Twilight Imperium REX: Final Days of an Empire

From FFG: "Rex is a strategy board game for three to six players, set in the Twilight Imperium universe. During a game of Rex, each player takes the role of one of the great races attempting to control Mecatol City. Each race has a set of unique economic, military, strategic, or treacherous advantages that allows it to control certain aspects of the game or even win the game with a unique victory condition. In each game round, players move their units about the game board attempting to collect influence (the main resource in Rex) and conquering areas of Mecatol City. Though combat and conquest are elements of the game, the heart of the experience is about diplomacy, treachery, and brittle alliances. Players must be careful who they trust, and always be wary of sneaky and often sudden victories." REX uses a revised and streamlined version of the rules and game mechanics found in the original (1979) Avalon Hill Dune board game. At the time FFG had the rights to the rules of that edition of the board game, but could not secure the rights to the Dune IP from the Herbert estate. So, FFG decided to revise the rules and release this game, but instead of using the Dune setting, they set it in their own Twilight Imperium setting. For a long time this was the only "modern version of Dune" that was available. However, since 2019, Gale Force Nine has released new officially licensed revised editions of Dune which I am sure there are mods for on TTS. The newer editions of Dune are great, and full credit must go to Gale Force Nine for finally securing the rights to the IP and rules, and releasing great revisions of the game. I am a lover of both Dune and Twilight Imperium. However, for me, I prefer REX to all of the editions of Dune that are currently available. The things about REX that tip the balance for me are the streamlined mechanics and the Twilight Imperium setting. Even the new editions of Dune feel quite heavy and cumbersome in comparison. Heavy game weight is not neces