Debate: does house rules help or hurt new players?

Last week at my local game night in Portland, someone suggested we drop the trading phase in Settlers to speed things up for a newbie. Half the table agreed, half said it dumbs down the strategy. I remember my first time playing 3 years ago with full rules and I felt totally lost for two hours. So is it better to cut corners to keep people engaged or let them swim in the deep end? What do you all think about bending rules for beginners?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer66417d ago

Dropping the trading phase is a bad call. That interaction is the whole point of the game, the part where new players actually learn the diplomacy and deal-making side. Let them struggle through a long first game, they'll appreciate the full experience way more than a watered-down version.

casey_barnes16d ago

And a buddy of mine taught a new group last month, skipped every rule 'for beginners' he could. Game took 3 hours, everyone was bored by round two, two people just started checking their phones. They haven't played again since.