Underwater Cities: Data Era
Underwater Cities: Data Era Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 24× data centre buildings
- Data disc tokens (in three values: ½ data discs – 7×, full data discs – 16×, 3 data discs – 5×)
- 15× 4 new upgraded structures
- 13× main board cover tiles
- 11× blue domes
- 7× new metropolis tiles (3 blue, 2 green, 2 brown)
- 4× new player info cards (player help cards on the other side)
- 48 new cards
- 4× final scoring cards
- 3× new government contract cards
- 4× new personal assistant cards
- New starting resource tile
- Board cover tiles sheet
Set Up
Players set up the game for the base game or the New Discoveries version of the game as normal. Please note that the "Museum" module of the New Discoveries expansion has not been play-tested together with this expansion but you can of course try combining it yourself, if you wish.
This expansion adds:
New Board Cover Tiles
New main board cover tiles are placed on the main board depending on the number of players as per the pictures below.
The exact way that the action slots should be covered by tiles based on the number of players is described on an extra sheet.
New Components
The data disc tokens, data centers and upgraded data centers are added to the common supply near the main board. Data disc tokens are in 1/2, 1 and 3 values. Players can make change with these as needed during the game.
The blue data city domes should be added to the common supply of domes. 17 non-symbiotic domes (white) will be available in every game. In a 2-player game, use 5 symbiotic (purple) and 5 data city domes (blue). In a 3-player game, use 8 purple and 8 blue domes and in a 4-player game, use 11 purple and 11 blue domes.
New Upgraded Structures
The single-piece upgraded data centers, laboratories, farms and desalination plants should be added to the common supply. They have no new function.
If any building is upgraded, these tokens can be used to avoid the need to balance two buildings of the same type on top of each other.
New Metropolises
The 7 new metropolises are mixed together with the original ones. Players choose from them as in the original version of the game.
New Cards
All new cards are added to the appropriate era decks. There are 15 new cards that are meant to be added to Era I deck, 15 cards to Era II deck and 13 new cards to Era III deck and 5 new Special cards.
New Government Contract Cards
The following Government Contract cards from the base game and expansions are suggested to be used when using this expansion: 1, 2, 6, 8 and P2:12.
The 3 new Government Contract cards are shuffled together with the original ones and can be used if players decide to play with this variant from the base game.
Remove Components
PLEASE NOTE: The ORIGINAL brown metropolis which provides VPs for different upgraded structures is replaced with a new one from this expansion.
Game card no. 189 and the metropolis shown on that card should be removed from the game when this expansion is used. (Card 189 is titled "Federal Priority"; its printed text reads: "At the end of the game, gain 3 points for each connected city that has at least 1 building of each type.")
New Resource Tile
This tile is only used in the QUICK START variant of the game from the New Discoveries expansion. Combine the new starting resource tile with the other ones, shuffle them and reveal a number of them for selection according to the number of players, plus one.
New Personal Assistants
Each player receives a new assistant card which gives them 1 data disc at the start of the game and ½ data disc token during each production phase. In addition, each player has their own assistant, 1 from base game, or chosen from 2, depending on which version of the game is being played (base game or base game with New Discoveries). Consequently, each player has 2 assistants available to them during a game played with Data Era.
New Player Help Cards
All players will receive a new help card which is double-sided. On one side of this card is a general overview of the additional actions players can take by paying various amounts of data disc tokens. Players can only perform ONE additional action during their turn.
The other side of this card provides an overview of final scoring when playing with this expansion.
How to Play
All rules from the base game and the first expansion remain the same. The only difference is that there is now a new resource - data discs. These can be used to build data center buildings or data cities (blue domes) or "to buy" 1 additional action.
The blue tokens represent the data center buildings in the game. Players pay 1 data disc token to build a data center. Players can build data centers by using the appropriate action slot on the main board or by playing a card that allows them to build a data center.
Data centers can be upgraded in the same way as other structures (laboratories, farms, desalination plants and tunnels).
Data Cities – Blue Domes
Players must pay 1 kelp, 2 steelplast, 1 data disc token and 1 credit to build a data city.
Players can build one of these cities either by using the appropriate action slot on the main board or by playing a card that allows them to build a city of this type.
Performing Additional Actions
Players can only perform ONE of the following additional actions during their TURN by paying data discs.
- Drawing 2 cards: By paying ½ a data disc token, players draw 2 additional cards from the card deck of the current era into their hand, after they have drawn up to their hand limit at the end of their turn. A player can first look at the cards they have drawn normally at the end of their turn, before they decide whether to take this additional action. However, it can only be taken if they have not already spent data discs that turn for an additional action.
- Swapping resources: By paying ½ a data disc token, players can swap any of the depicted resources for another one.
- Building on an expansion site: By paying ½ a data disc token, players can build a building on an expansion site. This additional action can be taken only as part of an action taken on the main board or by playing a card, but can only be used to build at most 1 building.
- Playing additional cards: The additional card can be played either before or after the card played together with the selection of one of the available action slots. The amount of data discs that need to be paid for this action is determined by the colour of the additional card that the player wishes to play (1 ½ for a green card, 1 for a red card and ½ for a yellow card). The additional card can be of any colour; it does not matter what colour of card is played for the main action.
It is also possible that a card obtained during a main action can be played directly after as an additional action. If a player has played an additional card in this way, they will need to draw an extra card into their hand at the end of their turn.
Production Phase
In the production phase, players gain resources in the same way as in the base game or in the first expansion. However, players now gain 1 data disc for each data center they have built or 1 data disc and 1 credit for each upgraded data center. In both cases, the data centers have to be connected to the network, as normal, to produce.
If a player has two upgraded data centers in one city, they will receive: 3 data discs, 1 credit and any basic resource (kelp, steelplast or credit).
In the production phase, players also receive points for the number of blue domes multiplied by the number of sets of all 4 types of connected buildings, they have built on the entirety of their player board.
EXAMPLE: For example for 2 blue domes, 3 farms, 4 desalination plants, 3 laboratories and 4 data centers, Susan will receive 6 VPs in the production phase (2 times 3 sets of all 4 building types).
Special Rules for Cards
PLEASE NOTE: If a white or purple dome is pictured on a card, then it can be used to apply to a blue dome too.
FOR EXAMPLE:
- Discount on building a dome, or no feeding necessary - card numbers: 32, 104, 125, 144 and 154.
- Building a dome action - card numbers: 55, 171 and 201.
- Moving - card numbers: 239 and 242.
- "When you have…" - card numbers: 53, 88 and 146.
- "When you have…" Production cards - 13, 82, 194, 256 and P2:4.
- Building a structure on a city site - card numbers: 37, 58 and 59.
- Building a structure on an expansion site - card numbers: 10, 26, 67, 151, 158, 195, 205 and 221.
If an upgrade is referenced on an improvement card of any structure, then data centers are also included.
If an icon for all structures - farm, desalination plant, laboratory and tunnel - is pictured on a card, it counts also as a icon for a data center.
EXAMPLE: Card numbers: 19, 20, 21, 209, 243 and P2:7
Final Scoring
Players get additional points for connected cities, now with up to 4 different buildings. If a player has built all 4 building types at a city (a laboratory, farm, desalination plant and data center), they will score 8 VP for that city.
Special Player Board Locations - Explanation
EXAMPLE: This dome counts as 3 blue domes. So for example, if a player has 1 additional blue dome to the blue dome on the picture and 2 sets of buildings, he will gain 4 x 2 VPs during the production phase.
During the production phase, this player will gain 1 data disc token for this data center. In addition, they will also gain 1 credit and 1 VP.
When a player builds this data center, they gain 3 credits and 1 VP immediately.
During the production phase, a player who has built this data center will receive 2 data disc tokens for it.
Solo Game
It is played the same way as in base game and its expansions.
- 110 VPs is QUITE GOOD.
- 120 VPs is GREAT.
- 135 VPs is EXCELLENT. We believe you can achieve it!
(in case you play base game and New Discoveries expansion together with this game)