[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

So we gave Pandemic a whirl tonight...and holy crap did the game kick our asses. In three games, we ended up 1 for 3. We lost the first two (four players) and ended up getting a close victory in the final game (three players). Both times we lost were due to running out of player cards, and outside of one scary moment or two in the early parts of the first game, we were never even close to losing in any other way. The game feels easier with fewer people, if only because you have more time to get through the deck.

We definitely enjoyed the game, but our observations were as so:

-The Researcher, Operations Manager and Dispatcher seemed clearly to be the most powerful of the roles. Medics are good (especially for cleanup), but not necessary, and Scientists seem a little under-powered.
-The trading of player cards seems really clunky, especially if you end up in a game without the researcher. That being said, I don't know that I see an easy fix that doesn't miss wildly in the other direction.

Take these impressions with a grain of salt, as we've only played three games.

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As a side note, went to a local brick-and-mortar game store, and was absolutely floored at their prices. Almost all of the games I was interested in were $70, when I can find most for $50 or less online. I was excited to support my local store, but at those prices I don't think I can bring myself to shop there regularly.

Re-read the rules after playing a while and you'll likely find that your were unknowingly doing something wrong or unknowingly exploiting. Thats what happened to us... Love the game and its definitely easier with fewer serious players since its easier to plan. With a lot more players you have a hard time keeping all of the ducks in a row IMO.