Exodus: Event Horizon

Leaders of Exodus
about 7 years ago – Fri, Feb 10, 2017 at 01:47:29 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen,

its time to take another trip with Rainer. This time, we're getting treated to a closer look at the Leaders appearing in Event Horizon. Enjoy, and have a great day!

The Leaders of the Exodus Universe

The Leader module came about as a very natural addition to the Exodus game experience. I love asymmetry and player powers, things that make me different from other players, while still maintaining game balance.

The rules are simple: Each Leader provides a unique benefit during the game. During setup, each player is dealt two random Leader cards from which they choose one to keep.

But once you take a closer look at the various Leader roles, you quickly realize the subtle but powerful impact each Leader can have on the game and your overall strategy.

Commander, Admiral, and Governor

Each of these Leaders is simple and straight-forward. You receive a 2 CP discount whenever researching a Technology of a given type (Civilian, Military, or Transport). This is a significant boost which will allow a player to obtain higher tier techs faster than their opponents. A focused strategy centered around a specific Technology type can start working for you much sooner and more effectively. Alternatively, these Leaders can simply boost the efficiency of any type of balanced strategy. Overall, flexible and useful abilities.

Scientist, Engineer, and Visionary

These Leaders each provide a start-of-game benefit — free minor Technology plus a choice of a few additional starting resources; two additional ships; one Standard Action to be taken before the game begins. How will you utilize these benefits? While it can be difficult to envision the impact of an early-game advantage, when properly utilized, you can stay one or two actions ahead of your opponents which can make a crucial difference later in the game.

Celebrity and Politician

Two Leaders that could not be any more different!

The Celebrity represents a sure-fire no-frills 5 VP at the end of the game. That’s it! Yet, at the same time, this is an incredibly attractive choice. With the Celebrity, you do not need to alter your overall strategy or worry about whether you are making the most out of your chosen Leader.

The Politician, on the other hand, represents opportunity and taking charge of the unknown. If you select this Leader, you are committing yourself to taking charge of the political aspects of the game. The Council Stage is your domain! The Politician’s ability reads:

“During each Council Stage, up to 5 CP of your bid counts double. Additionally, any tied bid (of 1 CP or higher), in which you are involved, is broken in your favor.”

Simply put — whether voting during the Political Decision step of the Council Stage, or bidding for Turn Order during the Elections step, your bid is more influential than everyone else’s. If you bid 1 CP, it counts as 2 CP (but you only pay 1 CP), a bid of 5 CP counts as 10 CP (though you only pay 5 CP), and a bid of 6 CP counts as 11 CP (since only up to 5 CP of your bid counts as double; you still only pay 6 CP). What impact can this have on the game? To be honest — “it depends.” First of all, it is impossible to know which options will be presented during each Political Decision step. Second, you can still be outbid.

“Why not just give the Politician a 5 CP discount when voting/bidding?”

Because the current ability is more thematic and adds to the intrigue of politics! If you don’t bid at all, then the Politician ability has no effect. The more you bid, the more you utilize the Politician’s power. On the other hand, why bid 5 CP if 1 CP will suffice? Then again, 5 CP counts as 10 CP, whereas 1 CP only counts as 2 CP. However, because the other players know that your lower bids are more efficient, will they simply abstain, knowing you would likely vote for the same option as them, or simply let you “waste” your bid on an option you are likely to win anyway?

The Politician can really shape the game by nudging the politics in your favor. But this Leader also comes with no guarantees!

The rest of the crew! — Industrialist, Negotiator, Diplomat, Strategist, Tactician, Merchant, Commissioner, Magistrate … and more?

Most of the Leaders allow you to “break” one of the rules of the game — collect 6 CP instead of 5 from your CP planets; use an already-taken Reaction at the cost of precious Population; gain 1 VP whenever other players use the Reaction on your Action Card; gain additional VP when you win a battle against another player; roll an extra die when you control two Ships of the same type participating in the same battle; always Trade at the left most Market slot rates; your War Cruisers cost less; use Civilian Ships before the Mount Population step of each Conquest Stage …

The rules for the Leader module are simple and straight-forward. But you are in complete charge of your own destiny and how you shape your empire based on your chosen Leader!

New Planet Hexes in detail
about 7 years ago – Fri, Feb 10, 2017 at 05:13:18 AM

Ladies and Gentlemen,

once again, straight from the designer, an introduction to more new mechanisms of the expansion. Enjoy - and tell us what you think!

New Hexes

With the stretch goals which have already been unlocked, Exodus: Event Horizon adds no less than 17 new planet hexes to the game! What’s more, the new hexes represent no less than 5 brand new planet types, never before seen. While this module does not introduce new resource types, you will be able to discover exotic planets which introduce new and interesting abilities for the players to consider.

In the setup instructions for this module, you will use a subset of new planets which replace a certain number of traditional CP/Axinium/Phasium planets. For example, in addition to Home Planets and the central hex, a standard 4-player setup calls for a total of 20 other planet hexes (divided into 9 CP, 7 Axinium, and 4 Phasium).

Using the New Planets module, a 4-player setup will use the same number of hexes, but the 20 hexes will instead be divided into:

• 6 CP Planet hexes
• 5 Axinium Planet hexes
• 4 Phasium Planet hexes
• 5 Random New Planet hexes

Let’s examine each planet type in detail.

No Resources (×1)

This planet produces no resources at all. However, with 6 VP its control will be hotly contested among the players later in the game. How soon do you attempt to colonize the planet, knowing that your Population will be unable to produce resources on its surface? Will you risk ship battles as well? Or will the threat of your ships deter other players from attempting colonization?

Finite (×3)

These planets hold more initial resources than normal. However, Mining Actions have no effect on finite planets! Once its resources have been depleted, it will produce no longer. Event Horizon comes with one finite planet hex for each resource (CP, Axinium, and Phasium).

Advanced (×9)

In addition to the resources produced by the planet, advanced planets offer discounts when researching Technologies of a certain type (Civilian, Military, or Transport), as indicated by the icon next to the planet’s name. Each player who has at least 1 Population on the planet will receive the 1 CP discount to any research of that type. The 9 planet hexes represent unique combinations of resources and technologies.

Barren (×3)

During resource production, for each Barren planet where you have 1 or more Population, roll a die. On a result of 4+, that planet produces normally for you. Otherwise, the planet yields no production that turn. If multiple players occupy the planet, each player will roll separately. In other words, barren planets produce normally only 50% of the time. On the other hand, such planets will never become depleted.

Peaceful (×3; 1 unlocked so far)

Peaceful planets produce resources as normal. However, they cannot be targeted by any type of WMD.

But — wait! — there is more!

We have additional planets in store for you! More planets, new abilities.

As you can see, each planet hex in Exodus: Event Horizon is unique. No two planets produce the same resource and feature the exact same ability!

While the new planet types maintain a healthy balance between the VP they provide and the resources produced or other benefits provided, not all planet abilities will benefit all players equally. Trust your own skills when determining which planets are worth competing for and which are not.

Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri, humanity’s new home star, makes an appearance! During setup, Proxima Centauri replaces the High Council hex. At first glance, the impassable central hex may not seem like much of a change. However, drive speed will greatly affect your ability to cross the board or chase after an opponent’s ships.

The 6 planet hexes immediately adjacent to the Proxima Centauri hex are affected by Solar Wind. A player who has researched relevant Technologies can take advantage of the Solar Wind to increase the combat prowess of their ships.

When combined with second-tier cannons and shields, the Solar Booster Technologies will keep your ships on par with ships equipped with top-tier cannons and shields, but only in the vicinity of the star. Cost wise, you end up paying more CP than Phasium for the same relative power. On the other hand, top-tier Upgrades will function anywhere on the board.

Of course, top-tier cannons and shields, when combined with Solar Booster Technologies, are unmatched in strength among ships, and deservedly so, considering the premium cost paid for such power.

Does not this sound like the perfect setup for a brand new multi-player scenario? The self-titled Event Horizon scenario mentioned in the Draft Rules will now fully incorporate the effects and technologies in this module!

While the scenario will always make use of the rules in this module, you may choose to play with this module without using the rest of the scenario rules.

So, what type of planet do you like the most?

The Final Chapter
about 7 years ago – Tue, Feb 07, 2017 at 05:06:22 PM

Ladies & Gentlemen,

First of all, let us thank you one more time for this excellent start of the project! Welcome aboard! 

Exodus: Event Horizon is a special expansion, not only because of the game play and the features it brings, but also because it marks the completion of the Exodus universe. 

We know that it is rather uncommon for board game publishers to announce a final expansion, leaving no room for further products in the same line. The truth is that play testing showed us that Event Horizon completes the gaming experience of Exodus: Proxima Centauri and Exodus: Edge of Extinction and there is simply no more room for further content, even using the modular model. 

We are aware that there are publishers who would put quick profit ahead of everything else, but we are not among them. We want to earn our keep the right way, and that's by allowing you to have the best possible experience and to know that we have done our absolute best to make Exodus a truly unique space empire building game.  Thus, we are now giving you all that we have to offer. There will be no other expansions to Exodus. 

You may have also noticed that some of the rewards of the project are limited in numbers (and already gone). There is a simple reason behind that: this is the number of copies we have left in stock when it comes to base game and the first expansion, and we cannot afford to reprint them. We wish we could, but the minimum quantities (which we are hundreds of copies away from) we'd have to meet are simply too high for our financial capabilities. So, to all who ask if we will consider reprinting Edge of Extinction or offer it in the Pledge Manager, the answer is a definite no.

We knew from the start that we had fewer Edge of Extinction copies left than the base game ones, which is why we made sure that Event Horizon is an excellent expansion on its own, without having to stand on the achievements of its immediate predecessor. So, whether you plan to combine it with just the base game, or the base and Edge of Extinction, it will deliver on the promise of top quality content.

Have a great week, 

 Andrei

We are FUNDED!
about 7 years ago – Mon, Feb 06, 2017 at 09:00:53 AM

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Did you know that it takes approximately 80 minutes for the light to get from the Sun to Saturn? Well, you guys are faster than light, cause you have funded the final expansion for Exodus - Event Horizon in less than 80 minutes! In fact, you made it in a little over 60!

We are completely floored and caught unawares, which is why we're having a tiny bit of a problem with providing you a list of Stretch Goals. The graphics are in the making, but we'll let you know very soon! And whatever gets unlocked on the way will already appear as unlocked!

For now, THANK YOU for completely surprising us after 8 successful projects. You are all AMAZING!

Yours,

The NSKN Team