[First Post] Recomended balanced setup?

[[First Post] Recomended balanced setup?]

One more disturbing thing with the elven lineup is that I always run out of warriors! There are only eight models available, and as each race tries to maximize their food recources up to eight, the warriors will son all be recrouted. Thats why I always try to put the on the front line; I know there are plenty more if I need them.

[[First Post] Recomended balanced setup?]

Thanks for the answers,

@ sigmazero13: I agree with you that the second player has an advantage, and as you say, because the first player places his tile first, he cannot so easily prevent heavilly amassed resources. I think that the idea of doing a second shuffle before starting to choose homereals might be worth a try..

The thing with choosing starting locations, because they have to be 4 squares distanced, there are really only four ways to place the starting markers; you place the first one arbitrarilly, count 4 spaces, place the second, and so on until you complete the circle. Because the placement of the other three usually are dictated by the first one,  it is hard to not get a good and bad starting possition.

Anyway, my thought about designing a balanced map was not only in regards to resources, but also to avoid choke points, and the common scenario of splitting a 4-player game into two 2-player games! As an example, in my last game, we ended up with two "islands", connected by two tiles with a mountainpass, with two players starting on each island. The result was almost only interaction with 1 player = not using the potenial of interaction between more players.

It seems to me that its just not a popular idea to create ideal maps... Perhaps I should just create my own and see how it turns out.

Regarding the elven sorceress, I just felt that its a bit underpowered compared to other spellcasters. I enjoy playing the elves anyway though..

[[First Post] Recomended balanced setup?]

Hello everybody,

My first post here. Anyway, my question is regarding the setup-phase in the game. Me and my crew have played the games perhaps more times than I can count on my both hands, and my main critque is regarding the randomness during the map layout. The most annoying part for us is probably beeing chosen as the first player. The first player very seldom can find a solution to the starting possitions, especially when there are much mountains/water placed on the sides. It becomes a real pain for the first player finding possible starting sollutions, and the other usually have to point out possible places, or redo the map altogether(not fun). Not only that, but the first player also always gets the worst pick. Some of you might say: well, its the first player s´choosing the possitions, but my point is that there usually are only very few sollutions (if any at all) of how to place the starting possitions. By choosing on of the staring possitions, the other thre usually have to be lined up every four spaces to fit. Usually they will not be equal, and the secondplayer thus gets the nice(est) spot. 

My point here is if anyone has though of testing any pre-designed maps, which favour balance(in what ways it is appropriate). I think such maps would need a fair spread of reasources and towns, but also be aware of mountain-ranges favouring someone...

Is using a pre-designed map taking the fun out of the game perhaps, what are your thoughts?

 

(PS. Another rant I have is about the elven sorceress, none of us understand the point with her special ability. In what way is it supposed to be used effectively? Are we missing something here?)

oscarc