Hi everyone, we just played our first game of cosmic encounter, no flares and green aliens only, as suggested.

Even so, I found this game more difficult than others to grasp at first.. I'm a little bit scared at the amount of FAQ about aliens powers and conflict in general...

questions:

can there be more than 4 ships of the same colour on a planet? I ask this because of the 4 ships per attack limit.

I havo to defend my planet even if I don't have ships on it. But seing as is already lost, what reason would I have to do so, other than the rules say so? I mean it's obvious I would defend with my weakest card... or is it??

thanks

While there is a limit of 4 ships per player on the hyperspace gate, there is no limit for how many ships per player on each planet.

For your second question, yes, that is a great time to waste a low attack card, or to see if you can work out a deal with your opponent.

Severino said:

Your only motivation for winning such encounters is to keep them from getting more colonies and closer to victory.  Still important, but not as much as if an existing colony were at risk.

Severino said:

I am confident that you will understand the basic rules of the game with just a few more plays.  You're right to keep it simple until you do.  Unfortunately, the nature of Cosmic Encounter demands that you will eventually have to turn to a FAQ, forum, or the basic rule book to sort out a unique interaction between alien powers or cards.  If there is a rule conflict without a clear solution, simply vote one way or another.  If you can't reach a solution with a vote, then you're playing with the wrong people.

 a few plays later... I can say I like this game!
As we understand rules and interactions better, we have more fun with each new play.