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in the 4X genre some very good games exists :

• Twilight Imperium 3 (TI3) : the Space 4X in it whole glory. You need 10 hours to play a 6-players game. But you don't see the time fleeing.
• Eclipse : playable in less than 4 hours with 6 players than know the rules well. Really different than TI3, but still that 4X feeling (you create the galaxy through the "Explore" action that creates a new universe each time, where TI3 creates the playing field before the mayhem starts. But don't fool yourself : creating the galaxy in TI3 is a very very important part of the game)
• Runewars : a medieval fantastic 4X with orcs, elves, humans and undead. Heroes, armies, neutral units and lots fo flavor.
• Civilization (sid meier) : Inspired by the video game
• Advanced Civilization : replay in 12 to 16 hours a full era (antiquity) of human conquest around the Mediterranean see. It's more an historical 3X (because your ultimat goal isn't to exterminate but to be the first one to get enough techs). And an excellent trading system, but you really need a lot of time to enjoy it.
• Age of Renaissance : the spiritual successor of Advance Civilization but in the age of ... renaissance !
• Warcraft the boardgame, Starcraft the boardgame : taken from the two franchise they deliver what they are meant to.
  
  

Want to add something ?



If I could add something from those games into ES, I would take the political part of TI3, the economic way of exchanging resources of Advanced Civilization and the way to can change blueprints fo your fighters/cruisers/dreadnought in Eclipse.



Do you see any boardgame mechanic that would be good to see in ES ?

One you've missed is Space Empires 4X.

Oh yes, you're right. I didn't play it, but some people I know said that it's the usual 4X. Nothing fancy or special. Just Space Empire on a boardgame. It's not a bad thing, but for that kind of game I prefer games that have mechanics tailored to a boardgame, like TI3 or Eclipse.

I gotta +1 Twilight Imperium... especially the aliens. a good example of how races can have wildly different stats and still play balanced

Yes, such different races and so much ways to play the game. Between Yin, Muaat, Winnu, Jol-Nar or Yssarils you have really different ways to play. And naalu and ... and ... well. There's no two races the same.

Eclipse is awesome

Clearly. Even my wife plays it with me (ans some friends). She even asked to play it !

maceman wrote:
I gotta +1 Twilight Imperium... especially the aliens.

Another fan of TI here. I got addicted to the game about 10 years ago, and have loved it ever since!

maceman wrote:
a good example of how races can have wildly different stats and still play balanced

Aside from the Clan of Saar (their ability to move their Space Docks is essentially useless, and subsequently makes them underpowered), I agree. Any race can win in that game.

The space docks od Saar are meant to move during the game. The must be played to reach Mecatol and install there (there HS is really bad). Think of it like the quarians in Mass Effect. You have one big fleet, but as everyone else will have such fleet before end, you have to capitalize on your advantage (movable docks) at the start of the game. But it needs careful planning.

A Game of Thrones.



I would say that it is some kind of mix between Diplomacy (for the orders concepts) and Dune (for the bluff during battle). Both are very open to alliance and treachery.

Hey, glad to see so many Fantasy Flight Games mentioned here. I used to work for FFG back from 2010-2011. In addition to my duties as LCG producer I was given the chance to help playtest some of the boardgames. Of the ones mentioned here I played Runewars which I felt was just OK. But I did really enjoy being on the early playtest team for the latest expansion for Twilight Imperium. It's called Shards of the Throne. In the early stage of playtesting all that was being implemented was the addition of Mercenaries and the large Capital Ships. I wasn't too keen on the Capital Ships in that early stage but the Mercenaries were a very good addition to the game and worked really well right for the start. So for all you fans of TI, I recommend you give the new expansion a try.

It reminds me I still didn't play the game with the second expansion. I hope it will be as good as the first expansion (which is mandatory in my mind)