From: cs161feu@sdcc10.ucsd.edu (Anthony Minkoff)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board.ce
Subject: Re: More re: 2-player game
Date: 11 Nov 92 19:36:30 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1992Nov10.200453.12964@crd.ge.com> (Spike) writes:
>I agree with Anthony that the two player rules are neat (almost a
>different game from multi-player, able to stand on its own merit). 

Tony, please.  Anthony is my finger name because this is a class
acount, and I don't want to confuse the graders.  :-)

>I have a question about another ambiguity I'd like feedback on. When you 
>are defending a neutral power, you get to use their alien power. But do you
>get to use your own as well? A friend of mine says no; you are, in effect, 
>playing the role of that race, and should not have access to your own 
>power during that challenge. I disagree, because it complicates the next
>question.
>
>When you are defending a neutral power, can you call yourself as an 
>ally? Must you play an appropriate Destiny card? How about if you have
>conquered or controlled that race?

This issue is not addresses really well by Mayfair.  We played that
you can call yourself to as a defensive ally for a Neutral by
playing your own Destiny Card, and can always ally with a power that
you have controlled or conquered.

As for using your own power, that question didn't really come up--
he was Negator, and I was Vacuum.  He can use Negator when he's not
the main player anyway, and I can use Vacuum whenever I lose my own
tokens, so it really wasn't an issue in that game.

But, making ruling by "game quality," I would say no.  There is no
need to give the defense extra perqs, like defending with two powers
against one.  Card challenges are rare enough as it is (Diplomacy is
*so* much easier, and there is more to gain), and extra perqs for
the defense would make them even rarer.

Here's another question not addressed my Mayfair-- do you get to
control how your allies use their powers?  E.g., if you have Seeker
as an ally, can you ask a question?  If you have Vacuum as an ally
and lose, can you choose (tough choice, eh?  :-) who loses tokens?

>Finally, when using the punt option, can any of you tell me the point of 
>discarding your Destiny hand? After all, you are going to get three cards 
>off the deck whether you discard your Destiny hand or not. If you're stuck 
>with a mittful of your own color, at least your opponent doesn't have them
>:-)

Plus, if you're stuck with a mittful of your own color, you can use
them, without using up a challenge.  You can call yourself as an
ally, or use them to regenerate tokens.  (The rules do not state
anywhere that only a *Neutral* power can be regenerated.  You can
regenerate yourself, or even, conceiveably, your opponent.  Neat
concept-- regenerate your opponent four times, placing all four
tokens on the same base, and then play the Void Flare.  :-)

I don't know.  I can't think of a single reason to discard your
Destiny hand.

Speaking of the Destiny hand, here's another idea:  should the
player who does not go first get to start with a Destiny card or
two?  I had the first turn in the game we played, and it seemed kind
of unfair when I made a challenge on my first turn that my opponent
could not have any allies, since he had no Destiny Cards yet.

Tony