2 Player - end game VP's

[RicardoRix]

In 2 player game it seems the largest majority end game VP's of 18 and 12 doesn't really matter nearly as much as the cult track bonuses. Which is a shame seeing how that is the 'main' theme focus of the game. The worst that will happen is you'll lose 6 points to the opponent (12 if you see it with +6 and -6 instead).
But even so in a 3 player game the thought of getting just 6 points really does encourage you to try harder.

[jtiggelm]

A two player game is notably different from a multi-player game. In the multi-player variation, TM is mostly about creating as many synergies as possible. In a two-player game, any real synergy would be a bit of a don't care, as both players benefit and there is no third. The differences in final scoring are generally less important. If you just pick the 8-points-for-a-town tile, then you will have at least 16 points on the cults without doing anything else. Some factions won't even try to compete against some others. Likewise, the network result might be clear from the start also. You are of course correct, that the cults can have a 16 point difference (although this is rare) and the network only 6. On the other hand, both differences are +x for one player and -x for the other, so they are also really twice as important in a direct duel.