Board Game Arena

Whoops. Silly careless error, considering I can recite the powers of 2 up to 2^16 without hesitation.

FrankJones wrote: ↑24 July 2026, 22:51 [1] Fields are a core component of the game. [2] The game designer is unlikely to give permission for the option to remove them.

Even though I agree with [1], I'm not so sure about [2]. The rules for the Base Game that accompanied the Big Box Edition (2014) state:

We recommend playing without farmers, and therefore without field scoring, during your first game.

There are other examples of rights holders allowing the beginner's variant as an option. I know you're aware of Earth, but Barrage and Agricola also come to mind. There is no filter to disable those options if everyone at the able is above 0 Elo, so at least some rights holders have agreed to have the beginner's variant permanently available.

Good catch. Well, perhaps the designer would approve.

It sounds as though that is intended by the designer only as a beginner option though, not for players who have played several times and just dislike farmers/fields?

FrankJones wrote: ↑25 July 2026, 02:10 It sounds as though that is intended by the designer only as a beginner option though, not for players who have played several times and just dislike farmers/fields?

This is why I agree with [1] above. This request reminds me of people who want to remove check-raising from poker.