Race for the Galaxy

I consider the expansions a must. There are a few world types and strategies that simply are not viable for the end game without it. Genes worlds in particular hurt in the base game.

I really would only play with the expansions. They don’t add to the complexity so much as the richness of strategy.

Yeah we worked with Soren on Spore. In fact I was introduced to Race playing with him in our lunchtime boardgame group :)

Any plans for a Windows/Steam version?

Working on the Steam version right now (well, when i’m not posting comments ;) Look for it in about a month.

Sounds good.

[quote=“CraigM, post:21, topic:129851”]
I consider the expansions a must. There are a few world types and strategies that simply are not viable for the end game without it. Genes worlds in particular hurt in the base game.

I really would only play with the expansions. They don’t add to the complexity so much as the richness of strategy.
[/quote]I own the physical copies of both these expansions, but never actually got a chance to play with them more than once or twice before we bought this house and moved! Maybe by learning them here, I can finally break out the physical copies and go play down at the local gaming store I’ve been neglecting for 5 years.

Another reason for me slowly adopting the expansions, is that I didn’t want to blitz through content months before the next expansion might release. I was thinking I might drip feed myself content so as not to burn out on the same-old same-old too quickly before the next entry. However, if they enhance the game to the point where I’m truly missing out without them, perhaps I’ll dive in anyway.

I haven’t bought my wife her copy yet, I wanted to make sure the digital version of the game was solid before I did… and since it obviously is, it’ll be fun to get back into this with her.

Well you’ve played with Soren, now you can also play with a NASA JPL scientist on her lunch break!

Look for Fire in the RFTG channel ;)

The first two expansions are essential. The ones post that? optional IMO. I never even got the last one. But things like Prestige and such are mostly, eh. After the second expansion the game was in a great place, with lots of viable paths to victory, and good combos. Nothing particularly essential came out after.

I’ve been playing the game regularly with friends with the expansions since it came out. Getting bored has never really been an issue, since there is enough variety there.

@Greysphere is that Jeff, I assume? Great job with the game!

Who ever “brainscan” is, I declined your invite because I don’t know how to play the expansions yet, and I don’t understand some of the options (like planetary takeovers etc) yet. I just bought the expansions an hour ago, so I’ll figure them out and we can use them in a future game.

Brainscan is @magnet

and I strongly reccomend turning Takeovers off. They were a poor idea, implemented badly. Not a knock on @Greysphere at all, he merely did a fantastic job translating to mobile.

Re: Takeovers

Yeah I found I didn’t really understand Takeovers until implementing them in the app. This thread on BGG has a telling quote:

600-1000 plays: still implements some aspect of the takeover rules wrong

But honestly, when the app does the finicky parts for you, things can be a lot clearer. But yeah, to get there the takeover implementation took like 3 major revisions and we actually have one more turn of the crank planned. And RvI only has 3 takeover powers, ha!

@magnet

We’re in the middle of a game, letting you know I’m away from tablet for a few minutes, bringing in groceries.

Yes, to be clear my objection has nothing to do with the finickiness of it. It has a more fundamental problem, in that it is a card that may come out, but actively punishes players pursuing mixed strategies. It basically forces you to devote 100% to military, or 100% avoid it. Because if you place, say, the Imperium Blaster Gem Factory, a great 6 cost Rare Elements planet, with a great consume power and +1 military? Now you expose your production engine to getting ganked.

Or if you have to adjust your plan mid game because of card draws. One of the beauties of RftG is that it encourages you being adaptable, based on what cards you see. Exploring is a lower value action, unless you are fishing for specific 6 cost developments. So being able to make the best use of cards you draw is critical. Sometimes you simply don’t get the military cards you need, or your best option is to respec into military. Being punished for that due to takeovers just doesn’t sit right with me.

I have strong feelings on this you see. I hate takeovers, but it is a small misstep in an otherwise superb game. And, like you said, only 3 cards even trigger them, so turning off takeovers isn’t abandoning some fundamental game component. It’s simply ignoring a poor design choice.

I’m really glad you included the toggle for them! That was a huge relief for me :)

@magnet Goog game, good job.


I’m currently installing this on my wife’s tablet. I’ll probably teach her to play by streaming her device to our TV and then watching her play step-by-step giving feedback as she goes. I myself only have the basics down, so there’s nowhere to go from here but up, for both of us.

Oh yea, playing the game again has reminded me of a certain card my wife and I always called Kris Kristofferson.

I mean, it looks just like him.

I bought the game, stars in my eyes, hoping for the best, and… Well, the best happened.
The game is so smooth, what a pleasure to play on my iRelic.

Also the screenshots may look scary if you have never been exposed to the game like I was, but all those numbers at the top are actually just indication of your opponents’ hands, not some sort of resources counters you need to keep track of, like I was affraid they might be (Agricola traumatisms are tough to forget).
Looking forward to getting familiarized with the game and its interactions.

Thanks for inviting me in, Craig! I’ll hook up with the Slack group when I no longer feel overwhelmed with obligations! (That might be after E3, to be honest…) Hopefully by then people will still be playing Race!

The one on the left?

I have been playing the app for several days; having never played the board game. Still having trouble wrapping my head around Consume/Trade option. Did a search on BGG and found that a lot of folks have trouble with that, and those threads contained explanations that helped some.

So I get it now, I think, except for the timing. It seems like sometimes I trade for cards first, then activate consume powers. Sometimes I feel like it is in the other order. I don’t get the timing of that option.

Still, I’m doing better. Playing a game against Easy AI this morning, I cranked up a production/consume machine and trounced my opponent. I considered moving to Medium for my next game, but stayed at Easy… and lost my next two games. Have a lot to learn.

I really like the UI, particularly being able to consult the rules mid-game. I love the fact that the AI has three different levels, and hope to settle in shortly at Medium or Normal or whatever it is called. Too many games have no middle level – many seem either too easy or too difficult.

Its great fun. Kudos @Greysphere to you and the team.

Trade happens first, but only if you chose it. Then, if you still have resources available and consume abilities to use, you will do consume next. If you opponent chooses trade, you’ll only do the consume phase.

I played a few games, and maybe it is common knowledge, but I find the game a bit like a multiplayer solitary score attack (maybe because I am so bad at it): I only bother about my own board, and I don’t see any interactions with other players.Tthe only thing I occasionnaly check is if they own goods, so I don’t trigger a trading event that would help them, but that’s basically the extent of my current awareness.
This being said, it is a very cool solitaire game. Getting your stellar machine working at full regime is a great feeling… Still, no clue if I am playing this right!
And that port, oh my, that port. Not a single crash, not a single slowdown, not even a single glitch. It’s a thing of beauty. If Twilight Struggle could be that smooth!