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[Twilight Imperium] Game 5 - Round 8: Game Over!
MrBlarney
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Twilight Imperium
Over three thousand years ago, the Lazax ruled the galaxy. But after many millennia of control, the Lazax grew complacent with their position over the other races. The six great races of Sol, Hylar, N'orr, Hacan, Letnev, and Xxcha began to chafe under the rule of the Lazax Empire. And so when a trade dispute over the Quann wormhole resulted in the Sol armada acting against the Letnev, a flame spread like wildfire throughout the galaxy, igniting a civil war between races that had only tenuously been held back by the Lazax rule. In the centuries that followed, the Twilight War eradicated the Lazax race and turned back thousands of years of progress. The great races retreated to their home planets to rebuild, and once the Galactic Council was once again able to meet, it was a shadow of its former strength. And now, thousands of years later, after the long era of the Dark Years, the time is right for a new race to step up and become the rulers of the galaxy, and the guiding hand for all races within its domain.
Twilight Imperium is a boardgame of galactic empire-building on a large scale, often described as a 4X game given physical form. Players build ships, conquer planets, research technology, and engage in trade and diplomacy, all in the pursuit of earning victory points toward claiming the Imperial Throne of Mecatol Rex and rule over the entire galaxy. For this forum game, I am planning on including the following options from the game's two expansions, including one minor house rule:
- Strategy card set from Shattered Empire
- Public Objective decks from Shattered Empire
- Wormhole Nexus; Empty Worlds stack includes both Wormhole systems for setup
- Remove Action Cards from the pool tied to options not in play
- Racial Technologies, Flagships, Mechanized Units, Shock Troops
- Tactical Retreats
- Custodians of Mecatol Rex
Rules and Utilities
Base Set Rules
Shattered Empire Rules
Shards of the Throne Rules
Official FAQ
Tech Tree
Walkthrough/Tutorial
Previous Games on PA: Game I, Game II, Game III (setup), Game IV
There are a lot of rules to read through, and the summary I am putting into these opening posts will not be entirely comprehensive. I recommend reading through the Walkthrough/Tutorial linked above for starters and as a good review of the base game for veterans. You might also want to look at previous games played on the forum for an idea of the flow of the game.
In general, actions will be noted in bold dodgerblue, bold limegreen, and bold red: see the sections below for specific formatting. Alternatively, players may post actions in bold using their race's color. Except for conversations between teammates and those initiated by the host, all inter-player conversation must be done in-thread. If you have need for clarifications, feel free to ask in bold darkorange.
Game Objectives
In order to claim the Imperial Throne of Mecatol Rex, players must accumulate 9 victory points (VP). VP are earned by fulfilling Objective cards: at the start of the game, each player has a hidden Secret Objective that only they may fulfill; over the course of the game, cards will be revealed from the Public Objective deck that all players may fulfill. As soon as any player has completed 9 VP worth of Objectives, the game ends immediately, even if another player could have gained more VP later in the round.
The Public Objective deck is comprised of 6 Stage I cards and 5 Stage II cards. Among the Stage II cards is "Imperium Rex", which acts as a bit of a game clock: if it is revealed, the game ends immediately and the player with the most VPs wins. In case of a tie, ties are broken in order by number of Objective Cards fulfilled, number of planets controlled, number of reserve Command Counters, and number of allocated Command Counters. If none of these measures break the tie, then the game ends in a draw.
The Public Objective deck is comprised of 6 Stage I cards and 5 Stage II cards. Among the Stage II cards is "Imperium Rex", which acts as a bit of a game clock: if it is revealed, the game ends immediately and the player with the most VPs wins. In case of a tie, ties are broken in order by number of Objective Cards fulfilled, number of planets controlled, number of reserve Command Counters, and number of allocated Command Counters. If none of these measures break the tie, then the game ends in a draw.
Races and Special Abilities
Six races out of seventeen total have been randomly selected for play:
Universities of Jol-Nar: The Hylar are a coalition of aquatic races, distinguished by their physical frailty and their peerless intellect. Before the Twilight War, their technology was ubiquitous; the remnants of their technological knowledge after the war has carried them through the long Dark Years and they are now ready to lead.
The Naalu Collective: The Naalu are a race of serpentine beings blessed with the gift of telepathy. This talent has driven the direction of their technological progress, and the nature of their abilities has inspired awe and fear among the other races of the galaxy. Words are seldom used between Naalu, and all are prepared to do all under their power to bring the galaxy under their ideals of beauty and order.
The L1z1x Mindnet: Though the Lazax were thought to have been eradicated in the Twilight Wars, a small colony escaped Mecatol Rex to a remote world. In order to survive, the survivors integrated technology into their bodies, greatly changing their form. The galaxy now waits to see whether the L1z1x has maintained the old wisdom of their ancestors, or if they have become twisted and dark.
The Ghosts of Creuss: The Ghosts of Creuss are extradimensional beings comprised of mysterious energy. While the region where they dwell has long been known for strange events and mysterious disappearances, it has only been recently that the Ghosts have shown themselves. Why they have finally decided to make their presence known, and what their objectives in this dimension are, only they know.
The Embers of Muaat: The Gashlai are a race of beings encased in flames, requiring armored suits in order to survive and interact with outside worlds. They were once slaves to the Jol-Nar and charged with the production of the prototype War Sun, earning their freedom in a revolt in the chaos of the Twilight Wars. Now they seek a higher destiny - rulers of the galaxy atop the Imperial Throne.
The Yin Brotherhood: The Yin race is a species of clones. Though cloning was banned by the Lazax, the deaths of the sons and wife of the Sol scientist Darien to Greyfire disease caused him to pursue the craft singlemindedly. His cloned sons have continued Darien's work to near perfection, though they are all male, and most scarred by the original disease. To honor Darien, the Yin now look towards the Imperial throne...
Universities of Jol-Nar: The Hylar are a coalition of aquatic races, distinguished by their physical frailty and their peerless intellect. Before the Twilight War, their technology was ubiquitous; the remnants of their technological knowledge after the war has carried them through the long Dark Years and they are now ready to lead.
- Starting Units: 2 Ground Forces, 2 Carriers, 1 Fighter, 2 PDS, 1 Dreadnought, 1 Space Dock
- Starting Technologies: Hylar V Assault Laser, Antimass Deflectors, Enviro Compensator, Sarween Tools
- Trade Contracts: 1, 3
- You receive -1 on your Combat Rolls.
- When executing the Secondary Ability of the Technology Strategy, you may execute both its Primary Ability and the Secondary Ability.
- You may spend a Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation to immediately re-roll any of your die rolls.
- Racial Technology 1: Spatial Conduit Network (Cost: +6) - Once per turn when moving, you may move ships from one system you control to any other system you control as if the systems were adjacent. Your ships using this movement must end their movement in a system you control.
- Racial Technology 2: Electro-Resonance Turbines (Cost: +2) - When an opponent activates a system you control, gain 3 Trade Goods from the Trade Supply.
- Flagship: J.N.S. Hylarim (Cost: 10) - Battle 2 (x2), Movement 2, Capacity 2, Sustain Damage - Each 10 rolled by this ship during a Space Battle counts as 3 hits (instead of 1 hit).
The Naalu Collective: The Naalu are a race of serpentine beings blessed with the gift of telepathy. This talent has driven the direction of their technological progress, and the nature of their abilities has inspired awe and fear among the other races of the galaxy. Words are seldom used between Naalu, and all are prepared to do all under their power to bring the galaxy under their ideals of beauty and order.
- Starting Units: 1 Space Dock, 4 Ground Forces, 1 PDS, 1 Carrier, 1 Cruiser, 1 Destroyer, 4 Fighters
- Starting Technologies: Antimass Deflectors, Enviro Compensator
- Trade Contracts: 1, 2
- The initiative number on your chosen Strategy Card is always "0" (replacing the normal initiative number of the Strategy Card). This means that you are always first in the order of play.
- If attacked, a Naalu fleet may retreat before the beginning of the Space Battle step of the Tactical Action sequence (following the normal retreat rules and restrictions).
- All Naalu Fighters receive +1 on Combat Rolls during Space Battles.
- Racial Technology 1: Telepathic Mind Weapon (Cost: +5) - When your opponent activates a system that you control, he immediately loses 1 Command Counter from the Fleet Supply area of his race sheet.
- Racial Technology 2: Hybrid Crystal Drives (Cost: +3) - Your Carriers and unsupported Advanced Fighters each only count as 1/2 a ship (rounded up) towards the Fleet Supply.
- Flagship: Matriarch (Cost: 9) - Battle 8 (x2), Movement 2, Capacity 6, Sustain Damage - Your Fleet Supply limit in this system is increased by 1.
The L1z1x Mindnet: Though the Lazax were thought to have been eradicated in the Twilight Wars, a small colony escaped Mecatol Rex to a remote world. In order to survive, the survivors integrated technology into their bodies, greatly changing their form. The galaxy now waits to see whether the L1z1x has maintained the old wisdom of their ancestors, or if they have become twisted and dark.
- Starting Units: 1 Space Dock, 1 Carrier, 5 Ground Forces, 1 Dreadnought, 3 Fighters, 1 PDS.
- Starting Technologies: Enviro Compensator, Stasis Capsules, Cybernetics, Hylar V Assault Laser
- Trade Contracts: 1, 1
- The base cost of your Dreadnought units starts at 4.
- Your Dreadnought units receive +1 during Space Battles, and your ground Force units receive +1 when attacking during Invasion Combat.
- You start with one extra Command Counter in your Strategic Allocation area.
- Racial Technology 1: Dreadnought Invasion Pod (Cost: +2) - Your Dreadnoughts may now carry 1 additional ground Force unit.
- Racial Technology 2: Inheritance Systems (Cost: +5) - When researching Technology using the Technology Strategy Card, you may spend 2 additional resources to ignore the Technology’s prerequisites.
- Flagship: 0.0.1 (Cost: 11) - Battle 5 (x3), Movement 1, Capacity 2, Sustain Damage - When this ship is present, all hits from your Flagship and Dreadnoughts must be taken by opposing non-Fighter ships (if able).
The Ghosts of Creuss: The Ghosts of Creuss are extradimensional beings comprised of mysterious energy. While the region where they dwell has long been known for strange events and mysterious disappearances, it has only been recently that the Ghosts have shown themselves. Why they have finally decided to make their presence known, and what their objectives in this dimension are, only they know.
- Starting Units: 4 Ground Forces, 2 Destroyers, 1 Carrier, 2 Fighters, 1 Space Dock
- Starting Technologies: Antimass Deflectors, XRD Transporters
- Trade Contracts: 2, 2
- You may treat "A" and "B" Wormhole systems as if they were adjacent to each other.
- You may always use Wormholes, regardless of other game effects or restrictions.
- Other players may not use "A" or "B" Wormholes to travel into a system you control.
- Racial Technology 1: Dimensional Splicer (Cost: +3) - At the start of a battle in a system containing a Wormhole and at least 1 of your ships, you may assign 1 hit to 1 enemy ship of your choice.
- Racial Technology 2: Slave Wormhole Generator (Cost: +5) - At the start of each Status Phase, you may place (or move) your extra "A" or "B" Wormhole tokens into any empty or friendly non-Home Systems.
- Flagship: Hil Colish (Cost: 10) - Battle 4, Movement 1, Capacity 3, Sustain Damage - You may treat this ship’s system as if it had a "D" Wormhole in it. When this ship is moving, treat its destination system as if it had the Wormhole.
The Embers of Muaat: The Gashlai are a race of beings encased in flames, requiring armored suits in order to survive and interact with outside worlds. They were once slaves to the Jol-Nar and charged with the production of the prototype War Sun, earning their freedom in a revolt in the chaos of the Twilight Wars. Now they seek a higher destiny - rulers of the galaxy atop the Imperial Throne.
- Starting Units: 4 Ground Forces, 2 Fighters, 1 War Sun, 1 Space Dock
- Starting Technologies: Enviro Compensator, Sarween Tools, War Sun
- Trade Contracts: 2, 2
- Your War Suns have a base movement of 1; this improves to 2 when you acquire the Deep Space Cannon technology.
- As an Action, you may spend one Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation Area to place 2 free Fighters or 1 free Destroyer in any one System containing one of your War Suns or Space Docks.
- Your ships may move through, but may not end their movement in, Supernova systems.
- Racial Technology 1: Magmus Reactor (Cost: +5) - Your War Suns now have +1 movement and a base cost of 10 resources.
- Racial Technology 2: Nova Seed (Cost: +3) - As an action, you may remove this card from the game to replace a system you control with a Supernova system tile. This may not be used on Mecatol Rex, a Home System, or adjacent to a red-bordered system.
- Flagship: The Inferno (Cost: 10) - Battle 5 (x3), Movement 1, Capacity 4, Sustain Damage - As an action, you may spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area to produce 1 free Cruiser in this system.
The Yin Brotherhood: The Yin race is a species of clones. Though cloning was banned by the Lazax, the deaths of the sons and wife of the Sol scientist Darien to Greyfire disease caused him to pursue the craft singlemindedly. His cloned sons have continued Darien's work to near perfection, though they are all male, and most scarred by the original disease. To honor Darien, the Yin now look towards the Imperial throne...
- Starting Units: 4 Ground Forces, 2 Carriers, 1 Destroyer, 4 Fighters, 1 Space Dock
- Starting Technologies: Hylar V Assault Laser, Automated Defense Turrets
- Trade Contracts: 1, 1
- Before an Invasion Combat in which you are the attacker begins, you may roll 1 die. On a 5+ your opponent loses 1 Ground Force and you gain 1 Ground Force.
- Immediately before the second round of a Space Battle, you may discard one of your participating Destroyers or Cruisers to choose one opposing ship present and immediately inflict one hit on it.
- Once per turn, as an Action, you may place your control marker on an unexhausted Planet Card you control. Until the end of the round, its Influence and Resource values are reversed.
- Racial Technology 1: Fanaticism (Cost: +4) - You may use your race's special ability twice at the start of each Invasion Combat.
- Racial Technology 2: Yin Spinner (Cost: +2) - Build 1 free Ground Force each time you build units at a Space Dock. This free Ground Force does not count towards any build limits.
- Flagship: Van Hauge (Cost: 10) - Battle 5 (x2), Movement 1, Capacity 4, Sustain Damage - Your Ground Force units in this system may participate in Space Battle as if they were Fighters.
Game Setup
At the start of the game, players draw random races, which are then revealed. In addition to starting units and technology, players receive 1 Secret Objective and 2 Political Cards, and allocate 2 Command Counters to Strategy Allocation, 3 counters to Fleet Supply, and 3 counters to Command Pool. Players each receive five system tiles for creation of the game map. Mecatol Rex is set at the center, with each player's home systems sitting on the third ring directly outward. Starting from the first player and proceeding in a snake draft (first to last, last to first, etc.), each player places a system title from their hand with the following restrictions:
- Each ring must be filled completely before moving on to the next, starting from the center and moving outwards.
- Special systems with red borders may not be placed adjacent to one another.
- If a player has placed a system containing no planets, then a system containing at least one planet must be placed on their next turn.
General Game Flow
The game is played over a number of rounds, typically 5-10 in total. Each round is divided into three parts: the Strategy Phase, the Action Phase, and the Status Phase. In the Strategy Phase, players select Strategy Cards: this determines the special action that player may take during the round as well as play order. The bulk of activity takes place in the Action Phase: here players may deploy abilities specified by their choice of Strategy Card, activate systems for unit movement, space combat, invasion of planets, building of new units, or to play certain action cards. Once everybody has passed their turns in the Action Phase, the Status Phase allows for players to score victory points by claiming objectives and refreshes the board setup for the next round of play.
Strategy Phase
In the Strategy Phase, players select Strategy Cards for the round. Each Strategy Card has a special ability and determines play order in the Action Phase. Starting from the player with the Speaker token and moving clockwise, each player will choose a card; each card may be selected by at most one player. To select a Strategy Card, note your selection in bold dodgerblue. Example:
I select the (1) Leadership Strategy Card.
At the end of the Strategy Phase, there will be two unselected Strategy Cards. A Bonus counter will be added to each card as incentive for selection in future rounds. When a player selects a Strategy Card with a Bonus counter, they immediately exchange each counter for either a Trade Good or Command Counter.
I select the (1) Leadership Strategy Card.
At the end of the Strategy Phase, there will be two unselected Strategy Cards. A Bonus counter will be added to each card as incentive for selection in future rounds. When a player selects a Strategy Card with a Bonus counter, they immediately exchange each counter for either a Trade Good or Command Counter.
Action Phase
Starting with the player with the lowest-numbered Strategy Card and moving up in number, players take actions sequentially until all players have passed. There are four different types of actions that players can perform: the Strategic Action, Tactical Action, Transfer Action, and using Action Cards that are played as actions. Details about the first three actions are contained in the following sections. The fourth is straightforward: the acting player declares the card they wish to play in bold dodgerblue, noting its effects. For expediency in the forum game environment, players do not need to declare use of the Action Card, wait for others to declare, and then actually play the card. (Please note that the two-step declare-then-play protocol still applies for other phases of the game, including the Strategy Phase, Status Phase, and battles.) Example:
I play an Action Card: Alien Technology.
I exhaust Arnor (2R) and Saudor (2R) to gain the technology Sarween Tools.
If a player does not wish to make any more actions during the round, they may pass their turn. Players must use the Strategic Action specified on their Strategy Card before ending their turn for the round. Players who have passed their turn will still be able to participate in secondary abilities from other players’ Strategic Actions, but take no further actions in the Action Phase. Players may pass their turn in bold red. Example:
I PASS my turn.
I play an Action Card: Alien Technology.
I exhaust Arnor (2R) and Saudor (2R) to gain the technology Sarween Tools.
If a player does not wish to make any more actions during the round, they may pass their turn. Players must use the Strategic Action specified on their Strategy Card before ending their turn for the round. Players who have passed their turn will still be able to participate in secondary abilities from other players’ Strategic Actions, but take no further actions in the Action Phase. Players may pass their turn in bold red. Example:
I PASS my turn.
MrBlarney on
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I activate the primary ability...
I PLAY the secondary ability...
I PASS on the secondary ability.
(1) Leadership
Secondary Ability: Masterful Tactician You may spend influence to purchase up to 3 Command Counters from your reinforcements. You receive 1 Command Counter for every 2 influence you spend.
Notes: Unlike other Strategy Cards, there is no need to spend a Strategy Allocation counter to use this card’s secondary ability. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (1) Leadership Strategy Card and exhaust Mellon (2I), placing 1 counter into Strategy Allocation, 1 into Fleet Supply, and 2 into Command Pool.
I PLAY the secondary ability, exhausting Dal Bootha (2I) to place 1 Command Counter into my Command Pool.
a) Choose one system containing a planet you control. Each opponent must place one of his Command Counters into the system from his reinforcements.
b) Execute the secondary ability of this card without paying a Command Counter or any influence.
Secondary Ability: Peaceful Annexation Spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area and 3 Influence to claim an empty planet adjacent to a system you control. Place your Command Marker on the planet.
Notes: The a) side of the primary ability protects a system from interference by other players; if they have no counters in their reserves they must take one from their race sheet if possible. Players may not use the secondary ability to take control of Mecatol Rex or a planet that was just annexed by another player using this ability during the same activation. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (2) Diplomacy II Strategy Card, choosing option a) and targeting the Abyz-Fria system.
I PLAY the secondary ability, spending a Strategy Allocation Counter and exhausting Torkan (3I) to annex Vefut II.
a) Claim the Speaker token and choose one other player to play a Political Card and resolve its agenda. You may not choose this option if you are already the Speaker.
b) Choose one other player to claim the Speaker token. Play a Political Card from your hand and resolve its agenda. You must select a player that is not currently Speaker.
Secondary Ability: Morale Boost Spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area to refresh any number of your Planet Cards with total combined resource and influence of 6 or less.
Notes: If a player selected to play a Political Card has none to play, the top card of the Political Card deck is drawn and resolved instead. After negotiation, players vote on the agenda, starting to the left of the Speaker, with the option to also abstain from a vote. Each player's vote is worth the amount of influence on their unexhausted planets (minimum 1); Trade Goods may not be spent here to increase the power of the vote. The option with the most votes wins, with the Speaker breaking any ties. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (3) Assembly Strategy Card, choosing option a) to claim the Speaker token and choosing The Universities of Jol-Nar to play a card. (The activating player may wait to receive cards before making a choice)
Selected player under option a): I choose to bring "Ancient Artifact" to a vote., and posting the Political Card text.
Voting: I vote FOR the agenda, I vote AGAINST the agenda., I ELECT <item> for the agenda., I ABSTAIN from the agenda.
I PLAY the secondary ability, spending a Strategy Allocation Counter to refresh Lodor and Xxehan.
Secondary Ability: Double Efforts Spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area to immediately build up to 3 units in one of your systems containing one or more friendly Space Docks, even if you have activated this system already. Building units here does not activate the system.
Notes: Players are still limited by the normal production capacity of Space Docks during activation of this card. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (4) Production Strategy Card, exhausting Fria (2R) to build a Cruiser (2R) and 2 Destroyers (2R) at the Space Dock on Abyz.
I PLAY the secondary ability, spending a Strategy Allocation Counter and exhausting Lodor (3R) to build a Cruiser (2R) and 2 Fighters (1R) at the Space Dock on Lodor.
Notes: Each race has two Trade Contracts that they may exchange with others to earn Trade Goods in the Trade Strategy Card, and trade agreements must be made between different races (i.e. you can’t exchange both Contracts with the same race). Negotiation is encouraged when making and approving agreements. There is no secondary ability associated with this Strategy card. Players do not need to declare the Trade Goods they gain, but may do so optionally. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (5) Trade II Strategy Card, receiving 6 Trade Goods (3 free + 3 from agreements). or
I activate the primary ability of the (5) Trade II Strategy Card, breaking the Trade agreement between The Universities of Jol-Nar and The Barony of Letnev. I collect 3 Trade Goods (all from agreements).
When trying to create an agreement: I request the creation of a Trade Agreement between myself [2] and The Xxcha Kingdom [2].
When approving a trade: I approve of the creation of a Trade Agreement between The Xxcha Kingdom [2] and The Federation of Sol [2].
Secondary Ability: Reinforce Spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area to move up to two of your ships from unactivated systems into any adjacent systems you control. This does not activate the destination systems.
Notes: The High Alert token does not affect the performance of ground units, nor does it affect pre-combat abilities. Moving ships using the secondary ability does not trigger PDS Fire. Control of a system is defined by control of all planets in the system (if any) and the presence of at least one non-Fighter friendly ship. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (6) Warfare II Strategy Card, placing the High Alert token in the Abyz-Fria system.
I PLAY the secondary ability, spending a Strategy Allocation Counter to move a Destroyer from Quann to Qucen'n-Rarron and a Cruiser from Dal Bootha-Xxehan to Qucen'n-Rarron.
Secondary Ability: Advanced Development Spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area and 6 resources to receive one Technology advance (for which you have the necessary prerequisites.
Notes: Common technologies are divided into four categories and organized into a tech tree. (Tech Tree) If purchasing technology, the cost may be reduced by one for each technology specialty icon matching the type of technology you wish to buy on your unexhausted planets. You do not have to exhaust such planets during technology purchasing to gain their bonus. Each race also has two Race-Specific Technologies only they may purchase. These technologies have no prerequisites, are colorless, and incur an additional resource cost to purchase; this includes if the technology is selected for the 'free' technology in the primary ability. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (7) Technology II Strategy Card and exhaust Abyz (3R) to gain racial technology "Production Centers". (Hacan racial technology costing +3 resources)
I PLAY the secondary ability, spending a Strategy Allocation Counter, exhausting Abyz (3R), Fria (2R), and using the Fria Technology specialty to gain "XRD Transporters".
Primary Ability: Senatorial Control Receive 1 Command Counter from your reinforcements. Then draw the top two cards from the Objective deck. Place one faceup in the common play area and the other on the top of the deck. You may then immediately claim one public objective that you qualify for.
Secondary Ability: New Agendas Spend 1 Command Counter from your Strategy Allocation area to draw one Political Card and one Action Card.
Notes: If "Imperium Rex" is revealed, whether by the special action or primary ability, the game ends immediately without any further player actions (including qualification for further objectives). A player must control all planets in their home system in order to claim an objective. Usage examples:
I activate the primary ability of the (8) Bureaucracy Strategy Card, placing a Command Counter into Command Pool.
After receiving Objective Cards: I reveal the following Objective Card:, and posting the Objective Card text.[/color][/b]
I PLAY the secondary ability, spending a Strategy Allocation Counter to draw one Political Card and one Action Card.
Tactical Action
- Activate a System One counter will be spent from the Command Pool to activate the chosen system.
- Movement into the System Ships cannot be moved out of activated systems and cannot pass through systems with non-Fighter enemy ships. Units with carry ability can pick up units at any time during their movement as long as the systems do not contain enemy ships and are not previously activated.
- PDS Fire If there are any enemy PDS units in range, play will be paused to allow their owning players the opportunity to decide whether or not to react. The active player may then choose to activate their own PDS units, if any. Hits are scored as in Space Battles (see below) by each player.
- Space Battles A Space Battle occurs when ships of different players are in the same system. See section below.
- Planetary Landings Units being carried may be landed at this time; they may be split between multiple planets.
- Invasion Combat Invasion Combat occurs when units of different players are in the same planet. See section below.
- Produce Units Players may exhaust planets and spend trade goods to build units at a previously established Space Dock, or to build a Space Dock if the planet it is being built on has been controlled the entire round. The maximum number of units that may be produced is equal to 2 plus the resource value of the planet housing the Space Dock.
If a planet is taken, either by landing a Ground Force or Mechanized Unit on an empty planet or winning Invasion Combat, the planet card is received in exhausted state. Example:I spend a Command Pool Counter to activate the Tar'mann system and perform a Tactical Action.
A Carrier with two Fighters and two Ground Forces from Tequ'ran-Torkan and a Cruiser from the Xxcha Home System will be moved in. (If there were PDS in the area, the action would pause for PDS fire. Assuming the system is empty:)
I land two Ground Forces onto Tar'mann, taking control of the planet.
Building units: I exhaust Bereg (3R) to build a Cruiser (2R) and two Fighters (1R).
Space Battles and Invasion Combat
- Announce Withdrawals/Retreats Attacker has first option to declare a retreat, followed by the Defender. Players may retreat into an adjacent activated system without enemy ships. Alternatively, they may spend a counter from Strategy Allocation to activate an adjacent empty or friendly system for the purposes of retreat.
- Roll Combat Dice Both players simultaneously roll outcomes for all their ships.
- Remove Casualties Both players decide what ships to remove from their own fleets; attacker removes first.
- Execute Withdrawals/Retreats If there are still ships of both players in the system and a retreat was declared, it is executed now.
Battle rounds continue until a player retreats or only ships of one kind (or fewer) remain in the system. Generally, battles will be conducted via private message, and it is encouraged to have conditional orders in place with me in order to expedite the process. Results will be announced in thread at battle’s completion.Invasion Combat flows similarly to Space Battles, but without a retreat option. Pre-combat, the attacker has the option of using Planetary Bombardment with his Dreadnoughts and War Suns and the defender may use PDS fire. For Bombardment, ships must be split between planets if there are multiple invasions, and Dreadnoughts may not bombard planets that contain enemy PDS units. PDS units must be on the planet being invaded to be used in PDS fire. For each hit by each player, one Ground Force or Shock Troop is removed. Remaining Ground Forces, Shock Troops, and Mechanized Units fight it out in rounds of rolling combat dice, then removing casualties. If the attacker wins with at least one Ground Force, Shock Troop, or Mechanized Unit remaining, then he gains control of the planet. All enemy Space Dock and PDS units are destroyed, unless the attacker has at least one Shock Troop; in that case, the invader may choose to capture the facilities instead, replacing them with units of his own.
Units
Transfer Action
- Activate Two Systems One counter will come from the Command Pool like in a Tactical Action, the other will come from the reserve tokens. Both systems must be “friendly”, containing at least one friendly unit and no enemy units, and must be adjacent to each other.
- Movement Between Systems
- PDS Fire
- Planetary Landings Units may not be landed on neutral or enemy-controlled planets in the Transfer Action.
- Produce Units Units may be produced or a Space Dock may be built at only one of the activated systems.
Example:I spend a Command Pool Counter to activate the Saudor and Arinam-Meer systems and perform a Transfer Action.
A Carrier with two Fighters and two Ground Forces will move from Saudor to Arinam-Meer; a Cruiser will move from Arinam-Meer to Saudor.
I will land one Ground Force from the Carrier to each of Arinam and Meer.
I will exhaust Saudor (2R) and spend 2 Trade Goods to build a Space Dock on Arinam.
- Qualify for Public/Secret Objective Cards Players may qualify for at most one Public Objective Card and one Secret Objective Card per round. A player must control all planets in their home system in order to claim an objective. All players may claim each Public Objective once; players may not claim each other's Secret Objectives.
- Repair Damaged Ships
- Remove Command Counters Counters are removed from the board and returned to players' reserves.
- Refresh Planet Cards Trade stations and certain worlds have Refresh abilities that can be used immediately after refreshing, causing them to become exhausted.
- Receive 1 Action Card and 2 Command Counters
- Redistribute Command Areas If a player reduces their Fleet Supply, they must make sure their fleet numbers are in compliance with the new number.
- Return Strategy Cards Strategy Cards return to the common area for selection in the next Strategy Phase.
Players may also scuttle units during the Status Phase, returning the unit to the reserves. Most steps are automatic; outside of potential Action Card plays and scuttling units, players need only declare how they are redistributing their Command Counters in the Status Phase. Example:I gain 2 Command Counters, placing one in Strategy Allocation and one in Command Pool., or I gain 2 Command Counters, rearranging my Command Areas to include 2 in Strategy Allocation, 4 in Fleet Supply, and 2 in Command Pool.
Odds and Ends
TG/AC/PC: 0/0/2
SA/FS/CC: 2/3/3
Current Game State
Current Map: Round 8, Status Phase
Current Technologies
Victory Points and Objectives
The Ghosts of Creuss: 8 VP
The L1z1x Mindnet: 8 VP
Universities of Jol-Nar: 6 VP
The Naalu Collective: 1 VP
The Yin Brotherhood: 1 VP
Public Objectives
[1 VP] I now spend 3 Command Counters from my Command and/or Strategy Allocation areas.: L1z1x, Creuss, Naalu, Muaat, Jol-Nar
[1 VP] I am blockading an opponent's Space Dock.: Jol-Nar, Muaat, L1z1x
[1 VP] I control planets with a total influence greater than the player to my immediate right and greater than the player to my immediate left.: Creuss, Yin, Jol-Nar
[1 VP] I control Mecatol Rex.: Creuss
[1 VP] I successfully invaded one planet containing at least 1 opposing Ground Force this turn.: Jol-Nar, L1z1x, Muaat
[1 VP] I now spend 4 Trade Goods, 3 resources, and 3 influence.: Creuss
[2 VP] I have 5 Technology Advances of the same color.: Jol-Nar, L1z1x
[2 VP] I successfully invaded two planets, each containing at least 1 opposing Ground Force, this turn.: Creuss, Muaat
[2 VP] I won two space battles this round in different systems and against at least 3 enemy ships.: Muaat
2 Stage II Objectives remain hidden.
Secret Objectives
Universities of Jol-Nar: 1 Secret Objective
The Naalu Collective: 1 Secret Objective
The L1z1x Mindnet: [2 VP] Threatening: I control systems adjacent to 2 different player's Home Systems.
The Ghosts of Creuss: [2 VP] Master of Ships: I control Mecatol Rex, I have a Space Dock here, and at least 8 (non-Fighter) ships in the Mecatol Rex system.
The Embers of Muaat: [2 VP] Conqueror: I control all the planets in another player’s Home System.
The Yin Brotherhood: 2 Secret Objectives
Special Objectives
Corrupt Empire - The first player to attack Jol-Nar in Space Combat or Invasion Combat will gain 1 VP.: L1z1x
Universities of Jol-Nar - caliber and GrimmyTOA:
Action Cards: 4
Political Cards: 2
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 4
Command Pool: 1
Trade Contracts: Yin [1] (Jol-Nar [3])
Technology: Hylar V Assault Laser, Deep Space Cannon, Magen Defense Grid, War Sun, Duranium Armor, Antimass Deflectors, XRD Transporters, Light/Wave Deflector, Enviro Compensator, Sarween Tools, Micro Technology, Nano Technology, Graviton Laser System
Worlds:
X - Jol (1R, 2I)
X - Nar (2R, 3I)
X - Arinam (1R, 2I, B)
R - Meer (0R, 4I)
R - Rigel I (0R, 1I, G)
X - Rigel II (1R, 2I)
X - Rigel III (1R, 1I, B)
Action Cards: 4
Political Cards: 0
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 4
Command Pool: 0
Trade Contracts: Yin [1] (Naalu [2])
Technology: Antimass Deflectors, Enviro Compensator, Graviton Laser System, Hylar V Assault Laser, Deep Space Cannon, Hybrid Crystal Drives
Worlds:
R - Maaluuk (0R, 2I)
X - Druaa (3R, 1I)
X - Abaddon (1R, 0I, R)
X - Bereg (3R, 1I, R)
X - Lirta IV (2R, 3I, G)
X - Loki (1R, 2I)
Action Cards: 4
Political Cards: 1
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 5
Command Pool: 1
Trade Contracts: (L1z1x [1], L1z1x [1])
Technology: Enviro Compensator, Stasis Capsules, Cybernetics, Gen Synthesis, Neural Motivator, Hypermetabolism, Hylar V Assault Laser, Automated Defense Turrets, Assault Cannon
Worlds:
X - [0.0.0] (5R, 0I)
X - Ashtroth (2R, 0I)
R - Faunus (1R, 3I, G (x2))
R - Saudor (2R, 2I)
X - Vega Major (2R, 1I)
X - Vega Minor (1R, 2I, B)
Action Cards: 7
Political Cards: 1
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 8
Command Pool: 0
Trade Contracts: (Creuss [2], Creuss [2])
Technology: Antimass Deflectors, XRD Transporters, Maneuvering Jets, Hylar V Assault Laser
Worlds:
X - Creuss (4R, 2I)
R - Lodor (3R, 1I, G)
R - Mallice (0R, 3I)
X - Mecatol Rex (1R, 6I)
X - Mirage (1R, 2I, F (x2))
R - Tequ'ran (2R, 0I, R)
R - Torkan (0R, 3I, B)
R - Wellon (1R, 2I)
Action Cards: 3
Political Cards: 0
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 5
Command Pool: 0
Trade Contracts: (Muaat [2], Muaat [2])
Technology: Enviro Compensator, Sarween Tools, Micro Technology, Hylar V Assault Laser, Deep Space Cannon, War Sun, Duranium Armor, Magen Defense Grid, Neural Motivator, Magmus Reactor
Worlds:
X - Muaat (4R, 1I)
X - Darien (2R, 4I)
X - Capha (3R, 0I)
X - Centauri (1R, 3I)
X - Gral (1R, 1I, B)
X - Quann (2R, 1I, G)
X - Tar'mann (1R, 1I)
X - Tiamat (1R, 2I, Y)
Action Cards: 6
Political Cards: 1
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 7
Command Pool: 1
Trade Contracts: Jol-Nar [1], Naalu [1]
Technology: Hylar V Assault Laser, Automated Defense Turrets, Enviro Compensator, Stasis Capsules
Worlds:
X - Hercalor (1R, 0I, Y)
X - Qucen'n (1R, 2I)
X - Rarron (0I, 3R, G) *values switched*
X - Thibah (1R, 1I)
X - Vefut II (2R, 0I, R)
Special Effects
Order of Play
The Naalu Collective: (0) Warfare II
The Ghosts of Creuss: (3) Assembly
Universities of Jol-Nar: (4) Production
The Yin Brotherhood: (5) Trade II
The Embers of Muaat: (7) Technology II
The L1z1x Mindnet: (8) Bureaucracy
Game Links
Teams and Race Assignments
Round 1: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Start of Status Phase
Round 2: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Start of Status Phase
Round 3: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Start of Status Phase.
Round 4: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Start of Status Phase
Round 5: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Update 6, Start of Status Phase
Round 6: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Start of Status Phase
Round 7: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Start of Status Phase
Round 8: Start of Strategy Phase, Start of Action Phase, Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Start of Status Phase, Update
The Embers of Muaat have achieved 9 VP, winning the game!
People interested in playing should indicate their interest by posting a message indicating such in bold limegreen. I'll close signups after 48 or 72 hours, depending on interest. I'll assign player order and races randomly, and if there are more than six people interested, I will put players into teams of up to two players each. If there are more than twelve players, then I'll randomly select twelve players for initial participation, with the remainder acting as reserves in case any active player drops out. Players also may request specific partners, or may request to play solo, to which I will fulfill as closely as possible.
Please also take note of the optional modules that will be employed in this game, as listed at the top of the opening post:
- Strategy card set from Shattered Empire
- Public Objective decks from Shattered Empire
- Wormhole Nexus; Empty Worlds stack includes both Wormhole systems for setup
- Remove Action Cards from the pool tied to options not in play
- Racial Technologies, Flagships, Mechanized Units, Shock Troops
- Tactical Retreats
- Custodians of Mecatol Rex
If the players wish to add any additional modules to the game, then please also indicate your interest. If there are enough requests, then I will update things to include them. In particular, I was considering adding Space Mines or Artifacts to the mix, as those seem fairly reasonable without being cumbersome.After REX, I'd love a game where the Lazax have already been extinct for 3000 years! Suck it, four arms!
- Terence McKenna
I love me some TI, but can never get enough players with enough time to commit to a full game. So awesome!
Wins: NBN; Jenny Barnes; Emperor of Mankind; Werewolf (posthumous), Gregor; Colonel Mustard; USSR
Losses: Silas Marsh Bob Jenkins; Slaanesh, Tzeentch, Nurgle; House Harkonnen; Stark; Beravor; Scientist, Dispatcher; Universities of Jol-Nar, Winnu
I'm happy to play on a team with someone else if need be.
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
- Terence McKenna
I played (poorly) in the last game so being on a team or as a reserve would be great also.
Solo preferred but team is OK, too.
I like to be the only one responsible for my demise.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
The dice have been rolled, and these are the races to be featured in this game and their players:
Universities of Jol-Nar: Headmaster caliber and Regent GrimmyTOA
The Naalu Collective: Queen stever777
The L1z1x Mindnet: Overmind Kilnaga and Councilor Iron Weasel
The Ghosts of Creuss: Lightbearer Orange Soda and Waveweaver SeGaTai
The Embers of Muaat: Fire Warden jdarksun and Fire Keeper Void Slayer
The Yin Brotherhood: Elder Brother MrBody and Elite Untouched BertezBertez
Starting Map
You'll find racial information in the opening post, in the Races and Special Abilities section. I have taken the liberty of placing your starting units in your home systems; the Jol-Nar and Naalu players should let me know if they wish to change their initial formations. Everyone will be receiving their initial cards and system tiles for building the map shortly.
Building the Map
Map building starts with the Jol-Nar, who will place a system from their hand into the inner ring (1-x hexes). Placement proceeds clockwise until the first ring is filled. Then, the second ring (2-x hexes) is filled through two rounds of placement, starting with the Yin and moving counter-clockwise to the Jol-Nar who will place two systems, then snaking back to the Yin. The outermost ring (3-x hexes) is filled in the same way. The following restrictions must be observed in map creation:
- Each ring must be filled completely before moving on to the next, starting from the center and moving outwards.
- Special systems with red borders may not be placed adjacent to one another.
- If a player has placed a system containing no planets, then a system containing at least one planet must be placed on their next turn.
Should a player be unable to place a system according to these rules, their hand of systems is revealed so that they may place a system while breaking the normal rules.Building starts with caliber and GrimmyTOA, you may place a system whenever you're ready.
edit:
its been a while since I played on here, I'll need the following clarifications:
Are we allowed to PM other players or is all communication outside our partners, forbidden.
Is it too late to vote on artifacts? My vote would definitely be yes if so. Space mines I don't care about.
Cruess' Flagship says something like "treat the destination system as if it has a D wormhole." Since I can activate any system on the map with a CC and move any ship to that destination tile that has appropriate movement, if the destination of my flagship is ... say anywhere on the board I want it to be, it would still be 1 distance away from my home system, which has a D wormhole.... Can I effectively use this ship to teleport anywhere on the board that I want to?
Also forgive me if I get confused on a few of the rules. I've been playing a lot of Shattered Ascension lately, so I'll have to switch gears back to rules as written!
Good luck everyone. This should be an exciting game!
Private conversation is limited to communication between team partners. If you want to discuss things with other players, you'll need to do that in the thread.
If anybody else has an opinion on options, I will allow until the completion of the first ring of placements for people to come to an agreement. At this point, I do not plan on adding either of the options to the mix.
No. In simplest terms, the Hil Colish cannot use its own wormhole for movement, but other Creuss ships are free to warp into the Hil Colish's location from the Creuss home system.
As a closing remark, if you are working in a team, I suggest leaving the original conversation thread I have sent you for status updates, and creating a new conversation for team strategy discussion. Don't forget to invite me to any further conversations!
Actually, I take back my vote. We've already effectively started. Lets just keep the listed everything as is and not make set up any more cumbersome than it will already be!
And yah blarney, that is how I want to treat the flagship, but I can't find any "official ruling" or way of backing up that functionality with rules as written + faq, even though that is definitely the way I think the ship should work (the less broken way).
You and me both. :P
- Terence McKenna
Jol-Nar is tech heavy. They have a lot of options available to them on how they want to play their race. They can go heavy into militaristic technology and be a formittable fighting force, or they can develop more turtle-ing technology and become a very hard force to penetrate. It should be noted thematically that the Jol-Nar once enslaved the Muatt. The muatt stole an unfinished version of the War Sun technology from the Jol-Nar and escaped back to their homeworld. The Jol-Nar are pretty much their most hated enemy. Jol-nar are basically fish people.
Naalu is a pretty militaristic race. Their unit of choice is usually fighters. They can really be a nuisance to deal with if they are left unchecked for too long. They are telepathic snake people.
L1Z1X is a very militaristic race. Their unit of choice is usually dreadnaughts. They are pretty much a direct descendant of the Lazax who used to rule the galaxy. They are pretty much the Borg.
Ghost of Creuss are a very interesting race. They are not corporeal, but instead made of smoke/gas, which they house in suits to give them a more corporeal form, so they can interact with the galactic counsel better. Not only are they militaristic, but they can strike all over the board, and keep supply lines open to reinforce forward bases almost anywhere on the board. Their power comes from access to wormholes, so be weary of any system adjacent to a system with a wormhole tile. It is pretty much fair game as a Creuss target. When you think of this race, think of them as basically the Protoss from StarCraft.
Muaat is a very powerful race. They are basically Sun People, who have to live in protective suits because their body temperatures are so high. They start out with a gimped war sun, which is the most powerful single unit in the game. They need to acquire 2 technologies before it is at its full force, and they can buff them even further with their racial technology.
Lastly, we have the Yin Brotherhood, who is pretty much the religious fanatics of the group. They are basically an awesome clone army! Expect cruisers and destroyers due to their racial ability, but this race can also see a lot of success in ground combat!
I hope this might help you guys get a better feel for what you are up against. In my opinion, no one here is unmatched, but Muaat, Creuss, and L1Z1X are your powerhouses. Followed very closely by Naalu. Naalu is one of the most powerful races in the game if left unchecked! Jol-Nar late game will basically have ALL THE TECHNOLOGY, so who knows what that will mean for them in how they play their game! Yin can do a lot with their suicide attacks! I enjoy playing nearly every race involved in this game. My personal least favorite is Muaat, because they get such a large target painted on them early game, because of their warsun!
High resource values (the first number) are what you will use to produce units. The influence value will be the one that lets you vote on political cards. Do not neglect influence. Some of the political cards can literally be game changing! Some planets have technology colors on them. This will provide a discount when you go to buy a technology of that color.
Red boarded systems (supernovas, gravity rifts, asteroid belts, ion storms, nebulas) are either something to mess up other people's sphere's of influence (but can create early game enemies since that ends up being a pretty early game antagonistic action) or they can create borders with your neighbors. If you drop a supernova between the two of you, it is going to make traveling towards you harder than heading in the other direction where there are no red boarded systems.
Empty space is pretty much just that.. it does nothing. Try to keep these away from you unless you want to try to create a buffer between you and your neighbors. I often see a lot of these dumped around the inner ring. Just remember that if you place empty/red systems, the next thing you place has to be something with a planet.
Some planets have refresh abilities that give you shock troops/fighters/trade goods/ground forces on that system if you leave it unexhausted (don't use it that turn).
You also have wormholes. Because I am playing creuss, these can be very dangerous, but don't be too afraid of them. Just because a wormhole is close to you, does not mean that I will be attacking you. Don't forget your diplomatic lines of communication! Alliances are key in this game!
Sai Seravus paced around the bridge of the Hin Donism as the carrier’s scanners picked up a faint signal through the wormhole. The forward scout probes had detected the presence of unusual energy readings through the D gate.
The Shaleri anomaly has always been a mystery to the rest of the members of the Galactic Counsel. There have been numerous scouting missions and science teams sent by the other races to investigate what the Creuss refer to as The Nexus. Not a single ship would ever return to their point of origin though. The Creuss made sure of that. This area of space was shrouded in mystery and the other races learned to avoid this area over the years. They had seen no tangible proof of the Creuss’ existence. The rumors of the missing ships led to the rumor of the sector being inhabited by the Ghosts. The only explanation for the complete disappearance of anything passing through this stretch of the outer ring could be the existence of something ominous and perhaps dangerous inhabiting the region. That was all about to change.
______________________________________________________
Maulve piloted the retrofitted frigate Entropic with relative ease. The Mentak pirate had seen his fair share of missions as captain of the Entropic, but this mission would prove to be the most dangerous. He couldn’t remember the time that he was actually this nervous about a simple cargo run.
The trade route from Muaat to Null was a profitable one. The passage between the two worlds was long and cumbersome. It cut up towards Mecatol Rex from Muaat and back down towards Null. The trip took several months to complete at relativistic speeds, but the temptation to cut through the Ghost space was too great for many of the Mentak pirates who ran this trade route. Most of them did not live to see their cargo to safety, but the few who escaped passed on tales in whispers. It was almost as if they thought that speaking their rumors and delusions out loud would somehow give them power and make them real. Perhaps the Ghosts would somehow hear them from across the Sector and hunt them down for daring to cross through their space.
Maulve needed the money. If he could make this trip there and back in half the time, than he might be able to afford a new ship. The Entropic was a reliable ship and it had never let Maulve down, but it was showing its age. It did not have many trips left in it before it would need to get scrapped. Maulve needed this big break and he decided to go for it. He would be lost without a ship.
The engines on the Entropic fired to full power as the frigate entered space that Maulve had never before dared to venture. But he wouldn’t get very far. As he approached the Shaleri Anomaly, his instrument panel starting going haywire. The Entropic was detecting insanely high energy levels emanating from the Anomaly itself.
All of a sudden, a huge carrier, escorted by two destroyers materialized into space right in front of Maulve. As he watched the events unfold on this tactical screen in front of him, he worried that today would be his last day and that he would never live to see tomorrow.
The ships in front of him were covered in strange runes and were massive in size. Maulve had never seen anything like this before. The designation on the carrier was unfamiliar and the destroyers bore the same marking.
Maulve had no time to run. Where would he go anyway? He was facing the ships dead on and there didn’t seem to be any escape. The latent energy field created by the Ghost ships was causing all of Maulve’s equipment to malfunction. Just as all hope seemed to be lost, a hailing frequency was sent to the Entropic.
The blood drained out of Maulve’s face as he read the read out from his screen to himself. The message on the screen display was
“Run away from here. Tell them we are coming.”
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
Thanks for the clarification!
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
The Councillor – its meat-name had long ago been deleted from the archives – shifted a small portion of its considerable attention away from its calculations to acknowledge and examine the notification. Dreadnaught Prime had intercepted a smuggler frigate on the edge of the 0.0.0. system, and its crew was being questioned. The Councillor opened a remote link to the Prime and assumed control of the drone that had been designated First Interrogator. Now seeing through the drone’s cybernetic eyes and controlling its body, the Councillor turned its attention to the subject who lay strapped to an examination table.
95% probability that you are Mentak, the Councillor said in the drone’s heavily-modulated voice, Confirm.
"W-what?" The subject stared back without understanding.
The Councillor redirected more of its attention to the task at hand, feeling a microscopic tug of what long ago would have been called irritation.
Rephrasing: You are Mentak, are you not?
"Yes – yes, I am." Finally they were getting somewhere. The Councillor could scarcely believe that it had taken 6.6 seconds to get such rudimentary data. Time lost forever.
What is your designation?
"My des-? Oh, I understand. My name is Maulve. I’m a legitimate businessman –"
Irrelevant, the Councillor interrupted. Your ship’s logs indicate that you were recently in the vicinity of the Shaleri Anomaly and that you encountered vessels of unknown design and origin. Explain.
"Sir, it weren’t my fault, I was just trying to save some tiii-AAAH!"
The Councillor waited for the immediate effects of the nerve staple to subside. It was 23 seconds before the subject ceased screaming, and another 30 before it was able to speak again.
"Sir, it were the Ghosts. The Ghosts, I tell ya!" Maulve gasped.
Explain.
"Ghosts, sir! Creatures of smoke of shadow! They’ve been swallowing up ships for thousands of years, and now they’re coming for us!"
There was a short pause as the Councillor considered this.
Your data has been added to the collective, it said by way of thanking Maulve.
Then it applied three more nerve staples and gave the order to assimilate the Mentak.
Now disconnected from the drone, the Councillor considered what it had learned, and reviewed the captured ships’ logs. It accessed long-dormant segments of the archives and examined files that had not been opened for over a thousand cycles. At last, it came to a conclusion:
The Creuss were finally leaving the safety of their sub-space home ... and they were doing it 143 cycles sooner than the L1Z1X had estimated.
Were it given to cliche, the Councillor might have thought This changes everything! But of course it didn't.
Instead, it communicated its findings to the Overmind. There was work to do.
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
To clarify, the Creuss racial ability connecting wormholes of different types only applies to the "A" and "B" wormholes. Under ordinary circumstances, the only way in or out of the Creuss Home System is through the Creuss Gate and the "D" Wormhole.
I guess we'll just say the Overmind has more important things to do than RP. :P
- Terence McKenna
Remember, she can read your thoughts. :winky:
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
- Terence McKenna
I have a sub-routine that should serve us well in this circumstance:
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
When we set up the map, we go in player order but do we also place in hex order around the center, I.E. 1-1, 1-2, 1-3... or can we place anywhere in the ring when our turn comes up?
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
You cannot overload the Snake-Queen mind with your puny Mindnet.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1