Exploration Game Test 14th August 2024

[Jubal]

We had three players:

• Kenny: Homeworlders
• Saki: Tangalak
• Jubal: Hanstellartic

The scenario was one of trying to get factions within the local population on our side, though each of us had secondary objectives available too: Saki's was an engineering/science at key sites objective, mine was buy or sell 30 resource points of items, Kenny's was take out seven spawn lairs or natural trap sites.

The planet we rolled up had subterranean settlement, with a main species who ended up being called Pabulons. They were isolationists with premodern technology, a tendency to collapse tunnels behind them, and a slightly grisly habit of eating the bodies of their enemies. The map turned out to have a statistically almost improbably high number of Pabulon villages on it, seven plus an additional one that I built for the scenario objectives.

As it happened, my having picked the Hanstellartic league and an Illuchi for my crew won me the game: the Illuchi's diplomacy bonus was perfect for the scenario (we picked crews first so I had no way of knowing this!). The isolationist Pabulons frustrated most of the efforts of the equally cantankerous Tangalak to talk to them, whereas the smooth-talking slug and its allies successfully persuaded two villages, the Trugen facilitatior persuaded another, and the Hanstellartic League built a new settlement for some more Pabulons to move into.

The Homeworlders made least progress, taking out two of the seven sites they needed to remove and ending with no Pabulon villages on-side. They did get to build a mining laser - I'm wondering if they should actually have the option of a terraforming guy as an adventurer or crew member - and they destroyed a nest of what we named Wockpeckers, aggressive local carnivores that could both fly and burrow through rock at terrifying speed, and were particularly vicious to outsiders.

At the end of the game, my Trugen came across a large monster with the 'erratic breeder' rule, a nest, and strong defences: the game however fortunately ended before the little space beaver had to run for its life.

All in all a good playtest I think!