Player's GuideWinning Succession

Scoring

Prestige scoring in the game does not determine who the Emperor will be, but it does determine who will be automatically entered on the ballot for Emperor. Scoring is determined as follows:

  • +10 points for every Resolution you create which is endorsed and submitted to voting
  • -20 points for every Resolution you create which fails to pass when brought to vote
  • +100 points for every Resolution you create which passes when brought to vote
  • -10 points for every Planet destroyed by the Vl'Hurgh (of ANY Archon, not just your planets) during the course of the game
  • +100 points per vote your colonies and title are worth (your Voting Power).

Once the game is over, the players all receive Dynasty Scores which are kept on the overall High Scores list. In order to determine your end of game Prestige, multiply your Prestige score by the following factors:

  • x3 points if you are Emperor
  • x2 if you are the same Faction as the Emperor
  • x1.5 if you are the same race as the Emperor (unless same faction)
  • x1.25 if your race is allied with the Emperor's race
  • x.5 if the Emperor is your enemy's race

The Archons with the top six end-of-game Prestige scores, excluding the Emperor's if he is among them, are also declared Hegemons of the six Imperial Hegemonies: the Heart Suns, the Core, the Rift, the Realm, the Embers, and the Reaches.

Strategies

Playing Succession is easy enough. You trade your specialists, improve your worlds, and socialize with your fellow Archons in order to push forward your own resolutions. Winning the game is a slightly more difficult task. The following strategies are some suggestions that may aid you in your own succession.

  1. Form Alliances. Without friends, your resolutions are doomed. Figure out what common interests you and other Archons might have, and turn them into alliances, or even factions.
  2. Be Dynamic in Your Alliance Building. Forming an alliance around one common interest (e.g., a specialist monopoly or a particular kind of world) may not be enough to pass your resolutions. Determine how to form multiple alliances based on multiple interests and how you can get all of your allies to vote for your issues.
  3. Use All Your Weapons. You can trade more than just specialists. Consider the benefits of negative trading (agreements not to trade with a certain individual or group) and monopolizing certain specialists.
  4. Watch Your Timing. On the one hand, quick development of your planets into specialized colonies will help you to rapidly rise in prestige and voting power. On the other hand, it makes you a bigger target for your enemies. Think before you click on that specialize-colony button.
  5. Don't Help Enemies with High Prestige. Inevitably you'll help some of your enemies as you trade votes and specialists. That's fine as long as they have a lower net worth than you. You really don't want to help the high prestige individuals however, as doing so will just put victory further out of your grasp.
  6. Choose When to Seek Endorsements. When the Palace Minor is empty, it's easier to bring issues to vote.
  7. Choose When to Submit Resolutions. Once a shard has been fully endorsed you can submit it at any time you choose. Be aware of the benefits of dropping a resolution in at a very specific time.
  8. Be Aware of Time Limits. There are two specific time limits in the game. After 8:00 PM PST on Friday, the Emperor candidates are chosen. After 8:00 PM PST on Saturday a new Emperor is selected and the rulers of the Hegemons are named. Since votes are usually out for 24 hours, you should make certain that crucial votes are completed before these deadlines pass.
  9. Don't Waste Your Last Day. Even if you're not selected as a candidate for Galactic Emperor, you should still continue to push resolutions which will increase your Prestige. Remember that your final net worth value will decide whether you become one of the six Hegemons of the galaxy.
  10. Backstab Your Allies When You Must. In general you need your allies to win the game, but on occasion they'll be liabilities. Don't backstab them too early, but on the other hand don't be afraid to do so if it increases your odds to win the game. (On the other hand, do be aware of how this might affect the reputation of your Dynasty.)