Superpowers

[Yehuda Berlinger]

Here's a little something I was thinking about last week:

I find the two player rules for Mayfair to be quite complicated; does
anyone really play them? In any event, I think they are partially
responsible for the idea of Superpowers.

Superpowers are played when you have 6 people only. 4 players play
normal powers, with normal rules and win conditions. 2 players play
a Superpower. The Superpower has three elements: 1) is a normal
power that plays as any other, 2) is a power for controlling other
players once they have established a certain minimum amount of
bases in another player's system, and 3) more challenging win
conditions.

Two example Superpowers. not entirely finished:

Communist: (meant to simulate the American perspective of our former
communist adversaries)

1) After you put a token in the cone, point the cone at a planet, and
declare the defender, you may "shell" the planet with reinforcement
cards, sending to the warp the number of tokens equal to the
reinforcement count. You may send any tokens to the warp, and not just
the defender's.
2) When you have established two bases in someone's system, and one more
base than the other superpower in that system, you control that player's
power (even if he has lost it).
3) You win when you control all other powers, except the other superpower.

Capitalist: (meant to simulate blah blah blah)

1) When you make a deal, you dictate the rules of the deal.
2) When you have established two bases in someone's system, and one
more base than the other superpower in that system, you control that
player's cone and token placement (you decide when he will ally, with
how much, etc...). A controlled player cannot attack you or any
other player you control, unless you allow it. If your decision does
not permit him to make any valid challenges in the system flipped up,
he may flip the destiny pile again or pass his turn.
3) You win when you control all other players, except the other superpower.

Cosmic zaps affect 1) and 2), but do not affect win conditions. It is
advised that the superpower not be played with another power as a double
power. Do not play with the Schizoid.

So, what do you think?

--
Yehuda Berlinger
yeh...@bimacs.cs.biu.ac.il