Fantasy Flight Games

Shards of the Throne

Published 7 November 2014 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Shards of the Throne

Learn More About This Expansion for Twilight Imperium

The copyrightable portions of Twilight Imperium and its expansions are © 1997-2011 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Twilight Imperium, its expansion titles and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

The FAQ for Twilight Imperium has been updated

Published 6 July 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

The FAQ for Twilight Imperium has been updated

Visit our support page now for answers pertaining to Shards of the Throne

Centuries of war have left the once powerful empire little more than a distant memory. But even as the great races struggle to reclaim some semblance of their former glory, ambition grows unchecked in their hearts. The Twilight Wars have not deterred the great races from their prize; it has only delayed them.

Point of Order, Mr. Speaker

The FAQ for Twilight Imperium, the epic board game of interstellar domination, has been updated!

Now available on the support page, the Twilight Imperium FAQ (pdf, 600 KB) now includes answers pertaining to the Shards of the Throne expansion.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Yours for the Taking

Published 27 May 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Yours for the Taking

Shards of the Throne, an expansion for Twilight Imperium, is now on sale

Though millennia have passed since the Twilight Wars erupted across the face of the galaxy, their tragic scar remains. But even as the great races struggle to reclaim some semblance of their former glory, ambition grows unchecked in their hearts. Ancient civilizations harbor ancient grudges, while newcomers to the galaxy work to further their own inscrutable agendas. But no matter their reasons, the horrors of the Twilight Wars have not deterred the great races from their prize; it has only delayed them. Whether by the power of a Dreadnought or the honeyed words of diplomacy, they all seek to claim the war-torn planet of Mecatol Rex... and with it, control of the galaxy.

Shards of the Throne, an expansion for Twilight Imperium, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore! As the war escalates with the appearance of deadly new technology, three new races enter the fray: the Arborec, a sentient ecosystem made up of millions of plants; the Nekro Virus, a cold and unfeeling machine bent on the destruction of all biological life; and the Ghosts of Creuss, a mysterious race of beings made of energy and light. As they join the galaxy's elder races, the ruins of an ancient empire wait to be claimed by the most cunning, strategic, and powerful civilization left standing.

Shards of the Throne features a host of new options for your galactic conquests, from new alternate Strategy Cards to new races and units. Prepare yourself for an even more epic struggle for galactic dominance.

Reinforcements arrive

With massive Flagships, heavily armored Mechanized Units, versatile Mercenaries, and all new technologies, Shards of the Throne gives you even more options when constructing your fleet. Flagships represent a civilization’s peak of engineering and their special abilities reflect each race’s unique play style, while Mechanized Units are powerful planetary machines of war that can be added to your Ground Forces. Want to supplement your forces? Mercenaries are elite pilots and soldiers that sell their skills to the highest bidder, aiding your Ground Forces or Fleet whenever their services are needed.

Be careful who you trust

The new Political Intrigue option lets you control the amount of influence you’ll have in the Galactic Council... or undermine the influence of an opponent. With a selection of Representatives at your disposal, you must choose carefully. Will you send your best orator in an attempt to gain voting power, or will you send an assassin to strike at an enemy? Each Representative serves his people in different ways, so your political decisions have never been more important.

What’s more, you can now offer binding promises to other players in the form of Promissory Notes, which offer enticing incentives with which to buy their votes . But beware! Such favors can be called in at any time, so be careful in whom you place your trust.

Rewrite history

The legendary Lazax ruled the galaxy over three thousand years ago, and their fall ushered in an age of darkness. But what led them to their tragic end? Shards of the Throne comes with an exciting historic scenario that lets one player take on the role of the Lazax, tasked with maintaing control over a crumbling empire. Can you change the course of history?

With all these additions, as well as new Race-Specific Technologies, Preliminary Objectives, new Domain Counters, new System Tiles, plus new content for the Shattered Empire expansion, Shards of the Throne will propel your struggle for galactic conquest to exciting new heights.

Visit our Shards of the Throne website or read our in-depth previews to learn more. Then, head to your local retailer to bring the galaxy under your control!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

From the Depths of Space

Published 17 May 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

From the Depths of Space

A preview of Shards of the Throne, the upcoming Twilight Imperium expansion

As the great races of the galaxy clash amongst the stars, mysterious forces watch from a distance, waiting for their chance to join the fray. First, they may seek representation in the Galactic Council, approaching under a banner of peace. But as their ambitions grow, so too will their fleets. Soon, the ever-spreading Arborec, ethereal Ghosts of Creuss, and calculating Nekro Virus will reveal their true agendas: total galactic domination.

Shards of the Throne, the expansion for Twilight Imperium, will be on store shelves next week. Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen the double-dealing of the Political Intrigue option, the increased firepower of new Mechanized Units and Mercenaries, and even the complete game rules. Today, let’s take a look at the three new races joining the fight (including their special abilities and race-specific technologies), as well as some of the new Action cards that will soon be at your disposal.

New Races, Old Ambitions

The Arborec are a species of intelligent plantlike entities that collectively make up their own sentient ecosystem, and this remarkable advantage allows them a tight control over their ground forces.

Worlds inhabited by the Arborec tend to be lush and verdant environments, and aggressors unlucky enough to be fighting a ground war against them quickly find themselves combating the jungle itself. Arborec reinforcements can sprout up like weeds, rapidly surrounding interlopers. Their technology upgrade, Spore Acceleration, only serves to expedite their takeover of any planet they target.

The so-called Ghosts of Creuss only recently emerged from the depths of the Shaleri anomaly, an area of space blamed for so many unexplained events (including disappearances) that it’s spoken of in hushed tones by many a superstitious spacefarer. The Creuss themselves are in fact ethereal beings of energy and light, who wear massive metal frames carved with strange runes. Though seemingly benign, their off-putting behavior and mysterious origins prompt suspicion from nearly every other race.

Their apparent mastery of energy gives the Ghosts of Creuss an unsettling degree of control over Wormholes, and unwitting enemy ships have been known to suddenly find themselves at the mercy of a Creuss fleet that’s appeared from nowhere. Slave Wormhole Generator is a technology upgrade that ensures remarkable mobility to this mysterious, ethereal race.

The coolly lethal Nekro Virus was the product of an experiment by an extremist faction within the technology-obsessed L1z1x Mindnet. Seeking to perfect the L1z1x form, the faction’s leader pursued the perfect blend of biology and machine... then he lost control. Now, the entity known as the Nekro Virus has one goal: the utter elimination of all organic matter.

Although its inhumane, calculating persona limits its influence in galactic politics, the Nekro Virus is adept at quickly altering its programming. When the Nekro Virus destroys an adversary, it can assimilate that victim’s knowledge into its databanks. And with its Valefar Assimilator technology upgrade, the Nekro Virus can even copy any alien technology it observes.

Actions and Reactions

Injecting even more surprise tactics into your Twilight Imperium experience, Shards of the Throne delivers 34 new Action cards, some of which incorporate the new Mechanized Unit, Mercenary, and Political Intrigue options.

Geomagnetic Mines, for example, are potent explosives designed to debilitate opposing Mechanized Units. Or, If an opponent angers one of his Mercenaries with a failure to pay, you can “encourage” that disgruntled hireling to exact revenge with The Hand that Takes. Prefer less violent tactics? Give a Moving Speech on the Council floor to limit the potential voting power of your rivals! Better still, each of these versatile Action cards serves a dual purpose; if you’re not playing with the option that utilizes them, you can always spend these cards as Trade Goods.

Look for Shards of the Throne at your local retailer next week, and prepare for a new Age of Twilight!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The Rules for Shards of the Throne are Online

Published 2 May 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

The Rules for Shards of the Throne are Online

Find them on the Twilight Imperium support page, then place your pre-order!

Centuries of war, followed by further centuries of xenophobic isolation, have left the once powerful empire little more than a distant memory. But even as the great races struggle to reclaim some semblance of their former glory, ambition grows unchecked in their hearts. Some are guided by a lust for power, others by a benevolent desire for peace. Ancient civilizations harbor ancient grudges, while newcomers to the galaxy work to further their own inscrutable agendas. But no matter their reasons, the horrors of the Twilight Wars have not deterred the great races from their prize; it has only delayed them.

A Guide to Galactic Dominance

The release of Shards of the Throne, the highly anticipated expansion to Twilight Imperium, is coming soon. So far, we’ve previewed the secrecy and double-dealings of the Political Intrigue option and the added firepower of Mechanized Units, Flagships, and Mercenaries. Today, we’re pleased to present the rules for Shards of the Throne (pdf, 2.9 MB) on our support page.

Download them to learn more, then head to your favorite retailer and pre-order your copy!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Heavy Firepower

Published 26 April 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Heavy Firepower

A preview of Shards of the Throne, the upcoming Twilight Imperium expansion

As the war for the galaxy continues, the great races will stop at nothing to claim dominance. Massive Flagships patrol the stars, symbols of their creators’ might and defenders of their interests. On the surfaces of dozens of planets, cutting edge Mechanized Units carry out a never-ending ground war for the resources to sustain their military operations. As the galaxy’s leaders become desperate for anything that will help them gain an advantage, they turn to a last resort: opportunistic mercenaries loyal to no one but themselves. The echoes of a fractured empire resound throughout the stars, but only one race will muster the strength to unite it again.

Shards of the Throne, the upcoming expansion for Twilight Imperium, will soon make your battles for galactic supremacy more epic than ever before. In our last preview, we looked at the optional rules for added political intrigue, and we saw how your choice of a political representative can make all the difference in your dealings with the Galactic Council. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the new military units arriving in this versatile expansion, including the lowlife Mercenaries who sell their services to the highest bidder.

On the surface and in the stars

Shards of the Throne features two exciting new units to help you claim the empire. With pieces included in all eight colors (even the grey and orange pieces necessary for compatibility with the Shattered Empire expansion), Mechanized Units and Flagships will bring new strategic options to the war.

Mechanized Units function very much like Ground Forces, but provide a good deal more survivability. Like Ground Forces, they may be transported during the Planetary Landings step and used to control planets. Unlike Ground Forces, these defensive powerhouses have the “sustain damage” ability, allowing them to absorb a single hit before being destroyed!

Flagships, powerful starships with a variety of benefits, represent the pinnacle of a race’s technological abilities. But use yours wisely: not only can each player have only one in use at a time, but every Flagship is different, and has abilities that further differentiate the unique play styles of each of the great races. All Flagships also have varying values for Battle, Movement, and Capacity. The Federation of Sol’s Genesis I, for example, excels at transporting Ground Forces, but its limited movement and below-average Battle rating can leave those forces vulnerable.

To the highest bidder

The new Trade III Strategy Card is designed to replace the Trade or Trade II Strategy Cards, and it brings Mercenaries to your galactic struggle. These freelance captains can lend their skills to your ground forces or your fleet, for a price – the Trade III Strategy Card also requires that each player employing mercenaries pay one Trade Good to keep each Mercenary. But what will you get for your money?

Mercenaries have their combat values, movement, and unique special abilities printed on their individual cards, and their matching double-sided tokens indicate whether they are in space or on a planet’s surface. Their offensive power can be added to that of your other forces when they participate in a Space Battle or Invasion, but a Mercenary cannot defend your claim to a planet alone – if ever it is the only unit on a planet, that planet reverts to normal.

But these cunning captains haven’t survived the war this long by being reckless. All Mercenaries have a new ability called Evasion, a number that represents their ability to avoid incoming attacks. When a player assigns a hit to a Mercenary, he must roll a die. Only on a roll of less than that Mercenary’s Evasion value is the attack successful. Likewise, a Mercenary’s loyalty to his own wallet means he’ll never put himself in harms way just to be a hero. When assigning hits, players must destroy their own units before damaging these self-serving scum!

A leaderless empire is crumbling beneath the weight of ambition and greed. Who will fill the void left by the ill-fated Lazax? Keep checking back for more, and look for Shards of the Throne on store shelves later this quarter!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Reconvening the Galactic Council

Published 4 April 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Reconvening the Galactic Council

A preview for Shards of the Throne, an upcoming Twilight Imperium expansion

The shouting reached a deafening clamor in the chamber of the Galactic Council, and representatives from across the galaxy could be seen gesticulating wildly as they struggled to be heard above the noise. At the center of the room stood the distinguished councilor from the Mentak Coalition, stifling a smug grin. It was his inflammatory speech that had ignited the room’s outrage, exactly as he had planned. His diversion was flawless; not even the futile banging of the Speaker’s gavel could be detected above the ruckus. How, then, could anyone have heard when the hired assassin made his move, or heard the pained scream of his dying rival?

As the war for galactic domination grows ever more dangerous, so too does the once civil discourse of the Galactic Council. Prepare yourself for tense negotiation, shady compromises, and underhanded backstabbing. Welcome back to the Twilight Imperium!

With the recent announcement of Shards of the Throne, the upcoming expansion for Twilight Imperium, the Galactic Council will reconvene in an atmosphere of paranoia and mistrust. War is escalating all across the galaxy, and there are important matters to attend to. However, the council is quickly becoming a deadlier battleground than the war-torn stars above. Today, we’ll take a look at the new political procedures put into place with Shards of the Throne.

Have a Seat, Councilors

Shards of the Throne introduces several new concepts to the political system of Twilight Imperium. Players looking for even more opportunities for negotiation will find plenty of welcome additions when using the new Political Intrigue option.

The first main addition Shards of the Throne adds to this phase of the game is the alternate Political II Strategy card (or Assembly II if using the Variant Strategy cards from Shattered Empire). When using this new Variant Strategy card, players begin the game with their respective Representative cards and Promissory Note cards (as discussed below). When resolving the primary ability of the Political II Strategy card, the active player chooses an available Political card to resolve, and then each player performs the following:

Choose Representatives
Resolve Spies
Resolve Bargaining and Promissory Notes
Resolve Voting and Outcome
Draw new Political card (active player only)

Bargaining and Blades

Each of the seventeen races (including those from the Shattered Empire expansion) will receive three Representative cards to use with the Political Intrigue option. These Representatives can provide players with bonus votes when they are sent to the Galactic Council. They may also have one or more of the following traits:

Spy: Spies are revealed before other Representatives, and resolve their abilities during the Resolve Spies step. Spies target other Representatives with assassinations and other game effects.
Bodyguard: Bodyguards cannot be assassinated and often have certain effects when targeted by a Spy.
Councilor: Councilors are Representatives sent to vote in the Galactic Council. They generally have more bonus votes than Spies or Bodyguards, but are more vulnerable to agressive cards and abilities.

Choosing the right Representatives for your political goals is essential for a successful political maneuver. While Councilors offer those tempting bonus votes, they can easily be silenced by a cleverly deployed spy, permanently eliminating them from the game. How much do you trust your fellow politicians?

Promises, Promises

In addition to these crafty Representatives, players are also armed with Promissory Notes, which can be used to sweeten whatever deal they are offering their opponents.

Whereas deals in Twilight Imperium (for Trade Goods or other favors) are generally non-binding, Promissory Note cards represent contracts that force the recipient to vote in favor of the player giving the note. Promissory Notes can be played later by the recipient, compelling the giver to abide by whatever “favor” is printed on the card. These favors range from forcing the original owner of the Promissory Note to retreat from a battle with the recipient, to handing over all of his Trade Goods. Clearly, Promissory Notes can haunt you for the rest of the game, so be careful with whom you deal!

But even as a race’s councilor offers his hand in peace and friendship, his planet’s interstellar fleet, led by a massively destructive flagship, can wreak havoc in the stars above. Check back next time when we look at some of the new units in Shards of the Throne.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Lead Your People to Greatness

Published 25 March 2011 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Lead Your People to Greatness

Announcing Shards of the Throne, an expansion for Twilight Imperium

The legacy of a ruined empire silently echoes across the stars, calling out to those who would dare succeed it. To some, it is the sound of hope, promising an opportunity to bring peace to the galaxy. To others, it is the sound of their own ambition – a taunt from a long-dead race, daring another to rise to glory. Will you answer its call and guide your people to greatness?

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Shards of the Throne, an expansion for Twilight Imperium! As the war escalates with the appearance of deadly new technology, three new races enter the fray: the Arborec, a sentient ecosystem made up of millions of plants; the Nekro Virus, a cold and unfeeling machine bent on the destruction of all biological life; and the Ghosts of Creuss, a mysterious race of beings made of energy and light. As they join the galaxy's elder races, the ruins of an ancient empire wait to be claimed by the most cunning, strategic, and powerful civilization left standing.

New Legions Join the Fight

With massive Flagships, heavily armored Mechanized Units, versatile Mercenaries, and all new technologies, Shards of the Throne gives you even more options when constructing your fleet. Flagships represent a civilization’s peak of engineering and their special abilities reflect each race’s unique play style, while Mechanized Units are powerful planetary machines of war that can be added to your Ground Forces. Want to supplement your forces? Mercenaries are elite pilots and soldiers that sell their skills to the highest bidder, aiding your Ground Forces or Fleet whenever their services are needed.

Control the Council

Live the Legend

The legendary Lazax ruled the galaxy over three thousand years ago, and their fall ushered in an age of darkness. But what led them to their tragic end? Shards of the Throne comes with an exciting historic scenario that lets one player take on the role of the Lazax, tasked with maintaing control over a crumbling empire. Can you change the course of history?

Visit our Shards of the Throne website to learn more, and keep checking back as we preview this remarkable expansion. This spring, the galaxy will be yours for the taking!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Another Age of Twilight Begins

Published 12 November 2009 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Another Age of Twilight Begins

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition is back in stock!

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that the massively popular Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition, an epic game of interstellar trade, diplomacy, and conflict, is now back in stock at our webstore or at your friendly local game store.

Twilight Imperium 1st Edition was FFG's first game product, and through two popular editions it has garnered a massive audience across the world. Twilight Imperium is a cornerstone of our company, and we’re proud to be able to offer it again. But as popular as it is, you’ll want to secure your copy today!

Twilight Imperium is a board game of galactic politics, trade, and warfare. 3-6 players each control an acclaimed civilization, vying for galactic supremacy through any means necessary. Each civilization provides an entirely different experience with their own individual abilities and play styles. Are you ready for another Age of Twilight?

Discuss this article
in our forums!

TI3 FAQ

Published 22 December 2008 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

TI3 FAQ

A new Twilight Imperium FAQ is now available

An updated Twilight Imperium FAQ is now available! To view this new FAQ, please visit our Twilight Imperium Support section.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Designer Diary 3

Published 16 October 2008 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Designer Diary 3

By Christian T. Petersen

Days of Twilight

It has now been almost 6 months since TI3 shipped, and although this has been a busy time for me, the game has never left my mind. Its success has been very rewarding, and the level of positive reviews has been both astounding and gratifying. FFG is ecstatic about the game too, of course. TI3 is our bestselling item of the year (so far), and – hold on to your hats – we have now shipped more TI3 games (in 6 months) than we did of all TI1 and TI2, both editions and all print-runs combined.

As TI3 was being designed last year, there were many things from TI’s past that I wanted to include in the game. You can look back at my first TI3 “design notes” column and see my itemized “wish list” for what I wanted in the game. Although most of these things did become a reality in TI3, there were a number of things that just could not be made reality – as we simply did not have any resources left in our budget to include them.

So, with the success of TI3, and my vision only 95% fulfilled, FFG has concluded that we should design and publish a TI3 expansion to be released sometime in the late summer of 2006. My original wish was always to fit everything into the one original product, and that I could then (as a designer) leave TI behind for good. Yet, Mathom Iq Seerva, the Winnaran keeper of the custodian chronicle, now stands behind me – taunting me to return to TI.

Truly, I am really inspired to add some more elements to TI3 experience, elements that TI3 players hopefully would find exciting and appreciate.

So, what would I put into a TI3 expansion? Well, nothing is certain at this point (so don’t hold me to the list below), but here is the list of things that inspire me, and that I currently plan to include:

Enough additional systems to create a 4th ring round Mecatol Rex.

Two additional colors of plastic units, and rules for an 8 player game (using the 4th ring).

Two additional (never seen before) races for the TI universe.

A variant set of Strategy Cards.

A variant set of Objective Cards (to go with the SC above).

Classic TI game options, such as Mines, Assassins, Capital Planets, etc. All revised and updated to TI3, of course.

(New plastic units are not going to be possible for costing reasons.)

Sound exciting? I certainly hope so! I would love your feedback on this TI3 expansion. Please share your comments, thoughts and ideas here on the TI message board, here.

As this moves along, hopefully I can create another “designer notes” update with more expansion details!

Thanks for your enthusiasm and support!

Pax Magnifica!

Christian T. Petersen

FFG

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Designer Diary 2

Published 16 October 2008 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Designer Diary 2

By Christian T. Petersen

Days of Twilight

It has been long, oh so long, since I last updated the TWILIGHT IMPERIUM 3rd Edition site. It is long overdue, my bad, but here it is.

It has been an arduous journey over the last five months or so, and my vision for TI3 have had its own journey of trials and tribulations. Yet, with this brief rant, I have the opportunity to give you all an update of the current state of the project. So (drum-roll please) here is where TI3 is currently at:

The Game Engine

I have finally settled fully on the new ‘game state’ or fluid motion of interlocking mechanics that will be core game of TI. I haven’t just tinkered and tuned the old TI engine like I was planning… No, I have replaced the whole engine with an entirely new dynamic turbo-charged piece of gaming engineering that I hope will blow your socks off. (More on this later!)

The Box

In the middle of last month (June ‘04), the talented Scott Schomburg finished his masterful art for our TI3 box. Scott was the artist on the wonderful TI2 cover, and I wanted him to return to the subject matter once again, in a way that felt ‘classic’ but new all at once. One major advantage for showcasing the new cover is the massive ‘widescreen’ box that allows for a truly epic piece of artwork. If you own any of the typical ‘square’ games (like our LORD OF THE RINGS games, our GAME OF THRONES board game, and/or many games from publishers such a Mayfair, Rio Grande, and Days of Wonder) the TWILIGHT IMPERIUM 3rd Edition Box will be twice as large as those. Basically, it will be as big as two of such square boxes standing side by side. In other, more humble, words … it will be HUGE!!! Without much further ado, I hereby present to you the final TI3 cover artwork.

All the ten known TI Races are represented on the cover. Starting from the upper left: Sardakk N’orr, Xxcha, Naalu, Jol-Nar, Hacan, Sol, Letnev, Yssaril, Mentak, and finally (in the lower right) the L1z1x. You will also notice the massive War Sun and the impressive PDS cannon (behind the Sol soldiers). I absolutely love this new piece! It truly defines and improves my vision for how the races look, and it projects the epic feeling that I feel TI is all about. Great work Scott!! (FYI, the actual box logo/text, etc., have not been finalized, and are just placed here for reference).

The Ships

All spring and early summer, the plastic-elves have been hard at work creating some absolutely awesome plastic components for TI3. It was my goal that these space-ships be some of the most awesome board-game components ever created. A few weeks ago, I got the first batch of final ships, and I think that we have succeeded in our goal. These ships will be just awesome to play with!! They are substantially larger than the pieces in TI2, and units like the Dreadnought and the War Sun (a new unit) are probably the largest sculpted pieces in a strategy board game to-date. Here are some pictures of the wonders:

The Other Components

So, what about the other components of TI3? First of all, the systems (hexes) will be substantially larger than those of TI and TI2 (see the picture below for a reference). The graphics for all the components have been masterfully improved by our resident graphics guru Brian Schomburg (yes, he is related to Scott). The cardboard will be a heavy thick stock (as you see in our RUNEBOUND and GAME OF THRONES board games), with wonderful textured linen paper (which has come to be appreciated among gamers from the wonderful German board-game productions introduced into our hobby over the last 5 years). In addition to the large reams of card-board components (Systems, Titles, Leaders, Control Markers, Command Counters, Shock Troops, etc.) TI will also feature more than 400 full color cards (real cards, not the ‘pull apart’ one-color cards of TI and TI2) including Deed Cards, Technology, Action, Victory Point, and Political Cards.

Did he say “Victory Point” cards?

I did let that little but of info slip, as well as a few other nuggets. As stated above, the core game system of TI has been radically changed, and – I think – dramatically improved. Designing and developing other games over the last few years have taught me a number of important lessons and provided some insightful revelations. In this project, I feel that I have brought all my skill and new-found knowledge to bear on my beloved Twilight Imperium. But, fans of TI, don’t fear! Even though the principle game engine is almost entirely new, TI retains the ‘feel’ and core elements (empire building, conquest, politics, and trade) of the older versions.

I am going to save the juicy details of the system for a future rant. As I am actually writing the rules for TI3 right now, perhaps I will actually post the new rules in their entirety within the next 4 weeks or so. Until then, here are some (shocking I hope) spoilers:

TI3 has no ‘progression chart’

TI3 has no Lazax Gold Credits

TI3 has only 3 Phases, the “Title Phase”, the “Action Phase”, and the ‘Status Phase’

TI3 eliminates about 90% of the down-time between players.

TI3 introduces a new resource/game dynamic called ‘Command Points’ which sets your tactical flexibility against your individual fleet sizes.

TI3 has a ‘built in time-limit’ (handled in a unique way) for a maximum of 10 rounds.

TI3 uses two other major new terms: “Titles” and “Actions Counters”

Veteran TI players may be shocked by the above revelations. I am very, very excited about these changes, however, which I feel bring the TI3 design up to the best of today’s design standards. I look forward to the discussion after the game hits the thermal layer.

So, where is the game at, and when will it be ready?

TI3 has taken longer to knit together than I had initially anticipated. The majority of the blame is to be laid on my other CEO duties and a plethora of other projects that are competing for my attention, and the other to the crucial, but eminently successful design development that the game has seen in the past months.

TI will be a BIG game, in all senses of the word. The ships will be big, the box will be big, the hexes will be big, the components will be numerous (in the extreme), and the new game-play will be a big change. The suggested retail for the game is now set at $79.95 (it’ll be worth every penny!). As I am not expecting the game to go to the printer before the first week of August, the expected release date has now been pushed back to November. So yes, alas, this means that we will have no copies at GEN CON as I had hoped… but we will be showcasing and doing demo’s of TI3 at our booth and in the board-game hall, so please stop by!

Pax Magnifica!

Some of the above terms, such as "Title Cards," were later changed for the final version of the game.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Designer Diary 1

Published 16 October 2008 | Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Designer Diary 1

By Christian T. Petersen

This design notes article for Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition dates back to January 2003, when development on the game was just beginning.

Beyond the roughwarri starcluster.

Far beyond the borderlands.

In the far reaches of the outer rim.

In a forgotten corner of the Serpent’s Eye void.

Below the wastes of a dark and windswept old planet.

Here lies a secret, long buried but not forgotten.

And now it has been found.

An age of twilight shall once more spread across the galaxy. A broken empire shall once more be re-forged. Hidden powers from dark space shall come forth to make an ancient claim. War shall rage across space. Secret treaties, political whispers, and devious murder shall again echo through the halls of the imperial city on Mecatol Rex.

In the late summer of 2004, a Twilight Imperium will rise again.

It has been almost eight years since I published the first edition of Twilight Imperium and with it the kickoff play for Fantasy Flight Games (TI was our first gaming product). To our luck and great fortune, TI came to the gaming market at a time when few board games were being published, and my epic sci-fi conquest-and-politics board game was received in the gaming market like rain in a desert.

The early success of TI is the foundation of all that is FFG today. In our offices, its name is spoken of with respect, and for my part, gratitude.

The first edition would receive the support of three expansions sets: Borderlands, Distant Suns and Twilight Armada. We would go through two printings of the first edition, and as the expansions started selling out, we would start the planning of an ambitious second edition. After much work and redesign, TI2 was finally shipped to the market in the fall of 2000. TI2 instantly became a rock-solid product for FFG. We printed the expansion Hope’s End to support the new edition. Hope’s End is now very difficult to find (I saw a copy being sold on ebay a few weeks ago, and it went for more than $150). As the last of the TI2 inventories were finally depleted in the summer of 2003, we faced a dilemma. What would be the future of TI?

For both financial and creative reasons, a reprint of TI2 was not realistic. Yet I was not about to let our flagship game slip into the graveyard of dead games. TI had maintained a surprisingly strong following through the years, and as soon as TI was sold out, we started receiving emails and phone calls from retailers, distributors and gamers, asking (and sometimes demanding) that we put TI back in print.

Yet I had another plan, a secret plan.

Throughout the last seven years, FFG has sought to improve itself constantly. I hope that this does not come across as a cliché, but we have always sought to make better games, make better components, and create better value for the gamer. This has become especially important with the influx of all the great and popular board games from Germany over the last few years.

With our manufacturing knowledge, skilled staff, and great experience, FFG is positioned to make the definitive edition of Twilight Imperium. Frankly, I am very excited. At last I have within my reach the means and skills to create a version of TI that will equal the vision for the game I had long ago. To me, the design, components, and visuals of TI3 will be a game production for the ages.

So I am hereby proud to announce that in the late summer of 2004, led by myself, FFG will publish a massive new edition of Twilight Imperium. In other words:

Twilight Imperium Third Edition is COMING! [And across cyberspace much excitement was had…]

Into this edition, I will place all my power, all my knowledge, and all my will to dominate all gaming things.

What will be in TI3?

Well, I am glad you asked. The development of TI3 is happening right now, and I do not expect to finish the development and engineering of this game until sometime in April of this year. Here are some of the things that I am working towards (and hope) to put into TI3. Please note that anything mentioned below is a work-in-progress, and will not necessarily be in the final version of TI3.

Further development of the Tech-Tree components and system (from TI2).

Additional flavor and new ways to implement more dynamic racial abilities for each race.

New plastic miniatures. Although the plastic in TI2 was passable, I feel strongly that the plastic spaceships and other components in TI3 need to be of top-notch quality, engineering and design - matching or exceeding anything on the market today.

Better cards. Both TI and TI2 used a non-standard card format with one-color printing.

TI3 will have

1) more cards,

2) full-size cards, and

3) color cards.

Bigger, and more, hexes. I always wanted bigger hexes so that you could fit more units on a hex without it getting cluttered. I also want to include enough hexes in TI3 so that a “5th ring” – and thus an 8 player game – could be played.

Everything included. Races, cards, and rules. As we do not plan any expansions to TI3, I want to include ALL 10 TI races (the original six races plus the Mentak, Yssaril, L1z1x, and the Naalu), as well as all the great optional rules that were found in various expansion sets (including Mines, Distant Suns, Leaders, Capital Planets, assassins, etc).

Some new rules. Over the years I have had a chance to think much about TI as a game, and I plan to change/add a few rules that will make the game better and more streamlined.

New special options. The specifics are secret for now, but I plan to add some new features to TI3 in the form of new options and units. These include new plastic units (the Destroyer and the War Sun), as well as new special rules, and other new components.

Note that this wish-list was outlined before the development of the game was completed and that the final product varies from some of the points above.

This above list gives you an overview of some of the changes that will be finding their way into TI3.

I will try to add design notes, previews of artwork, and other news to this site as often as possible over the next 3-4 months.

Ad Astra!

Discuss this article
in our forums!