Downloading--A Look at the Rules ... livingston t.f. ... [2/ 2/99 05:13]

I've seen alot of questions regarding Downloading, so I thought we'd take a look at the rules of this confusing, nifty ability.

The rules:

Downloading--When you "download" (d/l) a target card, you first look through any or all of 4 places: your hand, draw deck, Zalkonian Storage Capsule and Q's Tent (if open). When you choose the taget card you must reveal it to your opponent, then you may put it directly into play. If it is not possible to immediately play the target card, or if you choose not to, simply place it in your hand (however, you may not download from your hand to your hand).
>Pretty simple. Some people forget the "if you choose not to" play the card clause. Simply put, if it's not a Special Download (see below) you may put the target card(s) in your hand. It's up to you.

Other rules for dowloading are as follows:

D/L does not count as your normal card play, and is not considered a card draw. If the card is put into play, it does count as a card play and is subject to all responses that may be normally made to a card play, such as nullification. It is considered to be "played from" the source it was downloaded from, e.g., "played from your hand" or "played from your draw deck."
>Remember this (we'll see it again is just a second): Downloading does count as a card play! But not your "normal" card play or a card draw.

When you play a ship, equipment or personnel as part of a download (e.g., "d/l 3 Borg drones"), you must obey the usual reporting requirements such as a compatible facility, open Alternate Universe Door or Space-Time Portal ect. However, if the d/l instruction indicates a specific destination (e.g. "d/l to any one ship here 3 Borg drones"), a compatible facility is not required.
>Alot of people get confused about when a compatible facility is not needed. Remember, Dowloading is Reporting. Add the word Report whenever you see the word Download (when trying to figure out Personnel, ship, and equipment d/ls). So, here it is, you don't need one if the D/L instructions indicate (point to) a specific place. OR Why can't Admiral Riker Special Download an Enterprise to a Docking Pylon? Does Adm. Riker's SpD/L specify a destination? Nope. No destination specified, then you must follow the reporting restrictions. Another way to look at the question: Why can't Adm. Riker "report" an Enterprise to a Docking Pylon? Two reasons, 1) He does not specify a location and 2) The Docking Pylons do not allow reporting.
>This is a complex example, but if you can get this then you'll (hopefully) be on your way to mastering dowloading and reporting ; )

If you can d/l multiple cards to a location, you must download all cards to the same location.

Although some d/ls are optional, others require you to download a certain target card (or group of target cards). If you cannot do everything required, the entire download is invalid. To verify that you could not carry out the d/l, your opponent is allowed to look through your draw deck, hand, Zalkonian Storage Capsule, and Q's Tent (if open).

Attempting a d/l usually requires the expenditure of some resource such as playing a card, using a special icon or forfeiting a card draw. That resource remains used even if the d/l is invalid.

If a card says "download in place of one card draw," you may use this ability each time you are allowed to draw a card, whether at the end of your turn or from a card tha allows extra card draws (such as Kivas Fajo--Collector or Renewal Scroll).

If any player looks through your draw deck durning a d/l, you must reshuffle it afterwards.

A d/l does not suspend play, except for a Special Download and cards that specify that they suspend play.

Special Download--A card with a special download icon allows you to suspend any action at any time (even during your opponent's turn) while you download the specified target card and immediately play it at (or to affect something at) that location. If this is not possible, then the target card may not be d/l. A card with this icon allows a special d/l only once per game, no matter how many copies of that card you use during the game. On a Personnel card, this icon is defined as a special skill.
>Don't forget that you when you suspend an action, your target card gets to affect that action (if possible).

That's all the questions I can remember about downloading. If you have anymore, feel free to ask. Everyone here will be happy to help out.

later,
l.t.f.