Subject:      Throneworld (Twilight Imperium - also long)

>>>>As an interesting side note, I recently noticed at my local game store
(the incomparable Game Parlor in Chantilly, Virginia), that there is another
game that is very similar which just came out.  It is called _Twilight
Imperium_, and on the surface differs from _Throneworld_ in what appears to be
relatively minor ways: the map is made of hex shaped tiles (each of which may have
more than one planet), so the board changes each game; the combat system seems
like it might be less involved (although my cursory exmination is by no means
authoritative), the different races have different abilities, and technology
works differently.<<<<

I've not seen Throneworld, but I'll now be on the lookout for it. I played
Twilight Imperium at the Chessex Midwest Open House and I must say, it was
a blast. By the end of the event I was hooked. From your description, TI
seems to be a more "user friendly" version of Throneworld.

The TI map is made up of hex shaped tiles which represent solar systems. At
the beginning of the game, the tiles are shuffled out to the players who
alternate placing them around the ancient Imperial Capital of Megatol Rex
(which to me sounds like a brand of laxative). There are also asteroid
field and supernova tiles which inhibit movement. Planets are rated for
industrial production and political influence - there may be several
planets on a system tile. Combat in TI is straight out of Axis and Allies.
Technology upgrades allow your units to break the rules in new and exciting
ways.

Components are really first rate; thick pieces and great art. One gripe I
have with TI is that there aren't enough of some counters to go around,
especially the ground troop units. Though TI itself is pricey ($40-50), you
get a lot of goodies for your money. I got Red Parachutes by Avalanche for
Father's Day - at 38 bucks it has far fewer components than TI.

TI's first supplement, Borderlands, brings in two new races, rules for
minefields, advanced combat and assassins as well as a slew of much-needed
book-keeping counters (no extra ground troops though). It runs for around
17 dollars.

TI is very exciting and fairly fast moving once you get the hang of it. Its
rather involved sequence of play does require people to their attention on
the game, which can be a disadvantage in what's essentially a beer and
pretzels affair. ("Wha...? Wait a minute, what phase are we in...
political? We're already voting? Aw, man....") Keep your players from
wandering around too much or game time triples.

One can see that many games helped to inspire TI. I don't know about
Phoenix, having never played it, but the influences of Dune, Axis and
Allies, Civilization and Cosmic Encounter are clearly evident. Happily,
designer Christian Petersen did a capital job of weaving all of these
diverse elements into a cohesive whole. The game could have come off
looking like an ill-assorted grab-bag of stolen ideas, but Petersen has
developed the basic system to the point where things flow together very
smoothly.

I have three minor suggestions for inclusion in the the next Twilight
Imperium supplement (if any of the design crew are out there listening):

1) More ground troop units!

2) An Axis and Allies style combat board (you know: one of them doo-hickeys
with two sets of holding boxes labeled 1 through 10). Unit combat values
change quite often due to card play and technology adds - it's a real pain
to keep track of these in your head.

3) Some sort of cheaper transport vessel. My suggestion is a battle 9/cost
6 unit with a movement of 1. It can carry up to 5 ground force or PDS units
(no fighters!) which it can disembark just like a carrier. Though this
vessel would not be as "cost effective" as a carrier (which costs ten,
absorbs two hits when using the advanced combat rules and can also carry
fighters ), it would speed the game up considerably, especially in the
earlier stages, by allowing quicker expansion. I'm interested in what other
TI players out there have to say about this.

In short, Twilight Imperium is a great game for those of you who enjoy beer
and pretzels diplomacy and conquest and who don't mind a sci-fi background.

If you're interested in seeing what Twilight Imperium is like and live
within driving distance of Madison Wisconsin, I'll be running demos of TI
at the State Street Pegasus Games this Saturday (June 28th), starting
around noon. Drop in and check it out!

Thaddeus Blanchette
devus@sprynet.com