Thoughts On Rebalancing?

[Spokey41]

After playing many times, some cards are just plain broken and need to be nerfed.

"Galactic Survey: SETI" should cost 10 instead of 9, give one fewer explore symbol, and should give you 1 point per PAIR of enemy explore symbols (rather than each). Right now, a turn 3 SETI is possible, and a turn 3 or turn 4 SETI is pretty much auto-win.

"Galactic Federation" should also cost 10 instead of 9, and should give you one point per PAIR of enemy developments (rather than each). This card is pretty much a guaranteed 13+ drop if played on turn 5 or later.

Genes need to be buffed. Most of the gene worlds need +1 somewhere, either another gene icon, another military/income/VP. Maybe "+1 VP per pair of gene symbols"? There also should be more gene cards.

Explore should let you keep an extra card. Maybe Survey Team gets the ability "Keep an extra card when exploring"? Right now, being forced to explore on turn 2 or turn 3 due to a bad draw is almost equivalent to conceding the game. I know that you can try to keep a playable card on turn 1 or turn 2, but usually the correct play is to dump your hand for the most possible income. I.e., +3 income keeping no cards is a better play than +1 or +2 income keeping a card or two.

Thank you for this post. I am getting very frustrated playing this game and getting better and then losing because the Seti card is drawn. Is there a way to set up a game where this card can be filtered out.

[UlyZed]

The most elegant solution would be to delete all of the bonus points for features in other player’s tableaux.

Ultimately, this is a game where you play your draw vs. the deck, though. It’s not going to be strategic with so little interaction. For 5mins a pop, it’s a min max optimising game.

[FSKFSK]

No, you can't filter out SETI. It would need to be configured as an official game option by the developers.

The two cards that most need to be nerfed are SETI and Galactic Federation.

[Lord Noseface]

If I owned this game I'd definitely have a house rule that we removed Seti and Federation from 2-player hands. I think they're less of an issue with more players, but possibly I'd still want the option to get rid of the cards.

House rules have the advantage that you don't have to reprint anything.

Sometimes there's a bit of skill to if if you're dealt SETI early and you need to manage your hand to play cheap cards so you don't have to throw it away until you can afford it, but I've never seen a situation where I've been on 9+ income and not played the card if it drops. If it's an "always play" card, that's a good sign that it's strategically op

[martyharris]

I 100% agree with this post. In games with friends, we routinely ban Seti and Galactic Federation because they are grossly unbalanced. I'll take the bet about challenging the designer on this point. Those cards are grossly unbalanced (especially Seti).

Both cards have a "2x + y" design: 2 points for every explore icon or development of your own, PLUS one for each of an opponent's. If we eliminated the "+y" component of the cards (so you only score points for your own icons or developments), those cards would be balanced.

[frotes]

I 100% agree with this post. In games with friends, we routinely ban Seti and Galactic Federation because they are grossly unbalanced. I'll take the bet about challenging the designer on this point. Those cards are grossly unbalanced (especially Seti).

Both cards have a "2x + y" design: 2 points for every explore icon or development of your own, PLUS one for each of an opponent's. If we eliminated the "+y" component of the cards (so you only score points for your own icons or developments), those cards would be balanced.

Completely agree

Unfortunately the best you can get away with online is to have a variant that bans those cards (see wingspan/agricola). Changing the card would be a no no because it makes it different than the physical version

Unless the physical version comes out with a 2nd ed that changes those cards