Godzfirefly:
Okay, I'm going to do a quick FAQ post to cover questions asked by at least two players thus far. Some of these may be important to the next few cycles, so try not to skim over them all. And, as always, these answers assume no techs exist to change the answer.
Q) Are warp gates necessary for trade?
A) Yes. You must have some claim over a Warp Gate (even if it's just ships in an otherwise unclaimed sector) to trade with other players. Also, if another player allows, you can use their Warp Gate as long as you have ships at the location of that Warp Gate.
Q) If Scouting happens before movement, can I send ships into/through a sector I'm scouting in the same turn?
A) No. The sector must have been on the map at the beginning of the turn to count as passable.
Q) If I want to destroy a Warp Gate, can I do so before ships move?
A) No. Destroying a Warp Gate is an attack action, which occurs after ships move. Also, it requires control of the sector to perform, so any battles will happen first.
Q) Do I need to have military at the place I'm building a station/colonizing a planet for the whole time? Or just when I start the project?
A) You need military present the whole time. If you don't have military there, the project is cancelled.
Q) Can I start colonizing a planet/building a station in the turn my military arrives there?
A) Yes. But, if another fleet arrives at the same time and for the same purpose, it may delay your attempt until the conflict is resolved.
Q) If I see a planet/Resource Cache/Other on my map, is it possible for a monster to be there too?
A) No. If a Monster is in a sector, you will see it.
Q) I want to trade racial techs because [Insert IC reason here]. Can I?
A) No.
Q) I have a tech approved as a racial tech. Could I consider it automatically approved as a normal tech instead?
A) No. I might approve it as a normal tech as-is, but I'll be just as likely to make some minor change before approving it as a non-racial tech. So, ask first.
Q) Can I just assume a trade will be okay with the UA and put it on my trade sheet?
A) No. If you do that, there is at least a chance that either I'll not understand what you expect of the UA and end up sending you nothing or the UA won't have what you want in the entirety and I end up sending you nothing. Either way, if you want to be sure to get what you are asking for from the UA, you need to ask them first.
Q) Can I move troops to a Warp Gate and through with a single Turn's move action?
A) No, warp gates require a full turn's move action to use. A Worm Hole, on the other hand, can be used without spending any sectors of movement. (Just remember the Worm Hole is 1-way without the appropriate tech.)
Q) Can I negotiate with non-UA NPCs?
A) That depends on the NPC.
-Monsters attack on sight, so cannot be negotiated with.
-Mercenaries prefer to set their own contracts, so are challenging to talk into alternate options, but they can be negotiated with. (Just remember...mercenaries can be quite mercenary.)
-Resource Cache NPCs are one-shots, not intended to be NPCs with anything to offer more than the Resources they give you. If you want to RP with them, though, I am game for that.
Q) What can and can't a player do during a Dead Turn?
A) While you have a dead turn, you can't scan, train/recruit characters, earn resources beyond those needed to maintain troops, continue researching anything (this is on hold 1 Turn, not cancelled,) or continue colonizing anything (this is on hold 1 Turn, not cancelled.) You can still trade (including with the UA,) move troops, convert Slaves into other units, etc.
Q) Can I move mercenaries in the same turn I hire them?
A) Yes, you can.
Just because it's still useful information for this game, here's an FAQ that Godz posted for game 8.
Note that some answers have changed for game 9 and the way I run things. They are copied below:
Q) Do I need to have military at the place I'm building a station/colonizing a planet for the whole time? Or just when I start the project?
A) You only need military present during the first turn of colonization. After that, the project will maintain itself. However, if any other force capable of claiming a sector moves in (including allied military units), their claim will supersede yours if you have no units there, and cancel the project. Leave at your own risk.
Q) If I see a planet/Resource Cache/Other on my map, is it possible for a monster to be there too?
A) For resource caches, no (if a monster and a resource cache are both present, you will see a monster). For planets, yes. Planets will prevent you from seeing monsters that may be guarding that planet. However, detailed scouting will always tell you whether or not a monster is present.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:58, Wed 24 Oct 2018.
