Board Game Arena - User contributions [en]

Gamehelpseasons

2022-08-12T19:27:25Z

Maur:

In Seasons, you take on the role of a wizard competing for the most prestige in the Tournament of Seasons. Gameplay involves choosing the correct combination of dice and the drafting/activation of card powers. There are two kinds of resources in the game: Energy tokens (which come in the four elements), and crystals (which translate directly to points at the end of the game, and are also used as a currency for some things during the game.)

The game begins with a draft in which each player selects a total of nine cards. Players divide these cards into three groups of three. The first group will start in your hand. The second and third groups are added to your hand at the start of the second and third game year, respectively.

===Dice Selection===
At the start of each round, dice appropriate to the current season are rolled. Each player selects one in turn order.
The effects are as follows:

*''Star'' - Increase your summoning gauge, i.e. the maximum number of cards you can have in play. (Capped at 15.)
*''Elements'' - Gain an energy token of the element shown (water, earth, air, or fire).
*''Numbers'' - Gain the number of crystals indicated.
*''Card outline'' - Draw a card. You will have the option of keeping or discarding the card.
*''Circle surrounding the die symbols'' - You may transmute energy tokens into crystals. The rate depends on the current season.
*''Pips'' - The number of pips on the die that is not selected by the players determine how many months the time marker will advance.

Each die will have some combination of these symbols. For example, a die may give you a water, earth and allow you to transmute, all in the same turn.

===Power Cards===
All cards in the game are referred to collectively as Power Cards. There are two types: Familiars (orange border) and Magic Items (purple border). Cards can have the following effects:
*''Ongoing'' - The described effect persists indefinitely. Denoted by a circular arrow.
*''When Played'' - The effect occurs once when the card enters play.
*''When Activated'' - The card must be activated (and any relevant cost paid) to produce the listed effect. Cards may be activated once each round.

===The Seasons===
The board is divided into four seasons each of which have common, uncommon and rare elements. These designations tell you how likely it is that these elements will appear during each season and also tell you how much each element will transmute into during that season.

*'''Winter''' (Blue) - Water and Wind are Common, Fire is Uncommon, and Earth is Rare.
*'''Spring''' (Green) - Earth and Water are Common, Wind is Uncommon, and Fire is Rare.
*'''Summer''' (Yellow) - Fire and Earth are Common, Water is Uncommon, and Wind is Rare.
*'''Fall''' (Red) - Wind and Fire are Common, Earth is Uncommon, and Water is Rare.

Example: During Spring, Earth and Water are the most common and will transmute into one crystal each, Wind is uncommon and will transmute into two crystals each, and Fire is rare and will transmute into three crystals each.

===Bonuses===
Up to three times per game, you may use one of the following abilities, referred to as a "Bonus":
*Convert two energy tokens into other elements.
*Gain the ability to transmute this turn, and gain one additional crystal per energy transmuted.
*Increase your summoning gauge by one.
*If your Seasons die shows the "Draw a card" icon, you may instead draw two and select one to keep.
The first bonus you use deducts five points at game end, the second costs seven, and the third costs eight.

===Additional Rules===
By default, your reserve may have seven energy tokens. If you acquire more tokens than you can hold, you must immediately discard the excess.
If a card allows you to summon another card but you have no space for this second card, it will be discarded with no refund.

Notes on card terminology:
*''Sacrifice'' - Put one of your cards in play into the discard pile.
*''Discard'' - Put one of the cards in your hand into the discard pile.

===Scoring===

Your final score is calculated by adding:
* The prestige points on your cards (in play)
* Your remaining crystal total

And subtracting:
* Five points for each power card remaining in your hand
* [5/12/20] points for [1/2/3] bonuses (if selected)

The player with the most points wins.

==Difficulty Levels==

'''Apprentice wizard level'''

In order to make the game easier to learn, there are “pre-constructed” sets of nine power cards. Instead of taking step 1 of the first game phase, each player gets one of these sets.

'''Magician level'''

Only the power cards numbered 1 to 30 are in play. These cards have easy to grasp effects and will allow you to slowly discover the world of Seasons.

'''Archmage level'''

All 50 kinds of power cards are in play. The cards numbered 31 through 50 have more complex effects than the basic cards, but will allow you to extend the fun of playing by discovering new effects and combinations.

Gamehelpgaiaproject

2022-03-08T00:35:12Z

Maur: /* Rules to Remember */

== Factions ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; vertical-align:bottom;"
! '''Faction'''
! '''Planet Type'''
! '''Ability'''
! '''Planetary Institute'''
! '''Starting Research'''
! '''Basic Income'''
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Terrans
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Terra
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | During the Gaia phase, move the power tokens in your Gaia area to area II of your power cycle instead of to area I.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | During the Gaia phase, when you move power tokens from your Gaia area to area II of your power cycle, you may gain resources as if you were spending that much power to take free actions.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Gaia Project
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Lantids
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Terra
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | When you take the “Build a Mine” action, you may build a mine on a planet colonized by an opponent (including the Lost Planet). Place your mine next to the opponent’s structure. You do not have to pay for terraforming, but you must still pay the mine’s cost. This mine counts as a normal mine in all ways except the following: this mine cannot be upgraded, and it does not count for any effects that relate to how many planet types or Gaia planets you have colonized.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | Each time you build a mine on a planet colonized by an opponent, gain two knowledge.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Xenos
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Desert
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | You place a third starting mine after all other starting mines have been placed.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | You can form federations with a total power value of six instead of seven. You gain one Q.I.C. as income instead of one power token.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Artificial Intelligence
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Gleens
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Desert
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | If you would ever gain Q.I.C., gain that much ore instead; once you have upgraded to the indicated academy, this effect no longer applies. To make a Gaia Planet habitable, pay one ore instead of one Q.I.C. Each time you build a mine on a Gaia Planet, gain two additional VP.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | When you upgrade to the planetary institute, immediately gain the Gleens’ federation token (gaining the resources shown as normal). Gaining this tile counts as forming a federation. The planetary institute itself can still be part of a federation on the board.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Navigation
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Taklons
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Swamp
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | The Brainstone counts as one power token (when starting a Gaia Project, building satellites, etc.), but you can spend it as if it were three power.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | Each time you would charge power from “Passive Action: Charge Power,” you gain one power token. You can choose to gain the power before or after charging.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Ambas
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Swamp
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | Once per round, as an action, you can swap your planetary institute with one of your mines on the game board (this can help you form a new federation). This has no impact on existing federations, even if their power value becomes less than seven. The swap does not count as a build or upgrade action; no VP or power can be gained from it.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Navigation
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 2 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Hadsch Hallas
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Oxide
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | You can spend credits instead of power to take free actions that allow you to gain resources. Example: You can spend 3 credits to take the free action that allows you to gain one ore.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Economy
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore, 3 Credits
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Ivits
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Oxide
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | During setup, do not place mines. Instead, after all other players have placed mines (including the Xenos’ third mine), place your planetary institute on any red planet. You can only have one federation, but each time the power value of your federation becomes a multiple of 7, you may take the "Form A Federation" action again. You must discard Q.I.C. instead of power tokens to make satellites.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | As a special action, place a space station on an accessible space that does not contain a planet or another space station. The accessibility of a space follows the same rules as the “Build a Mine” action.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore, 1 QIC
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Geodens
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Volcanic
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | The first time you build a mine on each planet type, gain 3 knowledge. (You do not gain knowledge for planet types you colonized before upgrading to your planetary institute.)
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Terraforming
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Bal T'aks
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Volcanic
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | You cannot advance in the “Navigation” research area, even if you take the tech tile below the “Navigation” research area. If you do take that tech tile, no advancement occurs. As a free action, you can move a Gaiaformer from a Gaiaformer space on your faction board to your Gaia area to gain one Q.I.C. Gaiaformers in your Gaia area are not available until the next Gaia phase. In the next Gaia phase, move any Gaiaformer in your Gaia area back to its Gaiaformer space.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | You can now advance in the “Navigation” research area.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Gaia Project
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Firaks
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Titanium
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | As an action, you can “downgrade” a research lab into a trading station and immediately advance one level in a research area of your choice. Advancing in a research area is explained on page 15. This counts as an “Upgrade to a Trading Station” action. You can later upgrade the trading station back into a research lab using the normal rules (including gaining a new tech tile).
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 2 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Bescods
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Titanium
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | The positions of your planetary institute and academies are swapped on your faction board, as is the income you gain for trading stations and research labs. As with the other factions, upgrading to an academy or a research lab allows you to gain a tech tile. Once per round, as an action, you can advance your lowest-level token in a research area (without paying knowledge). If multiple of your tokens are tied for the lowest level, choose which of the tied tokens to advance. To advance to level 5 this way, you must still flip a federation token as normal. Remember, only one player can reach level 5 of each research area.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | The power value of your structures on gray planets (your home type) is increased by one (in addition to any other effects that increase their power value).
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Nevlas
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Ice
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | As a free action, you can move one power token from area III of your power cycle to your Gaia area to gain one knowledge (these power tokens follow the normal Gaia phase rules). This does not count as spending power.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | You can spend power tokens in area III of your power cycle as if they were each two power. Otherwise, they count as one power token (when starting a Gaia Project, building satellites, etc.). When paying for a power action with an odd power cost (1, 3, 5, etc.), the unspent power is lost.
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Science
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore
|-
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Itars
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | Ice
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | Each time you discard a power token from area II of your power cycle to move another power token to area III, place the discarded power token in your Gaia area instead of returning it to the supply.
| style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);" | During the Gaia phase, you can discard 4 power tokens from your Gaia area to immediately gain a tech tile (standard or advanced).
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | NA
| style="vertical-align:bottom;" | 1 Knowledge, 1 Ore, 1 Power in Bowl I
|}

== Rules to Remember ==
* Starting Resources (before receiving income at the beginning of Round 1) - Credits: 15, Ore: 4, Knowledge: 3
* Resource Storage Limits - Credits: 30, Ore: 15, Knowledge: 15

==Actions==
# '''Build a Mine''' - This places a mine on the board, which usually give you ore as income. These mines must be at most a distance away from another building of yours equal to your navigation (the second track from the left). You must pay the cost of the mine. If it's a Gaia planet (green planets without gaiaformers on them), you must also pay one QIC. If it's some other planet type, you must pay additional ore - the exact cost is determined by your terraforming ability (the first track from the left) and the number of terraforming steps required to make the destination planet habitable for your faction.
# '''Start a Gaia Project''' - This allows you to transform Transdim planets (purple) into a Gaia planet. You can only do this if you have at least one available gaiaformer, which you can get as a result of the Gaia Project track (the fourth track from the left). To do this, move power tokens into the gaia section of your board. These tokens are not lost - you'll get them back as the last step of the income phase. At the start of the next round, these planets are now Gaia planets and you can build mines on them normally (without spending a QIC like you normally would to build on a Gaia Planet). The gaiaformer is removed (and sent to your faction board) only after you decide to build on these planets (they are "reserved" for you until then).
# '''Upgrade Existing Structure''' - Mines can be upgraded to Trading Stations, which usually produce credits - note that this has a cheaper cost if it's at most two units away from an opponent's structure. Trade Centers can be upgraded to either a Planetary Institute (which produces power and unlocks an ability specific to your faction) or Research Labs, which produce knowledge and allows you to immediately take a technology tile and advance on one of the tracks (if able, depending on your current position in the track). Research Labs can be upgraded to Academies, which also let you gain more technologies and produce either knowledge or QIC (or other resources depending on the faction).
# '''Form a Federation''' - This allows you to combine structures to gain more points. To do this, you need any cluster of structures whose total power level is 7 or more. This can include empty space as well, but for each empty space included this way, pay 1 power token from any bowl to create a satellite. For doing this, you gain a federation token, which gives you immediate points, some other resource bonus, and can later be spent to advance to the top position of a research track or gain advanced technology tiles.
# '''Research Progress''' - Spend 4 knowledge to advance on any track. The tracks are
##Terraforming, which improves your ability to terraform planets
##Navigation, which increases the range at which you can build structures
##Artificial Intelligence, which gives you more QIC
##Gaia Project, which allows you to start Gaia Projects on Transdim planets
##Economy, which increase your ore, credits, power charge income
##Science, which increases your knowledge income.
# '''Power and Q.I.C. Actions''' - Spend power or QICs to take any of the actions at the bottom of the research board. Each of these can be taken only once per round.
# '''Special Actions''' - Use any actions printed on booster tiles or your faction board. These can be taken only once per round.
# '''Pass''' - Select a new booster tile. Wait until all other players have passed too.
# '''Free Actions''' - Resource Conversions (or burn power to move power from Bowl 2 to Bowl 3).
# '''Passive Action''' - Charging power. Spend VP as necessary depending on the amount of power being charged. This is optional.