Hokkaido

The Players

The numbers in the Resource Marker column indicate the box, numbered from left to right, while the number in parenthesis is the number of resources to be gained from that space.  N/A indicates that the marker is not in place because a card that can accept those resources is not in play.  Text in the colony spaces indicates either the owner of the colony, or the benefit of establishing a colony there.

Generation 6

Research Phase

PIKES buys 3 cards for 9M€.

CJVH buys 1 card for 3M€.

COLONY buys 2 cards for 6M€.

GEGS buys 1 card for 3M€.

N&S buys 2 cards for 6M€.

Action Phase

PIKES spends 9M€ to trade with Luna, gaining 12M€. CJVH and GEGS each gain 2M€. He then spends 8 heat to increase the temperature to -4 and his TR to 30.

CJVH spends 3 energy to trade with Callisto, gaining 10 energy. COLONY and GEGS each receive 3 energy. He then spends 4 energy to use Steelworks, gaining 2 steel and increasing the oxygen level to 6% and his TR to 34.

COLONY spends 8 heat to increase the temperature to -2C and his TR to 28, then spends 8 more heat to increase the temperature to 0C and his TR to 29.

GEGS spends 2 energy to trade with Luna, gaining 9M€. PIKES and CJVH each receive 2M€. He then spends 5M€ for a Mineral Deposit, gaining 5 steel.

Noah & Sons spends 6M€ for a Trans-Neptune Probe.

PIKES spends 8 heat to increase the temperature to 2C and his TR to 31.

CJVH spends 3M€ to increase his TR to 35, then spends 8M€ to claim the Terraformer Milestone.

COLONY spends 3 energy to trade with Triton, gaining 1 titanium. GEGS gains 1 titanium. He then spends 1 titanium to add a resource to Security Fleet.

GEGS spends 11 steel and 1M€ to play Protected Valley, gaining 2M€ production and placing a greenery tile in H6, gaining 2M€ and 1 plant, and increasing the oxygen level to 7% and his TR to 30. He then spends 23M€ for a greenery tile in G5, gaining 4M€, 2 plants, increasing the oxygen level to 8% which increases the temperature to 4C and increases his TR to 32.

Noah & Sons spends 8M€ on a Mass Converter, gaining 6 energy production.

PIKES spends 1 titanium and 18M€ for Sulphur Exports, gaining 1M€ production and increasing Venus terraforming to 2% and his TR to 32.

CJVH spends 8 heat to raise the temperature to 6C and his TR to 36.

COLONY spends 6M€ for Lunar Mining, gaining 2 titanium production, then spends 16M€ for Lunar Metropolis, gaining 6M€ production. PIKES gains a pet and GEGS gains 2M€.

GEGS spends 11M€ on Molecular Printing, gaining 10M€, then spends 4 titanium and 2M€ for an Asteroid, raising the temperature to the maximum 8C, increasing his TR to 33, gaining 2 titanium, and removing 3 plants from PIKES.

Noah & Sons uses Power Infrastructure to convert 5 energy to 5M€, then spends 4M€ on Symbiotic Fungus.

PIKES spends 16M€ for Tundra Farming, gaining 1 plant production, 2M€ production, and 1 plant.

CJVH spends 25M€ to build a City at H5, gaining 2M€ and 2 plants. PIKES gains a Pet and GEGS gains 2M€.

COLONY spends 2M€ for Local Shading, gaining 1M€ production for the new Venus tag, then places a floater resource on Local Shading.

GEGS spends 8M€ to claim the Gardener milestone, then 2 titanium and 3M€ to play Solar Probe, gaining 1 card.

Noah & Sons spends 2M€ to use Restricted Area to draw a card.

PIKES sells a card for 1M€.

CJVH spends 9M€ for Fish, reducing GEGS plant production by 1.

COLONY adds a Tardigrade, then uses Extreme Cold Fungus to add two more Tardigrades.

GEGS sells a card for 1M€.

Noah & Sons passes.

PIKES sells a card for 1M€, then spends 6M€ for Small Animals, reducing GEGS plant production by 1.

CJVH adds a resource to Fish.

COLONY passes.

GEGS spends 4M€ to increase his plant production by 1.

PIKES adds a resource to Small Animals.

CJVH passes.

GEGS passes.

PIKES passes.

Production Phase

PIKES gains 47M€, 3 steel, 1 titanium, 1 plant, and 9 heat.

CJVH moves 7 energy to heat, gains 43M€, 4 energy, and 1 heat.

COLONY moves 1 energy to heat, gains 41M€, 1 steel, 2 titanium, 2 plants, 1 energy, and 1 heat.

GEGS moves 3 energy to heat, gains 39M€, 1 steel, 3 titanium, 1 plant, 2 energy, and 1 heat.

Noah & Sons gains 21M€, 1 plant, 11 energy, and 1 heat.

Solar Phase

The trade marker on all active colonies is moved one to the right.

Generation 7

Research Phase

CJVH buys 1 card for 3M€.

COLONY buys 2 cards for 6M€.

GEGS buys 2 cards for 6M€.

N&S buys 3 cards for 9M€.

PIKES buys 3 cards for 9M€.

Action Phase

CJVH spends 4 energy to use Steelworks, gaining 2 steel, increasing the oxygen level to 9% and his TR to 37, then spends 3M€ to increase his TR to 38.

COLONY spends 8M€ to fund the Banker Award, then spends 1 titanium to add a resource to the Security Fleet.

GEGS spends 8 plants to place a greenery tile at F4, gaining 1 plant and 2M€ and raising the oxygen level to 10% and his TR to 34, then spends 3 titanium and 2M€ to play Solar Wind Power, gaining 2 titanium and 1 energy production.

Noah & Sons spends 2 steel to play an Industrial Center at B4, gaining 1 plant.

PIKES spends 23M€ for a greenery tile at A5, gaining 2 plants, increasing the oxygen level to 11% and his TR to 33, then he spends 12M€ for an Ecological Zone at E4, gaining 4M€, 2 plants, and 2 animal resources on the card.

CJVH spends 23M€ for a greenery tile at G4, gaining 1 plant 2M€ and increasing the oxygen level to 12% and his TR to 39, then he adds an animal resource to Fish.

COLONY spends 14M€ for Predators, gaining 1M€ production, then spends 9M€ to trade with Miranda, gaining 3 animals which are placed on Predators.

GEGS spends 10M€ for Atalanta Planitia Lab, gaining 2 cards, then spends 2 energy to trade with Luna, gaining 12M€. PIKES and CJVH each gain 2M€.

Noah & Sons spends 4 energy to use Ironworks, gaining 1 steel and increasing the oxygen level to 13% and his TR to 21.

PIKES spends 3 steel on Greenhouses, gaining 4 plants and an animal resource on Ecological Zone, then spends 8 plants for a greenery tile at B3, increasing the oxygen level to 14% and his TR to 34. All Mars global parameters are at maximum, so this will be the final turn.

CJVH spends 23M€ for a greenery tile at I5, gaining 2 plants.

COLONY spends a resource from Local Shading to gain 1M€ production.

GEGS spends 1M€ for a Virus, removing 2 animals from Predators.

Noah & Sons spends 3 steel and 6M€ for Martian Zoo, gaining 1 resource on his corporation.

PIKES adds a resource to Small Animals and spends 8M€ for Luxury Foods.

CJVH sells 4 cards for 4M€.

COLONY adds a resource to Tardigrades.

GEGS spends 2 titanium and 10M€ for a Spin-Inducing Asteroid, increasing Venus terraforming to 6% and his TR to 36.

Noah & Sons sells 8 cards for 8M€ then spends 14M€ to fund the Scientist Award.

PIKES sells 1 card for 1M€.

CJVH passes.

COLONY sells 1 card for 1M€.

GEGS sells 1 card for 1M€.

Noah & Sons uses Power Infrastructure to convert 7 energy to 7M€, then spends 1M€ production to add a resource to Refugee Settlements.

PIKES sells 1 card for 1M€.

COLONY uses Extreme Cold Fungus to add 2 resources to Tardigrades.

GEGS spends 11M€ for Breathing Filters.

Noah & Sons spends 2M€ to use Restricted Area to buy a card.

PIKES passes.

COLONY sells 1 card for 1M€.

GEGS spends 8M€ for Media Archives, gaining 15M€.

Noah & Sons sells 2 cards for 2M€.

COLONY spends 1 titanium and 10M€ for a Galilean Way Station, gaining 3M€ production.

GEGS spends 15M€ for Dawn City, gaining 1 titanium production and losing 1 energy production and further gains 2M€ from Rover Construction. PIKES gains a resource on Pets.

Noah & Sons passes.

COLONY play Insulation for free, losing 1 heat production and gaining 1M€ production.

GEGS sells 1 card for 1M€.

COLONY sells 1 card for 1M€.

GEGS passes.

COLONY uses Predators to remove a resource from Fish and add it to Predators.

COLONY passes.

Production Phase

CJVH gains 46M€, 4 energy, and 1 heat.

COLONY moves 1 energy to heat, gains 47M€, 1 steel, 2 titanium, 2 plants, and 1 energy.

GEGS gains 42M€, 1 steel, 4 titanium, 1 plant, 2 energy, and 1 heat.

Noah & Sons gains 21M€, 1 plant, 11 energy, and 1 heat.

PIKES gains 49M€, 3 steel, 1 titanium, 1 plant, and 9 heat.

Solar Phase

The Global Parameters of Mars are all at maximum, indicating that the game is over. No players have enough plants to place a greenery tile.

Victory Points

Awards

Scientist: Science tags. GEGS and Noah & Sons have 5, COLONY has 1, PIKES and CJVH have 0. GEGS and Noah & Sons each gain 5.

Banker: Megacredit production. COLONY has 18, PIKES has 15, CJVH has 7, GEGS has 6, and Noah & Sons has 0. COLONY gains 5, PIKES gains 2.

Milestones

Terraformer goes to CJVH. Gardener goes to GEGS. Builder goes to PIKES.

GEGS wins. Congratulations to Chris Geggus on his victory!

End of Game Statements

Chris Geggus (GEGS): A strange game indeed. We don't appear to have done much for the brave inhabitants of the newly colonised Mars. However, we had fun trading and playing at odd activities and, I guess, just forgot to plant and breed in enough numbers to help the planet develop. Sorry New Martians - we promise to do more for you next time we come a'visiting.

Thanks to Chris and well done to all for battling through. I can't say I had any operating plan or tactics. I just reacted to what I got, counted ongoing costs and blabbed too loudly about my livestock which I think encouraged Dave to keep his predators on a leash at game end pending the arrival of my Texas Longhorns. However, since we seemed to play so few events, I fell short of even being able to play Livestock. As I said, a strange game indeed and very different from the norm.

Kevin Wilson (PIKES): Well, I had hoped the lead I estimated as we began generation 7 might hold but alas, it did not. As I said earlier, once it seemed clear the gen 7 would very likely be it, I had to look at what my options were. If we delayed into gen 8 perhaps other options would come via cards but I just didn’t think that was the case so I grabbed a couple of the last 4 TR in the generation. By my math I had or could get to a 7 VP lead but that would require holding the lead in the banker award, which I felt was at risk, and I’d need some helpful lack of cards elsewhere. Neither need came about. The banker award was lost and Chris G had the cards.

Earlier I thought the Security Fleet and Tardigrades on which Dave was piling resources would make him the one to watch.

I was trying to see if I could accomplish what I wanted and fund another award. But the Thermalist and Miner awards I wasn’t sure I could hold and the Landlord and Miner would have helped my nearest competitor. I guess too many options kept me hoping until I didn’t have the cash to act. But, even net 3 for Miner wouldn’t have changed things.

I don’t have enough games under my belt to truly have an opinion but 7 generations does seem quick. Mainly, I assume, to most of us focusing on trading with the OPA (Expanse reference there) instead of focusing on Venus. And, as Chris pointed out, this also led to the actual surface of Mars being less green than the preceding games. Oceans went fast! That combo Christopher had really filled the seas quickly. I had a decent card but I think only picked up 1 TR rating from as others grabbed the rest too fast.

Congrats to Chris G on the win. Thanks to Chris H for hosting and running the game, for answering all my questions, for his impeccable bookkeeping and for giving us a sandbox to mess around in.

I still haven’t tried the online game, solo or otherwise. But I plan to. I’d love to hear if anyone is playing there and their thoughts.

I’m looking forward to Turmoil coming out but I guess that’s still a way off.

Finally, if you get to play much face-to-face have you found yourself tempted to buy/try some of the 3D printed items that are all over BGG right now? I’m not sure I’d be that interested. I did pick up the nice tokens for the O2 and temp tracks and the turn counter but that was just for fun.

On to Jindo!

Dave Hooton (COLONY): Congratulations on Chris G. on the win and thanks to Chris H. for running it.

I was plagued in the game by a lack of synergy. Also, every time I tried to crawl out of fourth place, someone would knock me right back. I lost at least 4 VPs directly from those cards and likely a couple of more indirectly. My position would have been even worse if my high-risk funding of Banker had not worked out.

Christopher Hunt (CJVH): Thanks to Chris H for running the game so well taking care of our, well at least, my inaccuracies

Congratulations to Chris G.

Very enjoyable.

Brendan Whyte (Noah & Sons): Stonecold motherless last. But not unexpected.

I had no idea what I was doing (did it show?). Having played one base-rules 2player game ftf in October, I was interested to see how more players would affect the game. But all the expansions were completely new to me, and without knowing the rules for any of them, I was unable to use them.

Even with 5 players, less than half the map got terraformed (about the same as my 2player game). I’m glad to hear this was an unusual 5 player game, but overall it doesn’t grab me. But it was useful to (attempt to) play, so thanks for having me!

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