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Twilight Imperium

2018-10-10T06:59:05Z

2601:280:5B7F:85C4:689E:BECD:17AC:1A82: /* Rex: Final Days of an Empire (Remake of Dune) */

{{Game Infobox
|name = Twilight Imperium
|picture = [[Image:Twilight_Imperium_box.jpg|200px]]
|type = Wargame
|playno = 3-8
|time = 6-8 Hours. Potentially many more
|publisher = [[Fantasy Flight Games]]
|authors = Christian T. Petersen
|year = 1997, 2000, 2005, 2012
}}{{stub}}
[[Category:Board Games]][[Category:Wargames]]

Not to be confused with [[Twilight|Twitlight]]

'''Twilight Imperium''' is the name of the manly game from FFG, and for the setting of some of FFG's science fiction games. Twilight Imperium itself comes in three editions (each better than the last). There are also expansion packs, which are excellent.

== The Setting ==
Enter the space operaist space opera that ever was; a galaxy dominated by warring races which players take the roles of. Conquer planets, build ships, make mercantile alliances, research world-killing weapons, and legislate your opponents to death with intergalactic politics. Twilight Imperium is basically a 4X space conquest game (Masters of Orion, etc) in boardgame format: It comes with a randomized Settlers of Catan-style tile system to create a board, and a variety of game mechanics that make each turn new and different.

The game's races are memorably unique, ranging from bipedal feline merchant princes to murderous post-human cyborgs to conniving space goblins who like to play James Bond. The objective of the game is to accumulate victory points by accomplishing objectives. The objectives range from developing technologies and controlling planets, to fucking your enemy's fleets and home systems. Objectives are revealed steadily throughout the game and each player starts with a a special secret objective. This King of the Hill-style objective sits at the center of each star map, and players are given the mandate to win by any means necessary (supplemented by secret objectives for each player, random events, and legislative votes). There is also a huge deck of 'intrigue cards' which essentially provide players with asymmetrical solutions to problems that they can't or won't solve with brute force by letting them lay down all kinds of random events, advantages for themselves, or disadvantages for their opponents. These also serve to add some character to the background of the story; planetary uprisings, religious fanatics and agents sabotaging the opposition.

Gameplay-wise, the game behaves similarly to Fantasy Flight's Game of Thrones boardgame: metagame and the behavior of the participants (singularly and collectively) has a huge impact on shaping each individual gameplay experience. This effects everything from the disposition of the star map (players take turns placing tiles, so each one has some influence on the game board) to how regularly military conflict occurs. The game also recommends randomizing race selection. All of this contributes to each group of gamers giving the game a very unique feel: an aggressive group might mean a lot of military conflict and relatively static alliances enforced by said conflict, while a more Machiavellian group might make the game a cold war of intrigue and vote-counting on passing galactic laws or trade agreements. On top of this, each race has its own unique specialty, further differentiating each player's strategy, and even further, each player chooses what is essentially a 'policy card' each turn that provides a benefit to a certain type of action. In short, there's a lot of emergent complexity, and it makes Twilight Imperium a game with a huge amount of depth and replayability.

The full rulebook is available [http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Twilight%20Imperium%203/ti3rules.pdf from Fantasy Flight Games]

A brief note: the Imperial strategy (which gives Victory Points to the player who takes it) can be very decisive in 'new' groups that aren't familiar with the game. If you find your games are ending too quickly because of Imperial spam, an easy fix is to have it grant only one Victory Point each time it's taken. If you like shorter games and want to be done at a reasonable hour, it's fine the way that it is.

Another note: Twilight Imperium (like many Fantasy Flight strategy games) is the sort of game that it takes a couple of runs with to 'break in' a group of new players. The first two or three games (at least) are usually a learning process, and shouldn't really be taken as representative of the game's mechanics or balance. It's sometimes informative to run through a full game turn or two, just to let new players get the hang of what all the mechanics do, and then rewind and start over once everyone knows what they're doing.

A lot of strategic decisions made in the first turn or two have very important consequences and it puts new players at a handicap if they have no idea which way is up while they're making decisions. Which strategies to pick, which technologies to get, how to vote on laws, who to trade with, how to balance logistics versus movement, how to conquer planets (and which ones are good for conquering) and move your spaceships around, how to deal with an angry military neighbor that wants to steamroll you... it can be a lot to take in. Don't be a dick, let people figure out what they're doing before you lay on the misdirection and political scheming. Nobody wants to sit around for a few hours getting their ass handed to them because they set up poorly in the first couple of turns. Being nice about it is the key to cultivating a group of repeat players.

== The MANLY Game ==
[[Image:Twilight_imperium_3_(vassal).jpg|thumb|300px|My god, someone made a computer version.]]
Jobs from Puerto Rico, hex maps from Cataan & Amoeba Wars, random exploration from everybody's first house rules to improve Cataan, alien races with different advantages from [[Cosmic Encounter|Cosmic Encounter]], buckets of finely-crafted plastic minis from Axis & Allies... this is like the Flaming Moe of boardgames. The only awesome game mechanic it's missing is the hidden traitor player from [[Shadows Over Camelot]].

''(stolen from another site. Please replace with something /tg/ worthy.)''

''TI3 is played by at least three players who belong to ten possible alien races, each with their own advantages and quirks. The 'designer notes' in the rulebook candidly and humbly acknowledge the inspiration for some of the improvements to the original game. The strategic game-play borrows the governing element from 'Puerto Rico' to involve players in an iteratively complex and yet fast-paced game experience with very little downtime. The game map, basic player progress and overall victory are dynamically determined in almost exactly the same way as they are by imaginative players of 'Settlers of Catan', while the "Command" system cleverly improves on the 'oil' logistical mechanism of 'Attack' to both manage turn-based activity and limit the size of armies, uniquely enabling weakened players to bounce back if they play their cards right.

''Shipping in a <strike>massive</strike>'' fuckoff hueg ''(12” x 24”) box, this new giant-size edition of TI feature almost 350 masterfully sculpted oversize plastic miniatures - the typical TI units (Ground Forces, Cruisers, Dreadnoughts, Carriers, Fighters, PDS, and Space Docks) as well as two new units (the massive War Sun and the Destroyer). TI3 contains new oversize board tiles, more than 400 cards, every known civilization of the Twilight Imperium universe, almost every expansion rule and component ever published for TI, a gorgeous graphical overhaul, and an impressive full-color rules set.

* [http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Twilight_Imperium_(third_Edition) Twilight Imperium] module for [[VASSAL Game Engine|playing online]]

== Twilight Armada (the disc game) ==
Started out as a fighters expansion for TI 1st edition, later FFG bought the mechanics for a tabletop wargame that used [[Pogs|cardboard discs]] instead of minis. Unit stats were printed around the edge, the illustration showed arcs of fire, and the size of the disc was the relative target profile of the ship. Discs were flipped to show different stats in a damaged state.

== [[Rex: Final Days of an Empire]] (Remake of Dune) ==
Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) has licensed the rights to the mechanics of the boardgame version of '''[[Dune]]''' published by Avalon Hill (not the board game based on the movie, the one based on the book). Fantasy Flight was unable to get the rights to the Dune license. They re-theme the game to fit into the Twilight Imperium universe. The game now centers on players waring for control of Mecatol Rex.

<s>but the original game is too awesome to screw up, and Twilight Imperium is also awesome, so we can expect an awesome sandwich with a side order of awesome.</s> Unfortunately FFG made multiple changes to match to boardgame trends. This has really dulled the edge of what had been pure evil in cardboard form.

But it's still the best backstab simulator you can get.

== Twilight Imperium 4th Edition ==
It took only 12 years, but TI now has a new edition - it includes all races (except the Lazax) from the base game and expansions, some streamlined rules, but it is mostly identical.

{{Board Games}}

Fantasy Flight Games

2018-10-10T06:57:33Z

2601:280:5B7F:85C4:689E:BECD:17AC:1A82: /* Product Listing */

[[Image:FFG-Logo-Blue.png|center]]
<br><br>

While the rest of the world laughs at our pathetic Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers crapfest boardgames, one American company is actually making decent and respectable games. This company is '''Fantasy Flight Games'''. Incorporated in 1995 as Fantasy Flight Publishing, they started out printing graphic novels in a tiny operation. They almost went under a couple of times, until the book publisher decided to wing out a game called [[Twilight Imperium]]. [[Dwarf Fortress|Floodgates]] opened, and the company continually puts out quality materials and [[Board Games]].

Another thing FFG is known for is destroying rainforests, because practically everything they produce that isn't a straight-up [[RPG]] makes extensive use of cardboard tokens and counters for as many gameplay mechanics as possible. They also have a fondness for non-standard specialist [[dice]] which are only useful in the game they came with, by virtue of using a limited set of unevenly distributed symbols instead of numbers.

As of 14th November 2014, FFG has been bought out by Asmodee (Source: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/138631-Fantasy-Flight-Games-Acquired-by-European-Asmodee-in-Board-Game-Merger)

As of February 2017, FF's license to GW IPs will expire, and all of the current games will cease to be sold. [[Skub|Depending on who you ask,]] this is either because [[Games Workshop]] wants to whore out their RPG license to everyone the same way they do for video games, or because FFG has the [[Star Wars]] license and anything GW makes is peanuts compared to what the Mouse is giving them. That, or GW [[Butthurt|is jealous that]] [[X-Wing]] [http://spikeybits.com/2016/03/warhammer-dethroned-top-5-miniature-games.html| dethroned 40K as the best-selling miniatures game in North America.] Or maybe because Asmodee is a direct competitor to GW, and having your opponents make money off your licensed products is an incredibly stupid idea.

They also are known for not proofreading their RPG materials beyond running them through spellcheck. Seriously, these things make English teachers queasy.

Summer 2017 they announced a reprint of the original [[Star Wars RPG]] will be made 2018, because of course reprinting 30 year old rulebooks gets [[Neckbeards]] salivating. At the same time the generic [[Genesys]] RPG was published, which is based on the [[Star Wars Roleplaying Game]] mechanics.

==Product Listing==
This list is not necessary complete and exhaustive, and shouldn't be treated as such. Expansions to a core game are sublisted to the main entry.

===[[Board Games]]===
*Android
*[[Arkham Horror]]
**Arkham Horror: Dunwich Horror
**Arkham Horror: Kingsport Horror
**Arkham Horror: Innsmouth Horror
**Arkham Horror: Black Goat of the Woods
**Arkham Horror: Curse of the Dark Pharaoh
**Arkham Horror: The King in Yellow
**Arkham Horror: The Lurker at the Threshold
**Arkham Horror: Miskatonic Horror
*Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
*[[Blood Bowl]]: Team Manager
*[[Chaos in the Old World]]
*[[Descent: Journeys in the Dark]]
**Descent: Well of Darkness
**Descent: The Altar of Despair
**Descent: Road to Legend
*Dust
**Dust: Tactics
**Dust: Warfare
*A Game of Thrones
**A Clash of Kings
**A Storm of Swords
*[[Horus Heresy]]
*[[Relic]]
*[[Runebound]]
*[[Talisman]]
*Tannhäuser
*The Adventurers
**The Adventurers: Pyramid of Horus
**The Adventurers: Temple of Chac
*Twilight Imperium
**Shattered Empire
**Shards of the Throne
*[[Rex: Final Days of an Empire]]
*Warrior Knights
*War of the Ring

===[[Card Games]]===
*[[Call of Cthulhu (LCG)]]
*Cold War
*[[Android: Netrunner]]
*A Game of Thrones LCG
*Space Hulk: Death Angel
*The Lord of The Rings LCG
*[[Star Wars: Destiny CCG]]
*Star Wars LCG
*Warhammer: Invasion LCG
*[[Legend of the Five Rings]] LCG (to be released 2017)

===[[RPG]] Material===
*[[Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay]]
* [[Horizon]]
*[[Grimm]]
*[[ANIMA]]
*[[Fireborn]]
*[[Dawnforge]] (d20)
*[[Dragonstar]] (d20)
*[[Midnight | Midnight (d20)]]
*[[Star Wars Roleplaying Game]]
**Edge of the Empire
**Age of Rebellion
**Force and Destiny
*[[Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay]]
**[[Dark Heresy]]
**[[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]]
**[[Rogue Trader (RPG)|Rogue Trader]]
**[[Black Crusade (RPG)|Black Crusade]]
**[[Only War]]
*[[Genesys]] rpg system [[https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/genesys/products/genesys-core-rulebook/ Book]]

===[[Wargames]]===
*Wings of War
*[[X-Wing]]
*[[Star Wars: Armada]]
*Star Wars: Legion

{{Model Manufacturers}}

[[Category:Publishers]][[Category: Model Manufacturers]]

Rex: Final Days of an Empire

2018-10-10T06:56:58Z

2601:280:5B7F:85C4:689E:BECD:17AC:1A82:

AKA [[Dune]].

Dune was 1979 Avalon Hill game made by the same guys that made Cosmic Encounter; it's one of the crown jewels of the Avalon Hill body of work. The game property was bought by [[Fantasy Flight Games]], but the owners of the Dune trademarks said "no," so FFG published the game using their Twilight Imperium setting as a prequel to that wargame.

Since we already have a Dune article covering the setting, and need to cover the game itself, and Dune is Out Of Print, but Rex is not, we'll cover both games here. Anyway, begin the description:

A brutal mindfuck of a backstabbing, horribly evil game, Rex/Dune is fascinating for a few mechanics. Let's go over one, the victory conditions, just to give some flavor:

==Victory==
A player wins if he holds three (of five) strongholds (it's also possible to win in a (publicly declared) alliance by two players, each holding two strongholds). There are three exceptions:

* The Fremen (or Sol in Rex) Player wins if nobody else has won by the end of round 8 and either they or nobody controls two specific locations.
* The Guild (or Hacan in Rex) Player wins if Round 8 has passed, and the Sol/Fremen haven't won.
* The Bene Gesserit (or Xxcha in Rex) Player, before the game starts, predicts which player will win, and in what turn. If both of these predictions comes true, even if it's an alliance, even if they are in the alliance, even if it's one of the above two "default" victories, and even if the BG/X player has been eliminated, the Bene Gesserit/Xxcha wins alone.

(Yes, every faction has a few bonuses, it's just that these three are the ones that involve victory.)

{{Board Games}}

[[Category:Board Games]]