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First and foremost, I must confess I haven’t tested this variant, so it is possible some cards still need some tweaking. Second, I suck at Word and haven’t printed the cards yet. With luck, it won’t need any serious modification. Third, bear in mind these cards use the latest full solar system map (reaching Uranus, Neptune and the Kuipfer belt). Finally, some comments follow below about several Hidden Agenda cards, explaining in some cases the reasons of the VP value. Have fun and keep your eyes at those pesky Taikonauts.
Comments
Rules: It is important to stress the distribution of the cards. You receive the Hidden Agenda cards only after you know which BSU you play, the cards you begin (faster game variant) and the busted sites (for games with less than 5 players). You receive two cards and keep just one, not only to allow some flexibility, but also to avoid the potential of a gamebreaking synergy if you were lucky to gain complementary objectives (e.g Outer System Aerostat and Uranus SUbsidiary). The other card *must* be discarded face-down. Depending on which Hidden Agenda each player kept, it is possible to have some serious competition to fulfill a secret objective (e.g. Martian Civilization vs Carbonaceous Specialist).
Inner System Aerostat: Yes, it is the lowest VP value card, but the only thing you need is an ISRU 0 card and Venus is not far away. As the Aerostat already gives you +2 Science VP, this card actually gives 4 VP + 1 VP for the colony.
Outer System Aerostat: After studying the map, I find Uranus too far and too little rewarding (Neptune is closer to several interstellar sites and have a couple of science sites as well). This card sweetens the deal for those ambitious enough to create aBespin StationAerostat Colony there.
Carbonaceous Specialist: The "C" sites are the easiest to reach but often gives low VP factories. This card offers a kind of space venture, but in order to be truly sucessful it requires you to use all your six claim disks (raygun use or buggy on Mars are really helpful here): five for the "C" sites and one for a rarer site (like "M") to make a more valuable factory.
Expect Prospector: A rather easy Hidden Agenda, whose main difficulty will be the construction of the first factory (as ISRU 2 robonauts tend to create higher-mass rockets) and the low score of this card.
Lower Gravity Endeavor: A buggy robonaut is welcome. A refinery that reduces prospecting rolls also is great.
Higher Gravity Endeavor: Especially recommended for tripulated missions with missile robonauts (PRC, NASA, ESA).
Master of Supports: I created this card with radiators and generators in mind, who don't see much love here in my gaming sessions.
Supreme Refiners: The same applies to refineries.
Reckless Entrepreneur: A reward for thosecrazydaring enough to laugh at the skull in the map. The note about the buggy road was an afterthought, to avoid rewarding those who wanted to sneak through the hazard by entering the site in a safe way and then using a Space Hummer to travel to the other site.
Jovian Scientific Complex: Along with the Aerostats, I never managed to industrialize Io. Europa Subsurface Ocean, even with its science site, havent been visited too. I hope this card fix the situation. Keep in mind this card actually gives 11 VP (5+2 claims +4 science site)
Martian Civilization: A fat 8 VP reward in exchange for having three 4 VP industries and abdicating of glory points and space ventures (you use all the six cubes in the colonization of the three sites!)
Space Consortium: Keep in mind other players may well construct Factories of the same kind of you have to lower the VP you gain at each sale of a black card.
Wild resource Miner: An interesting strategy would be making your second industrialization at Uranus or as there are plenty of high "D" sites there.
Brute Force Pioneer: No, you cannot fulfill this Hidden Agenda while using a Cermet NERVA (7*4) with a D-T Fusion Tokamak (1/2 fuel consupmtion). The restriction applies to the modified thrust comsumption.
Solar Sail Navigator: I would be hesitant to pick this one if Mars is busted and I am not ESA.
Determined Colonist: The VP value in this card scales to incentivate the player to form three colonies, if possible. If I put a flat value, one could be more interest in creating just one or two colonies and then forget about it and focus on space ventures and interstellar sites.
Cometary Explorer: I simplified a bit from the original concept. Note the player must make sure to remember (and remind the others) which comets he put black disks. However, I rarely see more than one player trying to claim a comet in the game so I don't think this will be an issue.
Uranian Subsidiary/Neptunian Subsidiary: As I stated above, I think Neptune more rewarding than Uranus and in long voyages. So, although Neptune is located further, the VP of these two cards are the same.
The Solar Frontier: The Mother of all Hidden Agendas. Why I picked out those three sites? Because it bothers me there are far more rewarding locations in the beyond-Neptune area of the map. In the only game I managed to reach there, I won 31 VP using a raygun and making 4 sucessful claims at Pluto, Charon , Nix and Hydra (2 interstellar sites, "V" Space Venture, 4 claims). So why should I go to the Plutino route? Another comparison is between the route to Quaoar at Kuipfer belt and the Haumea Family. If to go to the Haumea Family, I can first try to claim one interstellar site (2002 TX) and the 1999Oy and then (assuming the second interstellar site hasn't been claimed) try to claim Haumea, Hi'iaka (both are interstellar sites) and Namaka for a potential of 30+ VP. Why should I go to QUaoar and Weywot? I hope this Hidden Agenda gives some love to this sites , especially for rockets lacking a raygun.
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