by Grudunza
mst3k4L wrote:
Grudunza wrote:
The balance between 2-3-4 players is definitely off with the base game. 2p is the easiest, which is why the 2 Special Events per player rule was added with On the Brink.
In all seriousness, did you talk to the designer about this?
I can see a lack of attention to end game conditions causing 4 player games to be harder than 2 player games, but that is it. It is easier to run out of cards with more players, but I think it is easier to die from cubes/outbreaks with 2 players. People usually pay attention to cubes and outbreaks, but people rarely notice the amount of cards remaining until about a round left.
You'd have to wade through the earlier Pandemic forum threads, but it was pretty well established among those who played the game a lot (I played about 100 times) that the base game is easier to win with 2p than more, due to the ability to coordinate abilities in a more focused and repeated way, and perform cures a little more readily. With 4p, there will be fewer turns in the game for each player. The only real offset for that is that the hand size will clutter 2p a little more. The win % for 2p isn't ridiculously higher, but definitely higher.
I can't recall if Matt or Tom ever acknowledged this on record, but the new rule for adding 2 Special Events per player in On the Brink is considered by many to be a balancing mechanism to counter the perceived disparity in the base game.