A few months ago I decided to try to beat the game in all 128 non-solo setups. In the beginning I thought the hardest setup would be "with everything": goats, green path and 5 panoramas. But this was not the case. Almost every game with this configuration finished with a victory after a first attempt. The hardest setup proved to be green path and 5 panoramas without goats. For 5 players it took many many attemps to beat it. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this possible.
Here's how ELO is currently awarded for 2,3,4,5 player games (start anywhere):
Base game: 4,5,6,7 (2,2,3,3)
Green path: 6,7,9,10 (3,3,4,5)
Goats: 8,10,12,14 (4,5,6,7)
3 panoramas: 6,7,9,10 (3,3,4,5)
4 panoramas: 7,8,10,12 (3,4,5,6)
5 panoramas: 8,10,12,14 (4,5,6,7)
Green path and 3 panoramas: 12,15,18,21 (6,7,9,10)
Green path and 4 panoramas: 9,11,13,15 (4,5,6,7)
Green path and 5 panoramas: 10,13,15,18 (5,6,7,9)
Green path and goats: 12,15,18,21 (6,7,9,10)
Goats and 3 panoramas: 12,15,18,21 (6,7,9,10)
Goats and 4 panoramas: 14,17,21,24 (7,8,10,12)
Goats and 5 panoramas: 16,20,24,28 (8,10,12,14)
Green path, goats and 3 panoramas: 18,22,27,31 (9,11,13,15)
Green path, goats and 4 panoramas: 21,26,31,36 (10,13,15,18)
Green path, goats and 5 panoramas: 24,30,36,42 (12,15,18,21)
Current ELO system is based on multiplers over the base game:
Green path: x 1.50
Goats: x 2.00
3 panoramas: x 1.50
4 panoramas: x 1.75
5 panoramas: x 2.00
Start anywhere: x 0.50
And ELO is always rounded down.
A possible alternative to reflect which setup is the hardest:
Green path: x 1.50 (same)
Goats: x 1.25 (a bit less)
3 panoramas: x 1.50 (same)
4 panoramas: x 2.00 (a bit more)
5 panoramas: x 2.50 (more)
Start anywhere: x 0.50 (same)
(I understand the goats variant should give more ELO than the base game just to encourage playing with them)
Here's how ELO is currently awarded for 2,3,4,5 player games (start anywhere):
Base game: 4,5,6,7 (2,2,3,3)
Green path: 6,7,9,10 (3,3,4,5)
Goats: 8,10,12,14 (4,5,6,7)
3 panoramas: 6,7,9,10 (3,3,4,5)
4 panoramas: 7,8,10,12 (3,4,5,6)
5 panoramas: 8,10,12,14 (4,5,6,7)
Green path and 3 panoramas: 12,15,18,21 (6,7,9,10)
Green path and 4 panoramas: 9,11,13,15 (4,5,6,7)
Green path and 5 panoramas: 10,13,15,18 (5,6,7,9)
Green path and goats: 12,15,18,21 (6,7,9,10)
Goats and 3 panoramas: 12,15,18,21 (6,7,9,10)
Goats and 4 panoramas: 14,17,21,24 (7,8,10,12)
Goats and 5 panoramas: 16,20,24,28 (8,10,12,14)
Green path, goats and 3 panoramas: 18,22,27,31 (9,11,13,15)
Green path, goats and 4 panoramas: 21,26,31,36 (10,13,15,18)
Green path, goats and 5 panoramas: 24,30,36,42 (12,15,18,21)
Current ELO system is based on multiplers over the base game:
Green path: x 1.50
Goats: x 2.00
3 panoramas: x 1.50
4 panoramas: x 1.75
5 panoramas: x 2.00
Start anywhere: x 0.50
And ELO is always rounded down.
A possible alternative to reflect which setup is the hardest:
Green path: x 1.50 (same)
Goats: x 1.25 (a bit less)
3 panoramas: x 1.50 (same)
4 panoramas: x 2.00 (a bit more)
5 panoramas: x 2.50 (more)
Start anywhere: x 0.50 (same)
(I understand the goats variant should give more ELO than the base game just to encourage playing with them)