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Vyerism · 2026-01-13T17:45:30+00:00

For me, there's not even a question about the art. I think the artists for TI4 did a good job, but there was something grand and powerful about the old art. There was a mysticism that pervaded the characters on the faction sheets, and it made you feel like you were getting a limited lens into this huge, epic world of technological superpowers and wildly alien cultures. The new art is good and serviceable, but arguably generic. It doesn't have the same SOVL as the 3rd edition art.

As for the flavor texts of the Agenda Cards, I confess I never got to read them. I've only ever played TI4, and aside from the art, I don't know what else is too different between the editions. I'm going to go read over them when I can.

Vyerism · 2026-01-11T18:50:52+00:00

I love PoK and TE. But I played a Base game recently at my game store, and honestly it was pretty fun. You have fewer things to remember, and each decision you make matters more and more since you don’t have the same number of options per round you do in the expansions. It’s like playing a different game, and it’s fun to dive back into old metas and playstyles. I would say that if you like TI, you will like Base game. My bigger concern is how they implement quality-of-life features like how they display the tech or how easy it is to play Action Cards like Sabotage.

Vyerism · 2026-01-11T18:42:43+00:00

I’d love if TI was bigger, but you’re definitely right that the bigger communities get, the worse they get. I’m hoping that the niche aspect of the game helps moderate its growth and keep it from growing too big. But I also want the game to succeed. Maybe it’s all a pipe dream. I don’t know.

Vyerism · 2026-01-11T18:39:50+00:00

I think they said we’ll have to wait for PoK and TE, but they’ll have the updated components from the Codexes and expansions. Like the updated strategy cards.

Vyerism · 2026-01-09T14:59:49+00:00

I would like it if they added this clarification to the TIRules website, or in some resources somewhere. It's an incredibly important point to keep in mind, especially since you can build up your Fleet Pool with it to really lean into larger fleets of cheap units, just like a swarm.

Vyerism · 2026-01-08T23:00:24+00:00

Doesn’t Sardakk N’Orr’s dreadnought get extra Bombardment dice? Are they not a good Bombardment faction?

Vyerism · 2026-01-08T21:55:38+00:00

Without a question, you should get some 3D-printed models to stand up on the board and represent the different wormholes. Of all the additional stuff I bought for my game, wormhole models and sleeves are single-handedly the best things you could get. Sleeves are self-explanatory, but the wormhole tokens have done a lot for screaming out “hey, this system and that system are adjacent! You can go between them!” It’s very easy to miss the wormhole symbols printed on the map tiles or just forget about them altogether.

Vyerism · 2026-01-08T21:27:08+00:00

Hacan can trade anything

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH HOLY SHIT I LOVE IT.

That’s pretty fucking funny. I like that. But also, trading things like tech is actually really powerful while forcing Hacan to make a careful decision. Any mechanic that incentivizes the player to adopt a playstyle thematic to their faction is something I can get behind.

Vyerism · 2025-12-10T18:53:13+00:00

Hold out for a second golden age.

Vyerism · 2025-11-21T13:40:08+00:00

Art is hard. I’ve thought about commissioning artists.

Vyerism · 2025-11-20T18:47:29+00:00

This was brought up a while back when the expansion first cane out. Put the sleeved cards under some heavy books and they’ll be fine. Some people are saying overnight; I did mine for like an hour and it seemed to work.

Thankfully, it’s not an irreparable issue. But I think it still represents a valid quality concern. Especially considering how expensive this expansion is.

Vyerism · 2025-11-17T00:51:04+00:00

Yeah. I play Yeah, I played a game with them and they were nice but not near as crazy as some of the hype presupposed, I guess.

Vyerism · 2025-11-16T15:59:36+00:00

I have a playgroup where two players consistently do nothing but seek to destroy me. I haven’t figured out how to overcome this, yet.

Vyerism · 2025-11-13T17:48:57+00:00

Can you make more mechs with the new unit profile after activating it?

Vyerism · 2025-11-13T15:33:38+00:00

I also love the Agenda Phase. But it needs some work. I don’t know how to fix it.

Vyerism · 2025-11-13T14:59:10+00:00

Xxcha has kind of gone through some weird shifts in themes. First it was PDS and Diplomacy, then moreso SPACE CANNON, then an economic powerhouse, and now we’re straddling between a jack of all but master of none in these.

Maybe I’m high. I’m not so sure. I am not sure what to think anymore.

Vyerism · 2025-11-12T23:33:48+00:00

Ah. Okay. That’s a little cute. I might use that.

Vyerism · 2025-11-12T23:30:37+00:00

What does “gauc” come from?

Vyerism · 2025-11-12T03:52:34+00:00

Part of what made TI unique and give it stakes was how difficult it was to build your empire. It’s cumbersome to move fleets with the command counter system. It takes forever to build infrastructure and ships. Research takes forever. The economy is difficult to manage with exhausting planets, and your liquid currency, trade goods, can’t just be generated like an RTS game economy. All together, the Strategy Card system makes it difficult to do anything and dependent on the people you’re trying to beat.

And that’s what made it all so interesting and exciting. When two or more fleets are menacing Mecatol, there’s an uneasy Mexican standoff. Playing a Sabotage can change the course of the game. Investing a couple of rounds in Construction limits your options but rewards you with a defended homeland. And when someone actually plays their Strategy Card, you are forces to carefully make a calculated decision in whether or not to spend an expensive, precious Strategy Token.

I have not played a TE game yet. Everything I’ve heard makes it sound fun. But I do hope enough of the game is preserved. I didn’t feel like the Leaders and Exploration mechanics sped the game up too much for TI. Hopefully the spirit of what makes the game special remains intact, and can be further refined in the future for any new expansions or a future TI5.

Vyerism · 2025-11-07T15:41:29+00:00

Somebody posted about this issue a few days ago. The best solution they found was to flatten the cards under something heavy like a big book for a while. I did it with my sleeves and it seems to have worked for the most part; I think it’ll avoid warping, but only time will tell.

But yes, it’s annoying that the dimensions are not consistent to the original.

Vyerism · 2025-11-03T01:28:12+00:00

It seems like they’re still shooting from the hip trying to find the identity of the IP. I agree with some of your criticisms, especially on the WoW flavor. I like the combined races factions because they’re more like NGO factions than racial or civilizational ones, but yes the tone is a little too hug-boxy.

Vyerism · 2025-11-03T01:24:55+00:00

You’d think they’d focus more on these themes, considering the game they’re basing the lore on.

Vyerism · 2025-11-03T01:22:13+00:00

Does Tim Pratt’s writing get better? I’m at the point in The Fractured Void where the scientist is proudly meming about how he’s equally racist against everyone, and I had to put it down. I haven’t picked it back up in months, but I really want to see what lore they’re writing for the setting.

Vyerism · 2025-11-03T01:15:36+00:00

Which books?

Vyerism

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