Takamo Player Types
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The empires of the Takamo universe have various special abilities. Each ability is a unique and vital part of the galaxy and promotes interaction amongst player empires and amongst computer controlled empires as well.
Interaction between empires happens on many levels. Some player types are cooperative and even rely on each other to survive or advance. Others prey on the economic structure created by these races, while some empires just try to destroy all in their path. The one thing all empires have in common is the ability to build and use armed force to both defend themselves and attack other players.
There are eight player types in the game at this time.
INDEPENDENT CIVILIZATION BUILDER (Also known as an ICB or Terraformer)
Colonizes, terraforms, and installs industry on planets. Also builds population throughout their empire. Population Units are the basis for recruiting marines and they provides technological advancement for ICB empires. The main form of revenue for this race is a large and expanding empire of technologically advanced terraformed worlds protected by a vast navy.
For these empires, expansion and economic growth, coupled with military strength is their key to success. They are one of the few player types able to build terraforming ships.
ABILITIES
Finding planets to terraform is their specialty. Terraforming is accomplished by first colonizing a planet and then sending a terraforming ship to the planetary orbit and ordering it to terraform the world. The ship will then dismantle and terraform the planet.
Colonization and terraforming must be done on separate turns. Terraformers may colonize any planet regardless of habitat range. You may terraform only those planets within your habitat range.
At Tec. Level 10, their terraforming range is +/- 1 with a total difference of 2, meaning if theirr range is 5,5 they can terraform habitats of 4,5; 5,4; 4,4; 6,5; 5,6; 6,6.
As they increase in Tec Level their range will increase.
Once a planet is terraformed, the planet owner must land – or have a miner land – a MC Ship and then a PC Ship. These ships will dismantle and build a mining center and a production center respectively. These installations will be the nucleus for future MC and PC builds.
STRATEGIES
An ICB has the potential to become the mightiest power in the galaxy. The potential for expansion is limitless. As long as they can find suitable planets, they can continue to expand. They can even terraform planets for other races as long as their habitat ranges overlap.
ICBs are also among the prime targets for pirates, smugglers, and cybers. These races covet Terraformers’ RUs, POP units, and even their terraformed worlds and colonies. ICBs are also the most important customers of the galactic traders, miners, and agricultural corporations. Terraformers benefit from the presence of corporations by gaining extra RUs, build abilities, and discounts on certain builds.
ICB SPECIALTY SHIP BUILD AT TEC 10
TERRAFORMING SHIP — TFS — Lands on a colony and terraforms the planet.
CYBERNETIC (Also known as Cybers or Borgs)
An empire whose machines control it. Their function is to destroy all life forms. That makes Independent Civilization Builders their arch-enemies. Their main form of revenue is capturing planets, looting them and executing the population. They can even go so far as to completely destroy the world creating an asteroid field where once existed a planet. Their main advantage is that they start at a higher technology level and have a 100% aggression level, meaning they will always fight to the last man . . . uh, Cyber. Their main disadvantage is that they cannot form alliances, nor receive or give foreign aid, and they always fight to the last Cyber.
ABILITIES
BUILDING MUs
Cybers build Marine Units in a different manner than the biological units that infest the galaxy. Although the same action code is utilized, cybers have the ability to build 10 MUs per Production Center. This can be done once per turn on each planet they own.
POPULATION DESTRUCTION
There is also a bounty on every population unit destroyed by their forces. The amount that they will receive is figured based on a formula that takes into account the tec level of the planet the Population Units are on and the number of Population Units.
To ensure that no resistance is encountered when the execution action code is used, there should be at least 5 cyber MUs to every population unit on the planet.
PLANET DESTRUCTION
Cybers have the ability to turn worlds into nearly useless planetary debris. In order to destroy a planet, a fleet containing at least one Cyber Trader, must be in orbit around the said planet. This planet must also be owned by the Cyber wishing it destroyed. The planet is then destroyed by using the CYBER COLLECTION action. The “Cyber Trader” will then blow the planet into collectable particles and collect as many cargo units as it can hold.
The actual number of cargo units gained will vary with the type of planet demolished. It is safe to assume that the more “built up” a world is, the more cargo units the cyber will gain (Yes, they even get a few cargo units for destroying uninhabited planets). The number of population units does not affect the amount of cargo loaded. Cybers do get a few RU for the incidental killing of the population units, but they get more if they systematically destroy the population before the planet is processed.
SELLING CARGO
Cargo units gained from cyber trading may only be sold at the cybers’ own terraformed worlds. The actual price will depend on the tec level of the planet destroyed and the number of cargo units sold. The actual formula for cargo sales is not given because the game designers reserve the right to tinker with the formula if they feel it is either too high or too low.
RESTRICTIONS
The cybernetic aggression level is set at 100%. This means that cyber forces fight to the death, and there is no hope of lowering this aggression level. Due to the obviously poor relations with other races in the galaxy, the cybers’ ability to interface with non-cyber races is limited. The transfer of RUs is allowed between the races, but each transfer is limited to 4000 RUs. The two races may not transfer ships to each other, nor can either race build anything on the other race’s planets (no foreign aid). Each race can increase the tec level of the other race’s planets, but this increase is limited to only one level per order. Cybers may NOT build population units at any time.
STRATEGIES
Even though there are disadvantages to being a cyber, there are also very definite advantages. One of the most eye catching, is the fact that they start at Tec Level 15. This gives them a wider range of warships to select from, and greater firepower for all of their forces.
A cyber also starts with two planets (Home Worlds), whereas most players only have one. The fact that a cyber’s aggression level is 100%, makes their troops the toughest in the universe. They will never retreat from the enemy. This however, can also prove disastrous when one of their forces, or fleets encounters a far superior force because the cybers will not disengage until they win or are destroyed.
CYBER SPECIALTY SHIPS AT TEC 15
CYBER SUPPORT SHIP — CSS — This ship doubles the strength of all marine units in an invading fleet. That is to say, each MU will be worth two. This does not negate the need for a standard Support Ship (available at Tec 11) if you wish the invading MUs to fight at a Tec Level higher than 10.
CYBER TRADER SHIP — CTS1– The leaders of the cybernetic races have not been satisfied with mearly looting a planet, and leaving it uninhabitable, so this ship was designed to be a wonderfully devastating piece of equipment. Destruction, and collection of pulverized materials is it’s function.
NOMAD
A race that has learned how to control gravitational fields. They can move planets from one solar system to another. Their main form of revenue comes from finding planets, ‘platforming’ them (building REALLY big engines), and installing industry, population, and advanced technology on them. Their main advantage comes from the fact that they can move worlds to mutually defensible solar systems, and that you never know where they are going to be from one turn to another. This makes them formidable adversaries. Their main weakness lies in the fact that, although they operate in ways that are similar to an Independent, it is harder for them to find planets suitable for platforming. Nomads must also struggle to avoid the dreaded lancer ships that alien races use to seek out and destroy nomad platforms; planet-targeting seeker torpedoes.
ABILITIES
Nomads are the only players able to build Platforms, To construct a Platform a nomad must locate and take possession of a planet within their habitat range. the nomad may then convert the planet into a platform by using a process similar to terrafoming.. This action must be performed two times, and the two actions must take place in two separate turns to be valid. The cost of conversion is 1,000 RUs per action, unless the planet undergoing construction matches the nomad’s atmosphere and hydrographics exactly. If this is the case, their conversion cost is 500 RUs per action.
A nomad’s platforming range is +/- 1 with a total difference of 2. This means if their habitat range is 5,5 they may platform habitats of 4,5; 5,4; 4,4; 5,6; 6,5 and 6,6. A nomad’s habitat range will increase as they reach higher Tec. Levels.
NOTE: Nomads do not need to colonize a world prior to conversion to a platform.
Nomads are the only empires be able to move a platform from star to star. Any attempt to move a platform to a location that has no star will be aborted. When moving to another star, the platform will always move to the first available orbit. This means that if the nomad orders a platform to move to MMM11135 but MMM11131 is open, then it will move to MMM11131.
Distance is also a concern when moving a platform. Fatal heat losses caused by moving more than two sectors per action may permanently damage a platform’s habitat range. Platforms are considered terraformed worlds for build and trade purposes. Partially converted platforms are considered neither terraformed planets nor colonies and no builds are allowed on them. Nomads are allowed to establish colonies in the same manner as other players.
IMPORTANT: PLATFORM MOVEMENT IS NOT GUARANTEED. PLATFORMS HAVE A 50% CHANCE OF ENGINE FAILURE EVEN WHEN MOVING SHORT DISTANCES. THIS MOVEMENT FAILURE WILL NOT HARM THE PLATFORM. WE SUGGEST THAT IT IS A GOOD PRACTICE FOR PLAYERS TO WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE SURE THE PLATFORM HAS MOVED BEFORE GIVING ADDITIONAL ORDERS TO IT.
STRATEGIES
The nomads’ greatest advantage is mobility. Platforms may be moved on a regular basis which can prevent hostile aliens from locating them. Another advantage is that fleets, both allied and otherwise, orbiting the platform, move with it when it relocates. This allows nomads to move a great number of fleets in one action. Since platforms may carry fighters nomads can use it like a massive aircraft carrier by moving to a system, launching a fighter strike and then retiring to another system.
There are some disadvantages, such as platform damage caused by moving too far, or moving into a bad system. Additionally, everyone present in the system will be told whenever a planet moves into a new system, and any player with fleets around a nomad’s platform and any alien with installations on the surface of the platform will report the platform’s new location whenever it moves.
MINING CORPORATION
All worlds have a mining potential between 0 and 19. (There may be some planets with higher mining potential – the game designers are not telling.) Miners install mining equipment on terraformed planets and can also mine unterraformed worlds. This means that any planet with a mining potential is a source of revenue. Miners can also build more mining centers per planet than other player types, which makes them very popular. Their main advantages rest in the increased number of mining centers that they can install on a world and in their ability to strip mine a planet, reducing the mining potential, and reaping huge revenue rewards. The Mining Corporation’s main disadvantage is that developing a steady income is harder for a miner than for Independent Civilization Builders because Independent Civilization Builders can build mining centers too; the miner must convince potential clients of the benefits of using corporate mining centers.
ABILITIES
Mining centers may be constructed on any terraformed world. In order to establish mining centers on planets owned by other players miners must send a Mining Center Ship (Class 2) to the planet’s orbit and order it to land and convert, using the install MC action code. No alien owned mining centers may be on the planet surface when the miner sets up its MC. If there are, the mission will be aborted. Once the miner’s MC is established, the miner will be the only player able to build mining centers on that planet until the MCs are destroyed, nationalized, or shut down. Until then, the miner will have sole mining rights on that world.
Once the miner has established an MC on a planet, the mining corporation may then
build MCs as if it were the miner’s own terraformed world. Miners receive 20 RUs per MC per turn.
Mining corporations may mine planets which do not have mining centers present by using Tramp Mining Ships. Once filled, the Tramp Mining Ship must move to a terraformed planet and sell the ore. Miners may sell any number of ore units to any terraformed planet on which they own the mining rights. The selling price will vary according to the number of PCs and population on the world. It is important to note that the mining corporation makes more money in the short run by tramp mining than it does by any other activity.
The sole mining rights rule also applies to Tramp Mining Ships.
If more than one Tramp Mining Ship per mining potential point is involved in a tramp mining action, the planet’s mining potential could be damaged.
RESTRICTIONS
Only Class 2 Mining Center Ships may be used to establish mining centers on terraformed worlds owned by other players.
STRATEGIES
Miners have the ability to mine nearly any planet in the galaxy. They really do not need to own more than one world. Instead, miners must rely on a network of mining centers on alien worlds for the bulk of their income. This can be very lucrative since their mining centers cost 75% less than other players. If they establish MCs on another player’s planet, that player will not have to spend the 500 RUs per MC that would otherwise be required. This allows client players to build their production centers at a greatly reduced cost.
Tramp Mining Ships are a good way to pickup extra RUs when needed. These ships also allow miners to virtually ruin a planet’s mining potential if they so desire.
Mining corporations need to spend a large amount of time exploring for new customers. Additionally, it would be wise to, at least temporarily, ally with players receiving MC Ships so as not to accidentally trigger planetary defenses.
SPECIALTY SHIP BUILDS AT TEC 10
MINING CENTER SHIP (Class 2) — MCS 2 — Installs itself ion a terraformed world. It is the base for further MC builds on that world.
TRAMP MINING SHIP — TMS — Used for mining distant worlds and brining back the wealth to worlds owned by the corporation.
AGRICULTURAL CORPORATION (AgCorp)
Do not be deceived by the name. These are not passive farmers. An Ag Corp is a very powerful entity in the galaxy. The driving force behind expansion amongst the stars is population growth. Planetary populations grow much more slowly if an Ag Center is not present on the world. If the population is small, the military recruitment base is small, and the tax base is small, and the planet grows slowly. Ag centers are vital to a world’s development.
An Ag Corp is the only player type that can install Ag Centers on terraformed worlds. While a miner cannot build mining centers on a planet where it does not have the mining rights, an Ag Corp can only be denied an Ag Center if one has already been installed by another Ag Corp, or diplomatic relations between the ag corporation and the client planet are very bad. While the income received from an Ag Center is many times the value of a mining center, only one can be installed per planet. This is the main disadvantage of an Ag Corp. The Ag Corp must find terraformed worlds to install Ag Centers and, therefore, must search the galaxy to find non-player worlds or other player empires to do business with.
ABILITIES
An Ag. Center (AC) may be established on any terraformed world by landing an Ag. Center Ship. Ag Centers earn 30 RU’s X the planet’s size each turn. Only one AC may be on a Terraformed world at one time.
Diplomacy and exploration are an Ag Corp’s main tools for expanding their AC empire. Everyone will want ACs due to the economic and population benefits listed in the main rule book.
It is in the Ag Corp’s interest to advertise their services to as many other players as possible.
SPECIALTY SHIP BUILDS
AG CENTER SHIP — ACS — dismantles in orbit and establishes an AC on the target world.
TRADE CORPORATION (Trade Corp)
The economics of the game are elegant and the Trade Corporation fits in nicely. Every player must earn income in the form of RUs (Resource Units) to buy and build things. Mining centers, production centers, shipyards, naval ships, marines, forts, even population must be built with RUs. Traders earn revenue by installing trade centers on advanced and developed planets, earning income from the total number of production centers on the planet. They also earn revenue by hauling cargo from one terraformed world to another. For trade route purposes, the larger the population, the better. The main incentive for the trade corporation is the huge amount of revenue to be gained by establishing trade routes between populated planets. The major incentive for other empires to allow trade is the increase in poplulation trade brings as planets prosper. The main disadvantage for a Trade Corp is the same as the Ag Corp. Only one trade center may be installed per planet. Thus, the corporation must expend precious resources exploring the galaxy to find terraformed worlds to do business with.
ABILITIES
Trade Corps are the only players able to build Trade Center Ships, which are use to establish trade centers. Trade Centers are established by sending a TC Ship to a planet’s orbit and ordering it to install a TC. The ship will then land and convert into a Trade Center. TCs may be established on terraformed worlds only. Once established, a TC will automatically make 2 RUs per production center per turn for the owener of the planet and 2 RUs per production center for the Trade Corp
RESTRICTIONS
Only one Trade Center may be established per planet.
STRATEGIES
Trade corporations have the ability to establish a vast trade network which will give them a large financial base while owning only a few planets.
Since only terraformed worlds may support TCs, a trade corp must spend a lot of time exploring for possible customers. An important point to remember when negotiating to place a TC, is that the receiving planet owner will make as much from the TC as the trade corporation does. Further, having a TC on the planet will greatly increase the amount of trading the planet owner can do, as well as increasing the price they are paid for their trading. Of course it’s not all one way. Having a TC on the planet means a trade corp can sell special trade cargo on the world (Tec Level 11).
There are dangers. The prohibition on multiple TCs per planet, means that other traders will attempt to destroy the corporation’s TCs in order to establish their own. Planetary owners also have the option to nationalize all alien installations on the planet. This is very tempting, since they would receive double the income from a TC if nationalization were successful.
It is also a good idea for a trade corporation to, at least temporarily, ally with players receiving TCs so as not to accidentally trigger planetary defenses.
SPECIALTY SHIP BUILDS
TRADE CENTER SHIP — TCS Lands a trade center on a terraformed world.
PIRATE
Just what you’d expect. He steals everything from everybody and sells it to Pirate Havens. These Pirate Havens are NPC planets that have a low technological level (we call it TEC LEVEL) and will pay huge amounts for advanced technological stuff. The advantage of the pirate is that he can remain undetected, even in space, making his ships hard to track down. This leaves many worlds, no matter how well defended, open to the lightning raids of pirate corsairs and slavers. Another big advantage pirates have is the information that can be gained about other worlds by the use of pirate probes.
Pirates sneak in and steal everything that isn’t nailed down, enslave whole populations, and generally make life difficult for everyone. The major disadvantage for pirates is that they must find pirate havens to sell to. They too rely on terraformed worlds to do ‘business’ with and must spend considerable resources searching the stars. You are the scourge of space.
ABILITIES
CORSAIR RAIDS
Pirate Corsairs can launch raids on planets from anywhere within the target planet’s system (including other planetary orbits).
SELLING STOLEN GOODS
Pirates may sell any number of stolen cargo units from their Corsairs to a colony or terraformed world (yes, they may even attempt to sell them back to the planet they raided, although they may get a rather hot reception). The selling price will vary according to the current world trade levels.
PIRATE HAVENS
The best selling price can be obtained from planets with pirate havens on them. Pirate havens are Tec Level nine, or lower, planets on which pirates have established a haven.
To establish a pirate haven, a pirate moves a fleet with a Corsair into the orbit of the target planet and uses the establish pirate haven action code.
Any terraformed world owned by a pirate is considered a pirate haven for that player only.
PIRATE PROBES
Pirates may scan planetary orbits and systems with their expendable pirate probes. This action builds and deploys the probe. The pirate probe acts in the same manner as a planetary probe. Each pirate probe costs 30 RUs. This probe provides more information than the standard planetary probe.
SLAVE WORLDS
Pirates are also able to steal population units and place them on slave worlds that the pirate has established.
Any terraformed world owned by a pirate can be converted to a slave world.
STRATEGIES
Pirates run one of the most challenging player types in Takamo. Their income will be determined by the frequency and success of their planetary raids. They must constantly search for new raiding sites and possible customers for the information their probes and explorers can gather. At times they may be able to engage in all out war, but only for a short period due to their limited resources.
SPECIALTY SHIP BUILDS
CORSAIR — CCR — This vessel is fitted to be a high speed raider that moves quickly into orbit and lands on the planet to disgorge raiders who steal cargo for shipment back to a pirate haven.
SMUGGLER
They do exactly what their name suggests. They smuggle, but on an unimaginable scale. These guys are like the mafia of space. They have their hands in everything, they know more than you think they do and they can really ruin your day if you cross them. The main source of their income comes from installing smuggling centers on terraformed worlds. However not much income is generated from smuggling centers themselves. Rather, black market goods are smuggled through these smuggling centers onto the world and sold to the population or smuggled out and sold to pirate havens. This generates large amounts of revenue while at the same time depriving the planetary owner of his income. The smugglers’ chief advantages are the ability to receive incredibly accurate information about a world from the smuggling center on the planet, the ability to smuggle guerillas onto the planet and conquer the world by subversive methods rather than outright attack, and all those resource units they can make by smuggling. The smugglers’ key disadvantage lies in the fact that they do not terraform and, if a planet owner figure’s out that there is an uninvited smuggling center on his world, he’s going to send in the marines and things may get nasty very quickly.
ABILITIES
Smugglers may establish smuggling centers on any terraformed world by sending a Smuggling Center Ship to the target planet’s system and ordering it to convert to a smuggling center. The SC Ship need only be within the system of the target planet to drop the SC. (The SC Ship may even be orbiting one of the other planets in the system!)
Each SC makes 10 RUs per turn. Only one SC per planet is allowed. SCs are also able to collect information about the planet and transmit it to the smuggler when ordered to do so. It is also possible to smuggle guerrillas onto the planet by loading marine units onto a fleet, sending it to the target system, and landing them. Smugglers may land them by using the land guerrilla action code. Again, the fleet need only be somewhere within the system to effect a landing.
STRATEGIES
Smugglers have the potential to build a vast smuggling center network which not only provides them with a steady income, but also serves as your eyes and ears (or whatever it is that you use) on distant worlds.
Amuggler’s best strategy is to explore like crazy in order to find terraformed worlds on which to establish your smuggling centers. This will give the player a small, but steady, income and possible information sources.
The smuggler empire should then begin casting about for empires and corporations needing their guerrilla, smuggling, or information gathering capabilities. Remember, they have the ability to collect information that no one else can. The more smuggling centers they have, the better off they will be.
Smugglers can increase their income by selling smuggled cargo at a pirate haven (Tec level 11). A pirate haven is any terraformed world with Tec level of 9 or less on which a pirate haven has been established, or any terraformed world owned by the smuggler (but this haven type acts like a haven only for the smuggler, not other player empires). Smugglers can sell smuggled cargo almost anywhere, but they will receive the greatest price by selling it at a pirate haven.
To establish a pirate haven, a smuggler must bring a fleet with a smuggling ship (Tec level 11) into orbit around the target planet, and use the establish pirate haven action code.
SPECIALTY SHIP BUILDS
SMUGGLING CENTER SHIP — SCS — Lands and installs a smuggling center.
If you still have questions about player types, contact randy@takamouniverse.com and we will gladly assist you.