Hi, I'm looking to get into playing TI3 because I've heard a lot of good things about it but I've also heard that the first expansion is necessary to patch some of the more broken abilities and cards. Is this true? Do I have to purchase Shattered Empires to play the game or should I just get the base version first.

Thanks.

 

Hi, I'm looking to get into playing TI3 because I've heard a lot of good things about it but I've also heard that the first expansion is necessary to patch some of the more broken abilities and cards. Is this true? Do I have to purchase Shattered Empires to play the game or should I just get the base version first.

 

Thanks.

At least get the expansion or doctor the base set to use the alternative command cards from Shattered. TI works vanilla but quite a lot of people maintain that it's pretty imbalanced with the base command cards. Honestly though, if you can afford it, shattered has some excellent excellent components and enables the utterly insane and mammoth glory of 8 players!

Now, I'm biased, but my 2 pence is also: try adding the expansion I wrote if you prefer less luck in your games. For such a long game, I don't like how thoroughly unbalanced TI vanilla can be. I address that here: http://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/118329/twilight-imperium-veiled-incursions-modpack

I know I know: shameless self-promotion; but I put many hours into writing it and I really really believe it makes the game waaay better.

As above, the expansion objectives do improve the gameplay, but it's not necessary. The base game + expansion isn't cheap, so I'd just get the base game and learn the mechanics before delving into the expansion. You'll still have fun, and you'll probably get a quicker understanding of the win conditions (VPs).

Vanilla TI3 is a very satisfying game. When you get the 1st xpac, it goes from satisfying to awesome. Add the 2nd xpac, and you add sauce to your awesome.

Mirroring previous posters, that getting the expansion for the Strategy Cards improves the experience markedly. Twilight Imperium is an amazing game, but celebrating its 10-year anniversary the Strategy Cards of the base game shows their age in making the game too static. Don't get it wrong I loved it to bits and played it intensely when it just game out, but once the first expansion hit the game it became increasingly difficult to understand how we could ever have had so much fun without it.

There is a ton of extra optional elements in both expansions, which really enrich the game if you keep playing it, but the main thing you really want is the Strategy Cards. It seems a little steep to buy the whole expansion for a few of the Strategy Cards - since you are already having to buy the base game without knowing if it'll suit you, so you could always try to just write down the effect of the Shattered Empire expansion Strategy Cards and play exclusively with those rather than those in the base game (the rules are freely available on FFGs website including the full text of the strategy cards). If the game then clicks for you, I'm sure the expansion(s) will be irresistable anyway.