Destination: Neptune Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Game Board Setup Key
• Setup
• Cards
  • Card Key
• Scoring & Victory
  • Diversification Card
  • Intrepid Spacefarer Card
• Generations
• Optional Event Rules
• Playing a Turn
  • Selling Cards to the Opportunity Track
  • Playing a Card
• Summary of Two-Player Changes
• Control and Access
• Planets and Locations
  • Example of Locations
• Fuel
  • To calculate the Fuel Cost between two locations
  • Fuel Cost Calculation Example
• Credit & Fuel Counters
• Fame
• Technology
  • Gaining Access to a Technology without a Card
  • Technologies
• Research Missions
  • Example of Research Missions
• Building
• Factory Production
  • Example of Building
• The Cards
  • Attract Investors
  • Build
  • Factories Produce
  • Fuel Broker
  • Research Missions
  • Technology
  • Scoring
  • End of Game Scoring (see page 4)

Components

• 108 cards:
  • 73 cards for the regular game
  • 4 Player Aid Cards
  • 19 Location Cards (used with Optional Rules)
  • 12 Event Cards (used with Optional Rules)
• 3 Construction Teams in each of four colors
• 140 Wooden Tokens (35 in each of four colors)
• 56 Fuel Counters
• 70 Credit Counters
• 4 Fame Markers
• 4 Victory Point Markers
• 1 Diversification Card (see scoring)
• 1 Intrepid Spacefarer Card (see scoring)
• Game Board
• 12 page rules booklet

Play is not limited by the number of counters or tokens supplied. In the rare case you run out of something, feel free to substitute an unplayed color or coins.

Game Board Setup Key

a. Victory Point Track b. Technology Chart c. Fame Track d. Fuel Cost e. Construction Teams f. Planet Name g. Location Name h. Research Mission i. Base j. Factory k. Colony l. Technology requirement for Building m. Draw Deck / Discard Pile n. Opportunity Track (3 player game depicted - see page 5.) o. Event Deck p. Locations Deck q. Credit Supply r. Fuel Supply s. Required Technology line

Setup

Each player chooses a color and a player aid reference card. Place the Fame Markers and Victory Point Markers on 0 of their respective tracks. If the Optional Event Rules are being used, the Location and Event cards draw decks are setup to the side. The Diversification and Intrepid Spacefarer cards are set aside until earned. Each player puts a Token on the 0 (zero) of both the Victory Point Track and the Fame Track.

The rest of the cards are separated into 4 Generations. Shuffle and deal a hand of five 1st Generation Cards to each player. The rest of the 1st Generation cards are placed as a draw deck. Each of the other Generations' cards are shuffled separately and stacked in separate draw decks to the side of the board.

The undistributed Credit and Fuel Counters are placed to the side, in a supply accessible to all players.

Each player receives:

• 3 Construction Teams, placed on Earth
• 5 Credit Counters
• 5 Fuel Counters

The first player is determined randomly; the order of play proceeds clockwise.

Cards

Most Cards may have an action that happens immediately, and another action for all of the players (including the player who played the card).

The person who played the card is referred to as the Active Player.

Card Key

1. Title
2. Fame Value
3. Card Actions
4. Generation
5. Event Icon

Scoring & Victory

Keep track of your score on the Victory Point track. If you earn 50 Victory Points, flip your victory point marker to its +50 side and move it back to the start of the Victory Point Track. The player with the most Victory Points (VPs) at the end of the game wins.

At the end of a Generation, or when a Scoring card is played, players score 1 VP for each of their Factories and 2 VPs for each of their Colonies.

Next, the player with the most Fame receives 2 VPs. If two or more players are tied for having the most Fame, each of these players receives 1 VP. The player with the second most Fame receives 1 VP; none, in the event of a tie.

At the end of the 4th Generation, the awards for Fame are higher. The player with the most Fame receives 5 VPs, or 3 VPs to each player in the event of a tie. 2 VPs are awarded to the player with the second most Fame Points; or 1 VP to each player in the event of a tie.

Then, in the order determined by the Active Player who ended the Generation or played the Scoring card, players may spend Credits to buy Victory Points:

• 1 Credit = 1 Victory Point
• 3 Credit = 2 Victory Point
• 6 Credit = 3 Victory Points
• 10 Credits = 4 Victory Points

A player may only spend once (and no more than 10 Credits) during a particular round of scoring.

Diversification Card

Give the Diversification Card to the player who has Bases on the largest number of Planets. The card is only relinquished when another player exceeds the current player's total number of Bases. At the end of the game, the player with this Card gains 3 VPs.

Intrepid Spacefarer Card

Give the Intrepid Spacefarer Card to the player who builds a Factory or Colony at a Location where that player Controls the Research Mission and is furthest away from Earth. The distance from Earth is determined by counting the unmodified Fuel Cost to the planet using the most efficient route. The Card is only moved when another player completes the requirements at a planet further from earth - it is not moved when there is a tie. At the end of the game, the player with this Card gains 3 VPs.

Generations

The game encompasses 4 Generations of space exploration. When the Active player draws the last card of a Generation, that Generation ends. If the Active Player draws the last card of a Generation and still does not have five cards in hand, a card from the next Generation is drawn.

At the end of each Generation the players score Victory Points.

When the last card of the 4th Generation is drawn, the game ends.

Optional Event Rules

Players seeking greater variety in their games may wish to use the optional Event Deck. Events are triggered when a card with an Event icon is played. The Event is resolved before any Fame is received or the card play itself is resolved. Once resolved, an Event card is discarded. If the Event Deck is depleted, the discarded cards are shuffled and the Event draw deck replaced.

The 19 location cards are used in conjunction with the Event deck - when a "Pick a Location card" is drawn. After resolving the Event, shuffle the Location card back into its deck.

Playing a Turn

On your turn,

• You may sell a card to the Opportunity Track
• You must play a card
• Draw to five cards.

Selling Cards to the Opportunity Track

When you sell a card to the Opportunity Track, place it to the side of the board to the left of any other cards (see diagram below). If the Opportunity Track already has as many cards as players, the rightmost card is discarded. You may not change the order of the cards in the Opportunity Track.

In a three or four player game, a player receives 2 Credits from the supply for selling a card. In a two-player game, only 1 Credit is received.

In this example from a three-person game, the opportunity track can have a maximum of three cards. The card being sold (Attract Investors) will become the left-most card on the opportunity track, and each of the other cards will shift to the right. The right-most card (Fuel Broker) will be discarded.

Playing a Card

You may play a card from hand or from the Opportunity Track. If you play it from hand, you receive Fame equal to the value printed on the card. Fame is not awarded for playing a card from the Opportunity Track. After a card is played, place it in the discard pile.

See the Cards reference on the back of the rules for more details on the play of individual cards.

Summary of Two-Player Changes

• You only receive 1 Credit for selling a card to the Opportunity Track
• You must pay 2 Credits to the other player to gain access to a Research Mission.
• You must pay 2 Credits to the other player to gain access to Technology.

Control and Access

One player is said to Control a Research Mission or a Technology. The Token of the controlling player is always placed on top of any other players' Tokens. Any player with a Token in the appropriate circle is said to have Access. Control of Technologies and/or Research Missions does not change during the course of the game.

Other than Research Missions and Technology, it does not matter in which order Tokens are stacked.

Example of Control and Access: The yellow player has Control over this Research Mission, and thus keeps her token on top. The red player has Access to the Research Mission at this location.

Planets and Locations

There are a total of 10 Planets, including the Dwarf Planets of the Asteroid Belt and Kuiper Belt. Each Planet is associated with one or more Locations.

Earth - where Construction Teams start and Research Missions originate - works a bit differently than other locations. It costs 1 Fuel to send a Research Mission or Construction Team from Earth to Earth's Orbit. However, a Base in Earth's Orbit reduces the fuel cost for all further travel from Earth (but not from the lunar locations - see Fuel section for how Bases reduce Fuel Costs).

Example of Locations

Mars has two locations, the Polar Regions and Mineral Beds. Each location has four different places where a player may have tokens:

• Research Mission Icon
• Base building circle
• Factory building circle
• Colony building circle

The line between the Research Mission Icon and the Base is a reminder that you must have control or access to the Research Mission before building a Base.

Likewise, the lines connecting the Base to the Factory and Colony are reminders that you must have a Base before building the Factory and Colony.

The icons for technologies required to build are printed next to the circle.

• At the Polar Regions, a player must have a token on High Efficiency Insulation to build a base, and must have a token on Enhanced Fission Power to build a Colony or Factory. The Factory at the Polar Regions has neither the Mineral nor Fusion Fuel icon. You will receive 1 Credit if you have a Factory here when a Factories Produce card is played.
• At the Mineral Beds, there is no technology required to build a Base, but Enhanced Fission Power is required to build a Colony or Factory. The Factory at the Mineral Beds has the Mineral icon. You will receive 1 Credit if you have a Factory here when a Factories Produce card is played, like any other Factory. In addition, if you do not have a token on Fusion Power, you will receive a Fuel Token; otherwise you will receive an extra credit.

Fuel

Fuel is used to deploy Research Missions, move Construction Teams, and build Colonies. At any time, you can purchase a Fuel Counter for 3 Credits. Keep your Fuel Counters in view of the other players.

When a Fuel Broker card is played, the Active Player receives 1 Victory Point. Then all of the players may buy Fuel Counters for 2 Credits - 1 to the supply and 1 to the Active Player. (Thus for the Active Player, Fuel Counters only cost 1 Credit.)

To calculate the Fuel Cost between two locations

Total the numbers printed on the Fuel icons on the distance markers connecting the planets. Research Missions and Colonies are counted from Earth, Construction Teams count the icons on the path between two planets. The distance between two locations at the same planet is always 1.

Reduce this number by each player's current Speed Level. All players begin at speed 0, which is increased by Technologies. Technological speed improvements are cumulative.

Further reduce the total distance by the number of your Bases en route, using only one Base per planet. You can use a base at the planet you start on, but it must be at the same Location. Likewise, you cannot use a base at the destination planet unless it is at the same Location.

The Fuel Cost can never be reduced below 1.

Fuel Cost Calculation Example

The Red player wishes to move a Construction Team from Earth to build a Base on Callisto. First the distance markers between the two planets are added together:

• 2 between Earth and Mars
• 2 between Mars and the Asteroid Belt
• 3 between the Asteroid Belt and Jupiter

for a total of 7.

The player currently has a speed of 4 due to Improved Gravity Slingshots and Enhanced Fission Power. Before Bases, the Fuel Cost is now 3.

The player has two Bases, one on the Lunar Polar Regions and one on the Mars Mineral Beds. The Base on the Lunar Polar Regions cannot be used, as the Construction Team is not starting at that Location. The Base on Mars can be used, deducting 1 more, resulting in a Fuel Cost of 2.

The Red player discards two Fuel (plus a Credit to build the Base), and moves the Team to Callisto. If another Construction Team were to move to Callisto in the same turn, to build a Factory, the Base on Callisto could be used to reduce that Team's Fuel Cost.

Credit & Fuel Counters

Keep your Credit and Fuel Counters in view of the other players.

Fame

You earn Fame by playing a card from hand, controlling Research Missions, and controlling Technologies.

Fame may provide additional Victory Points, as described in the section on Scoring and Victory.

Additionally, players receive 1 Credit for every 2 Fame they deduct when an Attract Investors card is played.

There is no upper limit to the amount of Fame. If a player earns more than 20 Fame, flip the Fame Marker over to the side that says +20. If a player has 40 or more, add a Token on top of the Marker.

Technology

Having access to Technology improves your speed and allows you to build in harsh conditions.

Other than High Efficiency Insulation, Improved Gravity Slingshots, and Enhanced Fission Power, technologies have prerequisites, as shown by the lines on the Technology Chart.

Some Technologies can affect your speed - bonuses are indicated on these Technologies.

Each Technology has an associated icon. Icons next to a building circle indicate which technologies are required to build there (see Location diagram).

When you play a Technology card, place your token on any unoccupied Technology to take control of it. You must have access to the prerequisite Technologies. Then, all players receive 1 Fame Point for each Technology they control.

You may also use a Technology card to gain access to an already controlled Technology without paying the controlling player.

Gaining Access to a Technology without a Card

You may gain access to a Technology at any time by paying 1 Credit to the player who controls the Technology, 2 Credits in a two-player game. If no player controls a Technology, the only way to gain access is by playing a Technology card.

To build a Base on Triton, access to High Efficiency Insulation technology is required. Building a Factory requires Fusion Power, and building a Colony requires Fusion Power and Graviton Generators.

Technologies

The exploration and development of our solar system will require new technologies, advances that may take generations, which we can only envision today.

High Efficiency Insulation: Space is generally either extremely hot or extremely cold; maintaining a comfortable environment for humans will require exceptional insulation in addition to abundant power.

Improved Gravity Slingshots: One of the challenges of space travel is provisioning sufficient fuel for use once in space - each extra kilo of fuel sent into space adds more weight to be propelled from Earth. To overcome this limitation, scientists plot courses through gravitational fields to accelerate missions into deep space.

Enhanced Fission Power: Using fossil fuels in space is impractical, and most of the solar system doesn't receive sufficient sunlight to rely on solar power. Until fusion power is attained, increasing the efficiency and safety of fission reactors seems necessary for developing our solar system

High Thrust Propulsion: The extreme gravitational conditions around some planets will require future space ships to accelerate and decelerate rapidly. In addition, precise bursts of energy will greatly improve the ability of ships to maximize fuel efficiency without sacrificing speed.

Radiation Shields: Developing lightweight and durable radiation shielding will be critical in surviving the radiation cloud around Jupiter. We look forward to materials sciences developing the right kind of shielding to eliminate the problems associated with high radiation.

Fusion Power: The power source of the stars, atomic fusion typically combines two Hydrogen atoms into a Helium atom, releasing massive amounts of energy. Harnessing this power will revolutionize society by providing nearly unlimited, safe energy.

Floating City: The dream of a city with the same specific gravity as the high atmosphere of the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) and the thick clouds of Venus will be realized by bringing together many new technologies, requiring a concerted effort from myriad disciplines.

Graviton Generators: Gravitons are the elusive hypothetical particles responsible for conveying the force of gravity. Humans are adapted to the gravity on Earth, and are not likely to thrive in significantly different conditions.

Fusion Power II: Improvements in Hydrogen isotope isolation and harvesting will allow vastly increased amounts of power to be generated.

Research Missions

The first step to establishing a presence at a location is to send out a Research Mission. To establish a new Mission, you must play a Research Missions card, pay 1 Credit, and pay the Fuel cost from Earth.

When you play the Research Missions card, you may launch as many new Research Missions as you can afford to buy - no Construction Team is needed. The first player to establish a Research Mission at a new location controls that Research Mission for the remainder of the game.

Research Mission icon.

After new Research Missions have been established, all of the players can pay a controlling player 1 Credit to gain access to any currently existing Mission, not just those established this turn. (The cost is 2 Credits in a two-player game.) Starting with the Active Player and proceeding clockwise, players buy access to a Mission by placing their Token beneath the controlling player's Token. In addition, 1 Fame is awarded for each Research Mission a player controls, not just those established this turn.

Example of Research Missions

Red, Yellow, and Blue are sitting around the table, clockwise in that order.

Blue plays a Research Missions Card. Blue does not have Tokens on any Technologies, and no Bases, so there are no speed adjustments.

Blue announces Research Missions to Earth's Orbit, at the Lunar Mineral Beds, at the Lunar Polar Regions, and at the Mars Mineral Beds. Blue discards a total of 4 credits and 5 Fuel Tokens (it takes 2 Fuel to get to Mars.) Blue receives 4 Fame for controlling 4 Research Missions. If any other players controlled Research Missions from prior turns, they would collect Fame for those missions, even though they are not the Active Player.

Next, the other players can pay Blue 1 Credit for each Research Mission they would like to access. The other players place their Tokens beneath Blue's to show they have access to but not control of the Mission.

Red pays Blue 2 Credits to access Earth's Orbit and the Mars Mineral Beds.

Yellow pays Blue 4 Credits to access the Research Missions in Earth's Orbit, the Lunar Mineral Beds, and the Lunar Polar Regions, and at the Mars Mineral Beds.

Building

Bases, Factories, and Colonies are constructed when a Build card comes into play. Buildings are represented by Wooden Tokens placed in the appropriate circles on the map (see example).

All Buildings require a Construction Team, which must pay the Fuel cost required to travel to the Location. If a Construction Team is already at a Location, it does not need to move to assist in building on another circle. Each Construction Team can build once per turn.

A player may move a Construction Team without building, as long as the destination has a Base. However, moving a team between two Locations always costs at least one Fuel. Each Construction Team can only be moved once per turn.

All players can build in a Base building circle, but only one Token can occupy a Factory or Colony building circle.

• Bases: Bases cost 1 Credit. You must have a Token on the Research Mission at that location in order to build a Base. The first player to build a Base at a location earns 1 Victory Point.
• Factories: Factories cost 2 Credits and you must have a Base at that location.
• Colonies: Colonies cost a number of Credits equal to the number in the Colony building circle plus the Fuel cost from Earth (to bring colonists and supplies). You must have a Base at that location.

Players take turns building over three rounds, using the following procedure:

The Active Player may move and build with one Construction Team, followed by the rest of the players proceeding clockwise around the board. Players may wish to place their Construction Team on its side to indicate it has been used.

Next, the Active Player may build a second time, followed by the rest of the players, proceeding counter-clockwise around the board.

Finally, the Active Player may build a third time, followed by the rest of the players, proceeding clockwise around the board.

The three rounds of building occur, even if the Active Player chooses not to build. Make sure to stand the Teams upright after the end of the third round.

Base, Factory, and Colony building circle icons.

Factory Production

When a Factories Produce card is played, all players receive 1 Credit for each of their Factories. Factory circles with a Mineral or Fusion Fuel icon might produce additional Credits or Fuel.

Minerals: Before a player has access to Fusion Power, a Factory with the Mineral icon will produce 1 Fuel Counter (in addition to the Credit every Factory produces); once a player attains Fusion Power, it produces an additional 1 Credit instead of an extra Fuel Counter.

Factory with Minerals.

Fusion Fuel: Factories with the Fusion Fuel icon will produce 1 Fuel if the player has access to Fusion Power, in addition to the Credit every Factory produces. If the player has Fusion II Technology, 2 Fuel are produced, in addition to the Credit every Factory produces.

Factory with Fusion Fuel.

Example of Building

(Following from the Research Missions example)

All three players have tokens on High Efficiency Insulation and Enhanced Fission Power (giving each player a speed of 1).

Red plays the first Build card of the game, and starts the building by purchasing a Base on the Mars Mineral Beds for 1 Credit and 1 Fuel, to bring the Construction Team from Earth. The Red player scores 1 VP for building the first base at a location. The Red player will also receive the Diversity Card, since the Red player has more bases on more planets than any other player.

Play now proceeds clockwise to Yellow. Yellow builds a base on the Lunar Mineral beds, for 1 Credit, plus 1 Fuel to move the Construction Team. Yellow scores a bonus VP for building the first base there.

Blue now builds a base on the Mars Mineral Beds for 1 Credit, plus 1 Fuel to move the Construction Team. Blue does not receive a bonus VP for building since Red already received the bonus for that location.

Red now makes a second build, building a Factory on the Mars Mineral Beds. The Factory costs 2 Credits, plus 1 Fuel to move the Construction Team from Earth. The Construction Team already on the Mars Mineral Beds cannot be used again as it has already been used this turn.

Play now proceeds counter-clockwise. Blue spends 3 credits and 1 Fuel for a colony on the Mars Mineral Beds, plus 1 additional Fuel to move the Construction Team from Earth. The Blue player receives the Intrepid Spacefarer card for controlling both a research mission and colony at a Location further from Earth than any other player.

Yellow's second action is to build a base on the Mars Mineral Beds. While this move does not net the Yellow player a bonus VP or position the Yellow player for further building, having a Base on two separate planets does mean the Yellow player has won the Diversity Card from Red.

For the last round of building, proceeding clockwise from Red, Red builds a Base in Earth's Orbit, Yellow builds a Factory on the Lunar Mineral Beds, and Blue builds a Base on the Lunar Polar Region.

The Cards

Attract Investors

The Active Player receives 5 Credits; all other players receive 2 Credits.

In descending order of Fame points (clockwise if tied), each player may:

• Collect 1 Credit for each 2 Fame Points the player chooses to deduct.

Build

In 3 rounds starting with the Active Player (clockwise, counterclockwise, clockwise), each player may:

• Build once per round. See Building section for more details.

Factories Produce

The Active Player receives 2 Credits.

Simultaneously, each player will:

• Receive 1 Credit for each their Factories. Additional Credits or Fuel may be received for Factories with Mineral or Fusion Fuel icons. See Factory Production section for more details.

Fuel Broker

The Active Player receives 1 Victory Point.

Clockwise starting to the left of the Active Player, each player may:

• Buy Fuel Counters by paying 1 Credit to the supply and 1 Credit to the Active Player. (For the Active Player, this means the Fuel only costs 1 Credit.)

Research Missions

The Active Player may establish Research Missions; each costs 1 Credit plus the Fuel cost from Earth.

In clockwise order, starting with the Active Player, each player may:

• Pay a controlling player 1 Credit (2 in a two-person game) to gain access to any existing Research, then collect 1 Fame for each Research Mission controlled.

Technology

The Active Player may take control of an available Technology or gain access to an already controlled Technology without paying the controlling player.

Simultaneously, players:

• Receive 1 Fame Point for each Technology they control.

Scoring

Each player gains 1 Victory Point per Factory, and 2 per Colony. The player with the most Fame gains 2 Victory Points (1 each if there is a tie). The player with the second most Fame receives 1 Victory Point (none if there is a tie).

In the order chosen by the Active Player, each player may:

• Purchase Victory Points:
  • 1 Credit = 1 Victory Point
  • 3 Credit = 2 Victory Point
  • 6 Credit = 3 Victory Points
  • 10 Credits = 4 Victory Points

A player may only spend once per Scoring Card (spending no more than 10 Credits).

End of Game Scoring (see page 4)

• +5 VP Most Fame (+2 if tied)
• +2 VP 2nd Most Fame (+1 if tied)
• +3 Intrepid Spacefarer
• +3 Diversification