Board Game Arena

hi can someone explain whats difference btw classic or balanced thx

The balanced variant changes the costs of a few buildings to better represent their value in the game. It's an official rules update from the designer, but some people don't like it, so you get to choose which rules set you like to play with here.

It also changes starting gold so that a player starting with corn has 1 less dubloon compared to someone starting with indigo.

I have my doubts about the validity of the one doubloon handicap,due to a game I am playing in.

Table #371944042
Move #77
Progression 19%
The small markets got bought up before I could buy any in position 4.Players 2 and 3 each took the settler on their turn as first player.Player 3 also built a construction hut.In order to get quarries,I had to take the settler on successive turns when in second position and as the governor when there were no doubloons on it.Yes,I could have built a construction hut instead,but manning that would have meant forgoing corn production which is the justification for the handicap.I did get to trade my corn,but for only two doubloons by taking the trader.
So I feel that there are big potential downsides to going 4th which counterbalance the money from the corn.I suspect that the designer was looking at games with less experienced players when suggesting the handicap.