{"id":539,"date":"2012-05-01T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2012-05-01T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/?p=539"},"modified":"2018-01-05T17:01:57","modified_gmt":"2018-01-05T17:01:57","slug":"ad-astra-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/blog\/2012\/05\/01\/ad-astra-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Ad Astra – Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Si les m\u00e9canismes fondamentaux d’As Astra ont \u00e9t\u00e9 assez rapidement con\u00e7us, les r\u00e9glages ont demand\u00e9 de tr\u00e8s nombreux tests. Pour que le jeu reste int\u00e9ressant au del\u00e0 des parties de d\u00e9couverte, il ne fallait pas qu’une strat\u00e9gie, qu’un mode de d\u00e9veloppement s’av\u00e8re syst\u00e9matiquement plus profitable qu’un autre. Alors que les m\u00e9canismes du jeu ne changeaient plus gu\u00e8re, nous avons \u00e0 plusieurs reprises modifi\u00e9 le co\u00fbt des d\u00e9placements ou le score des terraformations afin de rendre tel ou tel \u00ab chemin vers la victoire \u00bb plus ou moins praticable.<\/p>\n

Bien s\u00fbr, le choix de votre strat\u00e9gie dans une partie d’Ad Astra doit tenir compte des circonstances, et notamment de la production de votre plan\u00e8te de d\u00e9part ainsi que, dans une moindre mesure, des paires de ressources figurant sur vos cartes de production. Surtout, s’il est bon de songer \u00e0 une strat\u00e9gie en d\u00e9but de partie, il faut aussi savoir s’adapter aux circonstances et \u00e0 ce que font les autres joueurs. Il peut \u00eatre bon, par exemple, de se sp\u00e9cialiser dans une ressource \u00e9galement produite par un autre joueur, afin de la voir produite plus fr\u00e9quemment. D’un autre c\u00f4t\u00e9, il peut \u00eatre int\u00e9ressant de privil\u00e9gier un mode de d\u00e9veloppement (terraformation, vaisseaux, colonies…) o\u00f9 nul ne vous concurrence, afin de b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier plus facilement des bonus de score. Bref, Ad Astra est un jeu plus strat\u00e9gique que tactique, mais qui demande n\u00e9anmoins une certaine souplesse. C’est d’ailleurs pour handicaper les strat\u00e9gies trop sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9es que nous avons introduit le m\u00e9canisme des cartes scores ne pouvant \u00eatre r\u00e9cup\u00e9r\u00e9es que lorsqu’elles ont toutes \u00e9t\u00e9 jou\u00e9es.<\/p>\n

Voici quelques unes des strat\u00e9gies que nous avons vu \u00e9merger lors des parties tests et qui, dans les bonnes circonstances et men\u00e9es sans dogmatisme excessif, peuvent conduire \u00e0 la victoire.<\/p>\n

Terraformation<\/strong>
\nSi vous d\u00e9butez la partie sur une plan\u00e8te produisant de l’eau ou de la nourriture, vous pouvez tenter de terraformer rapidement plusieurs plan\u00e8tes, marquant des points d’abord lors de la terraformation, puis ensuite avec votre cartes scores. Si vous trouvez rapidement d’autres plan\u00e8tes terraformables et ne rencontrez pas de concurrence, cette strat\u00e9gie est facile \u00e0 mettre en \u0153uvre. Elle peut cependant s’\u00e9puiser, et peut facilement \u00eatre contr\u00e9e si d’autres joueurs plus mobiles s’emparent des bonnes plan\u00e8tes avant vous.<\/p>\n

Hypersp\u00e9cialisation<\/strong>
\nProduire une m\u00eame ressource en grande quantit\u00e9, et notamment l’\u00e9nergie, peut permettre en cas de besoin de faire des \u00e9changes int\u00e9ressants, notamment avec la banque. Surtout, cela cr\u00e9e des opportunit\u00e9s de score tr\u00e8s impressionnantes avec la carte “ressources identiques”. La limite de 10 cartes ressources en main n’\u00e9tant effective qu’\u00e0 la fin du tour, rien ne vous emp\u00eache d’accumuler les cartes d’\u00e9nergie, ou de toute autre ressource, et d’en d\u00e9penser une douzaine, voire plus, sur une carte score astucieusement plac\u00e9e parmi les derni\u00e8res du tour.<\/p>\n

Vaisseaux et syst\u00e8mes<\/strong>
\nSi vous disposez de minerai en d\u00e9but de partie, vous pouvez construire un second vaisseau d\u00e8s le premier tour et vous r\u00e9pandre rapidement dans des syst\u00e8mes nombreux, laissant \u00e9ventuellement une colonie derri\u00e8re vous sur les plan\u00e8tes les plus int\u00e9ressantes. Les vaisseaux co\u00fbtent certes assez cher, mais les score ” vaisseaux” et ” syst\u00e8mes” figurant sur des cartes actions diff\u00e9rentes, vous pouvez esp\u00e9rer b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier ainsi d’un plus grand nombre de bonus de score, qui sont souvent d\u00e9terminants pour la victoire finale.<\/p>\n

Autostop<\/strong>
\nLa strat\u00e9gie de l’autostoppeur est l’une des plus difficiles \u00e0 mener, mais elle est aussi tr\u00e8s satisfaisante lorsqu’elle fonctionne. Elle consiste \u00e0 se reposer essentiellement sur les cartes action des autres joueurs et \u00e0 jouer rapidement ses cartes de score, quitte \u00e0 ne pas toujours \u00eatre premier, afin de profiter au mieux du choix qui est \u00e0 chaque fois donn\u00e9 entre les deux types de score. Le principal risque est, ne pouvant vraiment se sp\u00e9cialiser dans aucun domaine, de scorer souvent et correctement mais sans jamais b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier des utiles bonus de trois points.<\/p>\n

Aliens<\/strong>
\nLes plan\u00e8tes aliens sont rares, et les effets des artefacts trop diff\u00e9rents pour permettre de construire \u00e0 l’avance une “strat\u00e9gie alien”. Il ne faut cependant pas n\u00e9gliger les plan\u00e8tes aliens, d’une part dans l’espoir de piocher une carte int\u00e9ressante, mais aussi pour b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier des points accord\u00e9s lors de la construction d’une colonie, et plus encore d’une usine, sur ces plan\u00e8tes.<\/p>\n

Ad Astra est un jeu de Serge Laget. Il y a donc plusieurs strat\u00e9gies possibles pour parvenir \u00e0 la victoire, et il vaut mieux qu’un joueur en ait une en t\u00eate pour guider ses choix. C’est aussi un jeu de Bruno Faidutti. Flexibilit\u00e9 et adaptabilit\u00e9 sont donc \u00e9galement essentielles, et il est parfois bon de reconsid\u00e9rer en cours de partie ses choix strat\u00e9giques.<\/p>\n

Ad Astra<\/strong><\/span>
\n Un jeu de Bruno Faidutti & Serge Laget<\/span>
\n Illustr\u00e9 par Justin Albers & Kieran Yanner<\/span>
\n 3 \u00e0 5 joueurs \u2013 60 minutes<\/span>
\n Publi\u00e9 par Nexus (2009)
\nLudovox<\/a> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Vind’jeu<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Tric Trac<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Boardgamegeek<\/a><\/p>\n

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While the core systems of Ad Astra were quite easy to design, the fine-tuning required many tests of many different versions. We wanted the excitement and challenge of the first games to last for many, many games. This meant we had to balance the different strategies and to prevent one or another from becoming the obvious path to victory once a player knows the game well. Without changing anything in the core game systems, we made many late test games with minor changes in the cost of movement, or in the terraforming scorings, to make this or that path to victory harder or easier to follow.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can’t decide of a strategy before knowing what your starting planet produces and, though it’s less critical, what are the resource pairings on your production cards. Also, while it’s good to have a clear strategy in the first turn, you must sometimes adapt to the circumstances, and to what other players are doing. It could interesting in the first turns, for example, to have the same production as another player so as to make use of his production action cards. On the other hand, it could be interesting in the long term to specialize in something other players are neglecting, like terraforming or spaceships, which will make easier to get the three points score bonuses. Ad Astra is more strategy than tactics, but it nevertheless rewards some flexibility. We devised the rule stating than one cannot get his scoring cards back until all three have been played specifically to discourage rigid, one way strategies.<\/em><\/p>\n

During our test games, a few strategies have emerged. All of them, if played at the right time and with enough flexibility, can lead to victory.<\/em><\/p>\n

Terraforming.<\/strong><\/em>
\n If you start the game on a water or food planet, you can try to terraform quickly two or more planets. This can make for huge scoring, first when terraforming, then with the terraforming scoring cards. This works only if you find other terraformable planets quite soon, and if no one else is terraforming. This strategy is very easy to implement, but it doesn’t always do well in the long run, especially if other players land on the water and food planet before you do.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hyperspecialization<\/strong><\/em>
\n If you can produce the same resource, usually energy, in great quantities, it can put you in a good position for trade, either with the bank or with other players. Also, this creates an opportunity for impressive scoring with the \u201csame resource\u201d-scoring scoring card. The 10 resource cards hand limit is only at the end of the turn, so you can accumulate resource cards during the turn and spend a dozen or more on a same resource scoring card played in the very last spaces on the track.<\/em><\/p>\n

Spaceship and Systems<\/strong><\/em>
\n If you start the game with an ore planet, it can be clever to build a second spaceship in the first turn and start exploring new systems, leaving a colony behind you in each system. Spaceships are expensive, but the \u201cspaceships\u201d and \u201csystems\u201d scores are triggered with different cards, which means you can hope for many scoring bonuses if you manage to hold both majorities. Bonuses are often decisive in this game.<\/em><\/p>\n

Piggyback<\/strong><\/em>
\n The piggyback strategy requires psychology and adaptability, but it can be very satisfying. The idea is to count on action cards from other players, and play many scoring cards. This way, you choose more often than other players what element is scored, which can be a strong advantage. The drawback from this strategy is that you can’t really specialize in one item or another. You often get good scores, but you rarely get the 3 points bonuses<\/em><\/p>\n

Alien artifacts<\/strong><\/em>
\n Alien planets are scarce, and the artifact effects are too varied to be predicted and used in an \u201calien strategy\u201d. Going for alien planets can be good nevertheless, not only for the artifacts, but also for the scoring points awarded when you build a colony, and even more when you build a factory.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ad Astra is a game by Serge Laget. This means there are many different strategies that can lead to victory, and one must always have a strategy in mind. It’s also a game by Bruno Faidutti. This means it nevertheless rewards adaptability, and one must be ready to switch strategy on a good opportunity<\/em><\/p>\n

Ad Astra<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n by Bruno Faidutti and Serge Laget<\/em><\/span>
\n Art by\u00a0Justin Albers & Kieran Yanner<\/em><\/span>
\n 3 to 5 players\u00a0 \u2013 60 minutes<\/em><\/span>
\n Published by Nexus (2009)<\/em><\/span>
\nBoardgamegeek<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Si les m\u00e9canismes fondamentaux d’As Astra ont \u00e9t\u00e9 assez rapidement con\u00e7us, les r\u00e9glages ont demand\u00e9 de tr\u00e8s nombreux tests. Pour que le jeu reste int\u00e9ressant au del\u00e0 des parties de d\u00e9couverte, il ne fallait pas qu’une strat\u00e9gie, qu’un mode de … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[82],"tags":[359,236,61],"class_list":["post-539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ad-astra","tag-ad-astra","tag-science-fiction","tag-serge-laget"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2HNOP-8H","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=539"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9073,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions\/9073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faidutti.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}