[Armus]

i dont have access to virtual cards, so starter decks arent an option.

You don't have access.... to a printer?

i doubt everybody posses a color printer with a decent picture quality and copyshops are closed due to the flu.

im planning to use Tribbles Starters, but theyre way to sluggish on basic rules.

Ok, how about this.

*I* have a color ink jet with *decent* picture quality.

If you're willing to give my Squire Starters a go, I'll print them out and stick them in the mail, just PM me your address.

I have no idea what shipping times are these days, and the holidays may delay things further, but if it's just a matter of getting the paper cards in your hands, I'm willing to help you out on that one.

Just let me know.

[Fake Person]

I play mostly Premiere and PAQ with non-card gamer folks. Some things that've worked for me:

• Play two, draw two (only one event per turn)

• Icons generally don't have special rules, just important if a card refers to them (no hologram rules, no need of an AU doorway, ignore download icons, etc.). If I ever do download icons, I would have a pile of all the downloadable cards out-of-play - wouldn't bother with side decks (and no one with a download icon that was unusable, I.E. no matching card).

• Three space/three planets. Dilemmas are mostly random: a pile for space, one for planets. Folks can seed if they want, but that only happens after a couple games ("wouldn't it be cool if this happened before that?"). Random is a better way for the first couple of games.

• So far, everyone prefers playing cards face-up. We're too old and busy for memory games, I suppose. Plus people like to look at the cards and follow what's going on.

• Sixty card decks. Variety increases replayability. Not a lot of interest in deck building so far (other than telling me a theme that interests them, and I build something).

• I've considered starting the game with a universal, one or zero staff icon ship. But folks seem to like their ships, so we've just played with small fleets and not having a ship hasn't been an issue. Partly because folks are too nervous about dilemmas and wait to get a decent-sized crew.

[ShipNerd]

Sounds fun. I also use 1,2,5 and equal amount of space/planet mission for my unofficial Multiplayer Format. Its 4 mission each player though in my case, with different amounts of points required depending on the amount of player in the game, to ensure MP ends in the wished time.