Mecatol Rex. The center of the known galaxy and seat of the former Lazax Empire. Scarred by the flames of betrayal, Rex is a specter of a fallen empire and of ages long forgotten, yet it remains an object of reverence— and desire—in a galaxy of conflict and uncertainty.
Once, the great city that spanned its surface was the pinnacle of civilization. Today, Mecatol City is naught but a blasted shell of its former glory, a grim respite in the toxic Sea of Desolation that covers the majority of the planet.
Even so, its parabolic history of decadence and destruction does little to deter those who would seek to harness its power. The Winaaran custodians who dwell within the remnants of the city maintain what is left of the former capital, waiting for one of the Great Races to step forward and take up the mantle of the former Emperors.
But who among the races of the galaxy could fill the void left by the Lazax? To lay claim to the throne is a destiny sought by many, yet the shadows of the past serve as a grim warning to those who would follow in their footsteps...
A special thank you to PatMondou that created this quick reference sheet and sharing it in the
r/twilightimperium
Adopted Quick Play Tips
Lay out all planet cards on their planet tiles on the game board and as you explore planets you simply take the card from the hex tiles!
Short Game Victory Point Target will be 8
Quick Play Tips
Have the game completely set up before the other players get there. (including choosing factions)
Use a preset Universe (that alone will save a bunch of time)
Have a player in charge of telling everyone what stage the game is at and whose turn it is.
Use a timer. Stop the timer during combats. Give players a generous amount of time each. Allow players to buy extra time with resources. The point of the timer is encourage players to think when it is not their turn.
At least have timers for negotiations. Each player gets a total of 5 minutes (or maybe less) per game to make proposals or accept proposals .....once that time is used up, they may no longer be part of negotiations. 5 minutes per player is still a lot since that adds up to 30 minutes in a 6 player game (that represents 1/12 of a 6 hour game that you are aiming for.....more than 30 minutes is too much if you want to finish a game in 6 hours)
No one is allowed to consult a rulebook when it is their turn. You have to do it during downtime OR ask your question out loud for others to answer it.
Give players jobs. One player hands out the planet cards (without players asking for them....that means paying attention to conquests). One player hands out action cards and keeps track of who gets one and who gets two without asking. One player hands out the exploration cards and hands them out without anyone asking for them (that means paying attention to which planet is cultural, hazardous, industrial and who has the scanlink tech). etc.
A better solution for this specific problem is to lay out all planet cards on their planet tiles on the game board and as you explore planets you simply take the card from the hex tiles!
Probably the easiest way to shorten the game is to reduce the number of VPs needed to win. Instead of the normal 10 (or 14 in the longer game), you could require only 8 or 9 VPs to win. Reducing the VPs needed to win to 8 will shorten the game by at least an hour. But you will lose out on some game play.
We use a 3-minute sand timer for players to make their decisions
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