly they all have similar total resource value in their wedges.

These maps are meant to be very balanced and this map specifically is meant to be for experienced players. I figured it would interesting to give it a shot!

What is under the cut will be the map we play with in this game. Not sure what Gnaw is planning for his game, though he mentioned map building similarly to how we did last game. If you would prefer I am sure we can swap you over to his game?

Wait, you arent even in this game! So you had better check what Gnaw is doing. He may have different plans.

[D'rek]

Blend, that map isn't Rich Death Trap. It's Rich Early Bird (where the "richest systems" are in Ring 1 around MR and the only planets in hexes equidistant between two homeworlds are Quann and Lodor). Rich Death Trap is the one above that on your imgur link, where the "richest systems" are placed in Ring 2 at equidistant points between homeworlds.

Though neither of these maps look especially balanced to me. The creator seems to really undervalue influence versus resources. Look at the top left of Rich Death Trap versus bottom right - top-left gets 3 res next to the HW, and a 1/1 a step beyond that in their pie slice, while having to fight over 5r+4i to the sides; while bottom-right gets a safe 3r+6i immediately adjacent and then fights over 8r+3i to the sides. AND the bottom-right has more tech specialties.

[Blend]

D, on 25 June 2019 - 01:57 PM, said:

Blend, that map isn't Rich Death Trap. It's Rich Early Bird (where the "richest systems" are in Ring 1 around MR and the only planets in hexes equidistant between two homeworlds are Quann and Lodor). Rich Death Trap is the one above that on your imgur link, where the "richest systems" are placed in Ring 2 at equidistant points between homeworlds.

Though neither of these maps look especially balanced to me. The creator seems to really undervalue influence versus resources. Look at the top left of Rich Death Trap versus bottom right - top-left gets 3 res next to the HW, and a 1/1 a step beyond that in their pie slice, while having to fight over 5r+4i to the sides; while bottom-right gets a safe 3r+6i immediately adjacent and then fights over 8r+3i to the sides. AND the bottom-right has more tech specialties.

I was wondering why his numbers weren't lining up at all with the actual hexes when I was building the map!

To be honest, I had a cursory glance and it looked pretty balanced to me, plus there was a lot of positive comments in the reddit thread I found that in praising these maps, but I'm never really great at the nitty gritty details of figuring out if it's actually well balanced. Think I should just go to TI4 rules' 6 player map then?

[Blend]

Though I see what you were saying about the Death Trap map, the more I look at the Early Bird map, the less unbalanced I see it as being. Sure, some people have easier access to more influence, but others have easier access to more resources, and still others have better tech specialties available.

[D'rek]

Early Bird is definitely better balanced than the Death Trap. Within the realm of "balanced by the players", whereas Death Trap is just grossly unequal. I can't see the first 4 players on either map choosing faction before seat or speaker, though.

[Galactic Council]

Alright, well, we'll just stick with the map that is currently under the cut for now. We'll see how things go!

[Imperial Historian]

That looks good. A too balanced map encourages stagnation in my view. This one is going to encourage a more aggressive play-style I think