High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Seeing as how it's so epic and such

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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:54 pm

I got to play this twice again this weekend. Both times we did Race for Glory, which is a simpler version of the game, but among all simpler versions of the game this is the closest to the core game. In Race for Glory there are no concerns with reactors, generators, or radiators, and you ignore radiation, and you don't have events. Other than that it's the same.

Even simplified, this game is difficult enough that people make huge blunders. One player miscalculated fuel and ended up adrift around Saturn's trojans with no fuel. But he made a new rocket and brought himself fuel, so, not too terrible. Another player in a desperate move to score points at the end sent his crew to Venus aerostat, and only once he was there did he realize that he didn't have a piece of equipment that could prospect Venus and so could never build a factory with what he brought. He could have saved them if he had had more time, but it was the end of the game. I personally wasted a bunch of time trying to bring back a human crew from Mars, eventually succeeding, only to realize that the 1 extra point that this got me could have been achieved in 1/10th the time by turning that same human crew into a colony on Mars -- I had forgotten that colonies are 1 point each.

The group is very much in love with this game already, though. I think it's because it feels so legit
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Ashenai » Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:55 pm

Doug wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:54 pm I personally wasted a bunch of time trying to bring back a human crew from Mars, eventually succeeding, only to realize that the 1 extra point that this got me could have been achieved in 1/10th the time by turning that same human crew into a colony on Mars
okay elon

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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:23 pm

I have updated the share folder with the rules for Conflict, the third expansion. The expansion itself is yet to be published, but the rules are pretty intense. Antimatter bombs, frostline dropstones

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... r9iyAwAL49

There's also a Conflict strategy guide in there
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:28 am

Still obsessing over this game. I read that you can get to Mars in two burns. I didn't believe it, but after studying the map for 20 minutes, I got it. It's like the 4-minute mile -- you have to know it's possible before you yourself can do it.


Mars in 2 01.jpg
Mars in 2 01.jpg (1.58 MiB) Viewed 483 times


Mars in two burns!

First turn: From LEO to Cycler to GEO and then Earth-Sol L2, then to Venus Flyby. Here's the counterintuitive part. Go past Venus Flyby to the next space, and stop. Wait there until next turn.


Mars in 2 02.jpg
Mars in 2 02.jpg (1.58 MiB) Viewed 483 times


Second turn: Reverse direction. Venus Flyby, two free burns, continue past the Lagrange through another bonus burn to Mars. All burns are free this turn. Double aerobrake to stop yourself and land at the caves.


Mars in 2 03.jpg
Mars in 2 03.jpg (1.59 MiB) Viewed 483 times


Going through the flyby and then back through it the other way doesn't occur to you at first!
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:44 pm

Got to play this twice again this weekend. I think this is the group's favorite game now, at least for now. We're still only playing the Race for Glory version, which means no radiation, no reactors/generators/radiators, no politics, no events

no ld no counters

We saw some more firsts this time, the first in our group to put a factory in Venus' upper atmosphere, the first to return a crew from Saturn, the first factory on Antarchus Plateau (Luna), first factory on Mercury (harder to reach than Saturn, actually)

Game is amazing, I wonder if you guys are still interested
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Sat Feb 10, 2024 4:21 am

Playing this again lately

Still finding routes I never thought of before, it's pretty crazy
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Blissful » Mon Feb 12, 2024 1:10 pm

what a map
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Mon Feb 12, 2024 1:18 pm

Right? Not like anything
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Blissful » Mon Feb 12, 2024 1:19 pm

epic has rarely been a more apt descriptor
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Re: High Frontier -- the Map Explained

Post by Doug » Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:28 pm

I received Interstellar, the sequel game to High Frontier. Interstellar is co-op and represents a starship with a handful of crew, along with a hull section full of embryos, traveling to one or more of several "nearby" stars

- Fuel is limited, go too fast and you can't slow down; go too slow and aging takes center stage
- Where aging is an issue, you can decant embryos or you can have children the old-fashioned way; players might argue over these decisions
- Interstellar dust will be deadly and will destroy parts of the ship, but if you can slederize (lighten) the ship and build physical shields you might keep everything intact. Some solar systems or flight paths will be more dangerous to enter than others
- Earth may send you plans for new technology, or you may develop some on your own. Some new technologies may be reckless or dangerous to work on
- Development of nanotech can be helpful, even crucial, but nanotech cancers may run amok and kill everyone or eat the ship
- Players might infight over who should be in charge. The commander may be too reckless / too cautious for the tastes of other crew members. Also, the commander may (probably will) die of old age, leading to a battle for succession
- Finding a habitable planet may prove difficult
- Splitting up and sending some humans in a pod to a planet may become tempting
- Development of posthumans will be controversial for the crew
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