Alternate
Universe expansion, 121 card expansion (40 common, 40 uncommon,
40 rare, 1 ultra-rare) sold in 15-card booster packs (11 common, 3 uncommon,
1 rare)
Average Picture Score: 3.26
Average Lore Score: 3.19
Average Trek Sense Score: 2.68
Average Stockability Score: 3.23
PRODUCT CONCEPT: The fact that today's players often ask for an Alternate Universe II expansion (covering the "time travel weirdness" of Voyager and Deep Space 9) means the concept has always been a popular one - cards thematically linked to parallel universes, other time period or dreamy and nightmarish fantasies. It's certainly a popular concept with the Star Trek writers! As the second expansion for STCCG (at the time, ST:TNGCCG), it also had to cover more general concepts, but I always liked the fact that special attention was still payed to pulling more surreal pics to handle mundane matters, like on Senior Staff Meeting. It still may not have been a good idea to "go out" of the Star Trek universe proper on the game's second outing, and the concepts suffered as a result of the game's then lack of complexity. But the expansion does stick to its guns, pulling a vast majority of its cards from thematically appropriate episodes. When they weren't clearly AU ideas, they still had that oddball spin on them, such as the concepts pulled from "Rascals", "Masks" and the Parallax Colony. The theme is always fun, and I'd look forward to stuff from "The Visitor", "Living Witness" or even "All Good Things..." again. Badly timed as it is, a 3.9.
PACKAGING/LOOK: The booster packs were dreadful - all blue with a small AU icon in the middle of them. Yeeech. The boxes themselves had the image from Alternate Universe Door, an excellent pic indeed, with Picard almost falling into space from a floating doorway. Simple and to the point, I don't necessarily think it would have worked better as a collage of various cards as is done today. The cards themselves were of various quality levels, of course, but tended toward the surreal even when they weren't directly AU. I like that about the set. In this expansion, Decipher ran with the idea of visual Easter Eggs, which really suited the theme, and did more than they had in Premiere. I kind of miss those days (but would rather see expansions roll out on time). Because of the poor booster designs, can't pass the 2 mark.
DISTRIBUTION: Though the challenge here was to get that ultra-rare, the rest of the set was pretty easily assembled thanks to a 40/40/40 structure to the rarity types. Each booster pack had way too many commons though (11), so that you ended up with way too many of each (I used them as cheap proxies for dream cards). With boxes clocking in at 60 boosters instead of 30, their cost was a bit high (I certainly never bought any) as well. A few of the cards were availble for free in the Warp Pack (including Montgommery Scott which is built like a rare), and a few others were in the 2-player game. So a relatively easy to collect set, with the exception of the ultra-rare, the first of its kind (but not the last). A 3.7 here.
NEW ICONS, CARD TYPES & MECHANICS: AU introduced a new card type and in doing so, a new layout for more complex cards, as well as a few other ideas - Neutral cards, Animals, the Tal Shiar, etc. Very little in comparison to later expansions, but capturing remains an important tool today. Of course, I'll be reviewing capturing as it used to be, not as it is post-Blaze of Glory. I will also not make mention of personae here since the only personnel card to actually be a version of a previous one was Major Rakal, and not at this time considered to be such a version. I WILL make mention of the disabled concept since it got its better definition here.
Alternate Universe
icon
Graphics: Rather unassuming, the icon nonetheless expresses
the right idea. Two universes seem to be separated by a thin line. The
line curves so as to allow a little of one universe to spill into the other,
much like the card elements into the basic Star Trek universe. Understated,
but sound, I give it a 4.5.
Trek Sense: All depends on the card, doesn't it? I think the
main problem is that it's been attributed for far too many reasons, and
the various effects of or on the iconed cards could benefit from more variety.
So while timeline disruption in 2073 should eliminate 24th-century humans,
yet not 19th-century ones, the AU icon also protects 23rd-century natives.
Huh? That's what you get from having an over-arcing icon like this. In
effect, it puts under the same banner personnel and things from the past,
the future, the OS era, various mindscapes, parallel universes, the Royale
Casino "reality", just out of phase, hallucinations, that have time/space
control powers, you name it. Some are extremely badly attributed, such
as the Fed/Romulans of the set and some artifacts like Cryosatellite. The
current day Mirror universe seems to have escaped this fate, but why should
it be any different than the rest? Mechanically, all the icon does by itself
is prevent such personnel to report to your regular universe unless specific
doorways (or the time location they are native to) are in play to allow
them to do so. That makes sense, but again, there's a difference between
the appearance of a hallucinatory being, time travel, and a crossover from
a parallel timeline, which can't be covered by this too-broad tag. That
keeps the score at 2.
Usefulness: While the reporting restriction it entails can be
viewed as a disadvantage, it's not that much of one. Even the affiliations
with very few AU cards available to them can use Space-Time Portal to seed
them one at a time, and later discard the Doorway for a special effect.
For decks that want to report more than one AU card per turn, there's still
Alternate Universe Door and Temporal Micro-Wormhole. And when using personnel
native to specific Time Locations, you can ignore the icon to report them
to their home time, so OS of CF decks need not worry if using Sherman's
Peak or Khitomer. The icon has far more uses associated to it than it does
disadvantages in any case. It protects personnel from timeline disruption
following Stop First Contact, offers card draws through Temporal Investigations,
boost attributes through Devidian Foragers, allows for mass reporting aboard
a ship (one of those STP special effects I was talking about earlier),
stocks Cryosatellite, and more. It also restricts the use of the cards
in other cases, but all in all, I think it's a better than average thing.
Hmm... 3.3 [Average total: 3.27.]
ANIMAL (classification)
Trek Sense: Some Animals have won our hearts as characters on
Trek shows. Spot, certainly, and more recently, Porthos. Should they be
personnel cards? Well, it's really hard to make them compare to sentient
beings. They do have a sense of loyalty to their masters (Integrity) and
relatively rudimentary intelligence (Cunning), but the only attribute they
can really be rated in is Strength. They don't have skills per se (Youth
could be a possibility, I suppose), and any affiliation attribution is
iffy at best (does the Targ KNOW it's part of the Klingon Empire?). At
least they can't staff ships, use Equipment or attempt missions alone.
They also can't initiate personnel battle, yet I could see a pack of angry
Targs attacking an Away Team simply for being on their territory. They
only really have special skills, and since there are so few of them, why
not have made them into a special type of Event or something, played on
a "master" (for free on Data, Worf and Dr. Gillian Taylor, for example).
It would have, at the very least, avoided some rather embarassing Parallel
Romances. They make it work, but it doesn't seem to be the best of solutions.
Under average at 2.9.
Usefulness: Well, because ANIMALs can do very little that even
the dumbest, weakest SENTIENT personnel can do, they win the prize for
least useful classification. They help you pass Vole Infestation, Palukoo
and Scottish Setter, but that's it. No missions require them, they can't
staff ships, can't use hand weapons, much less other equipment, things
you usually take for granted. At least they can't be assimilated. 0.5 for
what little is here. [Average total: 1.7.]
Capturing
Trek Sense: Capturing in the old days was pretty conceptual
in the sense that captives existed in a thematically appropriate pocket
universe. They got caught, disappeared to that space, weren't held by anyone
in particular though they could be brainwashed or rescued and rejoin the
real universe at an outpost. So were they at that outpost being held? Seems
like it, though no ship ferried them there. It was capturing painted large,
with few details filled in. Makes sense that capturing would be something
personnel could do, it just wasn't very developped when it came out. A
retro-score of 3.
Usefulness: Pre-Blaze of Glory, where capturing substantially
changed, it was still a nifty trick. Zap personnel with Cardassian Trap
(mostly) or Romulan Ambush (rarely), and you took it away from its owner,
and could do things to it. Interrogation gve you points, Brainwash gave
you personnel. That was about it, but they were good enough effects to
be a hassle to your opponent. I only mentioned two capturing devices, but
there were more before BoG came out, from Caught Red-Handed to Thine Own
Self through the Sheriff, Secret Compartment, Reflection Therapy and others.
Not sure what it would be worth now, but pre-BoG, it was a 3.7 [Average
total: 3.35.]
Disabled
Trek Sense: I like the distinction made between being in statis
(see below) and being disabled. After all, not all crippling conditions
are the same. While stasis means the personnel cannot be moved (it's in
a stasis field, out of phase, etc.), disabled personnel can. They're suffering
from a long-term stun, if you will. If you can move, beam, etc. a patient,
then you would indeed be able to carry them around "like equipment". No
problems there, and it gives designers the chance to create non-lethal
dangers for crews and Away Teams. Well, that's a simple 5.
Usefulness: It's not cool to be disabled, but disabling other
personnel is certainly the next best thing to killing them. Or is it? Disabled
personnel are notorious for waking up, as the disabling effect usually
has a "countdown" or cure of sorts. Even a self-induced disablement by
Hypospray can be lifted at an Infirmiry. While they are disabled though,
personnel can't do a thing, but they can be moved within shouting distance
of the cure. So stasis is second best to death, with disablement hitting
no more than third. Still, some effects call for an increasing number of
disabled personnel, like Aphasia Device, and are very potent. Others have
no wake-up clause per se, such as Lethean Telepathic Attack, but the Infirmity
might still be of help. Good for a 3.5. [Average total: 4.25.]
Doorways
Graphics: The genius of removing the lore box is that they've
allowed the image to bleed down, like that of missions, but with potentially
more interesting stuff. But what about the Doorway icon? It doesn't take
a central tack like others do, nor is it as abstract as other main card
types. Shades of being introduced in AU? The white door could be the one
on Alternate Universe Door, though the prism like floor has little to do
with that. Not a botched job, but not up to Decipher's usually elegant
standards. A dinky 2.4.
Trek Sense: Removing the lore from various card types started
here, and I must say that while I like lore as much as picture or anything
else, but I also like what this has added to the game. Some concepts are
just too complex, or include too many ideas, to fit on an Event or Interrupt.
The added space also allows for brief snippet effects that wouldn't have
warranted a card by themselves. Added detail = better Trek Sense. Doorways
are meant to represent actual "doors", often in the fabric of space-time,
or sometimes, more conceptually, as entry points for a new card type. Decipher's
always been very diligent in making sure they are always represented by
actual doors, with the possible exception of Q's Tent which nonetheless
has the tent entry (except the Tent in more like a canopy). The main difference
between Doorways and other über-text cards (Objectives and Incidents)
is that they play like Interrupts (but only during your turn). Basically
mechanical, there's no real reason this should be so, since it could be
argued that yes, Doorways open spontaneously (at interrupt speeds), but
it the opposite could be argued just as well. I'm generally happy with
this card type, so 3.5.
Usefulness: Playing at Interrupt speeds, and not counting as
your card play? With all that game text, that can be pretty powerful. Of
course, most of the big effects are for seeded Doorways, and those afford
us entry points into various side-decks or allow certain cards to come
into play. Doorways gave us the Q's Tent side-deck, Battle Bridge, Spacedoored
ships, and Guardian of Forever card draws, to name but a couple things.
They help the Borg move around, any affiliation time travel, and get your
AUs into play. Their usefulness varies, but is generally pretty high. The
type hits 4.5 [Average total: 3.47.]
Dual-aligned cards
Graphics: Putting the affiliation icons next to each other was
the sensible thing to do, the only other solution being to split screen
them à la Dixon Hill's Business Card. 3.1 for the obvious choice.
Trek Sense: Some personnel (and ships) have worked with two affiliations,
or are double agents, or whatever, and this solves certain problems. It's
like a mini-Treaty for just that card. Where it stops working is when you
have to switch between one and the other. Suddenly, the can be under house
arrest, so it isn't REALLY like a Treaty of sorts. Quark Son of Keldar
isn't a Ferengi that can work with the Klingons, he's either a Klingon
OR a Ferengi and wouldn't be accepted in the "other mode". Sometimes, that
makes some measure of sense (Stefan DeSeve), and others, not as much. At
least they didn't keep up the DeSeve/Rakal model of switching skills and
attributes with the affiliation. Mostly sensical at 3.6.
Usefulness: If a personnel has 2 affiliation icons, then it's
useful to twice as many affiliations (almost all of them if one of those
icons is NA). With enough NA support, you can pillage missions without
your root icon switching to the secondary icon and attempting with compatible
personnel. For some, like the Romulans at Federation missions, it doesn't
require that many NAs after all. And it's really the best way to make an
Away Team for the high-point Diplomatic Conference. Switching a personnel
can sometimes afford it protection from certain affiliation-centric cards,
but it must be done before the card is encountered (no switching the Prometheus
and its crew to Fed just as Quantum Singlarity Lifeforms is flipped over).
Similarly, beneficial cards that affect personnel or ships of a certain
affiliation could benefit from a quick switch. For added flexibility, a
3.6. [Average total: 3.43.]
Matching commanders
Trek Sense: It makes some measure of sense that the true captain
of a ship would know it inside and out enough to enable various effects
using other cards, and enable various others by the confidence that commander
would inspire in the crew. Decipher's gone a bit far sometimes in attributing
matching commander status to personnel that were barely in command of a
ship for no more than an episode, so it doesn't always work so well, but
that's a problem with the individual matching commanders. In any case,
it encourages putting the right captains on the right ships, and that can
only enhance Trek Sense. The idea is worth its 4.5.
Usefulness: Matching commanders currently enjoy a number of
advantages and only a couple of disadvantages. They can be downloaded directly
aboard their ship with Ready Room Door or download the ship itself if they
have ENGINEER and Construct Starship (if unique), so matching the two is
relatively easy. Captain's Log boosts WEAPONS and SHIELDS, while Defiant
Dedication Plaque does the same to RANGE. They can use the Picard Maneuver,
the Omega Directive and Make It So. The latter downloads you Captain's
Orders (if indirectly) and Tactics, and can unstop the ship. As for disadvantages,
they are prey to Abandon Mission and are affected by Trouble on the Bridge.
Nothing major. Most affiliations have plenty of MC/ship combinations, some
universal. The Bajorans have a universal guy that can command ANY of their
ships, and the Dominion can do a similar trick using VR Headset. I'd say
their time is far from past at 4.5. [Average total: 4.5.]
Miracle Worker (skill)
Trek Sense: Just a fun thing to put on a Scotty card, it at
least includes Transporter Skill (as per the miracle pulled in his one
TNG episode), but is meant to represent feats of engineering prowess that
almost defy common sense. MacGyverisms, if you will. It's cute, should
be on at least one O'Brien card, and should get a few more uses. The concept
hits 3.4.
Usefulness: Given that only Scotty has the skill (2 of him),
it can't be made too useful. Right now, you can use it to solve Reunion
and pass the nasty Duonetic Field Generator. That's all. Thankfully, it
contains Transporter Skill which is a very useful skill (which didn't exist
at AU's time), so Miracle Worker is really "Transporter Skill +". That's
a 4.5. [Average total: 2.63.]
Neutral "affiliation"
Graphics: The gray bubble is as neutral as they could make it,
but it thankfully has some volume thanks to that gleam of reflected light.
Simple and direct, it does the job. A 3.3.
Trek Sense: Since "Non-Aligned" actually IS an affiliation after
all (certainly behaves like one, even if it has an all-encompassing Treaty),
there has to be a niche for the truly affiliation-less. Affiliation-less
for the cats and whales perhaps, but on the various facilities, it seems
to be a kind of universality. Everybody has Colonies, but they weren't
going to make a Colony for each affiliation. Empok nor is just about the
only Neutral facility which escapes this, behaving more like Spot, George
and Gracie. A two-headed beast in a sense, and a sensical 3.4 as to its
score.
Usefulness: Any card so marked can be used by any non-Borg affiliation,
so it increases the usefulness of those cards. At the same time, those
cards are affiliation-less and, if personnel, can't attempt any missions
with attemptability icons, but that point is really moot (see ANIMALs).
Without any other mechanics attached, 3.2 should do it. [Average total:
3.3.]
Stasis
Trek Sense: Personnel in stasis cannot be moved in addition
to being unable to do a single thing. In other words, even personnel around
them cannot normally get to them to carry them or beam them out of the
situation. As mentioned above, I like the distinction between this and
being disabled (or stunned, etc.). Stasis in the game seems to occur for
various reason: personnel being caught in temporal anomalies, turning into
invisible creatures, frozen solid, having their power turned off, etc.
Ideally, there's always a good reason why such personnel could not be moved,
but there are some anomalies such Vulcan Nerve Pinch or Qualor II Rendezvous.
The concept itself is a sound 4.6.
Usefulness: Well, placing someone in stasis keeps them away
from your opponent, even from Res-Qs from the discard pile. And unlike
being disabled, stasis is more dangerous. First off, the personnel (and
ships) can't be brought to the cure, the cure must come to them. Second,
stasis can be a little more permanent, and when it isn't, you can slap
on Dead in Bed at the last minute to kill the poor sap. While you can place
personnel in stasis using a couple of Vulcan tricks or Off Switch, these
have a short-term effect. The best way to go is still with dilemmas: Quantum
Singularity Lifeforms preceded by Scout Encounter is an old standby, but
it has a cure. DNA Metamorphosis could be better since almost no one uses
IP Scanners. A nasty little 4. [Average total: 4.3.]
Tal Shiar (skill)
Trek Sense: Whether you consider this a network of contacts,
a package of privileges or actual spy training, this first intelligence
skill makes sense, and paved the way for more of its kind. The Tal Shiar
have too many operations not to be acknowledged on cards. Originally, Tal
Shiar could order your personnel to fire on other Romulans. I had no problem
with that, but it's now gone the way of Defensive Measures. Still a strong
4.5.
Usefulness: It's definitely one of the better Romulan skills.
They may report for free at the Continuing Committee, double Flaxian Assassin,
upkeep the Advanced D'deridex's attributes, download capture-related cards
at a Brig, help solve a handful of missions, pass Primitive Culture, initiate
battle against their own kind gaining 1 Leadership to do so, enable Espionage
strategies with their Plans, report to Koval directly, and gain SECURITY
from Praetor Neral. And there are enough Tal Shiar personnel to build your
deck around all this. An excellent 4.4. [Average total: 4.45.]
(Average score for new mechanics: 3.51.)
OVERALL USEFULNESS: As is common pre-FC, the expansion is a mixed bag. There are some good cards like Future Enterprise, Senior Staff Meeting, Devidian Door and The Higher... the Fewer, but most of the staples have been reprinted or replaced. Captain's Log and Lower Decks have Voyager versions, and Temporal Micro-Wormhole and Space-Time Portal can be used instead of AU Door. As for weak cards, there are plenty, sometimes even in rare slots. So Wolf, The Mask of Korgano, Temporal Narcosis, Howard Heirloom Candle and many more are clear write-offs. I dare say younger players will be looking for Thermal Deflectors thanks to its mention on various Voyager cards, but otherwise, most players can do without the collection of AU DipHoLes that's include, or such "collector cards" as Mot's Advice. Still viable: Major Rakal, Revolving Door, Ressikan Flute, Interrogation, Cryosatellite, Destroy Radioactive Garbage Scow and others, but the deck types are few and far between here. I'd say this was no more useful an expansion than Q-Continuum, which scored the same 2.3.
TOTAL: 15.41 (61.64%) No doubt, any AU II expansion will fare much better. Here's to it!