My first Sword and the Stars game was played against John in 2010, and when I went through my box after the above game game session a couple of weeks ago I found to my pleasant surprise that I took fairly detailed notes of it. This was the second Scenario (numbered 27.0), "Two New Empires Are Born", showing the rise of the VeReen and Nelldon Empires. Strangely enough, back then we were able to follow the Sequence of Play as written, from the start. In compensation, we played only the first turn and then had to pack up due to lack of time. I suspect that's why I haven't posted this before.

Turn 1, Round 1: Both sides start by peacefully trying to improve their backyard. VeReen Communicates with Radix, and manages to establish Trade in one of three attempts. Nelldon conducts three Govern operations to no good, then Communicates with LA'DAU, achieving a Diplomatic Success. Also, they undergo a Sector Check and change from 5-2-2 to 3-5-3. Finally, they raise taxes.

Round 2: The VeReen try to Govern Ambrel and manage to improve its Tech Level on the second attempt. They then try to Govern AV'LEM but fail, reducing its tech level. They succeed on the second attempt, bringing AV'LEM back to where it was before.

Nelldon Governs Brandon twice, only succeeding in reducing Nelldon's own tech level. So Nelldon Governs itself, raising the tech level again. They then decide to Tax Nelldon and Brandon while their tech levels are high, raising 5 Resource Points. However, Unrest breaks out on Brandon as a response. Nelldon Governs Brandon again to quell the Unrest.

Round 3: A Raider appears at Lund, attacking Uraic. At the end of the raids, Lund is at tech level -2 and Uraic's at -3.

An Outworlder threat rises at Uraic. The Outworlder attacks LA'DAU repeatedly. The first two attacks are defeated by the Nelldon Empire's Intercept operations, but the third wave succeeds as Nelldon starts saving its resources. The Outworlder then attacks Nelldon itself, but Nelldon Intercepts and defeats the attack.

The VeReen remain essentially inward-looking, Governing VeRee to essentially no effect, and once Governing AV'LEM, also to no effect. They raise 5 Tax without unrest.

Nelldon, having experienced war, decides that they have to improve their position more aggressively and engage in a series of Conquest operations directly aimed at the VeReen Empire. Their first, against LA'DAU, is Intercepted by VeRee and fails with hard fighting. Both Nelldon and LA'DAU's tech levels are lowered. The second one is not Intercepted and finally succeeds with pain to both sides. Both Nelldon and LA'DAU's tech levels drop again, and Nelldon undergoes a Military Sector Check. However, that has brought back an efficient military, Nelldon's ratings are Military 5 Administrative 5 Diplomacy 3.

Nelldon spends some time Governing itself with some success, raising its tech level back to 2. Nelldon still raises 3 Taxes, though this results in Unrest on Brandon.

Round 4:The Outworlder attempts a Conquest against Horton but fails. He then attempts a Conquest against LA'DAU but fails again as Nelldon intercepts. The VeReen Empire engages in Governing Ambrel, resulting wild tech level fluctuations (down, up, down, and up to end up the same as it started).

A number of worlds in the galaxy suffer a tech level decline.

Nelldon, having abandoned its strategy of conquest for the moment, Governs Brandon and undergoes a Sector Check that leaves it with 5 Military, 9 Administrative, 3 Diplomacy. Suddenly Nelldon possesses an administative machine unequalled in the Galaxy. They Govern Nelldon successfully and raise 6 Taxes.

Round 5: The Outworlder on Uraic acknowledges the futility of his actions and goes away. Four worlds in the galaxy improve in tech level.

VeReen Governs AV'LEM and suffers the usual swings: down, up, down. up. At the end things are where they started. They collect 6 RP in taxes.

Buyed by its suddenly excellent Administrative sector, the Nelldon Empire Governs Nelldon and brings it to tech level 3. At that point it switches to Governing LA'DAU and after some attempts increases its tech level. Finally it communicates with Radix.

At the half-way point where we wrapped things up, its last-round burst of good government gave Nelldon a narrow 17-15 victory over VeReen.



(It is instructive to see how well these minor empires are protected by Guardian Webs in the setup, something we ignored in our game last month. Obviously needed if you are in close proximity or someone has a stargate.)

Hi all! We are having a very good time playing this old title. It's fun, challenging, albeit a little bit long. The engine works well. Yet there are a couple of issues I would like to see if anyone has any suggestions about.

1) Victory conditions and the govern operation.

Victory conditions require that you can include for Victory Points only systems that could conceivably be the target of a govern operation where you can muster an effectiveness of at least 0. Do you include your current (remaining) Resource Points to boost the effectiveness? If it's the case, do you expend them as you count the systems?

2) Treaties

Existing treaties are counted for Victory Points calculations. Existing treaties somehow hinder the placement of new treaties. There are several options to regulate treaty placement. It seems to me that nothing is in the rules about removing treaties. Am I wrong? I would expect that, at least, if Drakas empty a system through genocide no treaty would remain in place (with whom?), but nothing is written about it. I would also expect that when a System goes wild in Rebellion (becoming independent) it should remove all of the Treaties with it, but again I've found nothing about it. I would question the survival of Treaties even after a Conquest, but again nothing is written. What am I missing?

Any ideas? Thank you in advance.

A great old game.

I've pulled this one out a few times, wanting to like it, but it always leaves me cold... but for some reason keeps calling me back. It feels like there's a good game here, but I'm not sure what it takes to get into it.

I also tried to play some of the non-solitaire scenarios solo, but my memory is that this is really impossible.