Subject: complete rules Outpost règles complètes (Timjim) OUTPOST RULES OF PLAY 1. INTRODUCTION Each player in Outpost assumes the role of a colony commander on a distant planet (Janna 36C) that has just been made available for strip mining and resource production. Each colony has just been established, and each colony commander is striving to manage the growth of their colony more effectively than the other commanders. The one who is most successful will be chosen by the Terran Confederation to manage the overall planetary development, making that commander a very wealthy person. This process is reflected in the game by the accumulation of victory points; the first player to accumulate 75 victory points wins. During game play, each player collects resources represented by production cards which can then be spent on more snazzy things, such as more factories, increased colony capabilities (colony upgrade cards explained below), or more workers to operate factories. 2. GAME COMPONENTS Attention Jaded Veteran Gamers: at least read the Colony Upgrade Card Summaries 2.1 Dice Three Dice: - One Four-Sided (D4), - One Ten-Sided (D10), - One Twelve-sided (D12). 2.2 Population markers 149 Population Markers (Double printed with Peuple/Robots) 2.3 Factory Markers 245 Factory Markers: Factory Color Ore Orange Water Blue Titanium Gray Research Yellow New Chemicals Green 2.4 Purchase Order Card Eight Purchase Order Card (Numbered 1-8) 2.5 Production Cards 241 Production Cards: Production Color Ore Brown Water Blue Titanium Gray Research Yellow Microbiotics Red New Chemicals Green Orbital Medecine Light Green Ring Ore ???? Moon Ore ???? 2.6 Colony Upgrade Cards 91 Colony Upgrade Cards (Jaded Veteran Gamers: Pay Attention Now). Note: All cost discounts mentioned below are cumulative with each other (i.e. other colony upgrade cards, including identical ones). The colony upgrade cards represent increased capabilities that each player can add to hie outpost, and are brought into plat' via a trading ship that arrives once/turn to trade equipment (i.e. colony upgrade cards) for resources that a player has collected from the planet (i.e. production cards). Colony upgrade cards not caught by any commander remain available for purchase on subsequent turns. If you're wondering what sort of neat things these colony upgrade cards could be, you should read the description of each one in the Following Game Components section. 2.6.1 Data Library Represents computer data files containing huge amounts (10 BB - BillaBytes) of research data useful in performing experimental research. This has a Game effect of providing a cost discount (think of it as a free coupon) towards any number of subsequent (even immediate) purchases of either the Scientists of Laboratory Colony Upgrade Cards. 2.6.2 Warehouse - ACMÉ MK IVA Warehouse - ACMÉ MK IVA transportable Stuff Houser Allows a player to increase his production card hand capacity by three more cards, because he now has more room to keep resources from turn to turn. 2.6.3 Heavy Equipment A smattering of two-story trucks, mega-dozers, and lifting cranes (basically the kind of equipment that makes an environmentalist break out in a cold sweat). The neatest consequence of owning this equipment is the ability to travel and construct Titanium mines. This means you can now build Titanium mines (factories) which you can't do without this equipment. Heavy Equipment also helps out in Warehouse and Outpost construction, giving a cost discount (coupon) towards the purchase of these colony upgrade cards. 2.6.4 Nodule - ACMÉ Type IIB Nodule - ACMÉ Type IIB transportable People Houser: this nodule provides living quarters to house three more people (i.e. population units) to operate your factories. Call them silly, but people just won't corne to work on your planet without a proper place to live. Thus, nodules can be pretty important if you're expanding your factory base. 2.6.5 Scientists After the famous Biogas Incident (actually, one million accidental deaths usually rates as a catastrophe) of 2079, it's hard to get any gond (i.e. risky) research done these days. Of course, what better place to do research than on a frozen, desolate, planet with only a few people around, all of whom have signed release clauses. Thus, groups of eager scientists are often willing to come to such planets to “experiment". In effect, they are equivalent to a research factory and will produce one research production card (you know, the yellow ones) each turn. They do not allow construction of more research factories. 2.6.6 Orbital Lab Some new microbiotics are so dangerous that even the workers won't come near them (damn unions). For these, you can purchase a special satellite that will produce the little buggers in orbit. These can be sold later on the black market, since they are outlawed due to their unpredictable nature. In effect, this card is similar to the Scientist card in that it will produce one microbiotic card each turn. These cards are the only way to produce microbiotics. There are no other microbiotic factories. 2.6.7 Robots Do labor problems have you down? Is there no room to house the greasy, smelly folk after a hard day's work? Not to worry! This robot maintenance shop, once purchased, will allow you to construct robots to run your factories instead of people. Robots cost the same as people but you don't have to house them, so there are no restrictions on how many you can own. 2.6.7 Robots (Expert Rules Change) Each Robot colony upgrade card owned by a player allows that player to operate as many Robots as that player currently has population. Robots in excess of this limit may be purchased but may not be operated. Note that each manned Space Station, Planetary Cruiser or Moon Base increases the number of robots a player may operate (by the number of Robot upgrade cards that player owns). 2.6.8 Laboratory If you're really serious about doing experimental research, this is the upgrade for you. The TechnoEarth Type X experimenter is a science student's dream. Once purchased, it allows you to conduct experiments which will produce research data every turn (i.e. you can build research factories). As an added bonus, the lab comes with a complete experiment ready to go (i.e. a free research factory which must be manned to operate). 2.6.9 Ecoplants Bioengineered plants that will survive in the planets atmosphere. They are edible, although they taste like cardboard. Fortunately, your employee's contracts don't say anything about how good the food has to taste! The effect of this card is that you can now import personnel from the home system for a cost of only five credits instead of ten because they don't have to bring any food with them. Unfortunately this cost is not cumulative with multiple Ecoplant cards. They also provide a discount towards the purchase of an Outpost (see next section) since they make the outposts self-sufficient. 2.6.10 Outpost A combination Nodule and Warehouse, this upgrade will provide room for five more employees and increase your hand capacity by three cards. As a bonus, you always construct these things next to a likely titanium mine. Thus you get a free titanium mine when you buy an Outpost. You still have to man the factory to operate it. 2.6.11 Space Station After several hundred years, NASA has finally figured out how to build these suckers. This specialized unit is really an orbital factory, similar to the orbital lab. The station can house whomever you send to operate it (adds one to population maximum if manned), and produces Orbital Medicine, which is very popular back on Earth (humans live a long time, but get sick a lot from all the pollution). The trading ship will transport the operator to the station for free. Note that if you operate this with a robot, you do not add one to your population maximum. 2.6.12 Planetary Cruiser A simple interplanetary spaceship that comes fitted for mining rings around planets. Like the Space Station, the Planetary Cruiser will house whoever operates it, and adds one to the population maximum if the operator is a person. Besides that, your employees really like flying this thing around the planets, so you can use it as a "vacation" while still getting useful work out of them (sorry gamers, that was color only - no actual game effect. How complicated do you want this to be, anyway?). 2.6.13 Moon Base The ultimate achievement for any colony commander, this setup is actually a whole other colony on one of the planet's moons. Of course, you pick a moon that is loaded with valuable goodies, so this ore is primo stuff ! As with the Space Station and Planetary Cruiser, the Moon Base will add one to the population maximum if the operator is a person. In other words, if you use a person to man a Space Station, Planetary Cruiser, or Moon Base that person does not count towards the population maximum you otherwise have due to nodules or outposts. Example A player starts with a population maximum of five. She has bought two nodules, so her population maximum is now eleven (five + three + three). She cannot have more than eleven population units at any time, unless the extra personnel are operating a Space Station, Planetary Cruiser or Moon Base. 3. GAME SETUP 3.1 Starting Population and Factories Each commander starts with - 3 population units, - 2 Ore Factories, and - 1 Water Factory. Place each population unit next to one of the factories to clearly show which population is operating which factory. It doesn't mean much now, but it will later. Trust me! 3.2 Setting up Production & Colony Upgrade Cards 3.2.1 Colony Upgrade Card Setup The total number of colony upgrade cards (which you have read about and are intimately familiar with, right?) available for purchase depends on the number of players. There are the number of players minus 1 of each card available. Example There are five players that want to play Outpost, so place four colony upgrade cards of each type in their perspective boxes on the game board. Remove the rest of the cards and set them aside, out of reach of anyone you think might be slimy enough to cheat (anyone complaining about the game at this point is a good candidate). 3.2.2 Production Card Setup Place all production cards in their perspective boxes on the game board. Remove any production cards labelled "Mega Card" and set them aside. They will not be used in the basic game. 4. SEQUENCE OF PLAY 1. Determine purchasing order and assign purchase order cards. 2. Replace previously purchased Colony Upgrade Cards. 3. Distribute Production Cards. 4. Expert game only: discard production cards in excess of Hand Capacity 5. Perform commander actions in purchase Order. a. Bid on Colony Upgrade Cards. b. Purchase New Factories. c. Purchase New Population and/or Robots (in either order). 6. Assign Operators (Population or Robots) to Factories (in purchase order). 7. Basic game only: discard production cards in excess of Hand Capacity 8. Determine if any player has met victory conditions (if not, begin n extturn. 9. Start new turn if victory conditions have not been met. 5. DETERMINE PURCHASING ORDER Commanders will perform Step four of the Sequence of Play (Commander Actions) in purchase order beginning wi thnumberone. 5.1 Counting Victory Points To determine purchase order, all commanders count up how many victory points (VPs) they have. VPs are awarded as follows: Factories VP Ore and Water 1 Titanium and Research 2 New Chemical 3 On Colony Upgrade Cards the VP amount is listed on the card. Note: A factory never counts towards VPs if it is not operating (i.e. not manned by a person or robot.) 5.2 Assigning Purchase Order and Breaking VP Ties Purchasing Order is assigned for each turn in descending order based on the total VPs accrued by each commander. The commander with the most VPs goes first, the one with the second most goes second, etc... In case of a tie, the commander whose total Colony Upgrade Card Cost for all his Colony Upgrade Cards is greater goes first. Use the cost printed on the card, not what the commander was foolish enough to actually pay for it. If there is still a tie (such as at the start of the game), randomly determine who goes first. Each commander receives the appropriately numbered Purchase Order Card which must be displayed face up for all to see. Example In a five person game, Albert has 20 VPs, Bob has 10 VPs, Charles and Tom each have 15 VPs, and Eric has 16 VPs. Albert goes first, followed by Eric, and then a tie must be resolved. Charles has bought a Nodule (cost 25 - remember it doesn't matter how much the player actually paid for it), while Tom owns a Warehouse (cost 25) and a Data Library (cost 15). Tom goes before Charles because he has a total cost for colony upgrade cards of 40, which is greater than Charles's total of 25 (Charles whines a lot anyway). Bob would go last in this example, deviously planning a move upwards in the rankings. 6. REPLACE PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED UPGRADE CARDS Each turn a large trade ship arrives at the planet to purchase materials and goods (i.e production cards) produced by the colonies. The ship also brings items/capabilities (i.e. colony upgrade cards) to trade with the player colonies. These are sold to the highest bidder (subject to a minimum purchase price). The trade ship is not associated with any of the player factions; in fact, entirely separate economic and political factions from the home system determine what the trade ship has to offer for trade. They are quite happy to rip you off and pretty much ignore your petty desires and needs. If it was easy to be a colony commander, every one would do it. 6.1 Number of Colony Upgrade Cards Available The total number of colony upgrade cards available for purchase at the start of a turn equals the total number of players in the game. Thus in a five player game, five colony upgrade cards will be available for purchase during each turn. If any colony upgrade cards were purchased during the previous turn (or it is the start of the game), they must be replaced during this step. Only colony upgrade cards that were purchased are replaced; unsold cards remain until they are purchased. The factions supplying the trade ship are not necessarily sensitive to the player's needs, and will not accept returned goods (Whoever made the stuff has obviously bribed the ship owners and they won't take it back). 6.1 Number of Colony Upgrade Cards Available (expert rules change) Colony upgrade card setup varies with the number of players according to the Setup Chart (see Reference Sheet). 6.2 Colony Upgrade Card delivery To determine which new colony upgrade card is available for purchase, someone must roll a die. The type of die rolled varies at different stages of the game. At the start of the game, roll a D4. When any commander reaches ten VPs, roll a D10. When any commander acquires thirty VPs, roll a D12 and add one to the number rolled. The colony upgrade card with the same number (located on the picture side of each card) as the number rolled is placed in the center of the table and is now available for purchase. 6.2 Colony Upgrade Card delivery (expert rules change) The number of victory points needed to roll D12+1 when determining available colony upgrade cards varies with the number of players in the game according to the Setup Chart (see Reference Sheet). No upgrade cards available (Expert rules Addition) If, during the first and second phases of the game (when rolling D4 and D10 to determine available colony upgrade cards), a turn begins with no upgrade cards available either for purchase or placement (all the upgrade cards available during the current game phase have been purchased by players), then the game automatically moves into the next phase on the next turn, regardless of the number of victory points actually acquired by any commander. 6.2.1 No Colony Upgrade Card Available If no colony upgrade cards of that number exist, use the next lowest numbered colony upgrade card. Keep decreasing until an existing colony upgrade card is reached or zero is obtained. Roll over when a zero result is obtained. 6.2.2 Duplicate Colony Upgrade Cards Sometimes the colony upgrade card obtained in the above manner duplicates a colony upgrade card which is already available for purchase. If the addition of this card brings the total of that type of card to a number greater than half of the number of commanders in the game (rounded down) then roll over until a different colony upgrade card is acquired. For those of you that are still scratching your heads on that one (I still do and I wrote it.), we have an example. Example Last turn three colony upgrade cards were purchased. The two remaining colony upgrade cards are both Laboratories (Card #8). The current VP leader has 27 VPs, so a D10 will be rolled for replacements. This is a five player game, so a total of five colony upgrade cards must be available for purchase. Therefore, three new colony upgrade cards are needed. Tom brought the beer so he gets to roll the die. The first roll is a three, signifying a Heavy Equipment card. Unfortunately, there are no more available for purchase (i.e. all four originally available have been bought). In this case, a roll of three brings a Warehouse (card #2) into play, since that is the next lowest available card. The second die roll is a five, bringing a Scientist card into play. The last roll is an eight, which would normally bring another Laboratory into play. However, since two Laboratories are already in play, this would make a total of three laboratories, which is more than half of the total number of players (rounded down) in the game. Thus, no new Laboratory appears (two are still available from the previous turn), and a new number is rolled. The new roll is a ten is which makes an Outpost card available and causes most of the players to drool visibly. 7. DISTRIBUTE PRODUCTION CARDS Each factory that is manned by a person or robot will produce a production card corresponding to the factory type Example At the start of the game in this sequence each player will recieve 2 Ore cards and 1 Water card). Factories which are unmanned do not produce and do not count as VPs. They should be flipped over to signify their unmanned status. 7.1 Factory Operation Each population unit or robot may operate only one factory each turn, although it may operate a different factory on subsequent turns if the commander desires. This allows for the operation of more productive factories as soon as they are built. Example A commander builds a titanium factory and needs a person or robot to operate it. He transfers a person currently manning an Ore factory to the Titanium factory. The marker for the Ore factory is turned over to signify that the factory is not producing at that time and doesn't count towards VPs. 7.2 Inactive Factories If an inactive factory is subsequently manned, just flip it over and treat it like any other factory. 7.3 Special Factories The exception to this rule are two of the colony upgrade cards (Orbital Labs and Scientists) which are really special factories. They do not require an additional person or robot to yield a production card each turn. 7.4 Production Card Value The production cards that are collected by a commander are the cash equivalent of his production commodities (Ore, Water, Titanium, etc.) and represent the money a commander has available to buy new factories, people, robots or colony upgrade cards. Each production card has a number on it that represents the worth (in credits) of that production commodity. These values are secret and do not have to be shown to any other player until a bid is made on a colony upgrade card. The credit value for each production commodity is not constant for each turn and represents differences in product quantity and quality. The average credit values for each production commodities are listed on the reference sheet. Example A player has two ore factories and three water factories. During the production phase he draws two ore cards (worth 3 and 4) and three water cards (worth 6, 7 and 10). He now has 30 credits to spend on new items. 7.5 Recycling Discards and IOUs Each commodity produced by a factory has its own discard pile. When all of the production cards for a particular commodity have been distributed, the discard pile should be reshuffled and put back into play. In the unlikely event that all production cards are distributed and some commanders have yet to receive their entitled production (and there are no discards available to reshuffle) those commanders receive an IOU representing the average values for the particular factory good. Use a slip of paper or some other convenient item. This IOU is equivalent to production cards in all respects and counts towards the maximum number of cards a player may hold at the end of his turn Example A player has six water factories operating but there are only three water production cards available. After taking the remaining water cards he is still short three production cards. Thus he is entitled to an IOU for 21 credits (the average credit for a water production card is 7). Note that this IOU still counts as three cards towards the player's hand capacity. 7.6 First Turn Rules (Expert rules Addition) On the first turn, each player receives 4 Ore and 2 Water cards. A player who makes no other purchases on that turn (only) may turn in all 6 cards for 1 Water factory, even if their values total to less than 20. 7.7 Discarding excess production cards (Expert rules change) Discarding excess production cards takes place before Commander Actions. A player's Hand Capacity starts at 10 production cards (not 5). All production cards except Research and Microbiotics count towards Hand Capacity. 8. PERFORM PLAYER TURNS When it is a commander's turn to perform actions (as determined by purchasing order), the player may perform any of the following actions in any order during their turn. The player must complete all of his or her actions prior to the next player taking their tun. - Place a bid on an Upgrade card - Purchase a new factory - Purchase new - population/robots 8.1 Placing Bids The player may announce his/her bid on an Upgrade card. A player may only bid on one colony upgrade card at a time. The bid must be equal to or greater than the cost printed on the Upgrade card. The maximum bid that a player can make is equal to the total credit value of the all production cards in his/her hand plus any discounts due to previously purchased colony upgrade cards. 8.1.1 Bidding More Than You Have You can not bid more credits than you have available in order to increase the bid. Any player may ask any bidder to display their production cards in order to prove that they have enough credits. If a bidder cannot demonstrate this, give that player as much abuse as possible and set the player's bid to the total amount of their production cards. If that is not enough to cover the existing high bid, that player must pass. 8.1.2 Making Change No change can be made with production cards. That is, a player must pay at least what was bid but may end up paying more if the production cards which are used to make the purchase add up to more than the final bidding price. Therefore, it is only necessary to know what your total production card value is, not whether or not you have the exact amount you bid. 8.1.3 Cost Discounts from Colony Upgrade Cards If a player has a cost discount (from certain colony upgrade cards), these are added to the bid exactly as if they were a production card. Cost discounts are cumulative, even from two identical colony upgrade cards. Example A player owns the Heavy Equipment and Ecoplant Colony Upgrade cards. He is making a bid on an Outpost, which has a minimum bid of 100 credits. He only needs to have 80 credits of production cards in his hand. The discounts from his currently owned colony upgrade cards add 20 credits to his bid. 8.1.4 Bidding When a bid on a colony upgrade card is announced, the next player (see Section 5.0 Determining Purchasing Order) must either submit a higher bid for that Upgrade card or pass. This is the only time a player may perform an action outside of his turn. The minimum increase in a bid is one (no fractions can be bid). This process continues with the following player, etc. until there is an uncontested bid (everyone else passes). The highest bidder then pays for the Upgrade card by submitting the final bid amount in production cards (minus any discounts received from Colony Upgrade Cards). These production cards are put into their respective discard piles. 8.1.4.1 Passing on a Bid A player who passes is not out of the bidding and may resume bidding if the bidding cycle comes around again. 8.1.4.2 Over Bidding If the player has made a mistake (or is a cheater) and can not pay the amount of the final bid, he must change his bid to the total amount of his production cards. Bidding continues normally from that point with all players having the opportunity to outbid or pass. 8.1.4.3 Losing a Bid If a player loses a bid while taking his turn (as determined by the purchase order), it is still his turn. He may bid on a different colony upgrade card, buy factories, buy people/robots or end his turn. Bidding Example In a five player game, purchase order for the current turn is Albert, Bob , Tom, Charles and Eric. Albert has production cards totalling 45 credits, and places a bid of 25 credits on an nodule (25 is the minimum bid for a nodule). Bob passes, but Tom also wants the nodule and holds 30 credits in production cards. Tom bids 26 credits. Charles and Eric both pass, so the cycle starts again with player one, who bids 29 credits. Bob, who was watching TV, realizes he also needs a nodule and so bids 30. Tom must pass, since he doesn't have more than 30 credits in production cards. Charles and Eric both pass (its a good TV show). Albert, desperate for the nodule bits 32 credits. Bob decides he doesn't want a nodule that badly, and passes. Players Charles, Tom, and Eric also pass. Albert pays 32 credits in production cards, and gloatingly claims his nodule. 8.2 Purchasing Factories There is no limit to the number of factories that can be built. However, since there is a limit on the number of people that the outpost can sustain (see Section 8.3 Purchasing Population), the number of producing, factories is limited. 8.2.1 Colony Upgrade Card Factories The Scientist and Orbital Lab colony upgrade cards are factories by themselves and do not require population or robots to operate. The Space Station, Planetary Cruiser, and Moon Base colony upgrade cards are also factories, however they do require population or a robot to operate. 8.2.2 Factory Cost and Required Technology Certain factories cannot be built until a commander has acquired the technology to make that factory. This is represented by the purchase of certain colony upgrade cards. Factories may be purchased for the following costs and require the following colony upgrade cards: - Ore Factories cost 10 credits and require no Colony upgrade cards. - Water Factories cost 20 credits and require no Colony upgrade card. - Titanium factories cost 30 credits and require a Heavy equipment colony upgrade card in order to build them. - Research factories cost 40 credits and require a Laboratory colony upgrade card in order to build them. - New chemical factories cost 60 credits (to build. Sea 8.2.3). 8.2.3 New Chemical Factories To construct a New Chemicals Factory, a player must first have a Research production card in his hand. The player may then use the research card to create a new chemical factory (i.e. he must spend the research card as part of the total amount paid). More than one research card can be spent on a single factory if desired. Building a new chemical factory is entirely optional; a player may spend the research card(s) on any other purchase if desired. 8.3 Purchase New Population 8.3.1 Population A commander may recruit staff from the home system to operate additional factories. The cost for each population unit (counter) is 10 credits but this cost can be reduced to 5 credits by obtaining the Ecoplants Upgrade Card. 8.3.1.1 Population Maximum The maximum number of population units that an outpost can initially support is five. Thus in the beginning of the game the maximum number of operating factories is five. This can be increased by the purchase of certain colony upgrade cards. Note that this is only the population maximum; there is no factory maximum. The Space Station, Planetary Cruiser, and Moon Base all increase the maximum population by one but this population must be used to operate the Space Station, Planetary Cruiser, or Moon Base. 8.3.1.2 Robots Robots may also be purchased at a cost of ten credits each if the commander owns the Robots Upgrade Card. A commander may house an unlimited number of robots without regard to population limits. Robots are equivalent to population in all other respects. A player may employ both 9.0 robots and population at the same time, counting only the population units towards his population maximum. Example A player employs 7 people and owns the following colony upgrade cards: Nodule, Robots, and Ecoplants. His population maximum is 8 people (start with a maximum of 5 plus 3 more for owning the nodule). He has built 3 new factories and needs 3 more workers to run them. He can hire 1 person at reduced cost (5 credits) because of the Ecoplants, but then he has reached his population maximum, and must purchase 2 robots (at 10 credits each) if he wants to operate all of his factories. 8.4 Combining Purchases Purchases of different entities must be made separately. The only purchases which may be combined are population, robots or same type factories. Example 1 A commander wins a bid of 29 credits on a nodule. He also wishes to buy a population unit to run a factory (for an additional 10 credits). The commander must pay the 29 credits separately from the 10 credits (remember, no change can be made for either purchase). Example 2 A commander wishes to buy 2 titanium factories, 2 population units, and 1 robot. There are 3 separate payments to make: 60 for the two factories of the same type, 20 for the people and 10 for the robot. 8.5 Internalizing To speed play, if a player does not wish to bid on any colony upgrade cards, he may declare that he is "internalizing", and flip over his purchase order card to signify that he is no longer participating in any bidding. That player may then take his turn without regard to purchasing order. The other players basically ignore him and continue performing their actions in purchase order. If you are paranoid (i.e. think someone who is being ignored will cheat or "miscount"), you can suspend this rule and the game will take a little longer (One, two weeks tops!). 9. DISCARD EXCESS PRODUCTION After all commanders have taken their turn, any commander holding more production cards than he is allowed must discard the excess. He chooses which cards to discard. 9.1 Hand Capacity A player's hand capacity starts at 5 production cards. This can be increased by purchasing the Warehouse and Outpost colony upgrade cards. 9.1 Discarding excess production cards (Expert rules change) Discarding excess production cards takes place before Commander Actions. A player's Hand Capacity starts at 10 production cards (not 5). All production cards except Research and Microbiotics count towards Hand Capacity. 10. DETERMINE VICTORY On the turn in which any commander exceeds 75 VP, the commander with the most VP's at the end of the turn wins! Note: VPs are not accumulated from turn to turn. A player must have assets totalling 75 VPs on one turn to win. 11. TRADING BETWEEN PLAYERS Trading items between players is not allowed. 12. OPTIONAL RULES Optional Rules (Expert rules change) 12.1 (Mega-cards) is used. Note that mega-cards do count as 4 cards against Hand Capacity. Optional Rules 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, Limited Card Availability and Money are not used. 12.1 Mega-Production Cards Certain factories (Water, Titanium, and New Chemicals) have the option of producing mega-production cards (mega-card) instead of normal production cards. Mega-cards simulate economies of scale and reflect a greater production value as more factories of the same type are accumulated. To be honest, however, this is just a clever rationalization by the game designer. The real reason these cards were created was because the main play test group was getting too many headaches counting all their production cards and threatened me with bodily harm! The Mega- cards have a higher average value than the corresponding number of production cards. They are also a lot easier to count when a large number of production cards are held. 12.1 Minimum Factory Requirement A player must have 4 factories all of the same type before a mega- card can be produced. Then, instead of taking four normal production cards, he may take one mega-card instead. This is entirely optional and may not always be wise since change will not be made for these cards either. 12.1.2 Hand Capacity The mega-card counts as four normal production cards when determining how many cards a player is holding. The mega-card, once taken, cannot be exchanged later for four normal production cards. It is treated exactly like a normal production card in all other respects. Example A player has four water factories and is saving up to buy a big ticket item, so he doesn't feel making change is that important. Instead of taking four normal water production cards (average value 28) he takes one water mega-card (value 30). His hand maximum is only five cards, so he can only hold one normal production card in addition to the mega-card if he chooses to hold the mega-card past the end of this turn. 12.2 Research Cards Since research data is stored on relatively small storage media, it doesn't take up much warehouse space. Using this rule, research production cards do not count towards a player's maximum hand capacity. This adds an interesting twist to the game, since typically research cards are used for building New Chemical factories. With this rule, they become valuable to save when trying to purchase a very expensive item like a Moon Base. 12.3 Secret Overbidding Some players really like to stick a knife in their opponents side. This rule gives you your chance. Now, a player can purposely overbid and cannot be automatically forced to show his production cards. In this way the overbidding player can forcibly increase the price of the colony upgrade card, making it more expensive for other players to purchase. However, if everyone else passes and the player who overbid is stuck without enough credits to honor his bid, he is in default. He must pay a penalty equal to the difference between his bidding price and the minimum purchase price of the colony upgrade card. He receives nothing in return and the colony upgrade card is available for new bids, starting at the minimum cost. Note that when using this rule, a player is free to declare that they don't have enough credits, even if they really do. Example Tom bids 230 credits for a Space Station and everyone else shrewdly passes. Tom sheepishly admits that she doesn't have 230 credit, and must pay 110 credits in penalty (230 -120 which is the minimum purchase price of the Space Station). 12.4 Space Terrorism This rule is for the wargamers out there. This rule allows commanders to attack (blow up, assassinate, etc.) other player's colony upgrade cards and factories. This is done by placing production cards on top of the target you wish to attack during your turn. You may attack with any amount. Then, in purchase order, other players may play production cards on that target only. If they want to attack something else, they have to wait for their own turn. Players may spend to protect or destroy the target under attack. Credits spent on defense are doubled. After all players have had one chance to spend, if the total attack value is twice (or more) the cost of the target (factory cost or the cost printed on the colony upgrade card), the target is immediately destroyed and removed from the game. Example Albert has a Robot card which is under attack. The basic cost of the card is 50, so 100 points must be spent to destroy it. Albert spends 30 credits to protect it, so 160 points must be spent to destroy it. 12.4.1 Impact of Losing Cards If a player no longer can house all the staff he employs, he has until the end of the current turn to correct the situation or he must dismiss the extra population (they leave on the trading ship). Losses in hand capacity take effect when excess production cards are discarded (step five in the sequence of play). Losses in technology or production capability does not result in the removal of any factories already built or production cards already held. 12.4.2 Death Spiral If all the colony upgrade cards have been bought, and someone still has not won, then there is obviously a lot of underhanded space terrorism going on. In this case, the VP total needed to win decreases by ten each turn until someone has more than that amount during step six of the sequence of play. 12.4.3 Multiple Attacks Once a target has been attacked and survives, it is immune to attack for the rest of that turn (no other player may attack it). 13. GAME CREDITS Game Design: James Hlavaty (Hi Guys!) Game Design Support: Timothy Moore Artwork: Michael Moore (no relation) Cover Art: James Barry Typesetting: Shelly Granstrom, Grisel Hlavaty Play Testers: Grisel Hlavaty, Jeffrey Kern, Andrew Parros, Janna Seigel, Annette Reinhard, Matthew Hart, Martin Nichols, Bruce Petrick, Jeff Goldsmith, Jeff Stern, Dave Dickey, Stuart Nakamura, Mark Zeleznick, plus about thirty others from L. A. Game conventions.-Thanks!! We welcome any questions or comments that you may have regarding this game. Mail them to: TIMJIM Games, 3113 Atlantic Ave #25, Long Beach, CA, 90807-5064. 14. EXPERT GAME (ver 1.32) 14.1 What is it? The Expert game is a completely separate game for experienced Outpost players who wish to try something different and more challenging. In the Expert game, players discard excess production cards before taking turns and, thus, must manage both operator and hand capacity in order to expand production. In addition, the Expert game contains numerous rules adjustments to balance Outpost independent of the above change. 14.2 How does it work? The Expert game alters the Sequence of Play so that excess Production cards are discarded before Players take their Commander Actions (see Reference Sheet). Thus, a player with a Hand Capacity of 10 who has saved 5 production cards and has received 8 additional cards during Production must discard any 3 of these 13 cards before any Commander Actions occur. 14.3 Any hints? Saving to buy expensive colony upgrade cards is difficult without a Hand Capacity of at least 15 or lots of Research cards. Thus, many players believe Warehouses are just as important to own as Nodules. Players who get only a Nodule may have a hard time buying an Outpost. A player without either a Warehouse or a Nodule can compensate by buying Data Libraries and then either Scientists and New Chemical factories or a Laboratory and Robots plus Research factories. Since colony upgrade cards are bought at a faster rate, the Expert game typically takes about an hour less to play than the basic game. 14.4 Expert Game Rules Modifications: The cost of Research factories (see Factory Summary on Reference Sheet) is reduced from 40 to 30. Robots do not provide unlimited robots (see 2.6.7 below). Ecoplants cost 30, not 50. Warehouses and Outposts each increase Hand Capacity by 5 (not 3). Heavy Equipment provides a credit of 15, not 10,towards the purchase of an Outpost. One bonus robot comes with each Robot Upgrade card. Laboratories costs 80, not 100. (Stick-on notes can work well to indicate these colony upgrade card changes.) 2.6.7 Robot (Expert Rules Change) Each Robot colony upgrade card owned by a player allows that player to operate as many Robots as that player currently has population. Robots in excess of this limit may be purchased but may not be operated. Note that each manned Space Station, Planetary Cruiser or Moon Base increases the number of robots a player may operate (by the number of Robot upgrade cards that player owns). 6.1 Number of Colony Upgrade Cards Available (expert rules change) Colony upgrade card setup varies with the number of players according to the Setup Chart (see Reference Sheet). 6.2 Colony Upgrade Card delivery (expert rules change) The number of victory points needed to roll D12+1 when determining available colony upgrade cards varies with the number of players in the game according to the Setup Chart (see Reference Sheet). No upgrade cards available (Expert rules Addition) If, during the first and second phases of the game (when rolling D4 and D10 to determine available colony upgrade cards), a turn begins with no upgrade cards available either for purchase or placement (all the upgrade cards available during the current game phase have been purchased by players), then the game automatically moves into the next phase on the next turn, regardless of the number of victory points actually acquired by any commander. 7.6 (Addition) First Turn Rules On the first turn, each player receives 4 Ore and 2 Water cards. A player who makes no other purchases on that turn (only) may turn in all 6 cards for 1 Water factory, even if their values total to less than 20. 7.7 and 9.1 (Change) Discarding excess production cards takes place before Commander Actions. A player's Hand Capacity starts at 10 production cards (not 5). All production cards except Research and Microbiotics count towards Hand Capacity. 12. Optional Rules Optional Rule 12.1 (Mega-cards) is used. Note that mega-cards do count as 4 cards against Hand Capacity. Optional Rules 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, Limited Card Availability and Money are not used. Legal Foo (c)1991-94 TimJim Games Permission granted to duplicate for personal use only. Note that the Reference Sheet *does* contains information pertaining to the Sequence of Play and Setup that is not found in the other two documents. This information is available on a single sheet with better formatting FREE by sending a SASE to TimJim Games, 1010 El Camino Real # 140, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Tom Lehmann, President Prism Games (Outpost Errata & Expert Game rules keeper) 15 OUTPOST REFERENCE SHEET (Basic & Expert Games) Version 1.32 -- online text 15.1 Sequence of Play 1. Determine Purchasing Order and assign Purchase Order cards. 2. Replace previously purchased Colony Upgrade cards. 3. Distribute production cards (in purchase order). 4. Expert game only: Discard production cards in excess of Hand Capacity. 5. Perform commander actions in purchase order: a. Bid on Colony Upgrade cards. b. Purchase new Factories. c. Purchase new Population and/or Robots (in either order). 6. Assign Operators (Population or Robots) to Factories (in purchase order). *Basic* game only: Discard production cards in excess of Hand Capacity. 7. Determine if any player has met victory conditions; if not, begin next turn. 15.2 Starting Colony Characteristics Population Maximum 5 Population Production card Hand Capacity 5 cards (Basic game)10 cards (Expert game) Factory Technologies Ore and Water Starting Factories 2 Ore - 1 Water Starting Operators 3 Population 15.3 Factory/Product Summary Factory or Product Cost Av. Production Victory Pts(if operated) Ore 10 3 1 Water 20 7 1 Titanium 30 10 2 Research 40/301 131 26 Microbiotics 502 171 36 New Chemicals 603 20 3 Orbital Med. 1203 (3) 30 10 Ring Ore 1603 40 15 Moon Ore 2003 50 20 15.4 Operator Population 10/54 Robots 105 1 Expert Game: Research & Microbiotics cards don't count against Hand Capacity. Research factories cost 40 in Basic game and 30 in Expert game. 2 Cost is the minimum bid for the colony upgrade card allowing production. 3 Must use one Research card to purchase each New Chemicals Factory. 4 Population cost reduced to 5 if purchaser owns Ecoplants colony upgrade card. 5 Robots may only be purchased if purchaser owns Robots colony upgrade card. 6 Scientists (not Research Factories) & Orbital Labs do not require Operators. 15.5 Expert Game Setup Chart # of Players # of first 10 col. upgrade cards # of last 3 col. upgrade cards # of VPs needed to roll D12+1 2 1-2* 1-2* 40 3 2 2 35 4 3 3 40 5 3 4 30 6 4 4 35 7 5 5 40 8 5 6 30 9 6 6 35 10 7 7 40 *2-Player card setup: roll a die at start for each card type. Even: use 2 cards; Odd: use 1 card. Reroll all card types as necessary until 4-10 pairs of upgrade cards exist. (c)1991-94 TimJim Games Permission granted to duplicate for personal use only. This information is available on a single sheet with better formatting FREE by sending a SASE to TimJim Games, 1010 El Camino Real # 140, Menlo Park, CA 94025 --