ToEE

If you're dying a lot, there's a bunch of fetch quests and the like in town you can do that should get you up to level 2 before heading to the Moathouse.

Another option would be to hire Elmo. He's expensive, but he's a beast in combat.

ETA: Also, make sure you have a character with good social skills selected when talking to people. If the whole party is selected, the game defaults to your party leader doing the talking (for good or ill.)

RftG

Round 8: here are the choices.

Connie Neil: Phase IV (x2) - Consume (double VPs)
chrismg: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)
Laga: Phase III - Settle

We have two phases. Phase III (Settle) is first. Everyone, if you haven't already done so, please send me orders.

RftG

We are good to go on Phase III, and there's a lot of settling going on.

Laga plays Spice World for 2 discards. This is another Blue production world, and gives her a 2-card bonus when trading a Blue good. She chose this phase, so she draws 1 card.

Connie plays Asteroid Belt for 2 discards. This is a Brown windfall world. Her Mining League means she will produce on this world in any Phase V.

chrismg plays Radioactive World, another Brown windfall world. His Replicant Robots gives -2 cost, and it costs him 0 discards.

Phase IV is next.

RftG

Phase IV! Connie chose this phase, and chose to double her points. She has two Consume powers she can use, and consumes her two Blue goods for 1 VP and 1 card each; for a total of 4 VPs and 2 cards. She has the Brown good on the newly placed Asteroid Belt left in place.

chrismg chose to trade his Green good. Export Duties and Genetics Lab both give him a bonus card, so he draws 6 cards. He has no Consume powers, so the other goods are untouched.

Laga consumes both her Blue goods on Consumer Markets for 2 VPs.

That concludes Round 8. Time to choose Action cards for Round 9! Everyone, please send me your choice.

RftG

End-of-round summary:

Round 8
Connie Neil
Layout
Galactic Studios (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Galactic Resort (Non-Military Blue Windfall World)
Mining League (6-Cost Development)
Asteroid Belt (Non-Military Brown Windfall World) + good

Cards in Hand: 3
Victory Points: 9
Layout Value: 6
6-Cost Developments: 1

chrismg
Layout
Ancient Race (Non-Military Green Windfall World)
Contact Specialist (Development)
Rebel Sympathisers (Military Blue Windfall World) + good
Export Duties (Development)
Rebel Warrior Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Investment Credits (Development)
Replicant Robots (Development)
Genetics Lab (Development)
Radioactive World (Non-Military Brown Windfall World) + good

Cards in Hand: 9
Victory Points: 0
Layout Value: 11
6-Cost Developments: 0

Laga
Layout
Earth's Lost Colony (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Investment Credits (Development)
Gem World (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Expedition Force (Development)
Consumer Markets (Development)
Spice World (Non-Military Blue Production World)

Cards in Hand: 4
Victory Points: 3
Layout Value: 8
6-Cost Developments: 0

VP Pool: 24

RftG

Choices for Round 9:

Connie Neil: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)
chrismg: Phase II - Develop
Laga: Phase V - Produce

Three phases again. First is Phase II (Develop). Connie and Laga both pass. chrismg plays Free Trade Association. This is a 6-cost development, but he gets -2 cost, from Investment Credits and choosing Phase II, so he pays 4 discards. This card lets him produce on one Blue windfall world (of which he has one), and can consume up to 3 Blue goods for 1 VP and 1 card each. At game end it's worth 2 VPs per Blue production world and 1 VP per Blue windfall world, plus 2 VPs each for a couple of Blue-related cards. (Currently worth 1 VP; but to Connie it'd be worth 3, and to Laga 8. Such is their Bluesitude.)

In Phase IV (Consume), Connie chose the trade bonus, and trades her Brown good for 3 cards.

chrismg uses his new Free Trade Association, and consumes 1 Blue good for 1 VP and 1 card.

Laga has no goods, so sits this out.

Finally, we have Phase V (Produce).

Connie produces 1 Blue good on Galactic Studios, for which she draws a card. Her Mining League lets her produce on a Brown windfall world, so she gets a Brown good on Asteroid Belt.

chrismg has powers to produce on one Blue and one Green windfall world; he produces on Ancient Race and Rebel Sympathisers, and draws a card for producing on the latter world.

Laga now has three Blue production worlds, and produces on all of them. She then draws 1 card for each of them from Consumer Markets, and fourth card from Gem World.

Cards are going out now. That concludes Round 9. Round 10 commences.

RftG

End-of-round summary:

Round 9
Connie Neil
Layout
Galactic Studios (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Galactic Resort (Non-Military Blue Windfall World)
Mining League (6-Cost Development)
Asteroid Belt (Non-Military Brown Windfall World) + good

Cards in Hand: 7
Victory Points: 9
Layout Value: 6
6-Cost Developments: 1

chrismg
Layout
Ancient Race (Non-Military Green Windfall World) + good
Contact Specialist (Development)
Rebel Sympathisers (Military Blue Windfall World) + good
Export Duties (Development)
Rebel Warrior Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Investment Credits (Development)
Replicant Robots (Development)
Genetics Lab (Development)
Radioactive World (Non-Military Brown Windfall World) + good
Free Trade Association (6-Cost Development)

Cards in Hand: 6
Victory Points: 1
Layout Value: 11
6-Cost Developments: 1

Laga
Layout
Earth's Lost Colony (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Investment Credits (Development)
Gem World (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Expedition Force (Development)
Consumer Markets (Development)
Spice World (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good

Cards in Hand: 8
Victory Points: 3
Layout Value: 8
6-Cost Developments: 0

VP Pool: 23

RFtG

Sorry about the delay, I needed to clarify some things with a couple of players. We have choices:

Connie Neil: Phase II - Develop
chrismg: Phase II - Develop
Laga: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)

We will have two phases. Phase II (Develop) is first.

Connie plays Mining Conglomerate for 2 discards. This is a Brownfest; +1 card when trading Brown, consume up to 2 Brown for 1 VP each, draw 2 cards when outproducing everyone in Brown. It's also worth 2 bonus points on Mining League.

chrismg plays Research Labs for 2 discards. This is a mixed bag. He can keep 1 extra card when exploring. He can consume 1 Green good for 1 VP. And he draws 1 card for every Yellow good he produces.

Laga didn't choose this phase, but she still gets -1 cost from Investment Credits. And she plays a 6-cost development, Galactic Federation, for 5 discards. This card gives her -2 cost on any future developments (total -3). It's worth 2 VPs for every 6-cost development, and 1 VP for every other development. At present it's worth 5 VPs in her layout.

RftG

Phase IV begins, and everyone has goods to consume.

Connie consumes 1 Blue and 1 Brown good on Galactic Studios and Galactic Resort for 2 VPs and 2 cards.

chrismg consumes 1 Blue good on Free Trade Association and 1 Green good on Research Labs for 2 VPs and 1 card. He still has 1 Brown good on Radioactive World.

Laga chose this phase, and trades 1 Blue good for 4 cards. Spice World gives her 2 extra cards. She consumes the other 2 Blue goods on Consumer Markets for 2 VPs.

Cards will go out shortly. I just need to check something.

RftG

End-of-round summary:

Round 10
Connie Neil
Layout
Galactic Studios (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Galactic Resort (Non-Military Blue Windfall World)
Mining League (6-Cost Development)
Asteroid Belt (Non-Military Brown Windfall World)
Mining Conglomerate (Development)

Cards in Hand: 6
Victory Points: 11
Layout Value: 8
6-Cost Developments: 3

chrismg
Layout
Ancient Race (Non-Military Green Windfall World)
Contact Specialist (Development)
Rebel Sympathisers (Military Blue Windfall World)
Export Duties (Development)
Rebel Warrior Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Investment Credits (Development)
Replicant Robots (Development)
Genetics Lab (Development)
Radioactive World (Non-Military Brown Windfall World) + good
Free Trade Association (6-Cost Development)
Research Labs (Development)

Cards in Hand: 4
Victory Points: 3
Layout Value: 13
6-Cost Developments: 1

Laga
Layout
Earth's Lost Colony (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Investment Credits (Development)
Gem World (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Expedition Force (Development)
Consumer Markets (Development)
Spice World (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Galactic Federation (6-Cost Development)

Cards in Hand: 6
Victory Points: 5
Layout Value: 8
6-Cost Developments: 5

VP Pool: 17

chrismg now has 11 cards in his layout. One more card will end the game.