Chris Orszak
United States
Windsor Locks
Connecticut
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A lot of people have canned this game. I agree there are problems but also find this version very enjoyable.
For those unaware, the game is designed for two players but is pretty good for solo play. You play the part of either the forces of an ancient and powerful space empire or the upstart terran forces who the empire has just discovered.
The subject matter is great and if you ask me, has not been covered often enough in recent years.
Here's how I grade it:
COUNTERS: beautiful; the only problem I have is that there aren't enough infantry - A-
MAPS:The planetary display map displays each of the possible planets that can be fought over The battle map is 3-d and along each side has a listing and description of each of the ships available in the game. Only problem is that they did not include anything to track turns or impulses. I use a quarter and a penny on the ship boxes but it would have been nice if Avalanche had done this officially. It leaves one to wonder how they tracked it during playtest? The system map is beautiful to look at but for playability can be a bit cluttered. Avalanche used a star elevation system during playtest and by the time they determined it was too complicated, it was too late to fix the map. So players are left having to remember that a fleet located in one hex is actually in the system 2 or 3 hexes above it. There are lines to show this but again, it would have been nice if they had just fixed it originally. Overall grade for the maps: B
RULE BOOK: There are a few things missing or unclear in the rulebook. By now there seems to be enough info available on the web to make up for it - and Avalanche is willing to answer questions - but I have to give the rules a C+
SCENARIO BOOK: Worse than the rules - it does not do a good job of explaining where outposts might belong in systems with two planets. C
GAMEPLAY: Strategic Turns are broken out into the typical Production section (including random events for the imperials, imperial appeals, production and reinforcement)followed by 4 movement impulses, each with up to 6 actions per player, and ends with a maintanance/repair phase. Victory is tracked by the imperial glory index - which starts at 5 and is adjusted for capturing or losing worlds/outposts or winning/losing major engagements. Starting with the 6th turn, a war may end depending on the position of the glory index. It is an interesting mechanic that helps create a lot of tension.
The random events can be a bit extreme and can cause major swings in momentum. One result - the imperial visit, can bring several capital ships, including battleships, to the imperial side. This can be devestating if it occurs early on during the first war when neither side generally fields anything stronger than a cruiser. On the other hand, I have seen the Recession result occur on two turns in a row, basically reducing imperial income by two thirds (each result lasts 3 turns). I wish the results were somehow tied into the Glory index - design the chart with the positive results on a 6 or lower and the negative results on 8+. Then modify the die roll by the difference between the GI and it's starting point. So an 8 GI would add 3 to the die roll and provide a greater likelihood of events that would benefit the Terrans.
The activation mechanic used to move fleets and fight battles can be a bit luck based, too. Each player rolls a d6 to determine how many actions they get that impulse. If both sides roll the same die the impulse ends with no movement by either side. The random nature can cause extreme situations where one side will get 6 activations and the other only 1. In the end things generally even out but if you roll poorly several impulses in a row, you might find yourself in quite a pickle.
Combat is played out on 3 5x5 maps simulating the 3-d nature of space combat. Ships can move N,S,E,W or up or down a level. It kind of reminds me of that chess game Spock and Kirk played on star trek. There are 3 turns per battle and each turn has three movement impulses with a fire phase in between each move phase. Fans of GWaS will recognise the system. Faster ships can move in all three impulses but slower capitals and wounded vessels move in only 2 or 1 impulse. Ships are armed with beams (fire only up to 1 space away)and torpedos
(fire up to 3 spaces away). Terrans have stronger beam armament and Imperials have better missile armament so each side must use different tactics to win. Terrans must find away to close the gap and force the imperials into beam range. Imperials generally like to keep range as long as possible. If no side has retreated by the end of the 3 turn or if no shots are fired for a few impulses, then the attacker must retreat. This rule is a bit gimmicky but unfortunately neccessary since it is possible that, with poor strategy, one fleet could spend eternity chasing around another fleet.
Fire resolution is done in typical Avalanche fashion - roll a lot of dice and count up the 6's (or 4-6,5-6's) as may be the case. If you hit a ship more than it's damage capability, it is flipped to its damaged side. Against torpedos, ships get to fire off countermeasures and eliminate one hit against it for each, you guessed it, 6 rolled. I joke about the 6's but in fact, I find this system more enjoyable than the d10 roll in the original game.
The only other game play issue is the interwar period. The original game had a very streamlined system for what occured after peace was declared. In this version, the peace period might last as long as the war did. Additionally, not enough was done to adjust for any imballances from the previous war. If one player was beat up, it will be difficult for that player to catch up during the interwar period.
Overall gameplay grade: B
A lot of people compare this to the original and think it's a lot worse. I find that the more detailed combat system allows players to develop a strategy for their fleet design and makes for a more interesting game. What this game really needs is a re-write of some of the rules to ensure more balance. If Avalanche had supported it better or had done a better job of playtesting, then I'd give it an A. Instead it drops to a B on my list.
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Jason Cawley
United States
Anthem
Arizona
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There wasn't any d10 in the original game.
The original CRT rolls 1d6 and hits if you match or exceed the listed number. The numbers go to 7 because +1 modifiers are possible for "suicide" attacks (let the attacked fire back at each attacker and resolve the defender's shot first, only survivors reply, and this is for beam range only). Shots at disrupted ships (out of supply basically) also get an add, while shots by then get a minus. But there were no d10s. (There are d10s in Twilight Imperium, but that isn't Imperium).
The basic problem with the whole 3rd edition attempt is they introduced an extra tactical combat system and completely muffed it. The original had all the necessary range and number stuff covered much more simply and abstractly, it played out much faster, and the results and tactics were more balanced. It is the usual story of a designer thinking he is adding "realism" when he adds complexity and naive literalism about one thing, in place of smart abstraction, but actually trashes a working system because all the paper-scissors-rock relations of the addition are hopelessly broken.
You can try to fix it with house rules but it is beyond pointless. The entire tactical combat system in simply a mistake, start to finish. The original was not broken, it worked great. Just play the original - pair off the ships, extras pile up where they like, shoot one ship opposite, first round long range, thereafter roll initiative and winner picks the range, ties range stays what it was that turn *and changes the next*, and less numerous side gets +1 to the initiative roll.
Instead giving missiles range 3 on a large 3D tactical map just makes stand off and plink a single optimum tactic. Which is fiddly to implement, takes 5 times as long to resolve, and for both sides combined gives crappy results that interact horribly with the existing ship types and costs.
I think people defend this game simply because they own it and don't want to admit they've been "had". If they had the original instead, they'd know better.
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