Engineer
Alert
Resource
Type
Power of Innovation
Builds New Technology
Setup: Manifest two random techs. Shroud one in your nexus and vaporize the other.
As a leader, after losing an encounter, you may use this power to manifest two random techs. Shroud one in your nexus and vaporize the other. If you have three or more techs in your nexus, vaporize one of them.
Legacy: Each alien drafts one tech.
The Engineers are always building, always developing the next big thing to revolutionize Cosmic warfare as we know it. They seem to find their greatest inspiration after witnessing the shortcomings of their tech. They won’t hesitate to go back to the drawing board to ensure they’re not outpaced in the tech race.
Leader: Encounter
Optional
Wild Flare
At any time, you may discharge this flare to manifest two random artifact pods. Burnout.
Any: Any
Super Flare
When using your power, you may discharge this flare. Instead of manifesting two random techs, manifest a tech of your choice.
Leader: Encounter
Modifications
- Originally the power of technology. Changed to the power of innovation to make it less on-the-nose, since the power is based around the technology mechanic.
- Original Engineer can only have one tech max. Increased the max to two to give the power more utility.
- Original Wild Engineer draft pods from the forge until obtaining an artifact, scrapping the rest. If there are no pods in the forge, one will be taken from the discard pile. I simplified the effect to instead manifest two random artifacts, gaining more resources but removing the potential for choice or predicting what you might get.
- Engineer’s legacy grants every alien a technology, injecting tech into matches not taking place in the hi-tech dimension. Depending on the tech aliens receive, they could benefit greatly from the tech they receive or not at all. Consult the Advanced Cosmic section in My Design for more information about technology. Original Cosmic has no legacies
Tips
- Engineer is incentivized to lose an encounter as a leader as quickly as possible. Throwing an encounter with an N pod is the simplest means to gain both resources and tech, but enemies that predict this strategy could force a deal. Quashing the deal may be advantageous, since it will still give Engineer its tech.
- Since Engineer always generates new tech after losing, it is worth considering whether the new tech is more valuable than old tech. This consideration needs to be weighed against how much research you’ve already put into the existing tech.
- Engineer’s ships are incredibly valuable since it needs them for research. When intentionally losing encounters to gain tech, make sure you commit few ships, unless you’re aiming for maximum compensation.
Development Notes
- The primary issue I see with Engineer is the same one I see with Reincarnator, where it needs to lose originally in order to get its power started. By letting Engineer have up to two techs, it is still incentivized to lose to get the second, but it no longer has to lose as a leader to have any technology.
- I like the idea that Wild Engineer instills the user with a sudden burst of inspiration. Injecting new artifacts like more Cosmic Zaps or Warp Keys can be an interesting wrinkle in the match.
- Engineer occupies its own unique design space, the first alien to incorporate the technology mechanic. Since its power activates on lost, it can probably be most compared to Reincarnator, who gets a new alien power on loss instead of tech. Engineer’s power has more flexibility, since it is never forced to lose the tech it gains from its power. However, the way technology is researched makes Engineer much more dependent on its ships.
- Engineer is reasonably a yellow alert power due to incorporating the advanced mechanic of technology.
- Thematically, I wondered if it made the most sense for Engineer to develop technology from lost encounters. In contrast to something like Sneak or Warrior, Engineer would be developing technology normally. They aren’t looking to gain experience from a loss or create a false sense of security. Instead, I interpret it in a sense of “necessity is the mother of invention”. When the Engineers lose an encounter, they realize that their technology needs more work. They need to go back to the drawing board in order to win next time. The way it’s designed, they may not add any new tech to their nexus, but they will always at least brainstorm new ideas. It feels fitting to a creature that can’t turn its brain off.