So I finally got to play my FFG version of Cosmic Encounter with three newbies last weekend! It was a blast. I think everyone enjoyed the game, and it is a fairly simple game to understand the basics of.

So just curious, are we the only people who have fairly short games of Cosmic Encounter and often have joint wins?

johnwatersfan said:

It truly depends on what aliens are in play, and the tendency of your particular players to invite allies. If Machine, Tick Tock, or Parasite is playing, games tend to go a bit quicker. If people invite on offense a lot, games will go quicker (and usually end in joint victories).

If you have a number of powers in play that are prone to sending lots of ships to warp, and people hold onto/discard Mobius Tubes, you might be in for a more drawn-out game.

Perhaps the next game, make it a point to ask main players during the Alliance phase if they truly need help as much as they think they do; does it usually end up that "the allies fight each other" more so than the cards or the main players, when it comes to calculating totals? Which of those counts (ally ships, main player ships, card value) seems to be the most important in your battles?

Are you doing the 4 planet variant or using 5 planets?

Our group almost always has joint wins, and we've noticed that 3 players, the 4 planet works great. 5 players needs 5 planets, since someone could win before the 5th player gets his first turn! 4 player games, it's a wash. Most games are okay with 4 planets, though some could use the 5th planet.

But CE usually plays under an hour, sometimes in only 30 minutes. You could make it longer by adding additional options (technology, multiple powers, etc).

-shnar

I think we always invite allies. I don't know, it just seems more useful that way, of course at the end there are a lot of people against you, but you can often convince someone who is also going to win to help you out.

And I think it really depends on what aliens are in power to decide who gets help and the totals.

The first game I was Zombie, and I was always putting four ships out there. Often to defend people if someone was winning. I mean, I won't lose those ships, so helping people out isn't going to matter too much.

The second game I was Chosen, and man that power helped out! It seemed like every time I was the main player I was chanting, "help me Jesus!" and getting a really high attack card. All of a sudden I'd go from a major loss to a major win.

Maybe we need to play more, but honestly, I LIKE the short games. I prefer people to help and get the game over with. I think playing a two hour game with the same aliens might get a bit tedious.

EDIT: Oh, I didn't read the first post. Stupid me. I was under the assumption there was a complaint about the short game length. Feel free to ignore the following suggestions then !

If you want longer games, extra options are an all right idea, but it's probably more your play style than the game's "fault." You need to set an example with your group of some more cutthroat play. When I first started, my friends were not avid gamers, so they invited everyone always. You can win this way, and it's happened quite a few times, but it's often unnecessary. Even on defense, some people say, "Oh, they'll just get cards," but although they're "just" cards, that will often be the ammunition they need to defeat you next encounter.

And that's just the basics. Alliance strategy is deep, and though a lot of top players stress hand management, I'd put alliance choices up there, too -- both when to accept alliances and when to offer them. If careful consideration of alliances catches on in your group, it will be difficult for anyone to get a quick and easy win, solo or joint.

If leading by example is not enough, you could use a sort of "league" format (if that is not too serious for your group) following Avalon Hill's old tournament rules where you get points for winning based on how few members of the winning alliance there are (solo being worth the most points) so that anyone who cares about standings will be forced to play more reservedly. I don't know that this would go over well in my own group, but it's a thought.

I'd echo the opinion that quick games are a result of what I'd call "friendly play." If people are more likely to want to slug it out and go for wins alone, then the game will be much longer. Personally, I like the friendly variety much better. That way, no one feels like their power/cards sucked so much, and there's usually enough time to play 3 or even 4 games in an evening. That last point is especially helpful when introducing new players to the nuances of CE. They see more alien combinations, and are more likely to "encounter" unusual card/alien interactions.

But it all depends on what style of play your CE group prefers.