Twilight Imperium
Played my first game of Twilight Imperium today. Three players, adjusted only slightly to account for not being able to keep secrets from myself. I played the human Federation of Sol, the Borg Lizix Mindnet, and the lizard-like Yssaril Tribes.
The Tribes drew the short straw right off the bat because of the galaxy layout gave them nothing but resource-poor planets in their general vicinity. The humans pulled out to an early lead, but I was sure the Mindnet were going to win because of their technologies being so far advanced of their neighbours.
I didn't realise how shafted the Mindnet would be by that asteroid field between them and the centre of the galaxy.
The Tribes took the slow and steady route, poaching isolated and poorly defended planets off their neighbours. It paid off in political influence when they got to vote themselves a Minister of Commerce. And suddenly the trade goods started flowing in and cashing out.
At that point, though, the humans only needed one more point to win, so the Mindnet threw a tantrum by usurping control over the merchant's guild and cancelling all trade agreements across the galaxy.
In the end the humans won by crowning themselves emperors of the galaxy, and then being very diplomatic about it all. Bastards. (In other words, they played the Diplomacy Strategy Card, to hold on to Mecatol Rex, and just to rub it in, followed it up by playing the Imperial Strategy Card for the last victory point.)
And the game only took seven hours (with a few food-breaks and many rule-referencing-breaks). I was actually disappointed it was that short. Just as things were heating up. I wanted to blow up more enemy ships. It was fun!
Good, enjoyable day.
The Tribes drew the short straw right off the bat because of the galaxy layout gave them nothing but resource-poor planets in their general vicinity. The humans pulled out to an early lead, but I was sure the Mindnet were going to win because of their technologies being so far advanced of their neighbours.
I didn't realise how shafted the Mindnet would be by that asteroid field between them and the centre of the galaxy.
The Tribes took the slow and steady route, poaching isolated and poorly defended planets off their neighbours. It paid off in political influence when they got to vote themselves a Minister of Commerce. And suddenly the trade goods started flowing in and cashing out.
At that point, though, the humans only needed one more point to win, so the Mindnet threw a tantrum by usurping control over the merchant's guild and cancelling all trade agreements across the galaxy.
In the end the humans won by crowning themselves emperors of the galaxy, and then being very diplomatic about it all. Bastards. (In other words, they played the Diplomacy Strategy Card, to hold on to Mecatol Rex, and just to rub it in, followed it up by playing the Imperial Strategy Card for the last victory point.)
And the game only took seven hours (with a few food-breaks and many rule-referencing-breaks). I was actually disappointed it was that short. Just as things were heating up. I wanted to blow up more enemy ships. It was fun!
Good, enjoyable day.