Please let's list our favorite house rules in this thread.

(My favorite I've read so far, well, it's not really a rule: use the last editions planets, which were the only cool component of the game, in FFG's version, since you'll probably be using all five planets anyway.)

We don't use it often, but in the past we've house ruled the preemptive Cosmic Zap. You're supposed to wait for the power Use, but we got in the habit back in the 90s of just zapping a player right away and being done with it. Still, it's probably not a house rule we'll likely bring back.

That doesn't have any effect on play really does it?

we play the two power game. each player is dealt 5 flares. we discard one out of the game, pass one left on right and then from the two remainder and the two you are passwed we choose two powers. We have to show one and the second gets shown the moment the power is used.

Nice. Any other house rules people have, especially regarding powers? I know they're out there

Hidden powers (also playable with multipowers) is fun. You keep your alien(s) face down until you decide to use them, then... surprise.

N i c e !

Since I mostly play in pickup games at an FLGS, I'm usually teaching someone to play every time I play. Therefore, I don't really get to use house rules much, it at all.

I did just add some new cards to my Rewards deck, if that counts as a house rule.

Depends on what cards, I guess: you mean your own inventions?

Some Eon-era Artifacts that aren't in the game now, some things from The Warp website, some from BGG.

I love to play with the custom cosmic stars expansion from bgg.

I only found the first file of Cosmic Stars from BGG, posted by The Warp, who there mentions there is another file, with another ten stars, but doesn't say where! I've looked and looked through the geeklinks and elsewhere. Where is File 2 of 2?

Go back and check again. I posted the link. When you go to the files section, you can click on the "hot" link at the top right and the list of files reorders to those with the most thumbs, and both Cosmic Stars files will appear in the middle of that first page. Give them thumbs while you're at it! Hahahhaha

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/52734/cosmic-stars-file-2-of-2

There's a shortcut.

You did this? Love you man.

One house rule that I always like to use Any ships on bystander colonies can also be used to ally in an encounter taking place with the planet they occupy if they are invited. This is in addition to any ships sent from elsewhere for the purposes of allying in the usual way.

This means that you can ally with more than four ships when you have a bystander colony on an encountered planet. For example, In allying with the defense, you send four ships from various other colonies, plus you can decide to include two ships on a bystander colony on that planet). If you aren't careful when doing this, you might lose a colony that wasn't otherwise at risk. It just makes sense thematically because those ships are already over there, and it can add some interesting high stakes elements to encounters.

Now that the Filth are in the game, I would expect this option to be used much more frequently.

A couple of house rules (mostly started with the Mayfair version) that we find amusing:

1) The winner has to read his or her race's history aloud upon victory...no others may do so at any time.

2) Since we usually play multigame marathons, the winner of the last game can name a condition or conditions for the next game (multiple powers, punt rule, lucre, rotating powers, or whatever floats your boat).

Those are good ones, Groovydoc!

Longest standing house rule I/we have is the inclusion of the Reincarnator Flare in the Challenge deck...always. Even if the alien is not in play.

Besides mixing things up a bit and keeping players on their toes, it really comes in handy when the Void, Locust, Shadow, etc., are in the game.