Just recently purchased Twighlight. Not sure about trading. What actually do you trade with other players? Is it action cards etc.

If you are referring to the Trade strategy card you don't actually give eachother anything physically. You simply gain the appropriate amount of Trade Goods from the supply in the common play area. A thematic explanation might be that both parties get rid of, to them, worthless surplus while gaining whatever might be in demand in their empire.

As for action card trading only the Emirates of Hacan are allowed to trade those. All the races may, however, freely give eachother Trade Goods and/or (non-binding) promises. By non-binding is meant that you're never required by the rules of the game to keep them. You could for example accept a couple of TGs to promise to not attack a certain system and then attack it away. You'll most likely not be offered such a deal again but maybe it's worth it then and there…

What can you trade with other players…

1. You can exchange trade contracts

2. You can exchange action cards during status through the Hacan player if he approves.

3. You can give trade goods at anytime to another player.

Usually this is in exchange for something. Like…I will give you 2 trade goods to vote for me.

Or, I wish to borrow 1 trade good and I promise to pay you back 2 trade goods.

Does anyone have a sabotage card? If you play it, I will give you 5 trade goods. (The sabotage action card is the only action card you can play in other players battles)

(But most players only houserule that simultaneous trades have to be honored in order to speed the game up)

Example: Give me 2 trade goods and I will vote for you. Ok, you vote for me first and then I will give you your bribe. No you bribe me first and then I will vote for you. Who wants to wait 10 minutes listening to this?

4. Technology can be traded only when certain political cards are passed. A very rare event though.

5. In the latest expansion, Promissory notes may be exchanged.

Another thing you should know.

1. Only rules in the rule book and FAQ are to be obeyed. So backstabbing and breaking deals are not illegal.

2. Action cards temporarily allow exceptions to the rules. (Action card trumps a normal rule for that turn only)

Example: Action card," IN the Silence of Space", allows your fleet to move through other players fleets.

3. Political laws allows you to permanently change rules in the game. Example: Warsuns now hit at -2.

Action card > Political law > Normal rule.

In other words…..

If you do not like a rule, look for a politcal card that will change the rule.

If you want to break a rule, look for an action card that will allow you too.

If the rule seems unclear, look in the FAQ and see the rule has been clarified.

On the notes of rules and FAQs, I was looking for an issue that came up in my musings concerning the placement of your command counters during the Simulated Early Turns special rule. If a player places their 2nd token on a tile, and then another player places his 2nd token on the same tile, what happens? There doesn't seem to be any rule restricting the command counters from being placed in this manner, nor is there a rule preventing the placement of units in the same tile. I assume a space battle would have to take place, but I wonder if there should have simply been a ban in the rules on placing your command counter on an already claimed tile during this set up. Also, placing through wormholes, aloud or not?

This CAN happen in a 6 player game with the standard size of galaxy (rather than the enlarged), so I think it is a valid concern. Have I got it right or not?

Archangelion said:

You are correct that there is no explicit ruling that denies the ability for two players to put their CCs on the same system during simulated early turns. There's also no rule preventing space combat during SET (though note that there IS a rule saying no player can use racial abilities [or technologies, per the FAQ] during SET, so combat may be somewhat off-kilter if it happens.)

There's also the question of how to deal with GFs and PDSes in such a combat. SET rules say you may place GFs and PDSes directly on planets in the systems you have "activated," but you must place ships capable of carrying those units in orbit. This implies that the ships carried the units to these planets, but the rules for SET don't really follow the standard turn sequence, so the question of whether the GFs survive if the ships are all destroyed is somewhat murky.

Personally, I would be inclined to house rule that no one may do anything that would initiate combat during SET. Or better yet, no one may place their CC in a system someone else has already claimed. Per RAW, it's a grey area.

As for placing CCs through wormholes, I'd be inclined to allow it, but again there's no explicit ruling.

Many thanks gents for your time and trouble! Thats sorted the problem.