Please save everything you want to keep from you old character races in a forum other than Empirium.  When I delete your old character, you will lose al of the Pm's they've collected.

You have until Sunday, unless you've already told me I can delete it.

We have made the following changes to the rules (besides correcting grammer and stuff):

-Tech Meta-Limits are clearly stated.  (Others might be added as we run across them, though.)
-Section O now defines the importance of Homeworlds in the map system
-Races may now choose between Genetics or Mechanicals to build their infrastructure.  This choice is permanent.
-Espionage can now be used for limited exploration.
-Safe Houses now have an innate reason to be placed, even if you don't have techs to interact with them
-Added the Tracking Espionage Option
-Rules were added to clarify how multiple galaxies work.
-Section H is clarified to say Option 2 can only be chosen if unclaimed planets are available.
-Planets are pre-placed, rather than randomly placed.
-X Sectors and Blank-marked Sectors no longer have varied danger levels when planets and rifts are not present

Pos Uni 1:
-Technocon
-Gorp
-Sanrai
-Blagtorians
-Arkanians
-Vazr'kasu
-Granicus
-(jmenefee)

Pos Uni 2:
-Cerberians
-The Order
-Chimer
-Zin-Xeng
-Xenomorph
-Quo
-Vanir
-Vor

The Positive Universe one, will have access to groups 01256

The Positive Universe two, will have access to groups 01234

Upon successfully entering from one universe from another, you will be granted access to the appropriate threads.

OOC will always remain in group 2.  PM's are fine between players from different galaxies, but bear in mind that your race won't know of the other races existence until first contact is made.  Unlike the races in your own galaxy.

EDIT:  Group 5 will be homeworld threads and the galactic seat.
Group 6 will be the UA Council Hall.

Same variations for groups 3 and 4.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:42, Wed 28 Dec 2011.

UPDATED Game 5 Approved Tech List, to include Rift tech tree.

UPDATED Galaxy Map to inform players on how hyper Drive movement works.

Pirate Rules have been re-established in the Game 5 Rules Thread.  They have changed to reflect the new map and tech system, so please take a moment to look them over!

Just as a note, we are beginning to get approved techs returned to people. Please make sure you read what we return to you carefully, as it may have changed from its original wording.

No players race will begin with any units in storage, unless purchased with the Point Buy System.  For those that I have told otherwise about military units, please disregard that early ruling and change your totals to match only 1 turns production in each of the unit categories.

Thanks.
CGM

I would like to point out to people that Research Unions can only be performed by members of a Federation, and that Federations cannot be formed until you have been allies for four cycles (that is, not until at least cycle four). Those of you who are attempting to negotiate immediate research coordination should keep this in mind.

A Quick Clarification about the Tracking Espionage Action:

Tracking is an unusual Espionage Action in that the Espionage unit is targeting an unknown planet that he/she/it isn't on.  Because of that, it might be unclear how it interacts with Safe Houses and Counter-Espionage.

The way we'll be operating it is that only effects that modify Espionage Actions on the target world affect this Action.

Ex1:  Player A is Tracking Player B's planets.  He tells an Espionage unit on Planet X to start Tracking.  The GMs know the nearest of Player B's planets is Planet Y.  Player B's Counter Espionage units on Planet Y will reduce the effectiveness of the Tracking Action.

Ex2:  Player A happens to already know where Planet Y is, but didn't realize it was the closest of Player B's planets to Planet X.  Planet Y has one of Player A's Safe Houses on it.  That will increase the probability that the Espionage unit is not caught.

Ex3:  Player A finds Planet Y and starts Tracking the next planet (Planet Z.) from Planet Y.  The Counter Espionage actions and Safe Houses on Planet Y will not affect this attempt at all, though the Counter Espionage and Safe House on Planet Z will.

Alright my friends!

I have started deleting lurkers who have not confirmed that they want to participate and have started deleting any characters you had, that were not game 5 specific.

We need Point Buy and Homeworld stats by Januray 1st.  Earlier submissions are encouraged and welcomed.

We start the first turn, Januray 3rd.  For everyones ease, we ask that you try and send in a turn sheet submission before the 3rd.  So if there are any issues, we can catch them before the turn is due.

Please do not be late with your first turn submission.  People have been waiting for a long while to start in this game and it would be especially irritating if they had to wait because someone didn't turn their first turn submission in on time.

With all of that said.  We (The GM's) want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!  And can't convey our excitement at starting Game 5 in the near future.

Thanks.

Admin

Rumors...

Rumors and fables spread among the colonies of distant worlds of giant rips in space, sucking in ships as if it were a living breathing entity.  These "Rifts" were beginning to become more than legend.  More than a myth.

But what are they?

Some races concluded that it was yet just another phenomenon that science had yet to explain.  Others stated that they were the result of some great ancient weapon, reawakened by the re-emergence of organisation to the Chaos that is the vast abyss of space.  And still others, claimed them to be portents and omens...  Religious symbols of either the dawning of a new era or the harbringers of the end of days.

Many things were still circumspect, but one thing remained constant in all of the stories.  When a ship encountered a Rift, they were never heard from again.  Vague messages sent with static interference the only vessel of information.  And most of those messages contained the last few moments of awe and fear from whomever sent them...

Once again as races enter into the arena of space, seeking to etch out a name for their Empire in these turbulent times, questions abound as to who will be the next great race to shape the stars themselves.  And either out of terror or hope, a dawning of a new age is about to begin.

Welcome...  To Empirium.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:12, Mon 26 Dec 2011.

Just as a heads up:

A lot of you have been concerned about not having enough credits to pay GC/AC fees the first turn. You should note that GTAs produce credits as soon as they go into effect. Thus, any GTAs you are signing now will generate their revenue on turn 1, which you can use to pay trade or treaty enforcement fees.

0 Days to Start!  Today is the Day!

0 More days to finalisation of Point Buys. DUE TODAY!
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:07, Tue 03 Jan 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...V7DB8Iwg&ob=av3e

Turn 1 for Game 5 is due today, 10:00 PM East Coast Time.

With the exception of the Vanir and Xenomorphs (as I will try to help them since they are new and just came back from Holiday) all turn sheets should be submitted in your turn sheet thread.

Results will be posted tommorrow.

Turn 2 is due Friday, January 6th @ 10PM East Coast Time.

 - Late submissions without GM ok, will be processed as a dud round.
 - I suggest you post up a rough draft of your turn 2 at least and edit it as you go.

I posted Private in everyones homeworld threads.  If you do not have anything there other than the word private, do not worry.  I did it on purpose.

Just as a heads up to everyone, I'm leaving for a bridge tournament that runs all weekend in about half an hour. I may be pretty scarce for a while, and I'm also almost certainly going to be playing bridge when the turns are due, which means I won't get to work on universe 2's results for a couple hours. I will try to still get them in that evening. However, the more people that get their turns sheets in early (even by only a couple hours, since I should be free around 4-6 PDT (7-9 EST) that day) will greatly speed up the time it takes to get them back to you.

Turn 3 is due Tuesday, January 10th @ 10 PM East Coast Time.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=212

If you look up Richmond Virginia USA, you will see what time difference your time is from my own.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:10, Sat 07 Jan 2012.

Facts about Rifts and game mechanics:

 - Once activated and visible on the public map, a Rift will no longer suck your ships through it to the other universe.  That is a one time deal.  Afterwards, you may choose to travel through it or not when in the sector it appeared.

 - You may not travel back from one universe to another without the appropriate technology.  SEE Approved Game 5 Tech Thread.

 - You may build space stations and other defenses next to a Rift.

 - You may feed two universes with Life support if there is a Rift present.

EX:  You have units at the same location in both universes, you can feed them accordingly as if they were all in the same universe.

 - So as not to drive everyone crazy, production in one universe connects with the other universe.  Even if you cannot travel back and forth between the universes freely yet.

 - Travel through a Rift is the same as if you travel through a warp gate.  You use 1 hyper drive charge.

Turn 4 will be due this Friday, 13th (ooooo!) @ 10PM East Coast Time.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=212

Thanks again to every player.  All of you got your turn submissions in before 10:00 today.  *wipes tear from eye*  I knew Christmas wasn't over.

Results should be in sometime late tonight, perhaps tommorrow before lunch.  I've finished Negative Universe results... MUAhAHAHAHAHA!  And Zontan and Godz are working on positive universe results.  All trades have been checked as well, so if you have a late submission before 10:00PM I'd get cracking.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:40, Wed 11 Jan 2012.

Just a reminder to those of you that wish to use Espionage units and those who have been targets of those Espionage units.

Under the rules, espionage units that fail are lost permanently...usually dead.  To accomodate situations where there is espionage between friendly players who might not mind the Espionage so much, we've allowed players to send the Espionage unit back immediately instead.  But, if the unit is not ransomed or released that turn, the unit is gone forever, barring techs.

So, no holding onto those units for 3-4 turns and then exchanging them when your own get caught.  Sorry about that.

Turn 5 will be due Tuesday, 17th @ 10PM East Coast time.

We do appreciate rough turn results at least posted with basic exploration and infrastructure actions.  Trades can be last minute.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=212
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:01, Sat 14 Jan 2012.

Uni 1 players, I got enough questions about last Turn's trades that I went back and redid the Turn Results for them.  Y'all were right, there were a lot of errors...some minor, some not.  That's what I get for trying to get Turn results done at 4am.

I editted the new results over the old, so the should now be accurate.  Please double check them before relying on the trade info.

Thanks for your understanding.

For those of you who are heavy traders, it would be helpful for me (Since I summarise the trades) to have the following format.

1. To: Gorp (XX-XX) OR 3 Credits to UA for shipping
   Send: GTA, Dolphin Breeding Techniques (Makes a Dolphin to kill solar systems)
   Receive: GTA, Bear Breeding Techniques (Makes a Bear to kill suns)
   Escort: 0
   Decoys: 0
   Transaction Shipped on Cycle: 1
   Transaction Finished on Cycle: 1 or 2

RED:  Direct Trade (Must have Coordinates to destination next to name)

GREEN:  Middle Man (Must Notate the credits you spend for shipping, otherwise it will not be shipped *Unless the GC or AC have another arrangement with you)

This will help us tremendously.  Thanks

ADMIN

EDIT: If you bulk all of your GTA's in one trade grouping, that is quite alright.  The main problem we are having is trying to figure out when something arrives and whether or not its Direct or through a Middle Man.

EDIT 2:  Also!  We only ship what the race states they send you.  I look at their send line.  The recieve line is for your records and sometimes help me clarify aa tech (Mech Pro +1 or Liquid Metal Facilities).  They are the same thing, but notated differently by each race.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Sun 15 Jan 2012.

For Colonisation notations on your turn sheet, we would like to see the following under your (Completed Projects) section above your production section.

1.) Colonising Planet @ sector XX-XX (Negaverse/Pos 1/Pos 2) STAGE -/4 (PAID 2G, 1LS,1E)

OR

1.) Building Space Station @ sector XX-XX (Negaverse/Pos 1/Pos2) Stage -/4 (PAID 1M, 2G, 1LS, 1E)

NOTE:  There is an additional M or G requirement per stage for space station construction.

Notating somewhere on your sheet which universe you are doing the work on is critical, since there is 3 sectors with the same coordinates in this game.  1 for each universe.

Eventually you guys are going to start running into each other, and we need to be certain who goes where and who has what where.