Reviews
From Sarah Ryan
Avalon Hill Cosmic Encounter
Watch out 'Magic: The Gathering' (MTG) fans! The game that started it all
back in the 1970's - Cosmic Encounter (CE), has returned! CE was originally
released by EON, (and subsequently by others such as West End Games and
Mayfair).
Now it is being re-released by Avalon Hill - under the same banner
as MTG. The original creators of the game are behind the re-release of this
game, so the rules will be the same as the original EON version (rules
changed slightly under WEG and Mayfair etc).
In CE, players represent
different races of alien beings seeking to gain control of the universe. As
a player, you must defend your planetary system while sending your forces
through space to encounter alien beings from other worlds. You may make
alliances with other players, or do it all alone. You may "negotiate" deals
and swap a base for a base etc. Aiding you in trying to win the game is your
special alien power that is unique for that game. This all makes it a very
unpredictable game.
Each player has a "home system" with 5 planets in it,
each with 4 tokens on them. The object of the game is to establish bases on
5 foreign planets. The more you play CE, the more you realise that the rules
do not begin to cover every situation that may arise. Debate over a rule or
conflict in powers can not only bog down a game, they can turn friends into
enemies (temporarily of course!).
This AH version of CE is a much-improved
version compared to the other releases except for one main criticism that
many players are giving - the colours are too bright. However, this is in
an attempt to attract a wider audience. The other versions of the game had a
black and white board with coloured alien art considered unattractive to
some younger players. The improvements include stands for the powers, ships
as tokens (instead of the plastic or cardboard tokens), and longer lasting
components.
The game has already been released in the USA about a month ago,
so will probably be another month or more before it hits Australian shores.
There is also a cut-down online version of the game at
www.cosmicencounter.com (managed by one of the designers and his son), and a
Delphi forum in which you can take part in discussions and talk to the
designers and fellow players. A must get board game for the summer holidays!
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