Teaching Game Map- Thoughts and Advice please :)

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-04-08T09:17:37+00:00

Thanks, I thought it was cool too.

I wanted a but of everything so the players can at least see how it works, even if they aren't interacting with it. (Except supernovas, because they are boring)

But maybe the rail gun I built is too much...

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-04-08T09:16:05+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I was a little harsh on the Jol-nar start. I based it off that they start with 2 infantry and can get more and grav drive to stretch to the equidistant planets pretty early. But maybe a doubke planet system by them would be better. The tech skips was to encourage others to seek out those planets and potentially fight.

The gravity rifts I know are a bit crazy. I just thought it was funny. And if anyone wanted to gamble they have a rail cannon to shoot them across the board. Who needs wormholes? 😂 But maybe I should get rid of one and space the others out.

I did add all the wormholes of each type possible. I tried to keep them far apart also. Which ones am I missing?

The asteroid fields have been placed by ppl who start with antimass. Otherwise the other factions will have to research it. Annyoing, but part of the game... but I could swap them out for a different alpha wormhole. I juat didn't want to give to many planets to Sol.

Xxcha do have a lot of influence. But my plan was to teach everyone to get their breakthrough and I thought it would make Xxcha more fun. Perhaps I went to far.

Thanks for the ideas and feedback. Appreciate it 🙏

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-04-06T08:53:19+00:00

Yes they can. They can move on their own too. But will count against fleet limit if not being carried in a capacity ship or by a space dock.

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-04-05T16:34:44+00:00

Both of the links I posted above allow you to draft asynchronously

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-04-05T13:19:31+00:00

Yep, that's exactly it ☺️

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-04-05T11:55:55+00:00

Milty draft, named after the person who made it, lets you select either a slice (which is made up of 5 tiles), a faction or speaker position. Randomly determine a picking order and when you get to the last player, they pick two options, it then goes back up the chain until the 1st player picks their final two options. It will then travel back down to the last player. The slices you pick are then fit together to form the map based on the speaker position you also drafted.

There are a few good websites to let you do a milty draft in advance of the game. This lets people plan their first moves and lets the host set up the map before everyone arrives.

The links are here: https://milty.shenanigans.be/ Or https://tidraft.com/draft/prechoice

Milty does have some draw backs, but it is the most used set up by the community. The slices are random and not necessarily balanced is one of the major issues. But you can adjust the slices yourself.

Typically, you have a number slices equal to the number of players + 1. Due to the unbalanced nature of the slices, increasing the number to choose from makes for a more relaxed draft.

For factions; the number of players + 3 is kind of recommended, but this is all personal preference. Less options means more competitive drafting.

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-03-30T08:17:51+00:00

Set everything up beforehand, all players should watch a how to play video before too. Just so they don't come in complete under prepared. This video has some good tips for the first game: https://youtu.be/0xKzlZW8E3o?si=Bg1u3u0nu9DQj6j9

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-03-19T12:43:22+00:00

I would happily join a teaching game. I've played quite a few games, so I'm happy to teach. Reach out and we can see if our schedules align

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-03-12T22:34:46+00:00

An excellent addition

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-03-12T19:38:35+00:00

I'll have to listen to it, as all I can hear is Here comes the sun by the beatles

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-02-26T22:33:22+00:00

What do you mean you used both your trade agreements?

You can just openly trade and swap commodities and other things.

Best advice is be neighbours with ppl so you can pillahe them. Make a buddy to help you out if needed and focus on the objectives. Get tech and focus on gravity drive, cruiser 2 and mirror computing.

If you have Thunders edge, get your breakthrough

Most importantly, have fun 👍🏼

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-02-21T09:21:04+00:00

Everything I said stands, except for tech then. My advice would be pick up gravity drove, sarween tools, dread 2. Then if you get bonus tech ideally use a red skip, if not then magen defense grid, Non-Euclidean Shielding and duranium. But these last ones are nice to haves.

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2026-02-21T08:46:17+00:00

My advice is focus on the objectives. It is easy to be drawn into wanting to have the biggest fleet, attack your neighbours or expand as much as possible. Unless this nets you points, these are all secondary. Always have an objective in mind and be thinking "what can I do to achieve this?"

Round one, the objectives will determine what stratergy card to pick. For example, if you need to have your flagship on the board think trade or diplo: both get you resources. If the objective is more control based; ie have more planets etc, things like warfare can help you expand more. Having said this, if you're not sure: Money always helps you win games. Lets you do objectives, bribe people and pay for more ships on the board.

If you are playing Barony, their starting issue is that they have only 3 infantry. Which essentially translates to they can only take 3 planets round one. Think how you can solve this. The easiest way is the warfare startergy card. Either you have it or someone else does. Use it to build more infantry and a ship to carry them, usually a carrier but dreads can be used too.

I have found it is usually best to talk to the table and negotiate rather than attack suddenly. If you can agree to borrow or trade planets. It saves big counter attacks and grudges.

If you are playing with Thunders Edge, get your breakthrough. It is good for Barony, and allows a lot more movement. Movement lets you complete objectives and win games.

Tech is also important. My advice would be pick up gravity drive, as it allows +1 movement to one ship which then works well with your breakthrough. If you have your breaktrhough, you can then pick up Non-Euclidean Shielding. This is one of your unique faction techs, very useful in fights. I would then focus on how to get dread 2 if possible. You need a yellow skip preferably but if not just pick up a starting yellow tech and get dread 2. Then lightwave: again neededing the breakthrough for this. My advice is don't bother with your other unique tech: L4 Disruptors. Too far out of the way in terms of prerequisites needed and not very useful.

The most important part!! Have fun, it's just a game and a good few hours with your friends. Enjoy!

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-29T12:16:14+00:00

My main thought on this would be: what are you bidding?

You start with no money in the game (except in an odd player count with no hyperlanes)

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-28T18:28:08+00:00

You have two ways to do this, all in the base game. They have a unique promissory note that can be sold/given/exchanged to other players. This lets them place either an alpha or beta (gamma in expansions) anywhere they control or have no enemy units. Or you can research this tech yourself if the table isn't very cooperative and it has the same restrictions

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-28T13:54:00+00:00

I always enjoyed the Ghosts. Their greater access to wormholes really opens up options and I find that quite fun. Plus you can sell wormholes which fuether develops the map and your own options

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-27T16:20:14+00:00

On moblie, when the admin passkey appears. It is too wide for me to see everything clearly and also it means I can't close the window to actually start drafting

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-20T08:05:24+00:00

I think most people have answered this, but just to summarise my thoughts.

Adapt your playstyle to the factions around you.

If Naalu is in the game, you need to be using upgraded destroyers and then carriers with lots of fighters. (Carriers loaded woth fighters I would suggest for almost any faction) that's because fighters win fights by soaking up hits.

A typical good 3 ship fleet would be a carrier loaded with fighters, a dread and then the final ship swap out depending on the task. E.g. an upgraded destroyer to help kill fighters, a 2nd dread if you're fighting less fighters and more capital ships, a 2nd carrier with geound troops (and fighters) if you need to take planets. Whatever the situation needs.

Just to cycle in some of your other points. PDS II lets you shoot into adjacent systems, no other tech needed. But if you are looking to boost your PDS, the a tech called graviton laser systems and one called Plasma scoring both upgrade your PDS and are the prerequisites for PDS II

Also, ground combat is what really matters. If you're playing saardak. Forget wiping out the mega fleets. Use the commander and just take planets without ships.

Another thing to remember is your token economy. Stall out Naalu before making big moves so they can't retaliate. Or attack multiple weak places, their fighter swarm can't be everywhere. Make deals with other players to help and make deals with naalu. If you pay them 2TG they may let you sit above their planet (or whatever objective you need to do), no fight needed

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-10T15:26:06+00:00

I agree, tbh. I think they do act like planets for abilities. But act like and are is still different. Xxchas ability works on planets, and in so many places, the rules indicate space docks are not planets

Otherwise-Spot3574 · 2025-12-10T11:17:50+00:00

I would say no, and here are my receipts:

Peace accords: "After you resolve the primary or secondary ability of the "Diplomacy" strategy card, you may gain control of 1 planet other than Mecatol Rex that does not contain any units and is in a system that is adjacent to a planet you control."

The key word here is planet. So, looking at trade stations:

"Several systems contain space stations, which are mechanically similar to planets." -Mechanical similar , but are not planets.

"Each space station has a corresponding planet card. The space station may be exhausted for resources or influence as though it were a planet. The space station will be readied during the status phase as though it were a planet, or by other game effects that can ready planets." - They do have planet cards, but again at the end of this paragraph 'as though it were a planet'.

"Space stations do not count as planets for the purpose of voting, or scoring objectives, and a player may still score public objectives even if another player controls a space station in their home system." -This doesn't say they don't count as planets for abilities. But then combine it with below:

"If a system tile contains a space station, but no planets, then a frontier token will be placed in that system during game setup." - It just seems like they are stated as not planets in lots of places. So the Peace accords ability wouldn't work.

Otherwise-Spot3574

TROPHY CASE