Feature Request: Drafting

[KeithHendricks]

If some want to play with drafting, that’s fine. I would hope that if the option is selected it is clearly visible in the available games listing so that I can avoid that option when selecting games.

[kofzor]

I am actually opposed to drafting:
- picking 4 out of 8 is sometimes an interesting puzzle. You can chose cards with synergies, craft your early game strategy
- also there is some luck in the game anyway, which cards show up, are drawn randomly. End game goal cards have varying difficulty etc. so it might even out in the end
- the variance is higher, which is bad for really competitive environments, but can be a nice challenge.

But as an option it would be fine

The variance is higher with drafting? I don't understand that logic. Let me explain how I see it:
The more cards you see, the more 'average' you can expect in terms of 'goodness/badness' of cards.
In other words, drafting mitigates bad luck as well as good luck.
That means it is better for competitive environments.
In our tournaments (50-90 players) for Terraforming Mars we always play drafting (apart from the starting as it will take long, but there you start with 10 cards, preludes and corps).

So far, I do not understand the dislike for drafting. I see it as a good solution to reduce the variance and unfortunate implausible starting hands.
E.g. got that america streak in your starting hand? Great, share the love.
Likewise, got 4 animal cards with 3 requirements, 2 unplayable sponsors and unlikely conservation card? Don't worry, you will see more cards.


In the end, I am simply making a feature request to draft.

[ceejaex]

In the end, I am simply making a feature request to draft.

I cannot agree enough.

My view is slanted a bit towards arena. It's a poor experience to slog through beating poor players with a junk hand resulting in a 40+ turn game or, conversely, two equally skilled players yields an easily foreseen blowout. Those situations happen too frequently for my taste and would be mitigated by a simple draft. Take one, pass, until 8 cards. Select four. Wonderful game that would see a notable improvement with an opening draft.

If Agricola can do two groupings of seven cards, surely, Ark Nova can manage with a grouping of eight and two.