Galaxy is a turn based strategy game played through email and stored in documents on your hard drive. Galaxy II is a major improvement on Galaxy with new mechanics, more interesting game play and an overhauled combat system.
General:
Playing Galaxy is a significant commitment. You won’t do very well if you miss your turn every other day. If you are unwilling or unable to keep up with your turns please do not join the game. Because Galaxy works best with a certain number of players, please no not invite anyone else to join the game without asking me first. The nature of Galaxy makes it rely on a complete honor system. Anyone caught cheating will be thrown out (but I don’t see this being a problem with you guys). If you want to join the game, send me an email with your faction, starting planet and army and fleet names.
Storing Information:
You must create a file to store information for each of the following…
A place to keep track of how much of each resource you have
Each planet -- you need to keep track of its name, population, type, unique resource and improvements
Each army -- you need to keep track of its name, number of battalions, upgrades, experience level, location and homeworld
Each fleet -- you need to keep track of its name, number of battalions, upgrades, experience level, location and homeworld
A list of researched technologies
A list of claimed but uncolonized planets and their stats
A list of unique resources
While not necessary, I would suggest keeping a list of buildings that can perform expansion operations on a separate list to avoid confusion.
Getting Started:
Your empire starts with 5 of each resource (Food, Energy, Minerals and Science), one 10 population fertile planet, with no unique resource, with a barracks, starbase, capitol, observatory and colony center already built on it. You also get an army and a fleet (experience level green) stationed on your planet with 10 battalions. The army starts with a class A1 and B1 upgrade and the fleet starts with a class C1 and D1 upgrade.
Taking Your Turn:
In galaxy players take one turn every day by collecting resources and upgrading planets, armies, fleets and sometimes engaging in diplomacy and war. A day is defined as when you get up to when you go to bed (no 1:00am turns). People who take their turns early have a slight advantage. It should take between 10 and 15 minutes per day to take your turn. If you miss a turn, you may still collect resources and conduct exploration and growth operations for your missed turn(s). Turns consist of four phases…
1 -- Check and respond to messages
2 -- Collect resources/Build improvements
3 -- Expansion operations
4 -- Military operations
The phases must take place in this order. Diplomacy and talk between players is allowed at any time. Minerals, food, energy, unique resources, uninhabited planets and researched technologies may be traded between players as part of diplomacy. Detailed descriptions of each phase are below…
Check and Respond to Messages:
During this phase, check your email for messages from other players. If you need to respond do so. Also, reply to declared battles and conduct them during this phase.
Collect Resources:
A planet can collect one normal resource (Food, Minerals and Energy) for each population on the planet, minus one for each improvement on the planet. Most planets can only collect certain types of resources. Different resources are used for different things…
Food -- used to increase planet’s population
Minerals -- used to build battalions
Energy -- used to buy upgrades for your military
Science -- cannot be collected on planets, used for researching technologies
Unique Resources:
Unique resources are required for almost all military upgrades. You control a unique resource when you colonize a planet. Every unique resource you control decreases the cost of research by one. Unique resources may be traded among players freely. When a unique resource is traded, the other player gains the ability to use it (including its generic -1 to research costs) but does not actually own it. The player who traded it then looses the ability to use it (including its generic -1 to research costs). Either player may call off the trade at any time.
Build Improvements:
The words improvement and building are used interchangeably throughout the rules. They mean the same thing. Instead of collecting resources from a planet, you may instead build one planetary improvement. Multiples of the same improvements may be built on planets. Planetary improvements provide powerful abilities and bonuses. You may only build as many planetary improvements as a planet has population. For each planetary improvement on a planet, the number of resources that planet may produce is reduced by one. If the planet’s population decreases below the number of buildings, some must be destroyed to maintain a balance. The owner of the planet chooses which ones. You may remove improvements from your planets at any time for free. A list of improvements is below…
Barracks -- creates and supports army
Starbase -- creates and supports fleet
Factory -- allows production of minerals on a planet where it would not be allowed
Reactor -- allows production of energy on a planet where it would not be allowed
Biosphere -- allows production of food on a planet where it would not be allowed
Capital -- required to change governments
Colony center -- supports colonization
Black Ops -- supports recon
Observatory -- supports exploration
Laboratory -- may research one upgrade per turn
Shield battery -- prevents population loss during a blockade, but not the other effects
Planetary fortress -- +3 bonus to your armies on that planet
Planetary guns -- +3 bonus to your fleets above that planet
Expansion Operations:
Expansion operations are things that expand and reinforce your faction. They may take place in any order. The different types are below…
Exploration:
Exploration discovers new planets to settle and provides science through new discoveries. You may explore once for each observatory you have. When you explore roll 2 d6. The results are as follows…
2 -- Black Hole: 15 science
3 -- Nebula: 11 science
4 -- Asteroid: 8 science
5 -- Gas Giant: 6 science
6 -- Star: 5 science
7 -- Void: no effect
8 -- Desert World: cannot collect anything
9 -- Ice World: can only collect energy
10 -- Ash World: can only collect minerals
11 -- Jungle World: can only collect food
12 -- Fertile World: can collect any normal resource
If on a Friday more planets than 10 times the number of players are discovered no more may be found. If this happens, consider numbers 8 through 12 void as well. If a planet is discovered, name it and add it to your file of uninhabited planets. Then roll 2 d6 for its unique resource. The results are below…
2 -- Anti-matter
3 -- Plutonium
4 -- Crystals
5 -- Plasma
6 -- Gold
7 -- None
8 -- Titanium
9 -- Diamonds
10 -- Uranium
11 -- Mercury
12 -- Omega
After you have rolled for unique resource add the resource to the planets file.
Colonization:
Colonization expands your empire and gives you access to new unique resources. Each colony center you have may colonize one planet per turn. Choose one uncolonized planet that you control and add it to your file. Then you may move population onto that planet at a cost of one energy per point of population. Population may be moved between planets at any time for one energy per population.
Recon:
Recon gives you valuable information on you enemies. Each black ops you have may recon either: one planet, one army, one fleet or one player. Send an email to the person you are reconning and specify what you are reconning. That player must send you all the information he has on it to you. If you recon a planet you see what armies and fleets are on that planet with their experience levels but do not see what those armies or fleets contain. If you recon a player he must send you the names of all his planets, armies and fleets with experience levels and his government type.
Growth:
Growth makes your planets larger, more productive and allows greater numbers of improvements to be built. It costs 3 food to increase a planets population by one. Make the changes to your file accordingly. This may only be done once to each planet you control per turn.
Research: Research provides access to new upgrades for you military. Each laboratory may research one upgrade per turn as long as the prerequisites are researched. B2 must be researched before the B3 and so on. Each research costs science. Every unique resource you control decreases the cost of research by one. Add each researched technology to your file accordingly. The research costs are listed in the army and fleet stat tables on pages 6 and 7.
Governments:
Governments give major bonuses to your faction. Each faction may only have one government at a time. When you start the game your government is planetary counsel. Governments may be changed at a cost one energy per planet you control. A list of governments is below…
Planetary Counsel -- Pros: none. Cons: none.
Democracy -- Pros: does not require unique resources for anything. Cons: whenever you conduct a military or expansion operation roll one d6. On a 6 your people don’t want to do that now and you lose your turn for that army, fleet or building. Growth is not effected.
Hive Mind -- Pros: Each of your armies or fleets may do one of each type of military operation per turn. Cons: cannot trade unique resources, planets or technology.
Bureaucracy -- Pros: Two expansion operations may be done at the same building each turn. Cons: all expansion operations other than growth cost one energy.
Warrior State -- Pros: All armies and fleets get a +3 combat bonus. Cons: reactor, factory and biosphere cost three minerals.
Utopia -- Pros: Building improvements doesn’t stop you from collecting resources. Cons: all armies and fleets have a -3 combat bonus.
Military Operations:
There are two types of military forces: armies and fleets. They are similar in most ways but not all. Armies may not fight fleets and vice versa. Multiple fleets and armies may be stationed on the same planet. You may not merge or transfer things between armies or fleets.
Armies:
Armies are used to capture and defend planets. An army is created when a barracks is built. The planet the barracks is on becomes the army’s homeworld. That barracks supports the army for the rest of the game. If an army’s barracks is destroyed then the army makes whatever planet it’s on unable to produce resources. A new barracks for the army may be built at any time. You may remove an army without a barracks from the game at any time. Defending armies gets a +1 bonus for each population on the planet they are defending. Armies start with one free battalion and a free class A1 and B1 upgrade. Armies may do one of the following each turn…
Add Battalions -- armies may add battalions to their army at a cost of 1 mineral per battalion. If new battalions are added to an army that army's experience level then becomes green
Add Upgrades -- pay the upgrade cost to add one previously researched upgrade to your army. Add it to the army’s file accordingly. An army can have an infinite number class B upgrades added but may only use one per column in battle. Class A upgrades replace the previous one when added. The previous class A upgrade must be added before the next one can be. A2 must be added before A3 and so on.
Move -- move the army to another one of your planets or fleets and change its file accordingly
Attack -- when an army is stationed on a fleet that is above an enemy planet and no enemy fleets are above the planet it may attack that planet. To battle send an attack notice to the defending player with your army’s formation attached (see battles). If multiple defending armies exist, the defender chooses which one fights. Only one army may attack a planet per turn.
A table of army bonuses is below…
S=Science E=Energy A=Attack D=Defense
| Class | Name | Bonus (A/D) | Upgrade Cost/ Requires | Research Cost | Special |
Transports | |||||
A1 | Transports | 0/0 | Free | Free | Army has 1 column |
A2 | Dropships | 0/0 | 5E | 5S | Army has 2 columns |
A3 | Landing Craft | 0/0 | 8E | 10S | Army has 3 columns |
A4 | Shuttles | 0/0 | 11E | 15S | Army has 4 columns |
A5 | Teleporters | 0/0 | 15E | 20S | Army has 5 columns |
Support | |||||
B1 | Medics | 0/0 | Free | Free | Column takes 3 less casualties regardless of victor |
B2 | Fighters | 2/2 | 1E Titanium | 5S | Negates bombers bonus |
B3 | Bombers | 4/1 | 2E Gold | 6S | Cancels walkers special |
B4 | Tanks | 4/4 | 3E Diamonds | 8S | Enemy column looses 3 battalions before battle |
B5 | Walkers | 5/3 | 4E Plasma | 11S | Enemy column takes 6 extra casualties regardless of victor |
B6 | Drones | 6/6 | 5E | 15S | Cancels artillery special |
B7 | 7/8 | 6E Uranium | 20S | Cancels hellfire special | |
B8 | Guardians | 2/10 | 7E Mercury | 26S | Negates flank bonus |
B9 | Artillery | 4/3 | 8E Plutonium | 33S | Entire army gets +2/2 bonus |
B10 | Jotuns | 10/10 | 9E Anti-matter | 41S | Cancels enemy column support special |
B11 | Hellfire | 12/5 | 10E Omega | 50S | Negates enemy column support bonus |
Fleets:
Fleets are used to blockade enemy planets, transport armies and battle enemy fleets. A fleet is created when a starbase is built. The planet the starbase is on becomes the fleet’s homeworld. That starbase supports the fleet for the rest of the game. If a fleet’s starbase is destroyed then the fleet makes whatever planet it’s on unable to produce resources. A new starbase for the fleet may be built at any time. You may remove a fleet without a starbase from the game at any time. Only one army can be carried per fleet. Fleets start with one free battalion and one free class C1 and D1 upgrade. Fleets may do one of the following each turn…
Add Squadrons -- Squadrons are the basic battalions of fleets. They work exactly the same way as battalions. Fleets may add squadrons to their fleet at a cost of 1 mineral per squadron. If new squadrons are added to a fleet that fleet’s experience level then becomes green
Add Upgrades -- pay the upgrade cost to add one previously researched upgrade to your fleet. Each upgrade has a combat bonus that is added to the columns combat strength and a special ability. Add it to the fleet’s file accordingly. A fleet can have an infinite number class D upgrades added but may only use one per column in battle. Class C upgrades replace the previous one when added. The previous class C upgrades must be added before the next one can be. C2 must be added before C3 and so
Move -- move the fleet to another one of your planets and change its file accordingly
Attack -- move the fleet onto an enemy planet and send an attack notice to the owner of that planet with your army's formation attached. The owner then may either move all his fleet(s) to another planet or battle your fleet with one of his fleets on that planet (see battles). If he does not choose to battle your fleet, he must notify the attacking player and must delete your fleet’s formation file immediately without looking at it. A fleet may also attack a fleet that is blockading a planet. That fleet is considered the attacker.
Blockade -- a fleet may blockade a planet if there are no enemy fleets above it (see blockades).
A table of fleet bonuses is below…
S=Science E=Energy A=Attack D=Defense
Class | Name | Bonus (A/D) | Upgrade Cost/ Requires | Research Cost | Special |
Drive | |||||
C1 | Hyper drive | 0/0 | Free | Free | Fleet has 1 column |
C2 | Warp drive | 0/0 | 5E | 5S | Fleet has 2 columns |
C3 | Flash drive | 0/0 | 8E | 10S | Fleet has 3 columns |
C4 | Cyclone drive | 0/0 | 11E | 15S | Fleet has 4 columns |
C5 | Dimensional drive | 0/0 | 15E | 20S | Fleet has 5 columns |
Ships | |||||
D1 | Frigate | 0/0 | Free | Free | Enemy column takes 3 extra casualties in victory |
D2 | Assault Ship | 3/1 | 1E Titanium | 5S | Cancels Cloak Ship special |
D3 | Missile Frigate | 1/4 | 2E Gold | 6S | Enemy column takes 3 casualties before battle |
D4 | Cruiser | 5/3 | 3E Diamonds | 8S | Column takes 6 less causalities |
D5 | Cloak Ship | 1/5 | 4E Plasma | 11S | Cancels flank bonus |
D6 | Destroyer | 7/6 | 5E | 15S | Destroys enemy column's class D upgrade if fleet is victorious |
D7 | Command Ship | 2/2 | 6E Uranium | 20S | +2/2 bonus to entire fleet |
D8 | Carrier | 9/9 | 7E Mercury | 26S | Entire enemy fleet takes 3 extra casualties |
D9 | Battlecruiser | 5/12 | 8E Plutonium | 33S | Cancels Command Ship special |
D10 | Dreadnought | 12/12 | 9E Anti-matter | 41S | Cancels Mauler special |
D11 | Mauler | 15/0 | 10E Omega | 50S | Enemy column takes 10 extra casualties regardless of victor |
Blockades:
When a fleet is above an enemy planet with no defending fleets above it and that fleet has equal or more battalions then the population of the planet, that planet may be blockaded. Notify the player that their planet is blockaded. Blockaded planets may not produce resources, build or use improvements or move armies or population onto or off of that planet. The planet also looses 1 population per turn. You may not grow the population on blockaded planets. If a planet goes below 0 population, it is rendered uninhabitable and is removed from the game, erase it from all files and notify the player blockading it. Any armies on that planet are completely destroyed.
Experience:
Whenever an army or fleet wins a battle, it goes up an experience level. Each experience level gives that army or fleet a combat bonus. Keep track of these in your armies and fleets files. Armies and fleets start at level green. The levels are…
1 -- Green: no bonus
2 -- Veteran: +2 bonus
3 -- Elite: +4 bonus
4 -- Legendary +6 bonus
If new battalions are added to this army or fleet then its experience level begins at green again.
Battles:
To start a battle, send a file with your army’s or fleet’s battle plan to the player your are attacking. The defender then sends a file with his army’s or fleet’s battle plan back to you before looking at yours. If multiple armies or fleets are on the same planet, the defender chooses which one fights. Both players then work the battle and send their results to each other. If the results aren’t the same both players rework the battles to make sure that there weren’t any mistakes.
Making a Battle Plan:
Both players divide their battalions into a certain number of columns. At least one battalion must be placed in each column. The number of columns is determined by what class A or C bonus your army or fleet has. The battalions may be dived any they the players wish. Both players may then put one class B or D bonus that is in your army or fleet has in each column. Columns are arranged on the battlefield like this...
5 3 1 2 4
Column 1 must be filled first, column 2 second and so on. The battle between columns takes place in the opposite order then they where filled (5, 4, 3 etc.). When you win a column, the columns next to it that haven’t fought get a +5 flank bonus to their combat total this battle. Flank bonuses do stack. For example, if you win column 5 and column 3 then you would get a + 10 bonus to column 1.
Working a Battle:
Work each column separately. Each of your columns faces the enemy’s column of the same number. If your opponent has no troops in that column, a battle does not take place but you still get the flanking bonus. Determine the total combat strength of both columns by adding the number battalions with any bonuses from population, flanks, upgrades, and buildings. Whichever column has a higher combat strength wins. In case of a tie the defender wins. Both players then take casualties in that column. The winner’s casualties are half of their battalions (round down) minus the difference between the column’s combat strengths. The loser’s casualties are half of their battalions (round down) plus the difference between combat strengths. After this is done add or subtract any casualty specials from the players’ totals. If either side’s casualties meet or exceed the number of battalions in that column, that column is completely destroyed, losing all its battalions as well as any upgrades it was using. The fewest casualties a column can take is 0. Repeat this for all the columns. The winner of the battle is the player who wins the most number of columns. A column does not count as a win if your opponent didn’t have troops in that column but you still get the +5 flanking bonus to the adjacent columns. In case of a tie the defender is the winner. When a player is defeated, the army or fleet must be immediately stationed on another planet (this happens even under blockade). If an attacking army is defeated, the army is stationed back on the fleet that it attacked from. If all of the columns in an army or fleet are completely destroyed, all its bonuses are lost, and a new army or fleet then is immediately created on any planet you control that is not blockaded. The new army or fleet uses the same barracks or starbase as the one that was destroyed. If a fleet is destroyed, any army on that fleet is also destroyed.
Sample Battle:
Player 1 is attacking Player 2. He sends player 2 an e-mail notifying him of this fact, with his army’s info attached. Without looking at the attacking army, Player 2 sends player 1 an acknowledgment, with his army attached. They then work the battle…
Player 1’s army:
Green, 30 battalions, landing craft (A3), medics (B1), and tanks (B4). Column 1: 15 battalions & medics Column 2: 8 battalions & tanks Column 3: 7 battalions
Player 2’s army:
Green, 35 battalions, dropships (A2), medics (B1), and bombers (B3) and is defending a 0 population planet (no bonus from population) Column 1: 25 battalions, medics Column 2: 10 battalions, bombers
Resolving Battle:
Column 3:
Uncontested, P1 gets +5 flanking bonus to column 1
Column 2:
P1’s tanks kill 3 of P2’s battalions
P1 combat strength is 12: 8 battalions +4 attack bonus for tanks
P2 combat strength is 8: 7 battalions +1 defense bonus for bombers
P1 wins, gets +5 flanking bonus to column 1
P1 casualties: 4 -4 = 0
P2 casualties: 3 +4 = 7 column is destroyed and bombers are destroyed
Column 1:
P1 combat strength: 15 battalions +5 flanking, +5 flanking = 25 (no bonus for medics)
P2 combat strength: 25 battalions = 25 (no bonus for medics)
P2 wins (defender’s advantage)
P1 casualties: 7 + 0 = 12, -3 from medics = 4
P2 casualties: 12 – 0 = 12, -3 from medics = 9
P2 wins 1 column, P1 wins 1 column, so P1 is repulsed, goes back to home planet.
Player 1’s army is now:
Green, 26 battalions, landing craft (A3), medics (B1), and tanks (B4).
Player 2’s army is now:
Veteran, 19 battalions, landing craft (A3), medics (B1).
Status Reports:
Every Friday you need to send me a status report that contains; the names of all your colonized planets, the number of uncolonized planets you have found, the names of your armies and fleets (with their experience levels) and your current government type. These files must be sent to me every Friday after your turn. You may not take another turn until your status report is in. They will be posted at http://galaxy2game.blogspot.com where we will all have access to them.
Taking a Planet:
A planet is taken when all defending armies are defeated. The owner of that planet must send you its file. That planet is now yours. Both players must then change their files accordingly. Any barracks, starbases or capitols on the planet are destroyed.
Resigning from the Game:
A player may resign from the game at any time. When a player resigns all of his planets, armies and fleets are immediately removed from the game. The total number of planets allowed then goes down by 10.
Victory:
You win galaxy when all other players resign or you have control of more than two thirds of all colonized planets.
Credits:
Design -- Jordy Shute
Design Help -- Dominic Blanchard, Michael Swift and Noah Shute
Beta Test -- Dominic Blanchard, Michael Swift, Noah Shute and Jordy Shute
Based on Galaxy by Dominic Blanchard
If you have questions, comments, or want to join the game, please email me at shutebros@npgcable.com
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