Rules in brief

Another problem for playtesting: between gaps and changes suggested by Fenris, the rules aren't clear any more. I'm going to post what I think is happening and someone can correct me!

A - Starting the game

• Each player has a 40 30 card deck. I can't see any card limits, but I'm going to assume 3. {1}
  
• Before the game starts, each player takes 3 cards of their choice from their deck.
  
• Each player draws until they have a hand of five cards.
  
• Each player puts Home card on the table, one next to the other facing opposite directions.
  
• Decide randomly who starts (Suggestion: youngest player)
  

B - Basic play
Each player takes a series of actions at a time. That is a round. A turn is two rounds - one taken by the first player, and one taken by the other. Suggestion: cards that count rounds or turns treat the round they were played in as the first round. Nicer wording needed!

A round consists of:

1. Draw step - Draw 12 cards
   
2. Three actions. Each action is one of the following:
   
   • Discard a card then draw 2 cards
     
   • Play a habitat card
     
   • Play a species card (requires Symbiosis - see below)
     
   • Play an event (must meet conditions - see below)
     
   • Move a species card (must maintain Symbiosis)
     
   • Pass (do nothing)
     

Depopulate - Make sure each species you control is still symbotic. Any species that aren't are discarded.

C - Ending
The game ends at the end of the round after the last player draws his or her final card in their deck.
Each player totals the SCORE on each species they control, and the winner is the player with the most points.
Q - If you spread your plants, do you score for each instance of spread too?

D - Symbiosis
(OK, I just wanted a convenient word to talk about dependency. Take it or leave it.)
When you play a species, it must fit into ecosystem being built - specifically it must find itself in the right environment and with the right food to eat. A card that fits in is symbiotic, and the rules for this dependend on the diet of the species:-

Photosynthetic and Molecular Carbon species are symbiotic if they are next to your Home, or next to a species that:

• shares at least one climate;
  
• shares at least one terrain.
  

Herbivore species are symbiotic if they are next to a species that:

• shares at least one climate;
  
• shares at least one terrain;
  
• has a FOODCHAIN value equal to or one below its own.
  

Carnivore species are symbiotic if they are next to a species that:

• shares at least one climate;
  
• shares at least one terrain;
  
• has a FOODCHAIN value equal to or one below its own;
  
• has a SIZE value equal or less than its own.
  

Omnivore species are symbiotic if they are next to a species that:

• shares at least one climate;
  
• shares at least one terrain;
  
• is either photosynthetic OR
  has a FOODCHAIN value equal to or one below its own.
  

E - Events
It looks like events need some work. As I understand it, Fenris is playing it so that an event can be played on any species that shares one terrain with it.

My suggestion is that events have a more literal text box: i.e. three written sections of Requirement, Effect, (Factoid). That gives you much more flexibility in design and prevents visual confusion.

F - Movement
I'm skipping movement and general placing since the current rules have an exceedingly clear diagram at present.

G - Keywords
MOVE, FLYING, SPREAD

POLLINATOR - passive keyword
(probably should be used as 'CARDNAME requires a POLLINATOR touching it to SPREAD')
PARASITE, INVASIVE, MUTUALISTIC



{1} Even if it's not important for fun play, it would be easily possible to build a deck that consists of a level 1 species and a high scoring level 2 species (winning on consistency). Card limits are one way to avoid this, giving a bonus to the player with the most diverse chain is another.
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So how's my understanding?

Few things not correct here.

Once Habitats were removed from game, we scrapped the constructed hand and went with the "opening hand of 5" again.

Discard 1 to draw 3.

For Depopulation step it goes thus:
1. Check all creatures for symbiosis. Any species that are not connected to anything at all (are floating as islands) are also considered out of symbiosis.
2. Then remove misconnected species until you have no more conflicts. ONLY look at species that were just seen as being out of symbiosis to fix the mismatch.


Everything checks simultaneous. Say you have a Herbivore next to a Plant A that is next to Plant B. Herbivore is connected correctly to A. Plant A and B are misconnected to each other. One of those will have to be removed. The Herbivore is NOT removed this round, even is A is removed, because it was correctly connected when you checked for connection.

That basically gives you a chance to put a new species in the hole or to move the other species back into a proper position. (and if if wiped out an Invasive species, it may reveal a valid connection underneath)

I'm going to put rules V1.3 up tomorrow on the main site tomorrow. Also have a general idea for habitat cards (see eliminate habitat card thread), and some extra ideas for event card mechanisms.

game on!