Replicator Tuesdays is an article series appearing on InsideGMT. It features insights into the development of the 2^nd expansion for the board wargame Space Empires:4x by Jim Krohn.  Here the designer, developer and play testers will share their thoughts and experiences on this upcoming expansion. Since there is much crossover between the Space Empires and Talon development teams, both Space Empires and Talon articles will be featured in this series.

Issue #44 Changes to Technology Reveals (Part 2)

As part of my work as the Developer of Space Empires: Replicators I was tasked by Jim to come up with a more detailed Sequence of Play than what was in the base game.  We had added a lot of technology and steps in the turns that were not covered by the base game rules and a new Sequence of Play was needed to make sure there was no confusion as to when in a given turn certain things occurred.

This article is a continuation of Issue #42. It can be found here.

For the Alien Technology Cards I left alone those that reduced the build cost or maintenance cost of the various units.  Those still only have to be revealed at the end of the game or if one of your colonies or ships that benefits from the technology is captured (as per the rules as written).  As these techs are more of a CP/Construction modifier than a combat modifier I left them alone.  Plus it allowed me to leave at least some of the cards unrevealed until the end of the game.

Alien Technology Cards

So by card number here is the list of which Alien Technology Cards have to be revealed in Step H and a note if this reflects a change from Close Encounters.

2. Anti-Matter Warhead. Reveal when a DD is present in combat.  No Change.
3. Interlinked Targeting Computer. Reveal when a DD is present in combat.  No Change.

This is a card that arguably should have been revealed only when the DD mounted Attack 2/3 under the revealed when used rule.  If I had been looking at making the game more complicated with this review I would have asked for a change in that direction.

5. Long Lance Torpedo. Reveal when a DD is present in combat.  No Change.

Again, by sticking with the reveal when used rule this should only have been revealed when the DD fired at B.  Thus opening the door to keep it under wraps if you did not need to fire before D in the current battle.

10. Emissive Armor. Reveal when a CA is present in combat.  No change.

Though an argument could have been made that it conflicted with the reveal when used and that you should not have to reveal it until one of your CAs had taken two hits.

11. Electronic Warfare Module. Reveal when a CA is present in combat.  No change.
12. Microwarp Drive. Reveal when a BC is present in combat.  No change.
13. Combat Sensors. Reveal when a BB is present in combat.  No change.
14. Afterburners. Reveal when a Fighter is present in combat.  No change.

Though an argument could be made that it conflicted with the reveal when used and you should not have to reveal it until you used it against a Hull Size 1 ship.

15. Photon Bomb. Reveal when a Fighter is present in combat.  No change.

Though an argument could be made it conflicted with the reveal when used and you should not have to reveal it until you used it against a Hull Size 2 ship.  I did really think hard on Afterburners and Photon Bombs about asking Jim to change these to only reveal them when the Fighters were in a battle where they could benefit from them at first.  Once I decided to go for a much stricter reveal even if you will not use the technology in this battle I dropped that thought.

16. Stim Packs. Reveal if a Ground Unit is present in combat.

This is a change from revealing it during ground combat as it now has to be revealed at the start of the space combat.  This falls under the “if it effects the dice reveal the tech rule” that I was operating under.  You were probably already thinking that you needed to kill that loaded Transport before it dropped its Troops, but now you really want to kill it before its boosted troops hit dirt.

22. Omega Crystal. Reveal when a ship that mounts them is present in combat.

This is a change from revealing it when first used.  This falls under the “if it effects the dice reveal the tech rule” that I was operating under.

24. Minesweep Jammer. Reveal when Mines are in combat.

This is a change from revealing it when SWs attempt to sweep the Mines.  This falls under the “Targeting Priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  Its information that you would love to keep from your enemy and its information that your enemy paid at least the cost of one ship to find out that you have Mines.  So with this ruling they get the most return on their investment.  Also gives a slight boost to ships with Anti-Sensor Hulls as they will find out about this card and not be killed by a Mine.

25. Air Support. Reveal when a Transport is in combat.

This is a change from revealing it when first used.  This falls under the “Targeting Priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  It makes the Transport a little more dangerous so you have to tell your enemy about this as that knowledge might effect if they want to shoot it.

26. Hidden Turret. Reveal when a SW is present in combat.  No change.
27. Stealth Field Emitter. Reveal if any of your mobile units are in combat.

This is a change from the reveal when first used.  This falls under the “Targeting Priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  If you know that after the battle the enemy ships will go back to their unrevealed side it might make a difference in which ones you want to take out now.

28. Advanced Comm Array. This is revealed if a ship that can mount Exploration Tech is present in combat.

This is a change from the reveal when first used.  This falls under the “Targeting Priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  Knowing that an enemy CA could benefit from this card could affect your decision to target it instead of a BC.

29. Mobile Analysis Bay. Reveal when a Boarding Ship is in combat.

This is a change from reveal at end of game.  This falls under the “Targeting Priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  Knowing that the enemy Boarding Ships are much more useful might change your targeting priorities.

30. Adaptive Cloaking Device. Reveal when a Raider is present in combat.

This is a change from reveal when first used.  This falls under both “Technology that influences die rolls and targeting priorities catch all” that I was operating under.

56. On Board Workshop. Reveal when a CV/BV/Titan is present in combat.

This falls under the targeting priorities catch all.  Problem with this ruling is that I never went back and changed the card reveal after it was decided that Ship Yard Tech had to be revealed.  Second piece of Errata “So Step H is correct and the card is wrong.”

Empire Advantage Cards

Moving on to the Empire Advantage Cards that have to be revealed in Step H if non-Ground Units from these Empires are in the battle.

31. Fearless Race. When entering into combat.  No change.

Note that Fearless Race Boarding Ships do not force a reveal as they do not benefit from this card.

32. Warrior Race. When entering into combat.  No change.

Note that Warrior Race Boarding Ships do not force a reveal as they do not benefit from this card.

33. Celestial Knights. When entering into combat.

This is a change from revealing when a charge is declared.  This falls under both “Technology that influences die rolls and targeting priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  You have to tell your opponent that your heavy hitters might attack twice before the Mines go off and before they figure out what they want to try and kill in the first round.  Note that Celestial Knight Bases and Ship Yards do not force a reveal as they do not benefit from this card.

34. Giant Race. When entering into combat.  No change.

38. Hive Mind. When entering into combat.  No change.

Hive Mind Ground Units do force a reveal in Step H as they do benefit from this card.

40. Quick Learners. When entering into combat.

This is a change from revealing when used to see if a ship gains experience.  This falls under “Technology that influences die rolls catch all” that I was operating under.  You have to tell your opponent at the start of combat that you have a higher than normal chance to gain experience during the battle.  Note that only units that can gain experience will force the reveal.

42. Master Engineers. When entering into combat.

This is a change from revealing when used.  This falls under “Technology that influences die rolls catch all” that I was operating under.  Note that Master Engineers Bases and Ship Yards do not force a reveal as they do not benefit from this card.

43. Insectoids. When entering into combat.   No change.
44. Immortals. When entering into combat.

This is a change from reveal when first used.  This falls under “Technology that influences die rolls catch all” that I was operating under.  You have to tell your opponent before the Mines go off that your ships are going to be tougher to kill.  The note that Ground Units do force a reveal should be ignored.  Jim issued a ruling that Immortal Ground Units cannot benefit from their card after I had added the note and I did not go back and remove it.  Third piece of Errata.

45. Expert Tacticians. When entering into combat.

This is a change from reveal when first used.  This falls under “Technology that influences die rolls catch all” that I was operating under.  It effects when the fleet size attack bonus is earned so it must be revealed.

46. Horsemen of the Plains. When entering into combat.

This is a change from reveal when first used.  This falls under both “Technology that influences die rolls and targeting priorities catch all” that I was operating under. You have to tell your opponent at the start of combat that they might only get one round of shooting at you and that if they retreat you have a better than normal chance of hitting their colony.

47. And We Still Carry Swords. When entering into combat if either side has Boarding Ships or the And We Still Carry Swords side has ground troops including Militia.

This is a change from reveal when first used.  This falls under “Technology that influences die rolls catch all” that I was operating under.  Before the Mines go off your opponent must be informed as to the modifiers that Boarding Ships will be operating under when dealing with you.

50. Cloaking Geniuses. When a SC/DD/CA that mounts a cloak is encountered in combat or moves through an enemy ship.

This is a change from “When a cloaked SC/DD/CA is encountered in combat or moves through an enemy ship.”  This falls under both “Technology that influences die rolls and targeting priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  So you cannot decide to not use the cloaking benefits on a lone SC that mounts the device to keep your enemy from knowing that in the next turn they might get hit with a lot of cloaked ships.

51. Star Wolves. When a SC/DD/Fighter is present in combat.

This is a change from reveal when used.  This falls under both “Technology that influences die rolls and targeting priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  You have to tell your opponent that your smaller ships are more dangerous than normal.

53. House of Speed. When entering into combat.

This is not a real change since you had to tell your player opponent that they would get a +2 to fire at you.  But it does move up that reveal to before Mines go off.  Also note that the rule was changed so that NPAs/ Doomsday Machines/ Space Amoebas/Space Pirates get the +2 benefit as well when they are firing at House of Speed Units.  This change is an example of where we did not tighten up the reveal in the first place when we changed how House of Speed works.  In the first version House of Speed was barred from researching any Defense Technology instead of other players having a +2 to their firepower when firing at House of Speed ships.  This proved to be easily gotten around by just researching bigger ships that either came with defense built in or fired before the smaller ships that had bought defense.  So we changed it to the current penalty which lists only other players as getting the bonus when we had intended that all units firing at the House of Speed ships would get the bonus.  This is clarified on page 4 of the Replicator Rulebook to reflect the correct rule that all units firing at House of Speed get the +2.

54. Powerful Psychics. When entering into combat if a ship that mounts Exploration 1 is present.

This is a change from Close Encounters where you did not have to reveal this Empire Advantage in combat.  This falls under the “Targeting Priorities catch all” that I was operating under.  If they do not already know that the CA in your force can flip over their unrevealed ships a hex away you have to tell them now.

55. Shape Shifters. Just a note that I left these guys alone.

They definitely fall under my “Targeting Priorities catch all,” but as that is their whole reason to exist I felt that letting the players find out about them with the current rules was the better way to go.

58. On the Move. This needs to be revealed if Ship Yards or Bases that benefit from it are in the battle.

Fourth Piece of Errata.  Another case of me not changing the reveal listing in the face of the decision to have Movement Tech revealed.  So once again Step H is correct, and the card is wrong.

59. Longbowmen. This has to be revealed if you have any non-Fighter ships in the combat.

Even if your other units are DDs with Long Lance you still have to reveal that you are Longbowmen as the DDs would normally fire at C.

62. Improved Gunnery. This has to be revealed if you have a unit in the battle that benefits from it.
63. Warp Gates. This has to be revealed if your Flagship or an Exploration Ship is in the battle.

 Hopefully, these changes to the Technology and Empire Advantages Reveal Rules will clear up any questions that players might have about when they have to be revealed and why.  The players still have the option to disagree with these rules and come up with their own system IF they can get all of the players to agree to it before the game, but at least now they have a more clear idea of how the game was designed to be played. This game was designed to be modified.

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