Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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Now that the full list of aliens for Cosmic Encounter is out, I am writing some thoughts on what I think of the mix, the changes, the newbies, and whatever else occurs to me. I didn't bother writing down exactly what every alien does in great detail- but you can look these guys up on the Warp if you don't know them: http://redamedia.com/warp/anypower.php3
Amoeba [*] (Eon) - No changes to Amoeba, which has been around since the beginnings of CE. This is a pretty good alien to have, but one that involves some gambling. You can get more ships into the encounter if you think that will tip the balance (but it's before cards are revealed). It's often used to escape from losing battles, which is also nice.
Anti-Matter [*] (Eon) - This is one of my favorites, and part of the balancing mechanism for the Virus. No changes for this alien either. The mix of cards in the deck make it a challenge to beat AM, but not impossible. Reinforcements can be played on either side, so you can add to HIS total when you need the points.
Barbarian [*] (New) - This is certainly a good power to have... win an encounter, demoralize your opponent by taking his cards. It's like compensation for not losing. Barbarian is Hacker for winners. He's powerful, but it's offset by his use only as offense. Combine Barbarian with Machine and look out.
Calculator [*] (Eon) - This is the original version (not the double the lower card version that Mayfair used). Calculator is another one of the "can you outsmart your opponent" aliens that I like. How high of a card should I play? Although sometimes Calc ends up outsmarting himself.
Chosen [*] (Mayfair) - Chosen was originally a good idea for a power, but in my experience it almost never helped him win a challenge. This was a great candidate for tweaking, which is exactly what happened. The new Chosen has teeth. He flips over 3 cards, and he can replace his played card with any of them, or combine attacks together. This is now an alien that will be useful more often than not (a complete turnaround).
Citadel [*] (New) - This is an alien that you start to discover its value the more you play with it. Initially, it's just a way to beef up your defenses at home. Later in the game, it's insurance against being attacked on any of your external bases. The great thing about Citadel is dumping less useful Attack cards from your hand- it's like a Philanthropist for yourself. You can also influence where the leaders make their attacks late in the game, increasing your chances of staying in the race. This will be a lot more fun combined with other aliens like Dictator, and Terrorist (well, in my set anyway).
Clone [*] (Eon) - This classic alien is as clean and elegant as they come- no changes needed. He keeps his own card... nuff said.
Cudgel [*] (New) - Of course I like Cudgel... The first homemade alien I ever created was just like it. It's great for intimidation. Cudgel is a reverse Vacuum (which makes for a brutal combination, by the way)- when you lose to him, you lose big. Only Zombie is unafraid of him. Having Healer in a game with Cudgel lessens the blow (pun intended), but it's no guarantee you won't get smacked hard (pun again).
Dictator [*] (Eon) - Dictator is an alien that was easy to abuse, and that is why I like the change that was made. It's more strategic to play with now as well. Instead of just sending everyone to attack the same player every single encounter (which you could do before), the Dictator now controls the Destiny deck. Dictator must now plan ahead and think about who he wants to attack whom.
Fido [*] (New) - This is an old school homebrew that's probably in everyone's set that includes homebrew powers. Very simple concept- grab a discarded card and offer it to someone. If they don't want it, it's yours. If they do, you get a reward for giving it to them. Fido wins either way. Like Barbarian, you can end up with several low value cards, but if you have Flares in your hand you like, having some buffer to prevent a new hand draw is a good thing. Fido and Citadel make a fun combo.
Filch [*] (Eon) - The yang of Clone's yin. The double flare treatment for Filch is comical, but that's part of Eon's colorful history.
Fodder [*] (New) - This is one of my aliens, and I'm happy it was included. I like Fodder because it helps you cycle through your hand faster (the opposite strategy for something like Fido or Barbarian), but it also stands a chance against Virus. The trick is the spread between Attack values... the extra cards you play must fall between yours and your opponent's. If Virus tries to go for a really high total with a high Attack card, he sets himself up for many lower cards adding to your total. If he plays lower, he might fall prey to your really high card you were saving for him.
Gambler [*] (Eon) - I always liked the bluffing aspect with Gambler. He waits for his opponent to reveal his card before "declaring" what he played. It gets even more tense when players know he has a good card. Ergo, Gambler and Clone made an awesome combo.
Grudge [*] (Eon) - This alien has been tweaked ever so slightly, making for a pretty nasty mamma jamma. It's now in the other player's best interest to help Grudge win if they get invited. In the other versions of Grudge, players were penalized heavily if Grudge won without them. However, if Grudge invited a lot of people who decline, it wasn't likely Gudge would get to use his power. That's why Mayfair gave him a little more grudginess. But now, he punishes you for not helping a little if he wins, and a LOT if he loses. He's much meaner now.
Hacker [*] (New) - This is Violin from Gerald Katz, and it's a simple alien: collect compensation from anyone, and take the cards you want. It becomes Hacker's strategy to Negotiate early and often- either piling up a great hand for later in the game, or getting some deal situations early for bases. Combined with Fodder, a formidable combo. I like the name change... something more intimidating about a Hacker messing with you than a cosmic violin soaring through space.
Hate [*] (New) - Hate is potentially very nasty- tempered only by the fact that he may only get to use his power once per game, usually twice at the most. When Hate comes in later, he has more of a chance of knocking out some bases, as most players won't have as many cards. Aliens like Fodder and Citadel need to make sure they aren't running low on attacks. Hate can sacrifice a good card like a Flare, knowing there's only about 10 in the deck, and either most players won't have them, or at the very least they won't anymore. When Hate comes up early in the game, he levels the playing field a little his first time through, and increases the chance of getting another turn later in the game (meaning high chance of dire consequences). I like Hate for its different feel to the game- something I value highly in CE.
Healer [*] (Eon) - Healer is the same old healer. He's good to have when you want to build up your hand (to hold onto a flare for instance). Healer doesn't like having Zombie and Observer in the game, and Void doesn't like having Healer in the game.
Human [*] (New) - Human is simple and fun. +4 every encounter is nothing to scoff at. The real insidious part of Human is the immunity to Cosmic Zap- though it goes one higher. Human not only can't really be zapped, but wins automatically if he is. This may unbalance him a little. I would have either simply made Human immune to being zapped, or I would have required him to be zapped by another player in order to take advantage of his auto-win. The latter would be a rare occurrence when his side wouldn't play the zap (but certainly not an absolute given), and maddening when Human himself has the zap but can't use it.
Kamikaze [*] (New) - This is different from the homebrew versions of Kamikaze that are already out there. It's a great alien for getting some more cards in your hand. It will be tougher to use him if he's researching a big Tech. Kamikaze also won't enjoy playing with Mite. My guess is that Healer can heal Kamikaze.
Loser [*] (Eon) - This is the highest rated alien of all time (from a couple different polls of CE nerds around the cosmos, myself included). The Mayfair version is the one in this set (so he can only Upset as a main player)... the elegant nature of changing the goal of your encounter- helps him take on Virus and Anti-Matter in equal measures.
Machine [*] (Eon) - With 8 card hands, Machine is potentially one encounter more powerful than ever. He hasn't been changed from the Eon version (Mayfair's restricted him to two Moon challenges per turn- and if Moons get implemented in FFG, it will be interesting to see how Machine is handled). I like this alien, though I've had mixed success with him. If you lose your first encounter, it's often hard to win with what's left in your hand... but at the same time your opponents are getting their hands whittled down as well.
Macron [*] (Eon) - This is the alien that has been revised the most, so it's no surprise that is was revised by FFG. The issues for Macron were single ship external bases, and not collecting more than 1 reward or compensation in an encounter. With Shadow and Hate in the game, Macron is at risk. He's now more powerful than ever before, collecting 2 cards per ship- thus on defense he can clean up when he loses 4 ships in a Negotiate.
Masochist [*] (New) - This is one of the alternate win aliens included in this set. I've long had alternate win scenarios for CE, but building one into an alien is a nice variation. In that vein, I wouldn't be surprised to see alternate system aliens down the road. Masochist can win the game the normal way (though he has no advantage in doing so since he's essentially powerless the whole game), but can win if all of his ships go to the Warp. This lets Masochist play with reckless abandon (something many players long to do). Ally with 4 ships every time... you'll either get close to winning, or you'll get close to winning the normal way (or stockpile cards all the time). Other players need to start paying attention to Masochist halfway through the game (no handy markers let you know he's on the verge of winning). You must stop asking him to ally, or you have to let him win sometimes. Combine Masochist with Parasite for a speedy game.
Mind [*] (Eon) - Another classic alien that is unchanged. Mind looks at a main player's hand every encounter. It's pretty easy to deduce which aliens he combines well with.
Mirror [*] (Mayfair) - This is a nice alien to include, and Kevin was smart to make the "single" digit Attack cards into double digits by putting a "0" in front, making Mirror conversions a snap. Mirror is flexible enough to take on Anti-Matter as well as Virus. Mirror's reversal should not affect Fodder's additional attack cards.
Miser [*] (Eon) - Beefed up slightly due to 8 card hands. Miser's horde is immune to the Mutant, Barbarian, and Mite (as far as I can tell), and having more cards is always nice.
Mite [*] (CEO) - I'm glad the flavor was changed to "power to bluster" as opposed to "power to cut down to size", which I find clunky. This is a pretty good alien, as he either gets what he wants, or levels the playing field. Mite is a good foil for Barbarian and Hacker, since they will usually have more than 3 cards. If they have things they like a lot, Mite might get a free colony. Having retained Flares in the game also makes Mite more sinister.
Mutant [*] (Eon) - This is the same at the classic Eon version and Mayfair version, but I think it differs slight from the online one. It's a little better though, in that hands are 8 cards now in FFG, rather than 7. Drawing from any players, and from the deck is a nice ability, especially when you know people are holding flares.
Observer [*] (New) - Observer is a mini Zombie when he allies, so he can go all in- and when he's the main player, he'll get a full commitment from anyone he invites, since their no risk to them. Using only the second part of his power was probably not strong enough on its own- but I would probably have preferred not having another alien's power mixed into a new one. Of course on that note, Fodder has some Deuce-like qualities as he's a Deuce that keeps on Deucing (but Fodder is optional, and has some restrictions).
Oracle [*] (Eon) - The epitome of CE, the Oracle is the same as he ever was. He's Fodder's nemesis, since Oracle can play a card that just barely gives him the win (it's a risk with Reinforcements in the game, however).
Pacifist [*] (Eon) - There was debate over whether to include this alien or Empath, since both have similar mechanisms. While I think Empath is a pretty good alien, it's enough like Pacifist that not having both in the same release is wise move. And Pacifist is arguably a little stronger since he doesn't have to give anything away (by making a deal).
Parasite [*] (Eon) - This is a simple and great alien to include, and one of the reasons I like CE with a lot of players. Parasite is one of the reasons players need to consider attacking someone in their own system... he can sneak into a lot of encounters, even if it's only one ship.
Philanthropist [*] (Eon) - One of the most underrated aliens- Philanthropist can weed out the cards he doesn't want very quickly. He can also give a card to an ally to ensure a win. No changes here either.
Reincarnator [*] (Eon) - This is a fun alien to play, simply because you get to tinker with a lot of other aliens (of course, only if you keep getting defeated). No need to change this one.
Remora [*] (New) - Another simple concept for CE- when someone else gets something, so does Remora. He'll never have resource issues, since players will always be retrieving ships and drawing cards. It's nice that most of the new aliens are simple to use- usually new ones get more and more complex (look up Witch and Force to get an idea). Remora also combines well with Fodder, Philanthropist, and Reserve below.
Reserve [*] (Mayfair) - With the inclusion of Reinforcements in this edition, Reserve is a natural alien to include. Here's another alien that makes great use of low Attack cards. He can cycle through his hand faster, and is less prone to Mite's power.
Shadow [*] (Eon) - This is the old Assassin alien, with a gentler moniker. Everyone hates to have their ships whacked, but I love having Shadow in the game because it forces players to think more about how they spread around their ships. You know your system will be coming up frequently, so you have to commit to attacks with more gusto. In most games, allies try to get away with bringing only one or two ships, but they can't afford to be that way with Shadow. Because he adjusts the dynamic of a "normal" game, I am glad he's included.
Sorcerer [*] (Eon) - One of the most fun aliens to play. I like the ones where you have to analyze what you think your opponent might play (low card or high)... will he switch or not?
Spiff [*] (Mayfair) - This is a goofy alien, which is not a criticism. It's fun to try and work out a way to lose the encounter, by a small margin- and Reinforcements help.
Tick-Tock [*] (New) - Like Masochist, Tick-Tock has his own way to win. He has no power to take advantage of during an encounter, but he forces other players to pay attention to what's going on in the game. When Tick-Tock allies with the offense, he's in a win-win situation. I'd be curious to see him combined with Masochist, just for laughs.
Trader [*] (Eon) - An oldie but a goodie. No change- Trader takes his opponent's hand, unloading his own lame cards at the same time. Trader is a great combo with Fodder and Sorcerer.
Tripler [*] (CEO) - This is the other alien from Cosmic Online, and it's another alien that can get high encounter totals to take on Virus. I like how CEO's version does the math for you... tripling is easy, but "thirding" some cards requires higher math. I've made myself a cheat sheet so I don't have to use any more of my brain than necessary. In my home set, there's more numbers floating around, including negatives.
Vacuum [*] (Eon) - No change to vacuum. This alien becomes even more impactful in games with Tech, since players are now spreading their resources even thinner.
Virus [*] (Eon) - No changes to the alien most people think of as being too powerful. It's a great alien, no doubt, but there's enough going on in CE that balances this old boy out- plus as the game goes on, he tends to get weaker, as opposed to Warrior, who just gets stronger.
Void [*] (Eon) - Void has been taken down a notch simply by virtue of the fact that he can't take a player out of the game... when they get down to 5 ships (or less in a smaller game), a player essentially becomes immune to him. This very rarely happens with Void, so it won't be a big deal, but it's also an argument for not changing it anyway. Healer does a nice job of lessening Void's impact, but so does playing more aggressively against him. Some players save their better cards for attacking, and are willing to give up a home planet- but Void makes you think twice about that strategy. In the end, it's probably best that Void was made a little weaker- you're more likely to start hating CE if you get kicked out completely, especially if it happens in one of your first games (but that shouldn't happen if you use the color coded recommendations).
Vulch [*] (Eon) - This alien hasn't changed... there are half as many artifacts in this set than in the Mayfair base set (though three more than Eon's base set). So I suppose this set almost breaks even. Vulch won't get a lot of artifacts in a game, but every little bit helps.
Warpish [*] (Eon) - Good old Warpish is the same as ever. With Warrior, Tripler, Mirror, Anti-Matter, and to a lesser degree Fodder and Macron, Virus has some good offet aliens.
Warrior [*] (Eon) - No changes to Warrior, except that now you have tokens you can count rather than jotting his experience down on paper. Warrior gets stronger the longer the game goes on (he really learns from mistakes too), but I doubt you'll run out of the tokens. In most games I've played with Warrior, he's gotten as high as the mid 20's, but that's about it.
Will [*] (Eon) - Will still gets to attach whoever he likes, even people that have an external base in some other player's system.
Zombie [*] (Eon) - No change to the Zombie- he even still have the ability to free ships from the Warp as part of a deal (something I removed from my version of Zombie- although I suppose you can argue it gives him a reason to deal rather than letting people just lose 3 ships- not that he inherently gets anything more out of a deal situation).
Ultimately I think this is a fantastic mix of aliens for a base set, and it should help create new fans of the game. A lot of the classics are in there, as well as some from other editions (which I am thrilled were allowed to be included). It's also absolutely vital that new aliens were included- and it seems like they are really capturing the imagination of the old CE circles. I can understand the reluctance to change aliens, but I think when game balance and "fun" is taken into account, the changes make a lot of sense.
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Matthew LaClair
United States
Watertown
New York
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Quote: Ultimately I think this is a fantastic mix of aliens for a base set, and it should help create new fans of the game.
Agreed.
I can't say, though, that I'm a big fan of the newer, meaner look they gave some of the original aliens. Macron, Virus, and Zombie all look really nasty and menacing now, which clashes a bit with the light-hearted nature of CE. I also miss the folding tent-style cards, though FFG's alien "sheets" are a much better choice from a practical standpoint, much like the planet discs.
Jack, have you gotten to play with the new set very much? I'm wondering if the "Morph" cards make things any more interesting, especially when it comes to powers like Gambler and Oracle.
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Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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I've played the playtesting set a few times, but not the actual published full on dealio
 so I have used the Morph a little... but there was actually a card just like it in my homebrew set (Special Attack cards, and Special Compromise cards). It's been very interesting using the "Morph", but it hasn't been an issue. When you play it against Gambler, he sees it and still declares what his card is.... and yours will be whatever his is. You can deal with the result, or call his bluff (but chances may be good he's telling the truth this time... though you never know). Oracle sees your Morph and then has to play what he wants to play. I love playing it against Sorcerer.
I kinda like the alien art myself... having lived through a couple of editions that had art I couldn't really get into (you should see that whacked art they had in Konig Der Sterne). I never folded my alien cards (a friend folded his, and one ripped... others got worn and dropped too much). And we kept knocking over the AH aliens. I just laid mine flat on the table as it is, and in my homebrew set, they work a lot like the FFG aliens.
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The Gray Dog Passes Go
United States
Reno
Nevada
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I was going to post this as a separate thread, but it seems to go along better with Jack's usual thorough breakdown.
A few days ago, I got curious about where all of the aliens "came from," so I researched each card's first appearance in the Cosmic Encounter universe, and here's what I came up with:
( originally printed as "Origins of Specie(s)" at my CE website: http://blogmicencounter.blogspot.com/ )
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Here’s a breakdown of the initial Cosmic Encounter appearances for the 50 aliens included in the recently released Fantasy Flight Games version of the game:
31 were included in the Eon base set and expansions:
* (12 from base set) Amoeba, Clone, Macron, Mind, Mutant, Oracle, Philanthropist, Trader, Virus, Void, Vulch, Zombie;
* (4 from Expansion 1) Dictator, Grudge, Parasite, Will;
* (7 from Expansion 2): Anti-Matter, Calculator, Filch, Gambler, Machine, Miser, Sorcerer
* (5 from Expansion 3): Assassin (renamed to Shadow), Healer, Reincarnator, Vacuum, Warrior;
* (3 from Expansion 7): Loser, Pacifist, Warpish.
4 are from the Mayfair base set and expansion:
Chosen, Mirror, Reserve, and Spiff.
2 are from Cosmic Encounter Online:
Mite and Tripler.
And 13 are new and have never before been published officially:
Barbarian, Citadel, Cudgel, Fido, Fodder, Hacker, Hate, Human, Kamikaze, Masochist, Observer, Remora, and Tick-Tock.
Instant analysis: overall, it's a very interesting mix. I’m particularly satisfied with FFG’s decision to search the cosmos for 13 essentially new aliens, and I’m also impressed by how many old-school aliens are still making the grade today. Eighty percent of the original base set from 1977 (12 of 15) is included in CE’s 2008 re-release, along with 70 percent (7 of 10) of Expansion 2.
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Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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Yes Duke, your post inspired me to finish my write up... so I stayed up till 2 adding all the color coding for the aliens... and I had to pester Kevin for a couple details, since I didn't have all the aliens in front of me.
I look forward to writing another one of these for the next block of aliens... muhuhahahhaha.
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David Chapman
United Kingdom
Unspecified
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CaptainCosmic wrote: Eighty percent of the original base set from 1977 (12 of 15) is included in CE’s 2008 re-release
Out of curiosity, which three got the axe?
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The Gray Dog Passes Go
United States
Reno
Nevada
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Chronos, Laser ... and ... damn it ... I wanted to do this off the top of my head.
Empath. (but I had to look that one up  )
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Nate Johnson
United States
Vernon Hills
Illinois
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Looks like Chronos, Empath and Laser
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Anthony DuLac
United States
Minnesota
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Thanks for taking the time and putting in the work to post this useful article, Jack. A bit of GG sent your way.
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Stephen Stewart
United States
Visalia
California
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I'm kinda disappointed by the IMMUNITY to the VOID's power when down to 5 ships.
Part of VOID's mystique is that he can TAKE YOU OUT COMPLETELY! This get's him early allies, but later as player's realize they just have to team up against him, counters his annihilation power.
I've played forever and have yet to have the combination of powers in the game allowing a player annihilation to occur. (We usually play with one power only, I can see a multipower VOID being VERY powerful, especially in an extended game).
I LOVE the Eon artwork of a black eclipsing hole or whatever it is on the VOID card!
I don't know about other game groups, but our group gets a kick out of roleplaying our powers, Sniveler, Aristocrat, Magnet, Macron (big dumb brute), Butler. It adds a lot more fun when your getting your A$$ handed to you!
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This is a very nice review you did. I'm new to CE and I'm wondering why you say that Hate's power will only be used possibly once per game. Are CE games often over before a player gets another chance to attack again?
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Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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tibbs2 wrote: This is a very nice review you did. I'm new to CE and I'm wondering why you say that Hate's power will only be used possibly once per game. Are CE games often over before a player gets another chance to attack again?
I've played games where I never even had a turn... mind you, those were usually 6 player games (or even more), but there's been 5 player games that only went around the board once. Anything can happen... in most games I play few players got more than 2 turns... it depends on so many variables... the players, the number of them, the aliens involved, the combination, the hands we got, who went first...
You can get 2 bases on your turn.... but you can also get as many as 4 bases before your turn even gets there. I usually have at least 2 bases by the time I get a turn if I haven't gone first.
But I wouldn't be surprised if Hate's average was 2 turns per game (or something like 2.357). I will be curious to hear session reports that detail how many turns people got.
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Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
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Limey Sponge wrote: Looks like Chronos, Empath and Laser
All three of those are great aliens. I get that Empath didn't make the cut because of its closeness to Pacifist. But I wonder why the other two were cut?
Unless they were held back for the first expansion. Laser is one of my favorites. Renders a lot of strategies useless.
As for the original post - this was a tremendous pick of 50 aliens, that's for sure!
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Michael Van Biesbrouck
United States
Mountain View
California
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The Warp wrote: Vulch [*] (Eon) - This alien hasn't changed... there are half as many artifacts in this set than in the Mayfair base set (though three more than Eon's base set). So I suppose this set almost breaks even. Vulch won't get a lot of artifacts in a game, but every little bit helps.
I know that Kevin Wilson was thinking of tweaking this power because it didn't get enough cards. I disagreed, but some of the games I've played recently do seem to be lower on artifacts/edicts than I remember from games in the past. I think that the Mayfair decks that I played with might have been a bit more stocked with them.
Ah, Vulch grabbing the Un-Zap to Un-Zap my Un-Zap....
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Ken H.
United States
Amherst
Ohio
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Nice write up!
The Warp wrote: Amoeba [*] (Eon) - No changes to Amoeba, which has been around since the beginnings of CE. This is a pretty good alien to have, but one that involves some gambling.
The risk of losing all your ships is too high for my taste. I think this is one of the weakest aliens in the set for that reason. If you have a Mobius Tubes or Emotion Control in hand, then you can really push it. But otherwise, this one's not for me.
That said, I could see this is an amusing combo with Cudgel. "Okay, Jack, you've lost those 4 ships, and ... umm.... 16 more."
Quote: Gambler [*] (Eon) - I always liked the bluffing aspect with Gambler. He waits for his opponent to reveal his card before "declaring" what he played.
Whoa... wait a minute. These days, it seems like I'm learning something new about this game every day.
After all these years, you would think I might have noticed that the Mayfair Gambler bluffs AFTER the opponent reveals his card. The Eon version (which I have) is not clear on when the bluff is made. It never even crossed my mind that you could look at the card you need to beat and THEN bluff.... Wow, this is quite a bit different from what I'm used to. I remember multiple games in which somebody bluffed having a 20, and the opponent just shrugged it off and revealed his 30.
Quote: Grudge [*] (Eon) - This alien has been tweaked ever so slightly, making for a pretty nasty mamma jamma.
All the tweaks FFG made are great, but this is my favorite one.
Quote: Hate [*] (New) - Hate is potentially very nasty- tempered only by the fact that he may only get to use his power once per game, usually twice at the most.
When I first read this alien, I thought it might be one of the most powerful ones ever. But you make a good point -- it won't get used that much. I tend to play with smaller groups than you, so it's not out of the question that it could get used 3 or 4 (or more) times.
Quote: Loser [*] (Eon) - This is the highest rated alien of all time (from a couple different polls of CE nerds around the cosmos, myself included). No changes needed...
But it is changed. For the better, I'd say. It was really annoying and disruptive when Loser could upset other players' challenges.
Quote: Machine [*] ... if Moons get implemented in FFG, it will be interesting to see how Machine is handled).
I would just limit all players to one moon challenge per turn. That way, special reference to Machine is not needed.
Quote: Masochist [*] (New) - This is one of the alternate win aliens included in this set. I've long had alternate win scenarios for CE, but building one into an alien is a nice variation.
This, and Tick Tock, are really great ideas. I can't wait to try them. Of course, there already was an alternate win in the original version -- Schizoid. But that power was clunky and abusive. These are much better.
Quote: Mind [*] (Eon) - Another classic alien that is unchanged. Mind looks at a main player's hand every encounter.
One of my favorites in the very early days. But then it was overshadowed by Aura. Since FFG did not include the Aura, the Mind gets a boost in its status.
Quote: Mirror [*] (Mayfair) - This is a nice alien to include, and Kevin was smart to make the "single" digit Attack cards into double digits by putting a "0" in front, making Mirror conversions a snap. Mirror is flexible enough to take on Anti-Matter as well as Virus. Mirror's reversal should not affect Fodder's additional attack cards.
Learned something new TWICE today. Having never played a Mayfair set, I never noticed that Mirror's inversion ability affects BOTH players. Wow... this means he is quite a bit weaker than I thought he was.
Quote: Observer [*] (New) - Observer is a mini Zombie when he allies [...] I would probably have preferred not having another alien's power mixed into a new one.
I was not aware that Observer got the Zombie ability when he allied. In that case, I kind of agree with you. I don't like to see aliens overshadow others. However, Observer sounds pretty fun, and I'm definitely looking forward to trying it.
Quote: Pacifist [*] (Eon) - There was debate over whether to include this alien or Empath, since both have similar mechanisms. While I think Empath is a pretty good alien, it's enough like Pacifist that not having both in the same release is wise move. And Pacifist is arguably a little stronger since he doesn't have to give anything away (by making a deal).
Speaking of overshadowing.... Yikes -- I'm glad Pacifist won that debate. This is a classic great power. Possibly top 5 in winning chances, although I don't know the card count in the new deck, so I can't be sure. It was top 5 in the poll you mentioned. Empath, incidentally, was in the BOTTOM five, I believe. So, saying Pacifist is "a little stronger" is an understatement.
Quote: Parasite [*] (Eon) - This is a simple and great alien
Awesome alien, and very powerful too. Ally one ship with the offense on every encounter, no matter what. Don't worry about winning encounters on your own turn (unless you have 4 colonies, of course). Save your good cards to defend your home planets, so you don't lose your power. I'd say top 10 in winning chances.
Quote: Reincarnator [*] (Eon) - This is a fun alien to play
I love the meta-aliens. This is one of my favorites to play. I hope expansions will bring Insect, Plant, Pentaform, and countless variations on the basic theme of "you get different powers".
Quote: Remora [*] (New) - Another simple concept for CE- when someone else gets something, so does Remora.
I had this idea once too. I wrote it up as Static, with "the power to Cling". Never posted it anywhere though.
Quote: Sorcerer [*] (Eon) - One of the most fun aliens to play. I like the ones where you have to analyze what you think your opponent might play (low card or high)... will he switch or not?
Not one of my favorites, actually. Yes, it's a nice, clean power, and very strong. But it is basically a "coin flip" power, along with Calculator.
Quote: Void [*] (Eon) - Void has been taken down a notch simply by virtue of the fact that he can't take a player out of the game. [...] In the end, it's probably best that Void was made a little weaker- you're more likely to start hating CE if you get kicked out completely, especially if it happens in one of your first games (but that shouldn't happen if you use the color coded recommendations).
A very minor change, in my opinion. I'm not sure I've ever seen Void knock somebody completely out of the game. It's a good change, though, for the reason you mentioned.
Hmm... Cudgel + Void combo.... Run AWAY!
Quote: Zombie [*] (Eon) - No change to the Zombie- he even still have the ability to free ships from the Warp as part of a deal (something I removed from my version of Zombie- although I suppose you can argue it gives him a reason to deal rather than letting people just lose 3 ships- not that he inherently gets anything more out of a deal situation).
Zombie is classic elegance, and needs to be in the set. Unfortunately, it's just not a strong power. The addition of Cudgel and Hate pump it up a little bit in those matchups, but being able to add 4 ships every time is just not that good overall. Compare it with Human who gets +4 too, AND wins on a zap. Or compare with Observer (as you already mentioned) that gets the same benefit of increased ally invitations. I would have preferred to see the power expanded a bit (like maybe saying he does NOT have to move his tokens when he loses a challenge. Therfore, he will never lose a base he has gained, and will never lose his power ever. That would have big ramifications in a multi-power game.)
Anyway, thanks for the good discussion on the powers. One of my favorite subjects to debate!
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Ken H.
United States
Amherst
Ohio
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TomVasel wrote: Limey Sponge wrote: Looks like Chronos, Empath and Laser All three of those are great aliens. I get that Empath didn't make the cut because of its closeness to Pacifist. But I wonder why the other two were cut? Unless they were held back for the first expansion. Laser is one of my favorites. Renders a lot of strategies useless.
I wonder that too. Laser is also one of my favorites.
I can't remember the order, but I do recall that in my first two games of CE, I was Laser and Void. I didn't even really understand the game at that point, but the powers are just so basic that they're easy to grasp. And, they were by far the coolest artwork of the Eon powers.
Chronos, on the other hand, I have never played. It was left out of my base set due to a packaging error. Since my Dad picked up the first two expansions at the same time we got the base game, I never even noticed that some were missing. Virus and Oracle were also not there. Never knew about them for 10+ years, until a friend picked up the West End edition.
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Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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You are correct about the Eon Loser, Ken... I reckon I have been too used to the Mayfair version to notice the change.... and so, I agree with you- the change is better.
As for which classic aliens did not get included, I am sure there were several factors that weighed in for what got in and what didn't... things like ease of use (which applied to most of what WAS included), how much fun it is for everyone in the game, and probably biggest of all: game balance. And who knows what other criteria were used?
I love Chronos, but it is one that sometimes has to be explained to a newer player a few times. Laser is classic, no doubt- but he does kinda leave other players with no room to maneuver. I can't say what the real issued were, but I don't expect these aliens to NEVER see the light of day.
In the end, there's just a lot of good aliens out there, old and new- when you're putting together a list of what to show first, you gotta think about what works well together, who balances out whom, which flares do you want in include, how will things work with Tech, what do you want to save for later (an important element, since who wants to unleash a bunch of second-class aliens in an expansion when all the "good" ones are already available?).
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Rob Burns
Macedonia
Skopje
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The Warp wrote: Now that the full list of aliens for Cosmic Encounter is out, I am writing some thoughts on what I think of the mix, the changes, the newbies, and whatever else occurs to me. I didn't bother writing down exactly what every alien does in great detail- but you can look these guys up on the Warp if you don't know them: http://redamedia.com/warp/anypower.php3
Major thanks to you for writing this up! Excellent article. My own comments and questions are below:
The Warp wrote: Barbarian [*] (New) - This is certainly a good power to have... win an encounter, demoralize your opponent by taking his cards. It's like compensation for not losing. Barbarian is Hacker for winners. He's powerful, but it's offset by his use only as offense. Combine Barbarian with Machine and look out.
It does look like a cool homebrew. Whose alien is this? It seems like one of the prolific alien developers, such as Gerald Katz or Cedric Chin, would have done this one, but I can't find its source.
The Warp wrote: Calculator [*] (Eon) - This is the original version (not the double the lower card version that Mayfair used). Calculator is another one of the "can you outsmart your opponent" aliens that I like. How high of a card should I play? Although sometimes Calc ends up outsmarting himself.
I am SO glad this is the Eon version. In my massive essay http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/26965 analyzing Mayfair's changes to the game, I complained quite a bit about Mayfair's change to Calculator, saying:
"Mayfair changes: Mayfair changed Calculator so that double the lower card value is reduced from the higher card. This has the effect of making the gap between the card values quite large. IMO, this is a bad thing, because it doesn't really 'equalize' the situation; in fact, token and Lucre totals become worth LESS...
"Mayfair's version is a Stupid Math Trick power that turns the challenge into a "will he" or "won't he" which practically negate the value of allies, Lucre, and your own tokens.
"EON Calculator indeed makes the CARD total situation something of a crapshoot for the main players. Both players wonder how they can either lowball each other. If A plays a 6 and B plays a 7, now B's 7 is worth 1. If A plays a 4 and B plays a 8, B's 8 is now worth 4. And on...
"So what Calculator, and anyone wondering whether to ally or not, has to evaluate is the whole token situation. Calculator probably shouldn't equalize if he gets a lot of allies. If most of the other players ally against EON Calculator, and he doesn't have a 40, he's probably going to equalize and toss it up. So, allying against EON Calculator is something one should think long and hard about before doing.
"EON Calculator, when he equalizes, is going to toss the card total up, but the CHALLENGE total is going to be close. This ability to make the challenge close is something that other players should regard with care (if not trepidation) when deciding whether to ally or not."
I stand by this reasoning... only EON-style Calculator 'equalizes' a challenge. Bravo, FFG - for including it!
The Warp wrote: Chosen [*] (Mayfair) - Chosen was originally a good idea for a power, but in my experience it almost never helped him win a challenge. This was a great candidate for tweaking, which is exactly what happened. The new Chosen has teeth. He flips over 3 cards, and he can replace his played card with any of them, or combine attacks together. This is now an alien that will be useful more often than not (a complete turnaround).
Nice to see a tweaked version of Chosen show up.
The Warp wrote: Citadel [*] (New) - This is an alien that you start to discover its value the more you play with it. Initially, it's just a way to beef up your defenses at home. Later in the game, it's insurance against being attacked on any of your external bases. The great thing about Citadel is dumping less useful Attack cards from your hand- it's like a Philosopher for yourself. You can also influence where the leaders make their attacks late in the game, increasing your chances of staying in the race. This will be a lot more fun combined with other aliens like Dictator, and Terrorist (well, in my set anyway).
I'm guessing what this alien does is put low Attack cards under planets where you have bases. Good idea. I think you mean "a Philanthropist for yourself."
The Warp wrote: Cudgel [*] (New) - Of course I like Cudgel... The first homemade alien I ever created was just like it. It's great for intimidation. Cudgel is a reverse Vacuum (which makes for a brutal combination, by the way)- when you lose to him, you lose big. Only Zombie is unafraid of him. Having Healer in a game with Cudgel lessens the blow (pun intended), but it's no guarantee you won't get smacked hard (pun again).
Good job Ken.
The Warp wrote: Dictator [*] (Eon) - Dictator is an alien that was easy to abuse, and that is why I like the change that was made. It's more strategic to play with now as well. Instead of just sending everyone to attack the same player every single encounter (which you could do before), the Dictator now controls the Destiny deck. Dictator must now plan ahead and think about who he wants to attack whom.
I believe that Patrick Riley first had this idea to tweak Dictator in this way.
The Warp wrote: Fido [*] (New) - This is an old school homebrew that's probably in everyone's set that includes homebrew powers. Very simple concept- grab a discarded card and offer it to someone. If they don't want it, it's yours. If they do, you get a reward for giving it to them. Fido wins either way. Like Barbarian, you can end up with several low value cards, but if you have Flares in your hand you like, having some buffer to prevent a new hand draw is a good thing. Fido and Citadel make a fun combo.
I have always been a huge advocate for Fido!
The Warp wrote: Fodder [*] (New) - This is one of my aliens, and I'm happy it was included. I like Fodder because it helps you cycle through your hand faster (the opposite strategy for something like Fido or Barbarian), but it also stands a chance against Virus. The trick is the spread between Attack values... the extra cards you play must fall between yours and your opponent's. If Virus tries to go for a really high total with a high Attack card, he sets himself up for many lower cards adding to your total. If he plays lower, he might fall prey to your really high card you were saving for him.
Nice alien, Jack.
The Warp wrote: Gambler [*] (Eon) - I always liked the bluffing aspect with Gambler. He waits for his opponent to reveal his card before "declaring" what he played. It gets even more tense when players know he has a good card. Ergo, Gambler and Clone made an awesome combo.
I like Patrick Riley's suggested change to both Gambler and Skeptic: Gambler and Skeptic both lose 2 if they're wrong; their opponent loses 4 if they 'bet' wrong. But still, the canon Gambler is fine and cool.
The Warp wrote: Grudge [*] (Eon) - This alien has been tweaked ever so slightly, making for a pretty nasty mamma jamma. It's now in the other player's best interest to help Grudge win if they get invited. In the other versions of Grudge, players were penalized heavily if Grudge won without them. However, if Grudge invited a lot of people who decline, it wasn't likely Gudge would get to use his power. That's why Mayfair gave him a little more grudginess. But now, he punishes you for not helping a little if he wins, and a LOT if he loses. He's much meaner now.
Yup, nice tweak.
The Warp wrote: Hacker [*] (New) - This is Violin from Gerald Katz, and it's a simple alien: collect compensation from anyone, and take the cards you want. It becomes Hacker's strategy to Negotiate early and often- either piling up a great hand for later in the game, or getting some deal situations early for bases. Combined with Fodder, a formidable combo. I like the name change... something more intimidating about a Hacker messing with you than a cosmic violin soaring through space.
Yup, nice homebrew.
The Warp wrote: Hate [*] (New) - Hate is potentially very nasty- tempered only by the fact that he may only get to use his power once per game, usually twice at the most. When Hate comes in later, he has more of a chance of knocking out some bases, as most players won't have as many cards. Aliens like Fodder and Citadel need to make sure they aren't running low on attacks. Hate can sacrifice a good card like a Flare, knowing there's only about 10 in the deck, and either most players won't have them, or at the very least they won't anymore. When Hate comes up early in the game, he levels the playing field a little his first time through, and increases the chance of getting another turn later in the game (meaning high chance of dire consequences). I like Hate for its different feel to the game- something I value highly in CE.
Basically, Hate is like the Plague as a power.
The Warp wrote: Human [*] (New) - Human is simple and fun. +4 every encounter is nothing to scoff at. The real insidious part of Human is the immunity to Cosmic Zap- though it goes one higher. Human not only can't really be zapped, but wins automatically if he is. This may unbalance him a little. I would have either simply made Human immune to being zapped, or I would have required him to be zapped by another player in order to take advantage of his auto-win. The latter would be a rare occurrence when his side wouldn't play the zap (but certainly not an absolute given), and maddening when Human himself has the zap but can't use it.
I'm not sure what I think about Human. It's not very elegant.
The Warp wrote: Kamikaze [*] (New) - This is different from the homebrew versions of Kamikaze that are already out there. It's a great alien for getting some more cards in your hand. It will be tougher to use him if he's researching a big Tech. Kamikaze also won't enjoy playing with Mite. My guess is that Healer can heal Kamikaze.
What's the power's description, if it's not Cedric's or Matt's?
The Warp wrote: Macron [*] (Eon) - This is the alien that has been revised the most, so it's no surprise that is was revised by FFG. The issues for Macron were single ship external bases, and not collecting more than 1 reward or compensation in an encounter. With Shadow and Hate in the game, Macron is at risk. He's now more powerful than ever before, collecting 2 cards per ship- thus on defense he can clean up when he loses 4 ships in a Negotiate.
Nice change to Macron.
The Warp wrote: Masochist [*] (New) - This is one of the alternate win aliens included in this set. I've long had alternate win scenarios for CE, but building one into an alien is a nice variation. In that vein, I wouldn't be surprised to see alternate system aliens down the road. Masochist can win the game the normal way (though he has no advantage in doing so since he's essentially powerless the whole game), but can win if all of his ships go to the Warp. This lets Masochist play with reckless abandon (something many players long to do). Ally with 4 ships every time... you'll either get close to winning, or you'll get close to winning the normal way (or stockpile cards all the time). Other players need to start paying attention to Masochist halfway through the game (no handy markers let you know he's on the verge of winning). You must stop asking him to ally, or you have to let him win sometimes. Combine Masochist with Parasite for a speedy game.
Yeah, very Cosmic alien. Nice addition.
The Warp wrote: Mite [*] (CEO) - I'm glad the flavor was changed to "power to bluster" as opposed to "power to cut down to size", which I find clunky. This is a pretty good alien, as he either gets what he wants, or levels the playing field. Mite is a good foil for Barbarian and Hacker, since they will usually have more than 3 cards. If they have things they like a lot, Mite might get a free colony. Having retained Flares in the game also makes Mite more sinister.
Mite is essentially a revision of Wrack, and a nice one.
The Warp wrote: Observer [*] (New) - Observer is a mini Zombie when he allies, so he can go all in- and when he's the main player, he'll get a full commitment from anyone he invites, since their no risk to them. Using only the second part of his power was probably not strong enough on its own- but I would probably have preferred not having another alien's power mixed into a new one. Of course on that note, Fodder has some Deuce-like qualities as he's a Deuce that keeps on Deucing (but Fodder is optional, and has some restrictions).
Observer is a variant of Gerald Katz's Politican, looks like. I like Politician, with main player getting rewards. Protecting allies was added to ensure people would want to ally with him.
The Warp wrote: Spiff [*] (Mayfair) - This is a goofy alien, which is not a criticism. It's fun to try and work out a way to lose the encounter, by a small margin- and Reinforcements help.
Is it at all changed from Mayfair's version? One lament about Spiff was that it could only be used as offensive main player. Of course, what it does as offensive main player is significant.
The Warp wrote: Tick-Tock [*] (New) - Like Masochist, Tick-Tock has his own way to win. He has no power to take advantage of during an encounter, but he forces other players to pay attention to what's going on in the game. When Tick-Tock allies with the offense, he's in a win-win situation. I'd be curious to see him combined with Masochist, just for laughs.
VERY COSMIC! Love it.
The Warp wrote: Ultimately I think this is a fantastic mix of aliens for a base set, and it should help create new fans of the game. A lot of the classics are in there, as well as some from other editions (which I am thrilled were allowed to be included). It's also absolutely vital that new aliens were included- and it seems like they are really capturing the imagination of the old CE circles. I can understand the reluctance to change aliens, but I think when game balance and "fun" is taken into account, the changes make a lot of sense.
I completely agree! What a great new edition of CE.
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Patrick Riley
United States
San Jose
California
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Rubric wrote: Zombie is classic elegance, and needs to be in the set. Unfortunately, it's just not a strong power.
Zombie is my favorite power, though I agree it is not strong. Always being able to put 4 in the cone is great for both offense and alliances. Not losing ships to Plague is nice. And just not having to worry about dying is fun.
Even so, I have 2 problems with Zombie:
1) The rules and/or FAQ need to be very explicit whether or not Zombie is immune to Void, Fungus, and similar powers.
2) FFG explicitly forbids Zombie from taking consolation. I hate this ruling. If Zombie were a powerhouse, then I'd agree that there needs to be some downside. But Zombie is not a strong power and not allowing consolation shoots it in the foot. They "fixed" this weakness in Macron, why not Zombie?
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The Gray Dog Passes Go
United States
Reno
Nevada
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xenongames wrote: 2) FFG explicitly forbids Zombie from taking consolation. I hate this ruling. If Zombie were a powerhouse, then I'd agree that there needs to be some downside. But Zombie is not a strong power and not allowing consolation shoots it in the foot. They "fixed" this weakness in Macron, why not Zombie?
Wait a minute ... when did Zombie ever get compensation? This isn't an FFG thing.
Compensation comes, specifically, from losing ships to the warp, which Zombie manages to avoid. No warp, no comp. This has always seemed pretty fair to me.
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Patrick Riley
United States
San Jose
California
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EON Rules ( http://daveola.com/CosmicEncounter/Rules/) (emphasis in the original):
IF ONLY YOU PLAY A COMPROMISE CARD, and your opponent plays an attack card, your side loses and your tokens and your allies’ tokens go to the Warp. However, because you were willing to compromise and your opponent attacked you, you TAKE CONSOLATION. You take at random from your opponent’s hand one card for each token you lost (not counting your allies--they get nothing).
"your side loses and your tokens... go to the warp." This is the rule that Zombie's power breaks.
"you TAKE CONSOLATION" not because your ships went to the warp, but because "you were willing to compromise and your opponent attacked you."
"You take at random... one card for each token you lost..." Not, "each token you sent to the warp." Zombie's power says, "Whenever you lose tokens and should put them in the Warp, instead you place them on any of your bases and may keep using them." (Emphasis mine) Zombie still loses tokens, but you just don't send them to the the warp. (And losing tokens is important when it means losing a base.)
1) Zombie gets consolation because he played a compromise when the opponent played an attack card.
2) The number of cards gained in consolation is based on tokens lost, not tokens sent to the warp.
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Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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Observer is actually renamed from Cedric Chin's Safety alien.
Kamikaze may send up to 4 of his ships from anywhere to the Warp and draw cards for them.
Matt Stone's Kami would force both main players to lose the challenge, but allies all win.
Cedric's version sacrifices his tokens to take out opponent tokens.
Neither of the other versions is bad.
I like Ken's moon/Machine suggestion of limiting it to one moon encounter per turn.
Spiff is still offensive.
One note on the Gambler- I think I like the "lose as many ships as you have in the encounter" version, since it gives Gambler a little flexibility... if he has none, he can bluff away like crazy, or count on others expecting him to do so. The converse doesn't work too well for Gambler, but c'est la vie... he should stick to attacking planets with defenders if he wants to use his power.
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Matthew Cary
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
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rjburns3 wrote: The Warp wrote: The Warp wrote: Human [*] (New) - Human is simple and fun. +4 every encounter is nothing to scoff at. The real insidious part of Human is the immunity to Cosmic Zap- though it goes one higher. Human not only can't really be zapped, but wins automatically if he is. This may unbalance him a little. I would have either simply made Human immune to being zapped, or I would have required him to be zapped by another player in order to take advantage of his auto-win. The latter would be a rare occurrence when his side wouldn't play the zap (but certainly not an absolute given), and maddening when Human himself has the zap but can't use it. I'm not sure what I think about Human. It's not very elegant.
Give Human a chance, he is one of my favorite aliens in the new edition. 
90% of the time his "add +4 to my side" is basic but useful.
IMHO, the fun of Human is the ever-looming threat of trumping everyone with "human wins" if anyone on his side is holding a Cosmic Zap. Normally, when you are holding a Cosmic Zap you start to feel pretty good about taking on just about anyone, knowing you can negate their power if it gets in the way. Having an alien that actually likes to get zapped has lots of fun effects on the game.
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Jack Reda
United States
Herndon
Virginia
Guess the games in my uberbadge!
My favorite game is Cosmic Encounter.
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We've always played Zombie gets consolation, and that's also how it appears in the FAQ on The Warp. The logical argument Duke makes is certainly... well... logical. But as I've found in CE, not everything is completely logical.
I always thought Zombie should lose his tokens to the Warp, and would alter the text of the alien to read "At the start of every encounter, all of your ships in the Warp return to your colonies." Zombie would then never stay dead- but would constantly rise from the grave- and he would collect compensation normally. But, since he does go to the Warp, he would indeed be victim to Void (which I prefer, since I don't like aliens that have a weakness to one specific alien, or single out one alien that it has immunity to).
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The Gray Dog Passes Go
United States
Reno
Nevada
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xenongames wrote: EON Rules ( http://daveola.com/CosmicEncounter/Rules/) (emphasis in the original): IF ONLY YOU PLAY A COMPROMISE CARD, and your opponent plays an attack card, your side loses and your tokens and your allies’ tokens go to the Warp. However, because you were willing to compromise and your opponent attacked you, you TAKE CONSOLATION. You take at random from your opponent’s hand one card for each token you lost (not counting your allies--they get nothing).
Yes, yes. I'm familiar not only with the rulebook (multiple copies of every English-language edition on hand), but also with the argument (which first began about 45 minutes after the game was released in the '70s). And, in that time, I've never wavered from the belief that it is an incredibly selective reading of the rules. Not to mention a willful distortion of any possible definition of the word "lost."
All of which is fine, and, honestly, it makes not an ounce of difference to me; I just would never agree to play a game with you that involved Zombie. I thought Scott Nicholson said a very, very interesting thing in his video review (I'm paraphrasing): in the olden days, the first thing that had to happen when you played CE with new people was to see how they interpreted the rules. And the Zombie/compensation issue (not to mention the same question for Void) was something that should always have been addressed.
I'll also admit to having what might be termed Cosmic Encounter Online-Itis. I've played so, so very much at CE Online (I don't have a large or reliable gaming group) that I've become completely used to how the game operates there; I know every ruling just from having seen them all in action. And there are some differences between how the CEO code runs the game and strict readings of the various rulebooks. Honestly, if the CEO code allowed Zombie to collect compensation, I might even be agreeing with that interpretation ... maybe.
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