Second game, more impressions

Our group of four played our second game last night. Still didn't manage all five chapters. We had two hours of time and got through three chapters. At the end of that I think we were at 16, 14, 12 and 9 points or something like that.

Definitely faster the second time, but I really don't see how you get through a full four player game in shorter than three hours. Assuming you played all five chapters, that's 30 rounds (six rounds per chapter, assuming no cards burned seizing initiative) and that means 120 player turns. If each turn took exactly one minute that's two hours. 1.5 minutes? That's three hours. Yes it's possible but that means no talking and no stopping to think for a moment; no time available to read the many guild cards that come out - which you really, really need to read. In our game last night the impact on scoring even in the first three chapters was huge - a couple different 'steal a guild card' powers came out and each was used pretty rapidly.

I'm not complaining but seriously the advertised time here just isn't accurate :)

I'll give an example of how significant the Guild cards can be. I secured the card that puts the fuel supply on it and I declared Tycoon. Nobody else had a way to tax fuel (at least, not enough). However I had a city that, thanks to other guys going after Warlord, was undefended.

My opponent deliberately destroyed the city. WHy? Because then he could ransack the Court and take the card that lets you steal any guild card in the prelude. Also he was gunning for Warlord and there were *six* agents on that card including mine. And yes, on his next turn he took fuel supply. Looked like he would steal a victory in Tycoon.

But wait! My final card happened to be Administration so I was able to pivot, tax my loyal city for Fuel, and take one of the Fuel cards tokens from the supply off the card - enough to make us tied and with no actions remaining for him.

In addition to being an example of how important Guild cards are it's also an example of how things can turn on a dime and frequently do. I think for some people this might feel a little random, but you can see them coming a turn or two away. Like - I knew I was vulnerable, and that someone would come after that city. I was expecting to get raided, though, but that's probably just a lack of experience. Next time I will know better - it doesn't make sense to send one ship to an empty sector & then build one city just to spread your board presence - unless you can reinforce rapidly or attack someone who comes at you there, possibly.