A great empire building game, has just the right amount of conflict. Prepare to study a 40 page rulebook to play this though.

From 3 to 6 players.
Ages 12 and up.
Playing time: 180 to 300 minutes

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Product Description

Shipping in a massive (12 inch x 24 inch) epic-size box, this new giant-size edition of Twilight Imperium features more than 200 masterfully sculpted oversize plastic miniatures - the typical TI units (Ground Forces, Cruisers, Dreadnaughts, Carriers, Fighters, PDS, and Space Docks) as well as two new units (the massive War Sun, and the Destroyer). TI3 contains new oversize board tiles, more than 400 cards, every known civilization of the Twilight Imperium universe, almost every expansion rule and component ever published for Twilight Imperium, a gorgeous graphical overhaul, and an impressive full color rules set. The Twilight Imperium gameplay has been refined and redone by original designer Christian T. Petersen. The new design features faster gameplay, and involves players in a far more active game experience, with much less downtime. In addition, TI3 will include the new "Race Cards," as well a dramatic new approach to the structure of the gameplay itself using the new "Command" system. Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition is nothing short of a massive epic release, and is destined to become a classic for years to come. FFG has directed all its craft, talent, and energy into this massive production. Are you ready for another age of Twilight?

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5040 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Fantasy Flight Games
• Model: 4098651
• Released on: 2008-02-08
• Dimensions: 23.25" h x 4.25" w x 11.75" l, .2 pounds

Features

• Epic empire-building
• Comes with a oversize geomorphic board tiles, finely detailed plastic miniatures, hundreds of cards, and a massive plurality of options
• For 3 to 6 players
• Playtime of 240 minutes
• For ages 12 and above

From the Manufacturer
Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition (TI3) is an epic empire-building game of interstellar conflict, trade, and struggle for power. Players take the roles of ancient galactic civilizations, each seeking to seize the imperial throne via warfare, diplomacy, and technological progression. With new oversize geomorphic board tiles, finely detailed plastic miniatures, hundreds of cards, and a massive plurality of options, TI3 will arrive before an audience that has been starving for epic space conflict since TI2 went out of print in the spring of 2003. The TI gameplay has been refined and redone by original designer Christian T. Petersen. The new design features faster gameplay, and involves players in a far more active game experience with much less downtime. In addition TI3 will include new Race Cards, as well as a dramatic new approach to the structure of the gameplay itself using the new "Command" system. Twilight Imperium Third Edition is nothing short of a massive epic release, and is destined to become a classic for years to come. FFG has directed all its craft, talent, and energy into this massive production. Are you ready for another Age of Twilight?

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Customer Reviews

Review and Rule Changes
Twilight Imperium is one of the best games I have ever played. As a student at college, my friends and have 1-2 board game nights per week; with Twilight Imperium and Acquire being the most played games. I would highly recommend this game, though the learning curve is rather steep (an hour at to learn the rules) and the game takes a long time to play (4+ hours). If you are looking for a conquest game like RISK, stop reading now. Twilight Imperium is based on maneuvering, preparation, and diplomacy with few significant battles in the game.

The game is played to victory 10 points and unlike most war games, conquest is not the only means of victory. Points are acquired through capturing planets but also "researching" technology, and political decisions. The method of determining turn order is also quite original. Each player chooses a card (1-8) which in addition to being the order in which the players play, gives each player a special ability for that round. To further add interest each card has a secondary ability which all the other players can use when the player owning the card uses it. As a result not only are broad discussion (like conquest or technology) important but every turn can be critical as the players ability to ace often depends directly on when and how the other players act. This may seem as if it would slow the game, but a restriction on how many turns a player can take per round keeps the game moving nicely but keeps strategy extremely important through out.

This is not to say I don't have a few complaints about the game. The first couple of times we played we noticed some imbalances which led to certain having a definite advantage and the game always trending in the same way. There are 3 ways to get these points. Every player can complete common objectives, a new one being revealed each turn. A player gets 2 points every time they get the 8 card, and a player has a secret objective which can be worth two points. Our problem was that everyone accomplished the same common objectives. Because the 8 is so valuable, whoever went first had to take the 8, the person on their right then always took the 1 (and so they chose first next turn), so they could get the 8 next turn. Anyone who failed to follow this pattern automatically became 2 points behind, and never could catch up. The result is that there is little strategy to taking the 8 or the 1. Finally the secret objectives vary greatly in difficulty. As a result players who got easy secret objectives, or got to go first were far more likely to win. In fact in our first 3 games (5 players), the player who went first won 2 of them, and the only player that completed his secret objective in the 3rd game, won that one. At this point we were ready to give up on the game but instead we played around with the rules and came up with a slightly variation which greatly helped improve the game. If you do buy this game I highly recommend trying this variation after playing the normal rules a couple of times.

Rule Variation:
Many of these rule variations were taken from the Twilight Imperium Rule Variations which can be found (...)

1) The 8 card's text has been modified to the Game Option: Ancient Throne which gives a player 1 point for controlling Mecatol Rex. This modification greatly increases the strategy in choosing the 8 or 1.

2) Long War Variant: Play to 14 victory points. This will be necessary due to rule change # 3.

3) A player receives 2 victory points if they capture a planet in an opponent's home system. A player may only get points for a home system once. If the owner of the home system was not in control of the planet when it was captured this is reduced to 1 point. The reason for this rule was to encourage conquest (something that was seriously lacking in our previous games). The point reduction rule is to help prevent two players from allying to take a home system (since one of the players will not get all the points).

4) Every player receives 2 secret objectives. After creating the board but before the first turn each player must choose and discard one of them. This rule helps reduce the problem of unbalanced (in terms of difficulty) secret objectives.

5) You may only complete public objectives if you control all the planets in your home system (you may complete other objectives however). This allows players to slow down a player who gets too far ahead.

6) Destroyers get 4x Anti-fighter barrage. Destroyers are the weakest units in the game; this makes them a little better, but still hardly worth using.

7) The common objectives are laid face up on the table (you may still only complete the first after the first turn, second after the second, etc). This reduces the luck involved near the end of the game, as every one knows what is coming.

8) Technology can be purchased with influence or resources (but no combination). This rule helps balance the planets so everyone has more equal resources.

These rules seem to be very effective. While most players still get all of the common objectives, winning the game now depends on controlling Mecatol Rex, completing secret objectives or taking home systems. Players have been very successful using any combination of these three methods, and no race has done better or worse than any other. While these may seem to lead to large amount of conquest, this has never been the case, with only 3-10 major battles occurring in 4 player games.

Some things you should know...
Twilight Imperium is a space conquest board game with many different ways to win and numerous things that make it new and different every time you play.

You can win one of any three ways in TI. You can win by conquering all of your opponents(much like Risk), by accumulating points(much like Settlers of Catan), or by some random game events that come up in cards that are drawn occasionally.

This game has 10 races that you randomly choose from at the beginning of each game. The "universe" is made up of 30-40 some odd hex tiles that are randomly placed to create a unique and changing universe every time.

The game supports 3-6 players, each having their own unique color, counters, 60+ unit pieces, markers, tokens, etc. All of the pieces are made of a very thick cardboard stock and are quite sturdy. They seemed to be covered in a canvas type material making them moderately water resistant. The actual unit pieces are a medium hardness molded plastic making them tough as well as being well detailed. A typical game takes 3-4 hours. The learning curve is moderate to high and for that reason it is recommend for ages 14+, the numerous small pieces DO represent a choking hazard and the game is not recommended for small children up to age 3.

All in all, this game is AMAZING. It feels like an epic adventure every time! I haven't been this happy about a purchase in ages, so go out and give Twilight Imperium a try, you'll be glad you did.

Make the Universe Yours!
Twilight Imperium is an amazing experience. In this game, 3-6 players take on the roles of alien races in a crumbling space empire. It is the goal of all players to re-establish the empire and claim the throne. In order to do this, other players must be destroyed (or at least put off). Of course, space combat plays a large role in this game, but this is not just a game of space combat. Diplomacy, trade, and politics are also portrayed in the mechanics of this game. The thing that I really like about this game is that there is a psychological side as well--how well you succeed will sometimes depend on how well you can convince other players that what will benefit you will benefit them as well.

I highly recommend this game. However, there is one thing to be aware of when you purchase this game. It takes a fairly long time to play, especially for new players of the game. I would recommend budgeting 6 hours at least for your first game. If spend that much time on a boardgame doesn't appeal to you, then this might not be the game for you. However, every time I play this game, I have a blast. Also, unlike many other boardgames, you'll be talking about the strategy of the games you play even weeks after the game is finished. This is where I think this game really succeeds--every game creates a story that the players really get into. So, if you'd like to take a chance on an epic game, you can't go wrong with Twilight Imperium.