#556828
Alright, I've had this hot-ish take for a few years now, and for no other reason than that I've finally gotten around to doing it, I will now voice my complaint:
The first player advantage is way too big.
As is, one player has an extra turn in the game that the other player doesn't have. If player 1's deck can score 100 points in 6 turns, then player 2 needs to score 100 points by turn 5. If player 2 can score 100 points in 6 turns, player 1 only needs to score 100 points by turn 6. I have not said anything that every Star Trek player has known for a while.
What I don't get is why there haven't been steps taken to mitigate this huge advantage- other than Tribunal of Q, which only really gives you you an extra card draw if you go second. The game keeps getting faster and faster, and when the whole game is only lasting 6-8 turns, one turn makes a BIG difference. Maybe the first turn advantage wasn't as noticeable back when the game was taking 2 or 3 times as many turns, but it certainly is now.
And the problem doesn't necessarily seem that hard to fix, either. For example, in tournaments after time is called, players play until they've done the same number of turns, then whoever has the most points wins. This rule could be used verbatim for games in general; if the first player reaches 100 points, the second player takes an additional turn, and whoever has the most points afterwards wins. If instead the second player reaches 100 points first, then the game is over anyhow.
Don't get me wrong, I think the design team has done a great job of balancing the game and giving a multitude of diverse strategic options for deck construction and gameplay. But the first-player advantage strikes me as a holdover from a time when First Edition was, well, less balanced and strategically diverse Am I alone in this?
The first player advantage is way too big.
As is, one player has an extra turn in the game that the other player doesn't have. If player 1's deck can score 100 points in 6 turns, then player 2 needs to score 100 points by turn 5. If player 2 can score 100 points in 6 turns, player 1 only needs to score 100 points by turn 6. I have not said anything that every Star Trek player has known for a while.
What I don't get is why there haven't been steps taken to mitigate this huge advantage- other than Tribunal of Q, which only really gives you you an extra card draw if you go second. The game keeps getting faster and faster, and when the whole game is only lasting 6-8 turns, one turn makes a BIG difference. Maybe the first turn advantage wasn't as noticeable back when the game was taking 2 or 3 times as many turns, but it certainly is now.
And the problem doesn't necessarily seem that hard to fix, either. For example, in tournaments after time is called, players play until they've done the same number of turns, then whoever has the most points wins. This rule could be used verbatim for games in general; if the first player reaches 100 points, the second player takes an additional turn, and whoever has the most points afterwards wins. If instead the second player reaches 100 points first, then the game is over anyhow.
Don't get me wrong, I think the design team has done a great job of balancing the game and giving a multitude of diverse strategic options for deck construction and gameplay. But the first-player advantage strikes me as a holdover from a time when First Edition was, well, less balanced and strategically diverse Am I alone in this?