MAP & RULES CHANGES
Compared to the old game
the main changes are that the map is bigger and laid out differently, with a lot
more variation, population
limits are a lot higher, build and supply costs are higher and there's a
conditional move action. The balance of build costs is different, so that fighters
are more cost-effective the cruisers (except you're limited in how you can
move them around).
TECH LEVELS & SHIPS LOST IN SPACE
There are a lot more tech levels (nineteen) and ships can now get lost in hyperspace
and be recovered later. This applies not just to ships lost in deep space jumps, but
also a proportion of the cruisers lost in battles now escape into hyperspace and
live to fight another day (although that day may be rather distant).
EXPLORATION & RESEARCH
The scenario is about rebuilding after the collapse of a previous galactic
empire, so you get to dig around in the ruins and discover all sorts of useful
stuff as you explore (pop, industry, BPs, treasuries, all kinds of ships, any sort
of technology etc). This should help liven up the first few turns and make the
empires more varied (especially as I've added research for tech levels as well, and
that will tend to increase the technology you've already got rather than encourage
everyone to all have the same tech levels - which is what happens with the trade
rules).
COLONY SHIPS
Colony ships now have defence strengths and are the only ships able to deploy the
new planet buster and and link buster bombs (they also carry fighters... put a
black tin bucket over your head and breath funny and you'll soon get the idea).
SMART ACTIONS
I've added a couple of pages of optional rules on a separate sheet. These add ten
new "smart" actions that make the rules more complicated, but which I hope
actually make the game easier to play. Instead of working out exactly what you
want to order you use can these new actions - which just say what result you want and
lets the computer work out the details for you (eg. the SETTLE action plants a
new colony - but you don't have to say where or how). See the
Optional Rules for more details.
WORMHOLES
I backed off from adding wormholes, as once I'd worked through the necessary rules
they added another page to the rulebook, extra symbols to the map and a lot of
extra complications for the players - the exact opposite of what I was trying to
achieve. But the idea is mapped out, and maybe I'll be able to work it into
Spaceplan II
instead (where the extra complications will be appropriate and probably welcome)
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