Space Empires 4x: All Good Things p500

www.gmtgames.com/p-898-space-empires-all-good-things.aspx

Anyone else excited about this thing? $95 is a lot for an expansion ($65 for the p500 is also a lot, but better anyway lol), but you also get a crazy amount of crazy stuff in there.

Combined Rule Book, Combined Competitive Scenario Book, and Combined Solo/Co-op Scenario Book: Since this is the final expansion, all the rules and scenarios over the four different games will be compiled in one place.

Solo and Co-Op: Refined solo and co-op rules.

A New, Alternate Empire (two copies): Not as different as the Replicators, it has the same economics as a base empire, but some of the ship classes have different stats and abilities. Some of the ship classes are also completely replaced with new classes.

Allows you to play Space Empires as a 6-player game without Replicators or a 7-player game with them.
Even in a 2-player game, you can now play it 5 different ways.
Base Empire vs Base Empire
Base Empire vs New Empire
Base Empire vs Replicators
New Empire vs New Empire
New Empire vs Replicators


Variable, but balanced home systems: Everyone has the same home system for balance reasons. However, you will never know for sure exactly what will be in your home system from game to game.



Scenario Cards: 30 or so cards, and 1 or 2 could be flipped to change the overall galaxy conditions for the game. A couple of these are from the scenario book, but most are new.



Missions: Missions are Resource Cards that can't just be played but require you to complete something on the map to gain a larger benefit. More work, but more reward.




Deep Space Planetary Attributes: The NPA planets in deep space will now have a bit of personality. Some will be harder or easier to take. Some will really be worth fighting over as they will have different abilities and bonuses.



Crew Cards: Notable crewmen that bring bonuses will be on some of your ships. Sometimes they benefit just one ship, sometimes a group, and sometimes a fleet.



Facilities Game: Two new facilities will be added to complete the facilities game.




Much, Much More: extra cards of every type, Starbases, Defense Satellites, Cyber Armor, New Terrain types, additional terrain to support larger scenarios, a 4" box to give you more storage options, and more!


COMPONENTS
4” Box
1 Combined Rule Book
1 Combined Competitive Scenario Book
1 Combined Solo/Co-op Scenario Book
5 Counter Sheets 5/8"
5 Tile Sheets
190 Cards
4 Player Aid Cards
2 Player Aid Cards New Empire
Production Pad
Production Pad New Empire
Production Pad Facilities
Production Pad Facilities New Empire
2 Cardstock Fleet Displays
100 green plastic stands

The designer characterized the mission cards as like little Star Trek episodes that you go complete for bonuses, which I love. That plus unique Crew members both just sound fun. Combined rulebooks are great. 2 new unique empires is bonkers. Just a bunch of cool sounding stuff here. I guess I'll have to wrangle up a 6p game at some point!

I'm glad Krohn has moved toward the variable player positions. It made sense the first version didn't have them but it's definitely the next thing you think of in this sort of game.

Whoa this already hit 500

Edit: this hit 500 in 40 hours, which seems nuts.

Yo, Space Empires is on Board Game Arena says Cole Wehrle????????

It’s in beta and I’m curious so set up a 2p table. I’ll need to learn the rules but I should be up and running shortly.

I'm interested but hesitant because I don't know when I'll read the rules. Maybe in a week or two?

Reminds me I need to get rid of my SE4X base and first two expansions. I like it, but it's one of the few games my wife absolutely hates, and she's about the only one around to play with (not that she's not a great game partner in general).

Honestly slightly tempted, hard enough game to get a copy of with expansions.

Do it Gary its really fun plays pretty well solo 2+ handed too. You lose the hidden movement/bluffing aspect but it still works and is fun. The solo flowchart stuff is kind of a mess, I'm hoping they do a solid overhaul of it in the final expansion. If they did up a solo card system like they did for some of the COIN games recently I would be into it, but I don't think that's on the agenda.

It *is* fun, but my wife finds it boring--and she's so open to so many games, I have to pay attention when there's something she doesn't like.

ETA: No sooner did I post about selling the expansions and I ended up getting an offer on BGG and trading them to a guy for Steller Horizons.

The version of this on BGA without any optional rules is dead simple. I like it. It's a very good BGA game except for the battles taking forever because you have a choice each shot.

I'm glad you got rid of it jpat, I would have been tempted to buy it from you with some expansions and I've been super good about games, no non-arkham stuff for like most of a year.

There's so much in the base game in such a (by today's standards) compact package (physically and rules wise) that I feel like it's almost certainly enough except for the hardcore or at least the highly aspirational.

The first expansion I think adds a ton of really fun stuff. Assymetric empire powers, alien tech you can discover, and some really fun new ship types are all real simple to add. It also has weird stuff if you wanna get weird with the game (unit experience, ground units, etc). The second expansion is where things get more esoteric, but it's just more weird stuff you can toss in if you want. It had the map tiles which are cool too. I think the first expansion at least is a must if you play the game somewhat regularly personally

I'm really coming around to your position on this game ah pook. Early days but I think this game is actually pretty good. And VERY simple. Cole Wehrle's comment on the game about just a little bit of pen and paper work saving you a LOT of fiddly messy token tracking and updating is spot on.

I think the game is right at home on board game arena too, use the combat doctrine thing and even combats go quick.

This isn't the best game ever, but the core tensions in it are so simple and they just work. The hidden info with decoys just works. The extremely tense decisionmaking between technology and more ships is a real game of chicken too.

Sornars and I are going at it hammer and tongs turn after turn.