[This review was originally written in 2000 -- <PERSON>]
Time Agent is a weird game. I'll use a friend's description of the victory conditions:
Quote:
"The object of the game is to win. You win by always having been the winner when time travel is uninvented."
Clear enough? In Time Agent, each player leads a different race adventuring through time and re-writing history to ensure that their race comes out on top. Or rather, that their race was always on top. Anyway, each race is different, but races have some natural alliances and enemies.
The board represents the 'flow of time' with the bottom of the board being the present and the top of the board being the distant past. The board is a hex map, with the hexes randomly scattered (face down), but separated into sections. The hexes have tracks leading from the center to each side. Each track has an outer and an inner section, and the tracks have a variety of colors. What happens is that certain technologies (including time travel) have an invention at the top of the board (and perhaps one or two independent inventions on the board) and the inventions have a receptacle at the bottom of the board. The invention is considered "On" if you can trace a path from the top of the board to the bottom, using the tracks. Time Travel, being very important, has 7 receptacles at the bottom, only one of which needs to be connected. (Face down hexes are assumed to connect everything).
In case you aren't confused yet, rest assured that interpreting the board is a visually daunting task; although not as difficult as it first appears. (People who are color blind may not be able to interpret the board at all.)
In addition to technologies, some of the hexes contain the past's crucial historical events. Again, events can be toggled between occurring and not occurring (On and Off). Unlike technologies, you don't have to trace a path anywhere, you just put a chit on the hex to show that the event has been thwarted.
Technologies and Events determine victory conditions, as well as how much money a race gets each turn. So, for example the "Talki SuperNova" event is worth -3 Victory points for the Buralti and 2 Victory Points for the Fiolli. So if the Talki SuperNova never happens, then the Buralti gain 3 VP, and the Fiolli lose 2 VP. 597
But then the Fiolli may go back and make it happen, so that the <PERSON> then lose the 3 VP and they regain their 2 VP. Most of the events affect at least 3 races, as well, so that in certain areas of the board, a species may be cooperating (to work on events and technologies they like) whereas they are bitter enemies elsewhere on the time stream.
In addition to the board, each player has a number of chits to show the units they have bought (that are in the present), their money, and the number of time machines the race has. There are also racial summary cards, as well as reference sheets that show how each race responds to the various events and technologies and combat odds.
Anyway, here's how a turn works:
* Get Money,
* Reset Time Machines,
* Determine Player Order,
* Bookkeeping (HQ phase)
* Player Turns
o Move Units
o Determine status of opposing units
o Search
o Destroy
o Alter Events and Time streams
o Check Technologies
o Update VP
Basically, the first parts are all book-keeping. You get your money, flip the time machines, and determine player order. The player who is in last place gets to pick their spot on the turn. Then the players perform the HQ phase. This involves maintaining units in the past (each unit requires one time machine. Or you can not maintain them and bring them back into the present). You buy units and time machines. Also, you can use a time machine to 'research the past' which lets you look at some face down hexes. This is good for strategic planning.
Then each player takes their turn (in order). First, you move units. If the unit is into the present, you can simply place it on any hex in the past (flipping it over and randomly rolling for it's orientation, if it is face down). But it costs more to move a unit into the distant past. The other type of move is to have a unit 'walk' from hex to hex in the past. The unit can follow a technology stream as far as it goes. This is free, though. One unit can walk to a face down hex, flip it up and orient it, then another unit can go through that hex (if they can trace a path through it). 629