grodog wrote:Duke, IIRC, you're the CE expert here.  Advice on editions, and which expansions to pick up would be most appreciated!  

Well, "expert" might be a bit strong, but I appreciate the sentiment.  



For crunchy old-school goodness, you can't go wrong with the original Eon edition(s). The base set had three major printings, all of which came with 15 basic aliens. The cover art is the easiest way to pick out editions:



"Alien landscape" painting, 1977 ... Oracle painting (the alien with octopus arms), 1978 ... the "deep box," 1982.



The deep box is a favorite among many collectors, as it allows for later storage of expansions.



Speaking of expansions ...



*#4 and #8 are the most collectible and fetch the highest prices. These were the two that added the flare cards;



*#9 (the final expansion) is also considered a good find. It included a revised rulebook (a God-send at the time, as the rules had become a tangled mess);



*#'s 1, 2, and 3 are the easiest to get. They just added extra aliens. These can often be found still sealed;



*#5 added moons and #6 added lucre (think "gold pieces"). Many players are not big fans of one or the other (or both), so these are also pretty easy to find.



*#7 also added aliens, and most are classics. This one is more difficult to locate.



The license then went to West End Games and Games Workshop, both of whom published one edition. Neither is considered very collectible. The West End version, in fact, is just the Eon version with new art.



In the early 90s, the license went to Mayfair Games ... and things get interesting again. The Mayfair base set is considered highly collectible, especially if it is still in the shrinkwrap. Prices north of $100 are typical; prices north of $200 have been seen.



Here's one right now at $75, even with missing pieces:




** expired/removed eBay auction **




This shrinkwrapped copy went for $230:




** expired/removed eBay auction **




Clearly, the print run was too small for this edition. Mayfair followed up with an expansion called More Cosmic Encounter, but don't be fooled: the print run was way too high for this one. It's easily found for $20 to $30.



Avalon Hill got the license in 2000 and basically did nothing with it. Their base set contained 20 aliens and rumors of expansions turned out to be just that. You can trip over these versions in the street; I saw Amazon offloading them for like $15 last year ... and they've gone for less on eBay.



The big news for CE fans is that Fantasy Flight Games will be republishing the game this fall. I actually broke the news on my blog (I speak with CE designer Peter Olotka about once per week):



http://ce.typepad.com/cosmic/2007/08/ff ... ms-co.html



The game is expected this fall ... and it is expected to rock hard!  



+++++



One fan's advice: look for the Eon deep box in good condition, pick up the first three expansions to add aliens, and keep your eyes peeled for either of the flare expansions. That's a pretty good way to begin; everything after that is gravy. And hold back about $50 to pick up the new version in the fall. Woot!

Xaxaxe wrote:The big news for CE fans is that Fantasy Flight Games will be republishing the game this fall. I actually broke the news on my blog (I speak with CE designer Peter Olotka about once per week):

Then there is a good possibility Cosmic Encounter will get an Italian edition too! Great news! I'm crossing my fingers...[/i]

No info forthcoming from FFG, you know anything more Duke?



Also noticed this lot today:  
** expired/removed eBay auction **

Excellent news, thanks Duke!

I only stumbled onto this game in their online version, and it was fun.  I'd love to get the full game.  It seems like a blast!

Hey Duke:  any word on expansion updates for CE from FFG, in terms of what they're going to republish---or even, dare I say it, create new stuff?

So how is the FFG version, particularly compared to the others?

I know I'm going to get a version before long, it's just a question of which one I should target.