Dumb 3 player q

[Watoop]

Hi there
Played this for the second time today and the first time at 3p.
I set up to finish the game when one of building piles was at 0 but the game continued on for another couple of rounds. Dumb question - is the 3p ending condition different?
Any help appreciated.

[Jest Phulin]

No, the ending condition for 3 and 4 players is the same: One of the starting building stacks runs out, or there aren't enough civilization cards to fill the riverbank.

However, in a 3 player game, there are only 3 building stacks to start with. (Likewise, in a 2-player game, there are only 2 building stacks to start with.) The progress box is based on the 4-player game, showing W/X/Y/Z building remaining in each stack. With a 3-player game, this will be [0]/X/Y/Z buildings remaining. So even though it looks like one of the stacks is empty, it is a stack that never had any buildings to start with.

[Watoop]

Thanks Jest. My failing memory thought there were four stacks there at some point but I clearly wasn't paying enough attention and focusing on the board etc. When I did scroll down to look at the numbers left, I thought someone had rushed through a pile. I managed a close second in a 4p game yesterday so I am getting better!