Leaving Earth 6, Outer Planets 1

Tags

• leaving-earth
• space
• outer-planets

It's been nine months since I've had this game out of the box, just had a hankering to do a solo play while I deal with some boring chores and computer set up for work. This is also the first time I've set up the Outer Planets expansion so it will be interesting.

Initial missions:

1. Easy: Man in Orbit 4
2. Easy: Lunar Survey 4
3. Easy: Artificial Satellite 2
4. Medium: Working Probe/Capsule on Mars 7
5. Non-Explorable: Grand Tour 10
6. Non-Explorable: Uranus Survey 9
7. Non-Explorable: Titan Survey 6
8. Non-Explorable: Neptune Survey 10

As I set this up, I don't really get how the missions for Outer Planets work, but I figure I'll understand it once I play through. Not intending on finishing today I don't think. Mostly want to really dig into the rules and mission planning.

1956

Going for the Artificial Satellite mission first, just to get into the swing of the game again. The difficulty is 8, which is a lot. From the reference card, the Soyuz can do this in a single shot. That's an expensive proposition though. Let's buy some stuff:

That was an easy year!

Maybe I'll take out the garbage next, then proceed to 1957.

1957

I can't do a lot with $25 on one turn, but I can definitely fire the Soyuz and take an Outcome off of it: Success.

Score: 2.

Should I spend $10 to remove the Success, or use that $10 to advance technology? That would depend on the next mission, which will be Man in Orbit. For this I'll need a capsule and a Reentry Advancement. It will require 2 Soyuz rockets to boost the capsule into orbit.

Reading the rules for Reentry finds that these are going to need to be tested with capsules, which is 2 Soyuz each because they have to come in from Earth Orbit (instead of say, Suborbital). Reentry from the Leaving Earth designer:

You only draw from Re-entry when a capsule with a heat shield performs a maneuver with the atmospheric entry hazard (shown with a cloud symbol).

Canonical answer, awesome.

So basically it's risk assessemnt now.

At a minimum, Reentry for $10, 2 Soyuz at $16, 1 Vostok at $2, and one astronaut costing $5 gets me the mission. I already have the astronaut. Since the remaining totals $28, I can't do it this turn in any case. I'm going to buy off the Success:

Not much of a turn, really.

1958

While I'm at it, it would be smart to set up for the Lunar Survey mission, which can be completed by putting a Probe into Lunar Fly By. The difficulty from Earth Orbit to Lunar Fly By is 1, which means a Juno can handle it. I'll need to purchase a Survey Advancement.

This turn: 3x Soyuz and 1 Supply.

1959

Test fire another Soyuz: Success. Buy it off for $10.

Purchase a Juno Advancement for $10, 3x Juno and 1 Probe.

Another short turn.

1960

Purchase Surveying Advancement for $10.

Now I'm going to do something a bit different, by test firing a bunch of cheap Juno rockets to see if I turn up a Failure which I can buy off. I won't buy off any successes.

Since I own 3 Junos already, test, all are success.

Purchase 2 more, test, both successes.

Now test the remaining Soyuz: Success. I have $13 left, let's do the Lunar Fly By:

1. Purchase another Juno and another Soyuz.
2. Launch to Earth Orbit, automatic success.
3. Manuever to Lunar Fly By, fire Juno: Success.
4. Survey: Major Failure and I only have $4 left. Bummer. I need to check the rules to see whether the last card is removed if it's a failure, or whether I'll have to run another mission (fail another mission) to get it removed.

I think I'll purchase a Vostok and 2 Junos with the $4 remaining.

1961

First, survey Suborbital from Earth Orbit, I have a Probe there. That fails, I lose the Probe, but now I have Survey Advancement.

Now purchase 2x Soyuz for $16 and refly the Lunar Fly By. Hopefully there won't be a lurking failure on the Juno, but I have $$$ if there is. Lunar Survey indicates Vast Clouds of Dust, which would destroy a lander. Good thing I'm not going to land.

Score: 6.

I have $4 remaining, purchase 2 Vostoks.

1962

It's getting late-ish in the day, 4:45, and I'm running out of steam. Still need to get more software running on work laptop, it's all about ssh keys next. Boring. What will 1962 bring us?

Definitely purchasing Ion Thruster Advancement for $10.

Also picked up an Ion Thruster and a Galileo Probe.

Short turn this 1962.

1963

Two things I don't really understand about Ion Thrusters yet:

1. Exactly how testing is performed, and
2. how payloads are handled.

For Ion Thruster testing, apparently it is conducted "per manuever." So a manuever to Mars Orbit would require 1 test, then a manuever back to Earth Orbit would require another test.

Here is a great explanation for handling Ion Thruster payloads.

Purchase 1 Soyuz to test Ion Thruster on a moon run. It has a Minor Failure. I think this means that it stays in Earth Orbit and I can repair it next year.

Buying another Soyuz, $4 left over, will buy Junos.

1964

Purchase Ion Thruster, boost with Soyuz, test: Success and pay that one off.

Have $5 remaining, purchase Jim Lovell for Life Support and Repair.

1965

Fire Ion Thruster to test back to Earth Orbit: Minor Failure and pay $5 to remove the Outcome. This Ion Thruster is stuck in Lunar Orbit however. Bummer.

I'm now wishing I had just gone straight to Saturn, as Soyuz leaves me with odd numbers of cash at the end of the turn.

Bought a couple of Probes to finish the cash.

1966

Test Reentry, Success.

This is dumb, I could have been testing Landing from Suborbital using Junos.

1. Success.
2. Success.
3. Success.
4. Minor Failure, pay it off.
5. Success and Landings are good.

Now I can land my Ion Thruster for a free repair on Earth. This is definitely a trick to the game.

Here's another look at bringing down spacecraft from orbit.

1967

Purchase 2 Soyuz and an Eagle Capsule, launch for Mars Orbit with Ion Thruster.

Purchase another Soyuz and a Juno.

1968

Remove 1 time token from Mars Orbit.

Purchase Soyuz and get Galileo Probe into Earth Orbit, need to get this kicked off for Grand Tour. Purchase Eagle Capsule and Ion Thruster.

1969

Remove 2d Time Token from Mars Orbit.

Purchase Soyuz and Rendezvous for $18. Launch Soyuz with Ion Thruster and rendezvous with Galileo Capsule in Earth Orbit. Rendezvous is success, so the spacecraft is ready to travel now.

Purchase another Galileo for $5, 2 more Junos.

1970

Remove 3rd Time Token from Mars Orbit.

Land Eagle Capsule separation from Ion Thruster in Mars Orbit, Success, lands on Mars, finds Sample Return is worth $50.

Score: 13.

Purchase Soyuz, build with Eagle Capsule, Man to Earth Orbit and Back.

Score: 17.

At this point, getting the Grand Tour Launched probably wins it for me. I better read up on what it takes to complete the Grand Tour.

Put the Ion Thruster in Mars Orbit back into motion, manuever to Earth Orbit.

Purchase 2 Soyuz and 1 Explorer.

1971

Remove Time Token from Earth Orbit spacecraft.

Two things I want to do this turn:

1. Plan a Mars Sample Return.
2. Plan a Titan Exploration.

Mars Sample Return

The table looks nasty when rendered, but it's fine here:

To get the samples back, I'm going to need to purchase an Atlas Advancement and get those Atlas rockets tested.

Purchase Atlas Advancement for $10, Atlas for $5, test: Success and pay that one off.

Titan Exploration

I have to punt on this, I want to finish out the game, but just don't have the cycles to add this in as well.

1972

Remove 2nd Time Token from Ion Thruster returning from Mars Orbit.

Purchase Atlas, test: Major Failure, pay this off.

Purchase Atlas, test: Minor Failure, pay this off.

Launch Grand Tour Ion Thruster with Galileo into Venus Fly By.

Wait, this won't work, there is no manuever from Earth Orbit to Venus Fly By, it has to manuever to Inner Planets Transfer the first year, then VFB the second year. This is a bummer, as I should otherwise have the tech to make this happen. Perhaps all is not lost…what if I launched a Soyuz carrying a Soyuz, an Atlas, and a Juno. It's doable.

Will need to purchase an Atlas. Fingers crossed on Rendezvous… Success (I'd have put up the game if this was a major failure). Now fire the Atlas to get to IPT next year. This just works: Galileo, 2 Junos and Ion Thruster are mass 5, Atlas is mass 4, difficulty is 3, total is 27 which is exactly what thrust is provided by the Atlas. We'll be in IPT next year.

1973

Remove Time Token from returning Mars Ion Thruster.

Remove Time Token from IPT craft and Manuever to VFB. We have payload mass 2, rocket masses 1, difficulty 2, Thrust is 8 from Junos + 5 from Ion for 13 thrust, need 6. So only needed 1 Juno. Fire the Junos, first: Success, second Success.

Atlas is repaired.

Purchase 3 Soyuz and 1 Juno.

1974

Remove Time Token from VFB, manuever to Jupiter Fly By.

I think I've messed up again: I need to get into orbit to be able to survey and reveal a location. I don't think it can be done from a Fly By. This means no way to get a Grand Tour this late in the game. Bummer. I'll go on to attempt to reveal the Titan Location.

Purchase 3 Soyuz and 1 Juno.

1975

Remove Time Token from Galileo in Jupiter Fly By. Purchase Aerobrake. Sadly, I do not believe I can Aerobrake into Jupiter Orbit with Ion Thruster, there is no parenthentized hourglass on that manuever. I'll have to continue on to Saturn.

Purchase another Ion Thruster and an Eagle Capsule, blast off for Orbit. I'm going to clear Rendezvous next turn.

Manuever to Saturn Fly By.

1976

Remove Time Token from Saturn Fly By.

Fully test Rendezvous: Success, Success and Success.

Rendezvous the Ion Thrusters and head to Mars Orbit.

Bah. Cannot even attempt to get into orbit with a single Ion Thruster, will need 2 at a minimum.

Calling the game here. The Mars Sample Return is in the bag, no need to worry about it.

AAR

Mostly, some questions:

1. I made an assumption that Sample Return requires a lander. The rules say it can be done with a Probe (page 31). On page 12, "Samples can be collected from the surface of any solid body — that is, a planet, a moon, or an asteroid." This implies using a Probe for Reentry to get to the surface, except that having a rocket to return to orbit implies Landing.

   The question here: Does the probe or capsule need to be returned to Earth along with the sample? I would say it does.

2. The rules consistently state that surveying can be done from Orbit, but I do not see anywhere that surveying can be done from Fly By locations. This is well and good for everything but Uranus and Neptune, which do not have Orbit locations, implying that having a Probe in Fly By is sufficient to Reveal Location.

   The main question: can a single Probe can make the Grand Tour by revealing locations at each Fly By location they occupy?

Probably more questions, but I'm running out of steam and have a very full week ahead of me.

Tags

• leaving-earth
• space
• outer-planets