Intro: I play 4-player games exclusively, so it is meant for 4-player games
Note: 2, 3, 5 player games are different and the options modify the play differently
Note: I play 'classical' games only, cause I am convinced that 'balanced' option breaks the strategic depth of the game
'Classical' v 'Balanced'
in 4-er games, mainly no expansion.
So there seems to be different opinions on the matter, so here are my ideas of why only 'Classical' should be played ever:
1. The swap of price between Factory and University is very bad
lets see why:
Factory is db generating building and as such usualy useful in builder oriented strategies, these rely heavily on speed of progress to be able to build and Factory for 8 db is often unaffordable (I guess about 30% of positions) and when it is affordable for 8 is way too much to payoff.
I say it limits the Factory play by 50% of the time (or even more), so the 'balanced' usualy go trade heavy and omit Factory,
sometimes it is still a strong purchase but is much harder to achieve the position for it, cause seat 3 and seat 4 (which have with Corn very good starting setup for Factory) have even 1 less db to start with at 2 db so to get to Factory is usually out of reach (either get it too late or is too weak for the price).
Now University for 7 db is also not good, cause University is a building for Builders and the cost is there as entry barrier, which with 7 is not as good as 8, and the effect is the strongest effect in game (besides Wharf but that is a Shipper building) and therefore I am convinced 8 is the right price.
- I did win some University games and the price 8 was just fine
Sure for 7 db the University is much more affordable, but that might be problematic when a hybrid player builds it, the entry should be high so that only the true building strategies go well with it.
These opinion on University is a just a feeling, didnt play too many University games to be able to tell,
but Factory for 8 db is by my experience way too much, and the 'balanced' games usually go without it and derail the game into a trading mish-mash.
2. Seat 3 and Seat 4 starting with 2db limits their strategic options
I think when you do shipper oriented strategies the -1db start is almost forgettable but if you do builder oriented strategies (like fast Factory)
it hinders their speed and makes them very tough to be able to develop and so seat 3 and seat 4 in 'balanced' are being forced into shipping strategy.
On the statistics, sure seat 3 might have the highest win ratio, but that only proves they are the easiest and not the strongest.
I am convinced the strongest seats for builder strategies ar seat 2, seat 1 and then seat 4 and seat 3, though the 'deadly' 2nd seat is deadly for a reason
as it is very tough and mistake unforgiving.
As of my statistics, of my last 870 games:
seat 1: 217x
seat 2: 224x
seat 3: 215x
seat 4: 214x
so my most played seat is seat 2 and I think am doing just fine, sure you can say I won the seat 3 games, maybe but still have some big wins as seat 2.
Seat 2 and Seat 1 have tough time in shipping game (as of early), otherwise for builder game they are quite powerful, even though and more mistake prone.
These are my thoughts and experience feelings that form my opinion and I think it is valid like this, but I can see you believe in 'balanced'
but I dont.
Note: 2, 3, 5 player games are different and the options modify the play differently
Note: I play 'classical' games only, cause I am convinced that 'balanced' option breaks the strategic depth of the game
'Classical' v 'Balanced'
in 4-er games, mainly no expansion.
So there seems to be different opinions on the matter, so here are my ideas of why only 'Classical' should be played ever:
1. The swap of price between Factory and University is very bad
lets see why:
Factory is db generating building and as such usualy useful in builder oriented strategies, these rely heavily on speed of progress to be able to build and Factory for 8 db is often unaffordable (I guess about 30% of positions) and when it is affordable for 8 is way too much to payoff.
I say it limits the Factory play by 50% of the time (or even more), so the 'balanced' usualy go trade heavy and omit Factory,
sometimes it is still a strong purchase but is much harder to achieve the position for it, cause seat 3 and seat 4 (which have with Corn very good starting setup for Factory) have even 1 less db to start with at 2 db so to get to Factory is usually out of reach (either get it too late or is too weak for the price).
Now University for 7 db is also not good, cause University is a building for Builders and the cost is there as entry barrier, which with 7 is not as good as 8, and the effect is the strongest effect in game (besides Wharf but that is a Shipper building) and therefore I am convinced 8 is the right price.
- I did win some University games and the price 8 was just fine
Sure for 7 db the University is much more affordable, but that might be problematic when a hybrid player builds it, the entry should be high so that only the true building strategies go well with it.
These opinion on University is a just a feeling, didnt play too many University games to be able to tell,
but Factory for 8 db is by my experience way too much, and the 'balanced' games usually go without it and derail the game into a trading mish-mash.
2. Seat 3 and Seat 4 starting with 2db limits their strategic options
I think when you do shipper oriented strategies the -1db start is almost forgettable but if you do builder oriented strategies (like fast Factory)
it hinders their speed and makes them very tough to be able to develop and so seat 3 and seat 4 in 'balanced' are being forced into shipping strategy.
On the statistics, sure seat 3 might have the highest win ratio, but that only proves they are the easiest and not the strongest.
I am convinced the strongest seats for builder strategies ar seat 2, seat 1 and then seat 4 and seat 3, though the 'deadly' 2nd seat is deadly for a reason
as it is very tough and mistake unforgiving.
As of my statistics, of my last 870 games:
seat 1: 217x
seat 2: 224x
seat 3: 215x
seat 4: 214x
so my most played seat is seat 2 and I think am doing just fine, sure you can say I won the seat 3 games, maybe but still have some big wins as seat 2.
Seat 2 and Seat 1 have tough time in shipping game (as of early), otherwise for builder game they are quite powerful, even though and more mistake prone.
These are my thoughts and experience feelings that form my opinion and I think it is valid like this, but I can see you believe in 'balanced'
but I dont.
