HF4A 25 - My First Claim (10)

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With 10 records "My First Claim" plays, I think I'm done with this. It's getting boring due to the extreme randomness on one hand, and the more risk free approach of always going to Mars on the other hand. I suspect that this situation isn't going to change until Freighters force dealing with the gravity well. Figuring out how to time everything is going to be interesting. I'm also going to use the same rules, but play as if doing the CEO variant, which unlike Altruism allows Politics. I'm also going to use the Solo Political Assembly chart as that's more interesting and can help mitigate some of the effects of the randomness.

With everything set up, I played this one through in 65 minutes, including logging the play everywhere, and not including teardown.

Turn 1

  • Operation: Research: Photon Heliogyra thruster
  • Event: Pad Explosion
  • Notes: Crew: B612 Foundation (H). Faction privilege: One re-roll per prospecting when using a Raygun.

After the previous game (51 turns) I'm thinking I'm going to avoid Rayguns for a while.

  • Starting Aqua: 6
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 2

  • Operation: Research: Free Electron Laser robonaut
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 3

  • Operation: Research: Phase Locked Diode Laser robonaut
  • Event: Glitch
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 4

  • Operation: Research: Cascade Thermoacoustic generator
  • Starting Aqua: 3
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 2

Turn 5

  • Operation: Free Market: Cascade Thermoacoustic generator
  • Event: Pad explosion

  • Notes: I do not have a viable prospector in any way.

  • Starting Aqua: 2
  • Net Δ Aqua: 3
  • Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 6

  • Operation: Research: Tungsten Resistojet
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 7

  • Operation: Boost: Resistojet and Sail
  • Event: Solar Flares

  • Notes: Mass zero, nice.

  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: 0
  • Ending Aqua: 4

Turn 8

  • Operation: Research: Brayton Turbine generator
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 9

  • Operation: Research: Cascade Photovoltaic generator
  • Event: Pad explosion

  • Notes: No big deal, I can handle this one.

  • Starting Aqua: 3
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 2

Turn 10

  • Operation: FreeMarket: Phase Locked Diode Laser robonaut
  • Starting Aqua: 2
  • Net Δ Aqua: 3
  • Ending Aqua: 5

Turn 11

  • Operation: Free Market: Brayton Turbine
  • Event: Glitch
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: 3
  • Ending Aqua: 8

Turn 12

  • Operation: Boost: Sail and generator

  • Free Actions: * Cargo Transfer: build rocket

  • Internal Tankage: 4 Aqua

  • Movement: Burn to the Blue route first Lagrange.

Belt roll 6, automatic pass with afterburn. - Notes: Rocket:

  • Thruster: Photon Heliogyra
  • Robonaut: Tungsten Resistojet

  • Generator: Cascade Photoelectric

  • Dry mass: 3
  • Wet mass: 8
  • Net thrust: 5 + 1

I put extra fuel in it to get an after burn to protect from Belt roll for low radhard generator. This is going to be a problem for the Aerobrake. As it turns out, I could have gotten away with not afterburning given Thrust 5 and Radhard 1. Rolling 6 - 5 = 1 which is a pass.

  • Starting Aqua: 8
  • Net Δ Aqua: -7
  • Ending Aqua: 1

Turn 13

  • Operation: Income: +1

  • Free Actions: * Cargo Transfer: switch to sail

  • Event: Anarchy

  • Notes: Sail only has 1 thrust, which is enough to get to LMO through the Aerobrake. I can pay for one of them, I'll pay for the second after taking incoming in LMO.

  • Starting Aqua: 1
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 2

Turn 14

  • Operation: Income: +1

  • Movement: Move through Mars Flyby to gain the next burn and achieve LMO. Sail decommissioned. Roll hazard 6, pass, now in LMO.

  • Starting Aqua: 2
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 3

Turn 15

  • Operation: Income: +1

  • Movement: Pay FINOA to land on Arisa Mons Caves.

  • Event: Glitch
  • Notes: This will induce a 1 in 3 chance of failing the prospecting next turn.
  • Starting Aqua: 3
  • Net Δ Aqua: -3
  • Ending Aqua: 0

Turn 16

  • Operation: Prospect: glitch roll 2, which passes, Arisa Mons Caves claimed.
  • Notes: Back to Mars. A most seductive target for acquiring a fast claim, but not that useful due to the gravity well. Once I roll in frieghters, Mars is going to be a lot less useful I suspect.

In any case, I successfully avoided the siren call of the fragile Raygun robonauts. - Starting Aqua: 0 - Net Δ Aqua: - Ending Aqua: 0

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What to play next?

Deciding what to play next is always a tough call when faced with a closet full of games, all of which were purchased with intent to play. Here's one I'm dealing with the decision.

  • Something New: this means both something new to me and a game which has been published recently, within the last two or three years.
  • Something Classic: I've acquired a number of games properly considered "classic" which haven't yet been played. The current example would be PanzerGruppe Guderian.
  • Something Again: mastery requires constant practice, which means playing games many, many times to allow nuance to appear.
  • Something Vietnam: as I'm on a Vietnam binge. I don't have all the Vietnam games ever published, but I can say that I have a lot of them, and probably more than most people.
  • Something Obscure: as it's fun to poke around in the dustier corners of game design.
  • Something Different: break away from the same old publishers and try a game from one of the new kids on the block. Or, conversely, dip into legacy with a classic tried and true.
  • Something Light: once in a while it's nice to actually finish a game all the way through in one sitting, in an hour or two.
  • Something Heavy: if possible, it's nice to set up something big and complicated which can be left out for days or weeks or even months, for a leisurely stroll through a very large or long game.

There are surely many more ways to choose, but the above method keeps me busy enough, helps me get both breadth and depth into my play, and provides me with a sense of progress.

The odd man out

When there is an odd man out:

  • Have a solo game ready to play.
  • Keep score or advise on a game in progress.
  • Referee a game in progress.