Gaia Project: Frontiers Expansion
Intro
For a quick overview, check out the Video.
Frontiers is an unofficial expansion to Gaia Projects brought to you by the boardgamers developers - and is only available on boardgames.space.
- The expansion is in the early phase of alpha testing!
- The current feature set represents Milestone 1 - more elements will likely be added later.
- Discussion Channel
- Feedback Channel
The expansion opens up new frontiers for experienced players.The vast empty space between planets has been reserved to lonely satellites and the occasional space station - let's change that!
Ships
Space ships always exist on empty space locations - they can never fly on or above a planet (as if the map really were two-dimensional).
- During your turn, you can build a space ship as a regular action.
- Place the space ship on an empty space next to one of your colonized planets (i.e. not Gaia Formers) or space stations.
- The space ship can be placed on an existing space station or satellite.
- There is a maximum of 3 space ships on each hex.
- Space ships cannot be moved during the round in which they were placed.
- In all later rounds, space ships can move once as regular action.
- The range of space ships is 2 hexes, which can be improved using the Navigation research field, but not using QICs or the range booster.
- When you move a space ship with Navigation 1, select an adjacent empty space hex with fewer than 3 ships (same rules as placing a space ship) and move the space ship there - then repeat until you've moved 2 spaces (the current navigation range) or you don't want to move any more (moving 0 hexes is also valid).
- After a space ship has moved, it can perform an action, depending on the type of the space ship (see below).
A space ship that can move this round:
3 space ships that have moved this round:
Colony Ship
Colony ships only purpose is to build colonies - prestigious buildings that rival Planetary Institutes!
- Each of your 3 colony ships costs 4c,3o.
- After the colony ship has moved, you may build a colony on an adjacent planet, paying on the cost of terraforming or making a gaia planet habitable (including a gaia former)
- The colony ship becomes the colony, so the colony ship is removed from the map and not returned to the supply.
- You cannot use the range booster, but you can use terraforming power actions and the terraforming booster when creating a colony.
For example, if you want to create a colony on a Gaia planet, you have to pay 1q (or 1o for Gleens). If you have a gaia former on a gaia planet, you can also place the colony there free of charge.
A colony ship is about to turn into a colony:
The colony ship has turned into a colony:
Trade Ship
Trade ships increase the wealth and knowledge of your civilization in sheer endless ways!
- Unlike colony ships, your initial supply of trade ships is limited to 1 - but this can be increased with the Economy research field. Each trade ships costs 5c,1o.
- After the trade ship has moved, it may trade with the adjacent planet. You cannot trade more than once with each planet.
- Trading with a foreign building costs 3 power, which has to be payed before trading. The trading cost can be decreased to to 0 by the new Diplomacy research field.
- Trading gives you 1 "Trade Reward", plus 1 "Trade Unit" per "Trade Bonus" level. The trade bonus level can be increased by the new Diplomacy research field.
| Building | Trade Reward | Trade Unit (1 per Trade Bonus level) |
|---|---|---|
| own Mine | 1o | - |
| own building other than Mine | not possible | not possible |
| foreign Mine | build a Customs Post for 2c (after receiving the Trade Units) | 1c,1o |
| foreign Trading Station | 5c | 3c,1pw |
| foreign Research Lab | 2k | 1k |
| foreign Academy | 1k per research field where the trading partner is more advanced, at least 2k | 1k |
| foreign Planetary Institute | 1t,2pw | 4pw |
| foreign Colony | 3vp | 2vp |
| foreign Customs Post | not possible | not possible |
All trade rewards added together:
Examples:
- You trade with one of your own mines: You receive 1 ore regardless of the trade bonus level. You don't pay power, because your trading with your own building.
- You trade with a mine of another player with Trading Bonus level 3: Receive 1 credit, 3 ore and get the Customs Post for free. More rules for Customs Posts are described below.
- You trade with a Colony of another player with Trading Bonus level 2: Receive 7 Victory Points.
A trade ship is about to construct a customs post:
The Customs Post is complete:
The blue circle with a "C" indicates that the blue player (you) has built a customs post on this plnaet - and cannot trade with the planet any more.
The trade ship has traded with a domestic (own) mine:
The blue circle on top indicates that the blue player (you) has traded with this planet.
Buildings
Colony
Colonies are converted from Colony Ships.
- Colonies have a power value of 3 (or 4 with the basic tech tile that increases the power value of Academies and the Planetary Institute).
- Colonies give the same victory points as a planetary institute for boosters and round scorings.
- The planet counts as colonized for the purposes of the gaia booster or the number of gaia planets and planet types.
The income for your colonies:
| Number | Income | One-time effect when built |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3c, 3pw, 3vp | 2vp |
| 2 | 3c, 3pw, 4vp | 2vp |
| 3 | 3c, 3pw, 5vp | 2vp |
Customs Post
When trading with a mine from a different player, you must build 1 of your 5 Customs Posts for 2 credits after receiving the Trade Units from the Trade Bonus level. If you cannot built a Customs Post you cannot trade with that mine.
Each Customs post generates an income of 2 credits.
- Customs Posts have a power value of 1 for charging power, but don't count as a building in any other way (other players cannot charge when you build it, you cannot add it to a federation, you cannot use it as a starting to settle other planets like gaia formers).
Ships and Customs Post in the player area:
Research
Navigation
| Level | Ship Range |
|---|---|
| 0 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 |
Economy
The economy research track is the only research track that reduces the existing benefits - the power income:
| Level | Trade Ship Limit | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 2 | -1pw compared to base game |
| 2 | -1pw compared to base game | |
| 3 | 3 | -2pw compared to base game |
| 4 | -2pw compared to base game |
Diplomacy
| Level | Trade Bonus Level | Trading Costs | Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 3pw | |
| 1 | 2pw | 1pw | |
| 2 | 1 | 2pw | 2pw |
| 3 | 1pw | 3pw | |
| 4 | 2 | 1pw | 4pw |
| 5 | 3 | 0pw | 6pw |
Tech Tiles
Trade Reward Tech Tile
Gives 2c after performing a trade with a foreign building (i.e. not when trading with your own mine).
A trade bonus:
Your current trade bonus level and trading cost (in pw):
Increases your trade ship limit:
FAQ
Is Frontiers based on another expansion of Gaia Project or Terra Mystica?
No, it's a new, standalone development
Is the expansion compatible with all setup options and preferences?
Yes, except for the "Alternative UI" preference.
Why is there so much space on the player board next to colony ship?
This space is reserved for future space ships.
Changes
2022-02-12
- Add warning for wasted resources when trading.
2022-01-23
- Colony ships can now use gaia formers to build a colony.
2022-01-16
General Changes
- Building colonies counts as a big building for boosters and round scorings.
Balancing Changes for Trading
- Trading now costs power for each trade (see table in diplomacy).
- The trade bonus level only goes up to 3 (see table in diplomacy).
- The trade rewards have been slightly adjusted (see table in diplomacy):
- Trading with an academy now gives you 1k per research field where the trading partner is more advanced, but at least 2k.
- Trading with a planetary institute gives 1t,2pw.
- The new tech tile gives 2c after trading instead of a trade bonus level.
2022-01-09
- You can use terraforming power actions and the terraforming booster to create colonies.
- Victory points from colonies and trades are added to the charts.
- Show diplomacy research in player area.
- Show Customs Post in Leech Network.
- Show ship range in player area.