Corporate Era (Extended Game)
To play the extended game, simply add all cards marked with a red and white icon () on the cards' lower left border at the start of setup, including 2 new corporations. Players start with no extra production of resources. Corporate Era can be combined with any of the other game variants.
Corporate Era focuses on economy and technology. These are projects that do not contribute directly to the terraforming, but make the corporations stronger, adding new strategic choices to the game.
Playing Corporate Era makes the game longer and more complex. We do not recommend it for players new to Terraforming Mars.
Solo Variant For Corporate Era
All rules apply as usual for solo play, with these exceptions:
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Before you choose your cards, place 2 neutral city tiles on the map with an adjacent greenery tile each (these tiles are not yours, and do not increase the oxygen level): reveal and discard the 4 top cards of the deck and use their cost numbers to determine the positions of the tiles.
The first city is placed counting from top left to right and down, like reading. Skip any illegal placements (like areas reserved for ocean). For the second city you step backwards from bottom right in the same fashion. Then you place the two greeneries by counting the cost numbers and stepping clockwise around each city, starting from top left, skipping illegal placements.
Special case: If you choose to play Tharsis Republic this game, you get M€ production for the 2 neutral cities even though they are placed before you reveal your corporation.
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Start with a terraform rating of 14 instead of 20 (marked 'solo' on the track) and without the extra production of resources decribed for the standard game.
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Awards and Milestones are not used.
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You have a neutral opponent that you can steal from, or reduce any kind of resources and production from.
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You always play 14 generations (marked 'solo').
In order to win, you need to complete terraforming (i.e making the three global parameters reach their goal) before the end of generation 14. After generation 14, you may convert plants into greenery tiles, following normal rules but without raising the oxygen, and finally you score VPs to get as high a score as possible. If you have not completed terraforming by the end of generation 14, you lose.
Draft Variant
If more interaction is desired, the Draft variant may be used. During the Research phase the players draft 4 cards to buy from instead of just drawing 4 to buy from:
Each player first gets 4 cards and chooses one to draft, putting it aside and passing the rest to the next player.
Then you have 3 cards; set aside 1 of them and pass the rest to the left. Then set aside 1 of the 2 you receive, pass the last card, and finally receive your last card.
Then examine the 4 cards you've set aside (drafted) and choose which to buy (3 M€ each) and which to discard.
Drafting is not used during the first generation since the first Research phase is skipped (see setup). Cards are passed clockwise during even-numbered generations and counter-clockwise during odd-numbered generations.
This variant allows players to affect which cards other players get access to, and increases your ability to pursue a certain strategy, or predict which parameter will rise first.
The Draft Variant adds some extra game time and is not recommended for players new to Terraforming Mars.
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