I love twighlight imperium. been a while since i touched any version of it. and i dont think i have the simulator version installed.

ALL HAIL THE WAR SUN

I'm a big fan of cruiser lines + FedOfSol buffed carrier / fighter swarms, myself.

Congrats on killing 2 fighters per combat round with each of your 2 war suns, though. >:3

Actually, I think I've only ever successfully pulled out a War Sun once :x TI tends to be our "once every six months" game.

...except war suns get 3 shots, each...

I'm a fan of Xxcha cruiser/destroyer armadas myself. They seem to be geared for fast peacekeeping forces with drop pods, and they have political dominance by default so if you can develop military and economy there is no arena they can be challenged in.

I actually used to play Xxcha; they're definitely pretty fun. I just can't stand their slow early game, and I find that political dominance just isn't as powerful as some people believe it to be.

Politics was nerfed between TI2 and TI3, as was the Xxcha's power. TI2 took place in lockstep phases Axis & Allies style, so there would be a vote every turn, no exceptions, and the Xxcha could just toss the agenda away for peanuts, plus, some of the TI2 political cards were NASTY. Not quite so bad as Public Execution, but they could warp the game's economic system around over time with a new set of rules. "Old hands" like me may over-value politics because of the cringe-worthy memories of being on the receiving end of this.

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If only I could figure out how to work Table Top Simulator properly. :(

It took me an hour or so of fiddling with it to get familiar, but it's starting to make sense now. I could almost certainly hop on skype/stream some time and help you get familiar!

Have the hardcopy, not expansions, so artifact-wha???

Should be a blast with the right group of players... which I've yet to rustle up!

FYI - Game didn't make sense to me until someone made a comparsion of the big fleets to nuclear weapons. Their biggest power is to pressure people, and its perfectly acceptable to play a game where the big armadas never get their "triggers" pulled. Sometimes there will be FIERCE combat, sometimes the fleets stay home, and it's not a sign or success, failure, cowardice, or strategy, just the way your particular "space opera" plays out this time....

There have also been a lot of changes to combat over the expansions that really encourage you to break your army up into several smaller fleets that are constantly having little skirmishes on the front lines, instead of moving your entire army around as a giant ball of death. Combat has definitely improved TREMENDOUSLY over the course of the game.

Oh interesting!

One of my favorite games played out along the aforementioned old school lines, I had Hacan, and played them as an industrial power, one single central fleet was so intimidating no one player challenged it, and I held onto a sphere of hexes with no ships in themuntil it was too late, just kicking back with a pile of chicken, raking in VPs, the good life.

Not in a while. I'd have to get tabletop simulater and stuff installed.

Never heard of it before, but I'd certainly be willing to read up on it and give it a try.

I'd love to see you stream it with other players! I think it would encourage people to join in too. c:

Xxcha evil legislation uber alles. >:3

Tabletop simulator rocks, but i don't have any friends brave enough to give up a saturday to play this one with me. My real set has all the ships painted ... the things I had time for in college. :/

http://i.imgur.com/vh8Ah3Q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gcVOfWF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kHP9sFA.jpg

I did a purple set, too, but I'd loooooooooooooove to go through and do all the colors, eventually!

I'm thinking about introducing a couple new / mostly-new players via Tabletop Simulator some time this week (probably tomorrow or Wednesday). And I am pretty much *always* down to play, if you have openings and need another player!

Oh very nice, very nice! Love the metallic.

If i'm around i'll join you. I have to admit i've never touched the expansions and it's been awhile since i've been able to play TI ; only recently discovered TTS a couple months ago and have been mostly playing various system optimization eurogames like Orleans and the awesome cosmic encounter mod. Would lovvvvvve to play TI after such a long time. It really is the salvation of the board gaming hobby.


Also The Blank Slate is good reading. :3

If I ever get Table top simulator I'll be sure to hit you up for that.

Nice to know there is a digital version, have been saving up to buy the physical one.

Be prepared for a long day/night of gaming if you want to do more than 4 players, and you don't have someone focused on picking Imperial!

Biggest we've ever played is 8 :D

Also, we used the updated strategy cards, so no imperial. :3

Mix em up! You can make some interesting games if you use a bit of old and new for strategies. Gotta keep the numerical order of course, but there's always plenty of ways to keep things lively and new in Twilight Imperium!

It's on Tabletop Simulator now?! I bought it, but nobody else plays it. I've been dying to for so long!

A friend of mine bought it, and we have yet to play it, because getting everyone together for a whole day is an utter impossibility.

I happen to love strategy games, but I'm afraid of the learning curve on this one. Especially since you are a vet, and have played several versions ;-;