Saboteur: sab's nugget reward

[pejsek2]

Hi, according to the official rules of Saboteur*, when there are only 2 sabs in a game, they should get 4 gold nuggets each. This is not the case in how the game is implemented here, and I think it should be. Since we most play with 7 players, sabs should be better rewarded - the 2 v 5 game is almost impossible to win.

This has been bugging me for a while, I already might have written about it somewhere, but couldn't find it, sorry if I repeat myself...

EDIT*: I apparently projected my desires into official rules, thanks to Dale for correcting me

[DaleB147]

I suppose there could be more than one version, but that's not how it reads in the rules I'm looking at,

"The saboteurs have won the round if the goal card showing the treasure cannot be reached or the deck has been depleted and everyone has passed. If there was only one saboteur, he gets gold nugget cards worth a total of four nuggets (not four gold nugget cards). If there were two or three saboteurs, each gets three nuggets worth of gold; if there were four saboteurs, each gets two nuggets. If there are no saboteurs, which can happen in a three or four player game, no gold nuggets are handed out."

So if there were 2 sabs in the round, they should get 3 nuggets, not 4 as suggested.

[pejsek2]

Thanks Dale, you are right, I had this topic in head so long that I probably changed the rules in my mind. I then propose these two variants:

- Either ADJUST the rules so that saboteurs gain more nuggets (I suggest 4)
- Or decrease the number of gold cards for diggers in 2 v 5 game to 1 card each
- Or maybe both

Current version of rules horribly disadvantages the players who have the luck to be 1 of those 2 poor sabs, basically leading them to lose the whole game.

[pejsek2]

I actually have a feeling that 7 player games with 2 sabs are more often than should be statistically correct, like 50% of all games. It makes the game less enjoyable.

[auuron]

Pejsek is 100% right.

[Keri Cash]

I agree a lot with pejsek2. I think the 2 sabs win about 10% of the time, less chance with good players. I would like to see the "Always 3 sabs" variant in the 7 player game. I don't think it gives too much advantage to the diggers to know how many sabs there are, certainly not as much advantage as they have now against only 2 sabs.

[Bluewolf]

I also like the "Werewolf variant" Sabs get to know who is on there team. Makes sense that you would KNOW who you are conspiring with to keep the gold to your selves? How many times have i seen sabs hit one another because they don't know who is on there side until its to late.

[Een]

Hi guys,

I just posted a follow up on the same subject there: http://forum.boardgamearena.com/viewtop ... 687#p15687

@Pejsek: please see this post from Yorgad for the actual odds of 2 vs 5: http://forum.boardgamearena.com/viewtop ... 687#p14597
NB: please note that odds are not statistics. If you are interested, here is a great article about randomness and statistics: http://www.random.org/analysis/

@Bluewolf: not knowing your partners and breaking them by mistake is definitely part of the game and of the fun in Saboteur

Cheers,
Een