Sunday 9th April - TWILIGHT IMPERIUM

The time to battle over Metacol closes in once again. An epic battle will be fought in the Greenhill Galaxy - and hosted by supreme leader PaulyG...

Usual 8 player all day game (10am - very late)... bring buffet bits (for lunch and general grazing) and then we will all chip in for a Pizza after the game. In fairness this usually occurs around 8-9pm.

Show you interest below - we have a number of reserved seats that will open up I'm sure... confirmed players are in BOLD. So get your name down for a 1st reserve...  

1 - Paul (Supreme Leader of the known Galaxy)
2 - Aneurin (Keeper of all things Hex Shaped)
3 - JohnH (Minister of Strops and Holder of the Q4 2016 Metacol Crown - he must be defeated before he retreats north)
4 - Steve (Minister of long distance travel)
5 -
6 - Tom C (Minister of easy pickings)
7 - Ellis (Minister of being AWOL for some time)
8 - Meurig (Minister of wanting a second go)

Are we doing the alternate galaxy setup for this one (with the twin galaxies and separate Mecatol ring all linked with wormholes) or saving that for next time when we're all used to playing again?

paulyg wrote:Are we doing the alternate galaxy setup for this one (with the twin galaxies and separate Mecatol ring all linked with wormholes) or saving that for next time when we're all used to playing again?

I'd be up for this

JohnH wrote:

paulyg wrote:Are we doing the alternate galaxy setup for this one (with the twin galaxies and separate Mecatol ring all linked with wormholes) or saving that for next time when we're all used to playing again?

I'd be up for this

My concern is that it will feel like two separate games - but willing to give it a try...

Aneurin wrote:

JohnH wrote:

paulyg wrote:Are we doing the alternate galaxy setup for this one (with the twin galaxies and separate Mecatol ring all linked with wormholes) or saving that for next time when we're all used to playing again?

I'd be up for this

My concern is that it will feel like two separate games - but willing to give it a try...

It has a bit of that anyway as the table is so large with so many players

I'm in

1 spot left - anyone game?

Aneurin wrote:1 spot left - anyone game?

I'd like to give it a go

You're in Paul. And we are full again. I'll sort some race choices and seating out later when I turn the computer on

Finally got around to sorting out some races... Here are your choices all... let me know which one you want and I will put it up in BOLD...

Ellis: Universities of Jol-Nar or Arborec
Meurig: Yssaril Tribes or Ghosts of Creuss
JohnH: Winnu or Federation of Sol
Steve: Naalu Collective or Clan of Saar
PaulG2: Yin Brotherhood or Barony of Letnev
PaulG: Emirates of Hacan or L1Z1X Mindnet
TomC: Embers of Muaat or Mentak Coalition
Aneurin: Shardak-Norr or Nekro Virus

Mentak plz

BeardyTom wrote:Mentak plz

Not Embers of Muaat with war-suns to start? As the virus we could come to a very healthy alliance agreement?

Aneurin wrote:

BeardyTom wrote:Mentak plz

Not Embers of Muaat with war-suns to start? As the virus we could come to a very healthy alliance agreement?

A very healthy but very *short* alliance, I should think ;-)

paulyg wrote:

Aneurin wrote:

BeardyTom wrote:Mentak plz

Not Embers of Muaat with war-suns to start? As the virus we could come to a very healthy alliance agreement?

A very healthy but very *short* alliance, I should think ;-)

The race who donates War-suns to the Virus - so they can terrorise the rest of the known universe - is forever their friend. The race that steals good off them... well it doesn't bear thinking about.

Aneurin wrote:

paulyg wrote:

Aneurin wrote:

BeardyTom wrote:Mentak plz

Not Embers of Muaat with war-suns to start? As the virus we could come to a very healthy alliance agreement?

A very healthy but very *short* alliance, I should think ;-)

The race who donates War-suns to the Virus - so they can terrorise the rest of the known universe - is forever their friend. The race that steals good off them... well it doesn't bear thinking about.

Plus you should be supporting this alliance as it might block my movement to the Lizix and their juicy starting techs... they have so many - it would be mean not to share...

So after the last game there was some talk about using a 'more' balanced galaxy setup...

The official variant from FFG is shown here:



What do people think? Do they want to try it? I for one don't...
why?

1) I like the part of the game which allows creation of the galaxy... how you place tiles can help or hinder opponents/alliances... I like that touch and would miss it.
2) Empty space tiles become useless in this setup map... they are all located at the edges... they might as well not be there. Unless you were attacking (and it would show your hand)... I don't like that
3) There are secret objectives that involve control of wormholes, science discounts and systems around metacol. These suddenly get a lot harder to achieve.
4) With an alpha and beta worm hole in the centre or the nexus - there is little opportunity for surprise attacks in the other half of the galaxy. TI3 is a game that is hard to get a foot hold in a different part of the galaxy... this basically limits it even further as you have to go through specified 'doorways'.
5) MOST IMPORTANTLY - Given that the ghosts block a/b wormhole systems from being activated... they can sit in the nexus and the two wormhole systems leading to Metacol and basically break all movement and the game...

I think as we have a new player we should stick with the normal setup for this one... I'm still intrigued by the alternative setup for one game in the future but agree we'd probably have to remove Ghosts from the race options (which I think is still ok as there are 17?)

Ellis: Universities of Jol-Nar or Arborec
Meurig: Yssaril Tribes or Ghosts of Creuss
JohnH: Winnu or Federation of Sol
Steve: Naalu Collective or Clan of Saar
[insert name here] : Yin Brotherhood or Barony of Letnev
PaulG: Emirates of Hacan or L1Z1X Mindnet
TomC: Embers of Muaat or Mentak Coalition
Aneurin: Shardak-Norr or Nekro Virus

I'm always keen to try a new faction so I'll take the L1Z1X, ta.

paulyg wrote:I'm always keen to try a new faction so I'll take the L1Z1X, ta.

So 5 juicy tech to start with and only TomC between us. I feel you need to send across the occasional tribute ship there to ensure the virus spreads clockwise . 1 destroyer every turn or so... that will pay me off...

I shall take Yssaril Tribes, please.

If you guys could use this as an opportunity to drink lots of Coke Zero and Diet Coke that would be appreciated

You have an excesss or you would like us to bring some?

We have an excess
Please please please do not bring any

Sorry its short notice but I'm going to pull out of playing. Sorry to be so annoying but when I signed up I thought I'd be finished with my PhD thesis by Sunday and it's becoming evident that I won't be... and for my own sanity I need it finished. Hope this doesn't put a black mark against my name...