Amarillo Design Bureau
SKU: ADB5100
Merchants of the Federation is a trading game based in the Star Fleet Universe. The United Federation of Planets has just opened development of a new sector of space right on the Klingon border. Here you will find unexplored worlds, many of which contain resources for which the Federation will pay top credits. You run a recently charted trading company with one small ship. You boldly go into the new sector, exploring these strange new worlds. While you might meet a new civilization, you're more likely to find an empty world full of something (precious metals, fuel, biomatter, or mineral ore). Harvest the resources and take them to the base station, where the Federation will give you cash for them. Use the money to buy more ships (to explore more planets and transport more resources) and to plant colonies (mining, industrial, agricultural) on the new worlds so you can reap even more resources.
While all of that is going on, Random Event cards may offer new opportunities or warn of new dangers. Even better, the Federation will issue contracts to do them small favors for which you will be paid big credits!
Meanwhile, the Klingons (who think you're in territory that rightfully belongs to them) are getting increasingly annoyed with the whole situation. Tensions build every turn, although player actions and Random Event cards can affect just how fast it builds and might even cause brief cooling-off periods. But sooner or later, the Klingons will have had enough and will come across the border in force. You'll need to be ready to evacuate your ships and colonies before the Klingons take them away from you.
Written by Jay Waschak
