OUTPOST EXPERT GAME (version 1.32) 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. 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. 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. 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 (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 (Change) Colony upgrade card setup varies with the number of players according to the Setup Chart (see Reference Sheet). 6.2 (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). 6.2 (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. 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. (c)1991-94 TimJim Games Permission granted to duplicate for personal use only. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- OUTPOST REFERENCE SHEET (Basic & Expert Games) Version 1.32 -- online text 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. 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 Factory/Product Summary: Factory/Product Cost Av. Production Value Victory Pts (if operated) --------------- ---- -------------------- ------------------------- Ore 10 3 1 Water 20 7 1 Titanium 30 10 2 Research 40/30 (1) 13 (1) 2 (6) Microbiotics 50 (2) 17 (1) 3 (6) New Chemicals 60 (3) 20 3 Orbital Medicine 120 (3) 30 10 Ring Ore 160 (3) 40 15 Moon Ore 200 (3) 50 20 Operator -------- Population 10/5 (4) Robots 10 (5) 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. Expert Game Setup Chart: # of Players # of first 10 colony # of last 3 colony # of VPs needed to in Game upgrade cards used upgrade cards used start rolling 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