Scott Lewis
United States
Castle Rock
Colorado
|
I've had this game for over two months now (almost 3!) and figure it's about time I post a formal review on it. I guess part of my deterrent is that I want the review to be relatively concise, yet descriptive, and wasn't quite sure how to go about doing that. However, I don't feel my experience with the game has truly hit the level it should until this is done, so here we go.
As with all my reviews, I rate on 4 different areas of the game (Presentation, Mechanics, Balance, and Playability/Fun). Each area has a rating of between 1-10, where 1 would make you wonder how something like that ever got out of design into production, and a 10 would be nigh-perfect (not necessarily without flaw, but none that are detrimental enough to "count").
This review is based upon many full games, ranging from a few 3-player games to a couple full-blown 6-player games. Also, this review is based only upon the rules-as-written (including the official "optional rules" included in the rulebook itself).
=== PRESENTATION ===
One of the first things that caught my eye about this game was the impressive nature of the box. I first saw it in a store, and was immediately drawn to look into it further. It's size was almost daunting, as the box for it was bigger than any game I'd yet really played. As such, it almost seemed "out of reach" for me.
However, the size was a good thing - it showed, visually, the truly epic nature the game itself represents. The artwork on the box was outstanding; it felt like playing the game would truly immerse you into the "universe" the game represents.
It wasn't until awhile later that I actually acquired the game, and got to see everything contained INSIDE the box for myself. I'd seen photos and pictures, but those never do anything justice. When I finally got the first-hand look, I was not disappointed. The quality of the materials inside the box was every bit as good as the outside. My first thought on the pieces was "Wow! They sure didn't cut corners on this one!" And they didn't. Although the game is somewhat pricey, the components themselves seem to be worth every penny; my impression is that the cost is due largely to the high quality of the pieces. And, in many ways, I don't think I'd WANT a "cheap" version of the game; anything less than highest-quality would almost detract from the epic nature of the game.
Included in the game are several sheets of excellent quality cardboard. This cardboard has a nice "finish" to it, which I understand is a kind of linen-based covering. The texture is just amazing, and the level of detail of the pictures on the cardboard components is outstanding. The cardboard itself is of amazing quality; while obviously they would be subject to damage from things like water, etc, they are very durable, rigid, and are very "tactile-functional" (meaning they don't seem slippery or sticky; I had to make up a word to describe it). Punching the cardboard out of the sheets was very satisfactory; while care had to be taken to ensure you don't rip anything, I never had to feel like I was doing heart surgery, either, as most of the pieces popped right out with little effort. And let me tell you, there are a LOT of cardboard bits to the game - 50 something large hexagons for use as the board, meriads of circular counters for various in-game usage, and each race has their own set of nicely shaped (even if oddly shapped in some cases) counters for in-game tracking.
The game also came with cards. And when I say cards, I mean LOTS OF CARDS. I can't remember the exact count without looking, but there are a TON. Despite the large number, however, none of them really seem to be extraneous; Every card has a purpose, and it would almost feel "incomplete" with less cards. Ranging from Action Cards, Political Cards, Planet Cards and player-specific cards, they are very functional. This brings me to one thing about the game that immediately struck me as something I like (and something I've noticed about a lot of FFG games) - Any in-game tracking can be done completely with the in-game components. Some games require a piece of paper and pencil to keep track of certain things which can often lead to more tedium than fun. In Twilight Imperium, however, this tracking is done via cards to show certain achievements, counters to track certain activities during the game, etc. While there are a few things that may not be directly "trackable", those are few, and are easily remembered (as they are usually only of temporary duration anyway). This tracking can take up some extra space on the table, but the visual appeal goes way up because of this - it can look cluttered, but it looks much better than scraps of paper and pencils.
Similar to the normal cards, the individual "race cards" are also of very good quality. In the game are 10 different races. Rather than having generic tracking items (and maybe small cards to indicate the special abilities), each race has their own card. When looking at the card, you almost feel as if you are looking into the being and essense of that race, due to the picture shown on the card, and the color subtleties that seem to emphasize that race. Additionally, the back of each race card has flavor text - in a game of this proportion, knowing what each race is about makes the epic feel all that much more prominent. The Race Card serves as a general in-game guide, as well, containing charts, lists, and spaces to store some of the important counters that you use to record various activities. The quality is high. The only unfortunate thing is a misprint on the race cards where the cost of a certain unit (the PDS) is incorrect. However, it's still easy to remember, once you know about it.
Finally, the plastic units themselves were very awe-inspiring. They all came on plastic runners, rather than being pre-punched. I suspect this was a cost-cutting measure; since the game was packed with so much stuff, trying to keep the game's price from getting TOO high may have necessitated certain things that could NOT be included. However, with a little patience and persistence, getting them out of the runners isn't too bad. Some people use an Exacto knife to keep the pieces cleanly cut. I found that simply "twisting" them out carefully was good enough for me. Since the first game I played was with 5 other people we each took a sprue and pulled out the pieces; this made the work much faster, and nothing was broken.
The plastic itself is very good quality; while not 100% rigid, it isn't super-flexible either. The thicker pieces will not bend unless you really force them and the thinner ones aren't so thin they would break without some effort or major mistreatment. The colors used are also nice, for the most part: Blue, Purple, Black, Green, Yellow, and Red. The yellow pieces almost look a little TOO bright, though, but not enough to detract from the game. The detail on the pieces exceeded my expectations. These weren't just slabs of plastic thrown together ad-hoc; it's obvious care was taken to give each plastic piece the detail needed to make it really truly feel like a miniature representation of the ship or unit it represents. In fact, due to this high level of detail, the only thing that I can think of that would have made it better would be to have them "painted". However, I also believe for this type of game, that expectation is way over-the-top, as the paint would have to be articulate, or it would actually DETRACT from the game itself. Thus, I think the monochrome-ness of the pieces suits the game just fine, visually. If they were to be painted, it would be best probably to only accent various parts of the pieces, as it's important that the "color" be maintained in some form for easy visual discernment.
Finally, the rulebook. Relatively thick, by board game standards, but not too unwieldy, in my opinion. The square shape sometimes a little awkward, but nothing that really makes it hard to use overall. The artwork, and layout of the rulebook itself, though, was rather nice. The color was vibrant, the example pictures were very useful and descriptive, and the "flavor" pictures adorning many of the pages were a nice touch. The rulebook certainly wasn't a chore to read for me, but was actually quite fun; however, I should qualify that by saying I also enjoy reading rules for the sake of the rules in many cases, but having the extra flavor to keep it interesting was a very nice touch.
Overall, I felt the game far exceeded any expectations I've had regarding a board game, hands down. While some games have high-quality parts, sculpts for figures and pieces, and artwork, I feel that Twilight Imperium is by far the best "looking" game I have ever seen.
MY RATING: 10/10, and well worth every point.
=== MECHANICS ===
This is the section I dreaded the most, because of the epic proportions of the game. That being said, however, it's not because I feel the game is extraordinarily complex, because I don't feel that's the case at all. Rather, I feel the large scale of the game warrants the vast number of options available, but I feel they were presented in a way that, once learned, flow very well. Because I do not wish to detail every minute mechanic of the game, I will simply present a general overview of the game's mechanics as a whole, and leave more in-depth explanations to the rulebook itself.
As mentioned, the rulebook for this game is rather thick - 42 pages, all told. However, many of these pages consist of optional rules, notes, and diagrams to help explain other rules. However, there is still quite a bit to digest. As such, I would recommend to someone playing it for the first time that, if possible, have someone there that is experience, to guide you through the first few rounds of the game. I didn't have that option, but I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on even the steepest of learning curves for rules, so we didn't do to badly; it was just slow at first to get the hang of things.
The main objective of the game is to acquire a certain number of Victory points - for the standard game, this is 10 (though an official option allows for playing up to 14 points). These points are achived primarily through meeting certain objective requirements that come into play during the game in the form of "Objective" cards. Each player receives one "Secret Objective", which they do not reveal until they have met it. There are also a series of "public objectives" which are revealed one at a time as the game progresses (or, in an official optional variant, they are all present at the start, so you can make different plans). The types of objectives vary greatly, even among the subgroups. Secret Objectives often have to do with controlling the central planet, called "Mecatol Rex", as well as meeting some other requirement, while others have to with controlling other parts of the board. Public Objectives come in two types - Stage I and Stage II, with the former generally only worth 1 point each (but are relatively easy to meet) and the latter being worth 2 or 3 points (and harder to meet) or, in a few cases, giving an automatic win (which are very difficult to obtain). The variety of objectives gives a great deal of options to the players during the game; in many cases, they allow the players to focus on certain meta-strategies, while not putting themselves out of the game.
Prior to the game starting, however, the board itself must be "built". Each player is dealt a number of hexagonal "system tiles" which are used to build the galaxy. In the center of the play area, the central planet of "Mectaol Rex" is place, and all other tiles form concentric rings around it. Each player, in turn, places a tile, and this placement continues until all tiles are placed. During placement, the "order" each player places a tile goes back-and-forth, preventing any one player from being too disadvantaged by it. In the end, you'll have a hexagonal-shaped map (except in the 3 player game, where it is more triangular). Each player's "homeworld" system is placed in the 3rd, outermost ring. Each player then sets up their units on their home system as described on their race card.
Each game round is divided into 3 distinct "phases": Strategy, Action, and Status.
The Strategy phase consists of each player choosing one (or two in case of a 3 or 4 player game) "Strategy Card". These cards are trapezoidal cardboard cards that each have a specific "focus", ranging from things like Warfare or Trade or Technology. Most of the cards have two abilities: a Primary ability which the person who uses the Strategy Card employs, and a Secondary ability which everyone ELSE has the chance to use. The one exception to this is the Initiative strategy, which is more "passive" in it's use - it usually lets the player who picks it go first, and they get to activate the secondary ability of other strategies for "free" (usually, it requires players to spend a Command Counter, to be explained later). These strategy cards represent a specific focus for the game round; as such, during the game, it is essential for players to pick a strategy that will best help them meet their goals for the meta-strategy.
The strategy picking mechanic as written also provides a sort of built-in clock and "clockwork" of sorts. The 8th strategy card, the Imperial Strategy Card (which you often see called the ISC on forum posts) has the primary ability of giving the player 2 points, as well as revealing a public objective. Thus, in a "typical" game, you usually see the pattern of the person who picks strategy first choosing to take the Imperial strategy, and the next person picking Initiative (thus allowing THEM to pick first next time). This mechanic serves two game purposes, the main being that it builds in a "time limit" to the game, as after enough cycles of this pattern, one could theoretically have 10 points with no objectives (this never happens in practice, though, as the game ends prior to that happening). The second purpose also provides a method for the objectives to come into play more slowly, yet regularly. However, this mechanic is possibly one of the most controversial points of the game; many do not like the fact it gives a player 2 points essentially "for free". Although the secondary ability of the card is relatively powerful for everyone else, the automatic 2 points can sometimes lead to the first and second players with an advantage (as often they will get the ISC twice, while nobody else will). However, in my personal experience this hasn't really been an issue; we have fun regardless, and it's not an automatic gimmee, even if it does give them the advantage (another player with good strategy could make an effective run for other points to give them the win before it becomes an issue).
After each player has picked a strategy, each player takes turns using "actions". This is one mechanic I really like. Unlike some games, where when it's a players turn they do as many actions as they can before passing to the next player, in this, each player takes ONE action at a time; this essentially threads the action sequence so that no one player can really do too much at a time without allowing someone to respond. This pattern continues until every player "passes"; if a player wishes, instead of acting they can "pass", which means they can no longer do actions this turn.
When it's a player's turn, there are essentially 4 types of actions a player can take: Strategy, Tactical, Transfer, or Action Card.
A Strategy Action is what a player uses to activate the Strategy Card they pick. To do this, they simply peform the Primary Ability of the card they chose. Then, each other player, in turn, has the opportunity to utilize the secondary ability of the card; oftentimes, the secondary ability is similar to the primary or gives one small aspect of it. In other cases, it is different, but still fitting with the theme of the card. Secondary Abilities are activated generally by using a "Strategy Allocation" counter, which is a Command Counter placed in a Strategy Allocation section of their card. Once the Strategy card has been fully resolved, it is flipped over to become "Inactive" - this means that the player cannot use it again. Also, a player cannot "pass" until they have used their Strategy card (or both cards, if they have two in the 3/4 player games). The only exception is Initiative, which is never actually "activated"; it is just a passive strategy (ironically).
A Tactical Action is the primary method for mobilizing ones forces around the galaxy. The player activates a system using a Command Pool counter, by placing the counter on the map to the system they wish to activate. The player may then move ships into that system, as long as those ships are in range, and are not in a system that has already been activated. After moving, if there are enemy ships, they fight a Space Battle. Following the battle, if there are planets in the Activated system, and the player has ships carrying Ground Force units, they may invade the planet(s) in that system; if they are empty, they simply take them over, and if they contain enemy units, they battle first.
A Tactical Action is also used to build new units; if, after moving ships, the player wants (and is able to), the player can build units at the destination. If there are no space docks, the player can build a new one if he has some remaining. If a space dock already exists, he may build ships there. To build, each ship or unit has a "cost" of resources. Each planet has an associated "resource value". Thus, to build, a player "exhausts" planets so that the resource value of the exhausted planets equals (or exceeds) the cost of the unit(s) he wishes to build. Whenever a player takes control of a planet, they get a card representing that planet. To exhaust the planet, they simply turn it face down, indicating it's resources cannot be used again that round. Building units and resource management is an essential part of the game to master, as building too much, too early can result in resources spread too thin, while not building enough can leave your systems unprotected.
A Transfer action allows a player to move ships and units between two adjacent systems they control. Often, this is used to reinforce certain systems, move ground troops to other friendly planets, and otherwise reorganize one's fleets.
Finally, some Action Cards (collected via various means) require the player to play them "as an action". Thus, on their turn, they can use these cards instead of one of the above actions, and simply resolve their effects.
After all players have passed, play moves to the Status phase, where players can claim objectives, and general cleanup is done (refreshing, or turning face-up, ones planets, receiving more Action Cards, and getting more Command Counters for use in the Strategy and Command Pool areas, as well as the Fleet Supply area, which dictates how big a player's fleets can be). If nobody has won yet, play proceeds to the next round, where Strategy cards are picked again, and so on.
Each race has specific abilities that can alter the way the game is played in various aspects. Some give a race more power during Space Combat, some give a player more diplomatic sway, and some allow units to be build differently or more cheaply. The various Strategies also give players options to do certain things during the game to give themselves advantages or benefits. The one I want to focus on here is the Political Strategy, as that introduces the last "significant" mechanic of the game - voting and Political Cards.
When the Political Strategy is played, one of the effects is that a card is pulled from the Political Deck. This card represents a law (either temporary or permanent) that affects the game in play. Players vote on this law, using "influence" from the planets they control to determine how much power they have in the voting. If the law is passed a certain effect happens, sometimes just "one-off" and sometimes that last for the rest of the game. Also, sometimes alternate effects happen if the law is rejected. The Political strategy can have a review all on it's own, but it serves as an excellent time to let bargaining, positioning, and discussion take over, as players may want to sway certain laws into effect, and others to stay far away from happening.
There are obviously many more mechanics than those described here. I've already gone longer on this than I'd hoped. However, once a player has the basics under his belt, the options present at any given time become much easier to discern, and a game can move relatively quickly. I especially like the threaded nature of the Action Phase - it prevents downtime from making players bored, keeps everyone engaged, and keeps the game moving fluidly. While with any game of this scope, there are parts that make the game a little awkward at times, generally, when playing, you truly can have a feel of galactic conquest - however, it's important to remember that Twilight Imperium IS NOT DIRECTLY A SPACE BATTLE GAME. Space Battles can be a means to an end, but not an end in and of themselves. To gain points, generally a player has to have skills of resource management, diplomacy, and strategic fleet maneuvering and positioning. To truly become the emperor, you must keep your eyes on everything around you. But this game WILL immerse you if you let it, which makes it almost more than a game - it makes it an adventure!
MY RATING: 9/10
=== GAME BALANCE ===
There has been much debate on various aspect of the games that some find to be unbalancing. One of the primary ones, as mentioned, is the ISC card - because it gives you two free points, it can often give the first player and second player and advantage, as a typical game often lasts around 8 rounds or so (meaning they get it twice for a total of FOUR points). However, in the games I've played, while this is definitely a factor to consider, it often can be countered by careful planning of the other players. One thing that IS important it to consider long-term meta-strategies, and make sure that players are aware of what could happen down the road, and plan for it NOW.
Because each race is different, it's hard to truly gauge the overall balance of the races. There are some races which are much easier to master and use for beginners, and others that require much more planning to use effectively. However, I think personally, when all is said and done, there is no one race that will "guarantee" automatic victory, or any race that will cause a player to be out of the picture before the game even starts. Careful strategy can turn any race into a formidable power, one that if they are ignored or underestimated, will take everyone by surprise.
The Action Cards, Political Cards, and Technologies have a wide range of effects. The Technologies are almost a moot point - although every race starts with different Techs, and some have access to "more powerful" ones right at the start, over the course of the game this tends to balance out, and every tech is ultimately available to every race. Action Cards and Political Cards are also likewise available to everyone (though not at the same time, obviously), but none of them are so ultimately powerful as to "give" a player a game automatically (though it could push someone over the edge if they were close to winning already, but that's not a detriment to the cards), or to cause a player to be out of the picture (unless they were already teetering on the edge of being so anyway).
The only situation where balance seems to be a potential issue is in a 5-player game, becaue of the way things are set up out of necessity on a hexagonal map. I haven't played this size game to say for sure, but it seems to be the most maligned player-size, and statistically it looks like it could be a problem. However, I also feel here that ultimately, good planning CAN balance out the game eventually, even against other good players. Thus, I don't think it puts those players out of the game altogether, but rather just gives them a disadvantage which CAN be overcome.
There's not much to say about balance in general without going over the mechanics with a fine-tooth comb. Suffice it to say that for ME, I feel the game is adequately balanced; I don't think theres any race or placement that can cause an automatic loss, unless everyone just decides to gang up on you, which can't really be prevented with ANY number of rules or mechanics.
MY RATING: 9/10
=== PLAYABILITY / FUN ===
Obivously, this is the most subjective category of the review. However, it is also the one that makes or breaks the game. Regardless of the other three categories, if a game isn't "playable" or "fun", the rest doesn't matter. On the other hand, though, the other three factors largely influence this one, as well.
I find the game to be extremely fun. One of the most fun games I've ever played, in fact. More fun than even most VIDEO games of the day, in my opinion. I could play this virtually anytime.
However, there is one major hindering block on the "playability" factor - the time it takes to play a game. The box says it takes 4-6 hours to play, and this is not an exaggeration. When playing with NEW players, expect a game to take longer, especially the first few rounds. When playing with experienced players, it depends on the group of course, but typically you can expect to play for the time it says you will. My experience is the 6-hour range is more typical than the 4 hour range.
However, this is balanced by the fact that regardless of how long the game goes, I never feel "bored" of the game at the end - it is engaging to me to the last. This is largely because during the whole game, I feel like I am participating. Sometimes, when I look at the clock, I'm amazed at how fast the time has flown, because I've been so engaged in the game. Thus, as long as you block out the adequate amount of time (give yourself a good buffer zone, too), you will likely enjoy the game too, as it is truly a grand adventure, an epic feel, and win-or-lose, a good feeling of satisfaction of a game well played (assuming, of course, that you DID play a good game). While it's always MOST satisfactory to win, I never feel that my time was wasted if I don't; the maneuvering and "playing" of the game itself is always enjoyable and worth every minute of it.
MY RATING: 9/10
== OVERALL ==
The game of Twilight Imperium has yet to meet it's equal to me, in terms of board games. The only other game that would compete with it for my time would be Mage Knight, which I have a particular attachment to for various reasons. As such, I would gladly recommend this game to anyone who is into the epic proportions of this game, and who wants a gaming experience like no other.
What's more, while I didn't touch on it in this review, one thing I really like about this game is that it is easily "tweaked" and "expandable". I don't perceive this as a flaw at all - rather, I perceive it as a feat that is hard to do - tweaking a game so that individual players can enjoy it even MORE, specific to their tastes, without losing the FEEL or FLAVOR of the game at all. Some games, you tweak it, it loses some of it's substance. This game, you can tweak it to make it YOUR kind of game, yet still have the basic core rules to keep things in line, to keep the game what it is meant to be.
As such, I think it will be a long time before I find a game that equals to this massive undertaking, and I look forward to playing it as often and long as I can!
PAX MAGNIFICA BELLUM GLORIOSUM!
OVERAL RATING: 9.5/10
|
Posted Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:38 pm
