Skootur
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Posts posted by Skootur
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Part of our decision comes from having not played Muatt in TI4 yet. In TI3, Muatt we're tricky because they had a very poor start and it was hard for new players to get over that extra hump. Many new players would have such a disastrous early game that they were never able to recover.
As for ghosts, many new players are VERY intrigued by them, and a few movement bonuses and wormhole abilities, in our experience, has never been detrimental to a player's learning experience. If anything, it frees them up and makes them take bigger risks that they can usually still handle.
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Are you completely new to Twilight Imperium? This resource is to help you gain a grasp at what it is you're getting into when you step into your very first game. We want everyone to have a positive experience, and we firmly believe that having the right expectations can help mitigate many of the disasters that can befall a new player.
Are you tasked with teaching new players Twilight Imperium? This resource hopes to give you priorities and a general philosophy of how to approach new players. New players' experiences will, oftentimes, be determined by an effective teacher so it is important to go into their first game with some expectations of your own.
After both of these resources, we have Errata for last week's First Impressions. If you want to skip all the newer player stuff, jump to 57:40 to get our reactions to listener feedback from last week's episode.
Tell us about your first games of TI4 here or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles@gmail.com
And thanks for listening!
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It was everything we'd been hyping it up in our minds to be. If you already love Twilight Imperium, everything in this is familiar, yet a breath of fresh air. My heart was racing when we first started, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack as I raced towards my Saar victory. These are emotions that plastic and cardboard made me feel
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After months of anticipation, it’s finally here. Today, Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson talk about their first impressions of Twilight Imperium 4th Edition. Buckle in for discussion of Trade, Politics, and Tech put into action, as well as some notes on the Federation of Sol, Xxcha Kingdom, Yssaril Tribes, Clan of Saar, Naalu Collective, L1z1x Mindnet, and Emirates of Hacan.
SCPT is a conversation with you, the listener, and we want to keep that conversation going. Join us here or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles(at)gmail(dot)com
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Sorry for the delays! We’re digging deep into our group of players this week and detailing our history with Twilight Imperium Third Edition. It’s a less structured conversation than you may be used to from SCPT, but the main theme of this week’s episode is THEME. Let’s toss the strategy aside and talk about all the parts of TI that keep us coming back.
And keep submitting your favorite stories from games of previous editions! Post them here or or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles@gmail.com
And thanks for listening!
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TI4 is shipping right ANY DAY NOW. And as we wrap up our final games of TI3, Matt and Hunter want to talk about their favorite mechanics that aren’t making the transition to the new edition. Our errata discusses some of your least favorite mechanics from Third Edition.
And start submitting your favorite stories from games of previous editions! Join in on the discussion here or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles@gmail.com
And thanks for listening! -
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We’re starting to branch into new territory, and this week Hunter and Matt seem to have trouble keeping this train on the rails! It’s time to break down all of the flaws of Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition and everything we’re happy to see being thrown out for the upcoming 4th Edition. And after some reminiscing, there’s a hint of “errata” on our Theoretical Tier List episode.
Tell us what you won’t miss, and also all the things that you will miss from 3rd Edition! Join in on the discussion here or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles@gmail.com
And thanks for listening! -
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This episode is all about our Definitive Theoretical Non-Definitive "Tier" List. So enough with the introductions, let's get into the list!
We'll save the discussion for the podcast, but here are our tiers:
OBJECTIVE FOCUSED
Emirates of Hacan - Win through Economy
Universities of Jol-Nar - Win through Technology
L1Z1X Mindnet - Win through Control
Naalu Collective - Win through Ties (or the Metagame)
POWERFUL ABILITIES
Federation of Sol - Win through Capacity and Command Counters
Barony of Letnev - Win through Capital Ships
Mentak Coalition - Win through Mobility
The Arborec - Win through Production
QUESTIONABLE STRATEGIES
Yssaril Tribes - Win through Surprise
Sardakk N'orr - Win through Efficient Aggression
Xxcha Kingdom - Win through Turtling
Clan of Saar - Win by Taking More than You Lose
"YIN TIER"
Brotherhood of Yin - Win through Extortion
LACK OF VERSATILITY
The Winnu - Win with Mecatol Rex
Embers of Muatt - Win by NOT losing your War Sun
SITUATIONAL
Ghosts of Creuss - Win with Ideal Galaxy Setup
Nekro Virus - Win through Big Plays (or Ideal Neighbors)
SO! What do you think? Join in on the discussion here or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles@gmail.com
And thanks for listening! -
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Let us know if our podcast doesn’t show up in your app of choice’s feed. We want to make sure we’re available in as many places as we can.
On the Finale to the pre-release overview series, Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson cover the Trade strategy card and all the ways the new trading system excites them. After a lot of open-ended discussion, they finally wrap up their race introductions with a return to Xxcha Kingdom, Ghosts of Creuss, Clan of Saar, as well as introductions for Mentak Coalition and THE space cats, the Emirates of Hacan. And to top off an already long episode, this one closes with errata centered around our Technology episode.
Join in on the discussion here or on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at spacecatspeaceturtles@gmail.com
And thanks for listening! -
Another, completely different, idea for racial tech I think would be something that resolves around the Speaker Token.
The Winnu are still the Mecatol race, we just need to give them more power to utilize it. Is there any validity in a racial tech that allows them to acquire the Speaker token in a way that makes sense? This would allow them a more certain way to get the Imperial strategy card that they need to score MR points. "Exhaust this card when a player plays Politics to force them to choose you as the Speaker. This card is not readied during the next Status Phase" seems close to what I'm thinking, but it's still a bit wonky.
None of this is to say that your idea isn't good. Just throwing more ideas out there.
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I think these are all fun and still play to the theme. Lazax Legacy seems a bit overpowered, and I would only suggest scaling it back to "gain one technology that the invading player already owns."
So in essence, if someone beats you to the punch, you get to scale up a bit to match them in tech. I think getting to have your pick of the litter of any tech is a bit extreme and puts a strange level of hesitation on the Winnu player to actually take Mecatol. I don't think they should be incentivized to NOT take Mecatol, but merely compensated for failing to do so.
Also, I think Quadratic Projector may be a bit overpowered as well. If you get that tech, which you could do very quickly, it cancels out the ability for most people to do anything about you. I think it needs some sort of limitations set on it. Something like "You may not use PRODUCTION on the planet" is what I'm thinking. Although that may be over-correcting a bit. But the ability to 100% cancel the ability for anyone to ever take one of your planets (since all you have to do is activate your chosen planet [MR] as your first action every round) seems overboard. Sure, someone could make sure they go before you, but it's still incredibly powerful. The closest comparison to this ability is Diplomacy, but Diplomacy is SIGNIFICANTLY easier to block, since it is a card anyone can select.
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Podbean (This is our official host. For those that use Podcast aggregators, you can use this link to input our feed into your app of choice!)
Some of these sites take more time to receive our podcast than others, sometimes up to a couple hours. Sorry for the inconvenience. As always, if there are any other resources you use to download podcasts, and you don't see SCPT, let us know! We want to be available wherever you go.
This week is the Technology Spectacular! Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson overview the Technology Strategy Card, the changes to technology mechanics, as well as looking in depth at every single tech. Wedged in there are introductions to the Embers of Muatt, the Universties of Jol-Nar, and further introductions to the Nekro Virus. As always, we close things out with errata covering community discussion from last weeks episode.
We also released our bonus episode about the Yin Brotherhood based on Ep 002 discussions. We continue to love doing these discussions, so keep up the feedback! We're close to wrapping up our introductory episodes, so we'd love to know what else you'd like to hear from us! We have a few plans for upcoming episodes, but we're always looking for more ideas.
Also, just for some book-keeping: we can no longer use SoundCloud to post episodes of our show, but we know many people use it. Please let us know what SoundCloud offered that other places do not, and we'll try to find another resource to get your new episodes of SCPT!
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We've released our third episode of SCPT!
This week Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson break down the Politics and Imperial strategy cards while going in depth into the Agenda phase and Objectives. Additionally we analyze The Winnu, Nekro Virus, The Yssaril tribes, and a little more on The Xxcha Kingdom. And after the episode we come back with more Errata covering Episode 2 community discussions.
Please let us know what you think! The discussion is what keeps us doing this podcast! -
45 minutes ago, Robofish said:Next, I love the Arborec, but there are a few things that i would have emphasized. First, Sarween Tools. It works with their GF's!!! This is the must have tech for them. With the pooled production, two GF's can build two more GF's paid for with Sarween. Or two fighters, or a destroyer. I think 2 GF's and a carrier is the starting force for the Arborec, and it grows as it goes. I commented in this article :
Not sure i agree with your take on the racials. I think both are nice, but by no means necessary, due to the pooled production. As long as you have 2 GF's you are good. I don't think you move your GFs around, you just leave them behind, as guards and production centers and build more at the front.
As for the Yin - so much hate! Their main strength is that they are extremely difficult to move. They attack you? Ram their carrier. No invasion. They bring two? make them make ugly choices about the balance of fighters and GFs to keep. All for the cost of a destroyer, that was going to die anyway. Also, in a small firball, ram their cruiser with your destroyer! its a two for 1 cost exchange, and it will help. Also, no one can sustain damage against these guys. They do? Lose the dreadnought. They land on your planet? Convert one of their troops.
Consider a situation were the Yin player has a PDS and a GF on a planet and two trade goods. How much do you need to take it? I think anything less than 4 GF's won't cut it. He'll buy one of yours, making it 3 on two, and might shoot down another one. 4 is an awful lot in the new carrier environment. And nothing short of a warsun or a very few of the flagships will help.
As for the bomb (flagship), you just park it above a system you don't want taken (like say Mecatol). AND NO ONE CAN. Who is going to commit to lose a fleet so someone else can come in and claim the reward?
These guys are all about take and hold. And never giving back. Not one of my favorites, but solid and painful to attack.
One last thing. I'm Robofish, not Jumbofish. I would't bring it up, but I choose this name 10 years ago playing TI3. I'm a Jol Nar loyalist, and if this wasn't a TI podcast i wouldn't care, but it is so..... glory to the headmaster!
For Arborec: we've had a few people point this out, and you'll definitely see it in next week's errata. We didn't spend enough time thinking about how that would combo with Sarween Tools, and you're right that that's very important to get. I do still think improving the power of your GFs holds a lot of weight though, because doubling that capacity is still very very very good. Sure, you can still get your free thing and keep that slow crawl expansion, but being to build even more stuff as you grow is better. Anything to limit having to waste CCs on JUST producing.
Yin: boy there's so much response we've gotten on Yin (which we were expecting and are excited to receive). Yours is the first response I've seen that actually sways my opinion a worthwhile amount. I think Yin's ability to do anything sneaky or tricky is not present, but the idea of them having incredibly formidable home territory is very convincing. I can definitely see this as a strength. Is it a strength that wins them games is something I can only determine upon playing. But suffice it to say, in the podcast I asked for someone to tell me what I'm supposed to be doing as the Yin, what's my overall strategy, and this is the first one that makes real sense to me. I look forward to trying to implement it.
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15 minutes ago, Robofish said:One last thing. I'm Robofish, not Jumbofish. I would't bring it up, but I choose this name 10 years ago playing TI3. I'm a Jol Nar loyalist, and if this wasn't a TI podcast i wouldn't care, but it is so..... glory to the headmaster!
I can't believe I did that. I even understood the joke of your name, but when I put it in my google doc with notable responses, I for some reason typed Jumbofish. I'm so embarrassed and you have my eternal apologies!
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We've released our second episode of SCPT! And since last week, we've made it available at many more places, so if you like the show, please subscribe on your podcast app of choice (and continue letting us know if it isn't available on your favorite app!)
This week, Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson discuss the Construction and Warfare Strategy Cards, as well as the basics behind production and combat. They go over The Arborec, The Clan of Saar, The Barony of Letnev, Sardakk N'orr, The Yin Brotherhood, and The L1z1x Mindnet. Stay tuned after the show for some Episode 1 Errata as well!
We'd love to hear what you have to say about this episode, so let us know if there are any points you agree with or if there's anything in our discussion that we missed! This project is already proving to be incredibly fun to do, and that's almost entirely because of our discussions with you all!
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We've released our second episode of SCPT! And since last week, we've made it available at many more places, so if you like the show, please subscribe on your podcast app of choice (and continue letting us know if it isn't available on your favorite app!)
This week, Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson discuss the Construction and Warfare Strategy Cards, as well as the basics behind production and combat. They go over The Arborec, The Clan of Saar, The Barony of Letnev, Sardakk N'orr, The Yin Brotherhood, and The L1z1x Mindnet. Stay tuned after the show for some Episode 1 Errata as well!
We'd love to hear what you have to say about this episode, so let us know if there are any points you agree with or if there's anything in our discussion that we missed! This project is already proving to be incredibly fun to do, and that's almost entirely because of our discussions with you all!
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4 hours ago, Wh0isTh3D0ct0r said:Basically, this game is an exploration of the dynamics of interpersonal and interracial relationships on a galactic scale. Although, if players cannot get past their own insecurities in this world and instead take things personally, then the game is not as enjoyable.
YESYESYESYESYESYESYEYESYESYESYES. PREACH!
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14 minutes ago, dinwitt said:There was a timing issue that came up in a recent game. Assault Cannons and Skilled Retreat have similar timings on when they activate. Is start of space combat before start of the combat round? Or does it come down to initiative order?
If you look under Advanced Concepts, there is a ruling on this on page 2 of the rules reference: "If there are multiple abilities that players wish to resolve at the same time, each player takes a turn resolving an ability in initiative order. After each player has taken a turn, players again have a turn to resolve abilities in initiative order. This process repeats until all players have resolved all of the abilities they wish to resolve at that time. If there are multiple abilities that players wish to resolve at the same time during the strategy phase, players take turns resolving abilities starting with the speaker and proceeding clockwise."
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Yeah. It's definitely an interesting choice. They've made it where Blue/Green works if you plan to get aggressive, and Red/Yellow work if you plan to stay defensive.
Worth nothing: to get War Suns, you are forced to go most of this route. So, a player with the most powerful unit in the game likely has some of the most defensible home turf as well. Should give that player a lot of comfort to get those War Suns out there and do some damage.
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I hope that PDS are this powerful. As your point out, digging in doesn't necessarily win you the game, but with many objectives, holding on to what you DO have, so long as it's just enough resources, influence, or # of planets will get you very close. I'm glad there is a decent alternative to JUST building up the biggest fleet. The scariest races to me were ones like L1z1x and Hacan, who will either out-gun or out-produce respectively. I've been trying to find out what strategies will hold them back, and if PDS hold that kind of power, then if anything it seems to balance out the races who don't have such a simple route to combat success. Especially someone like the Winnu, who's racial abilities don't lend themselves to many strategies. If they're able to take Mectol, entrench, and use their PDS to hold on for dear life, than I consider that a success in design.
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Rule 58: "However, other game effects also allow players to produce units."
The rules explicitly define the process of producing units. It continues to not be vague because we can look at other abilities where free units are granted, and in this instance, the wording is always "place a unit" like in Dacxive Animator's text: "After you win a ground combat, place 1 infantry from your reinforcements on that planet."
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Yeah. We go into this a bit more in the next episode, but there's definitely something to be said for the races that seem like absolute super powers now. Some of them have these seemingly unstoppable abilities, and you have other races that seemed to get no significant improvements. When you put them side by side, it seems like most races got nerfed purely because these other races got buffed so intensely.
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Space Cats, Peace Turtles. Ep 001. Leadership & Diplomacy
Launching this podcast and hope everyone will give it a listen.
Please take part in the discussion by responding to any points you agree or disagree with.
This episode covers the basics of Twilight Imperium 4th Edition. We go over the galaxy and movement, the Leadership & Diplomacy Strategy Cards, and the following races: Federation of Sol, Ghosts of Creuss, Naalu Collective, and The Xxcha Kingdom.
The next four episodes will continue to go over Strategy Cards and Races, and then we'll kick off into more open discussions. We'll eventually make our theoretical race ranking (before having played any games of TI4) as well as episodes devoted to each Race's starting strategy. Finally, once we have our hands on the game, we'll do episodes devoted to breaking down entire games, discussing successful and unsuccessful strategies. I hope you enjoy, and please give us any feedback.
StriderZessei reacted to this
Learn to Learn / Learn to Teach TI4
in Twilight Imperium
Posted
You're totally right! We forgot to mention it because I forgot that mechanic even existed! Haven't played with mercs in so long that I'd sort of tuned most of the rules out of my memory. So glad to have all of these convoluted rules behind us.