Lordrevan, if you read my last several posts, you'd have seen that our playtest didn't have a million different objectives that all come out differently... we may try adding some in the future, but right now that's not even being tested.  You are commenting on a proposed objective set that we haven't tested (and may not)... I would be curious to find out what you think of the objective set we had in the actual playtest game.

We have already decided that we will be limiting the spend objectives to 3 points each per round.  

One of the things that I love about this variant so far is that it doesn't mess with anything else about the game.  It can be explained in a page or so, and that's it.  And the comment about it turning into a needlessly complicated wargame.... yes, it does increase the combat you'll see, but it's still very much a war/diplomacy hybrid.

I'm not sure that method to get 8 techs is technically legal, but this isn't the place to debate that.

You can see which objectives I used in my game 7 posts before this one, Lordrevan, if you'd like to comment.

it was a great game.  My Jolnar got off to a pretty great start, but I made some critical mistakes in the last two turns and opened myself up to (counter-) attack.

The new method for scoring VPs is fantastic.  I defiantly want to run a game using them sometime after the game I am GMing now is finished.

Here are some thoughts that I've been, well, thinking about.

1. Throw Buro back into the mix and just have it score one objective category instantly (score it again normally in status)

2. Add some optional categories for leaders, for games that use them.  I'd suggest:
i) either have leaders never be killed but rather get either captured or Edited:
, then "1vp for each leader I have captive"
That could lead to some interesting rescue efforts or leader trades.
or ii) 1vp for each captive leader, 2 vp if you killed a leader.

3. add a list of 1vp bonus objectives that can be dealt out but not revealed.  They could be to normal objectives or slightly different.  They would be claimable only by that player.  If revealed, then the other players know how to stop them!  suggestions:
i) +1VP for 1st place in space combat
ii) +1VP for taking control of at least two planets
iii) +1VP for gaining techs in two different colors
iv) +1VP for controlling Mecatol
v) +1VP for controlling all planets in another player's HS.
vi) +1VP for controlling at least 9 systems
vii) +1VP for having planets with 6 tech credits
viii) +1VP for casting the most votes
ix) +1VP if you spent 6 resources or 9 influence in the status phase on VP.

you get the idea.  Take stuff from the SO's and make some more.  A list of 15 or so would allow everyone to be dealt two and then choose one at the start of the game.

Anyway, I look forward to more games of this!

I like the idea, happygrue!  I am also wondering if secret objectives should be introduced back into the mix somehow.  Though to be honest, I have kind of enjoyed not having them at all....

Another thought would be to have additional objectives, but not necessarily secret.  A modified version of the list above (plus a few more) could be put on cards, and then those cards could be passed around the table and "drafted" (players take a card and then pass the deck).  Maybe going around twice, the second time in reverse order, a la Settler of Catan setup.  This might also help balance out a random map and/or focus a player's strategy.

Maybe this adds complexity where none is needed, but it was an idea that I had.

Bubble vps aren't just limited to artifacts and things like that.  I once won a PBEM by getting 8 points in a single turn, and that was before the expansion.  You would also have to remove extra claim objectives and/or the vps from Imperial Strategy Card (esp. the ancient throne version), you'd have to change Bureaucracy to disallow an extra objective claim, etc.  And if you did all that, you would probably then have the opposite problem, where if somebody gets ahead, it becomes extremely difficult to catch up.

Mike_Evans wrote on 08/06/10 at 12:16:16:

Not necessarily. You do not have to remove the option, you could just give a different bonus than temporary vp. It is not like I suggest removing the concepts of artifacts and VotC at all.
You are right, there has to be bureaucracy and some other ways to keep up, but maybe a hybrid where artifacts give something else other then vp and VotC giving more votes instead of a vp and on the other hand some fixed objectives scorable multiple times (like e.g. resource amount of plastic killed, planets invaded, leaders captured/freed) could do the deal. You would not have to change too much right away having an easier time balancing.