Recently (and in the past) we've seen home brewers come up with new options to add to the spaces on the main board. What I'm most curious about are the methods for doing so and what people prefer if they use them. There seem to be only two main methods, with two sub-methods for each one.
-
SPACE OVERLAY:
The new option is edited into a copy of the space and then
(1) sticker of the full graphic or just text is permanently adhered to the board, or
(2) it is mounted on a separate piece of board to lay over the space. -
CARD PLAY:
The new option is created as an Adventure or other type of card and then
(1) put into the Adventure or other deck so that it appears and possibly disappears as part of normal draws , or
(2) it is chosen before play begins and placed directly on the space without or without additional others as well.
I'm curious as to what others perfer, or how you might see the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Board alteration in place of alternative main boards, has been seen before but not touch upon as often as making new cards.
Space Ovelay + Sticker is probably the most often used, though it has the disadvantage of being permanent. This might leave new or even standard players without the option of playing just the standard original board space if they wish as an option. On the other hand, its the cleanest method, with nothing obscuring the space.
Space Overly + Separate Piece fully mounted on backing has the disadvantage (perhaps) of keeping the overlay conveniently in place during play. But it does offer some notions for alternative spaces, even more than one for a particular space, without permanently altering the original board.
Card Play + Draw is one that I've used in my expansion, and usually the Adventure card in question is either a Place or Stranger. It has the disadvantage the any Purchase cards or Services linked to it may or may not appear in a particular game, and thereby are undependable. Some players actually think it isn't a disadvantage but adds variety, if there are more than one card for the same space that might or might not appear during any one game. Kind of like merchants on the move who may or may not come to do business. A counterpoint is that some players might find it distracting figuring out and remembering (without a close look) what a card on a non-draw space is about.
Card Play + Placed offers a the same advantages, and some of the disadvantages of Space Overlay + Separate Piece. It's other advantage is that with softwares like Strange Eons, one can easily make such cards.
Additional, the card based options can be used either as before play or random draw.
So, what have I missed? Are there preferences of method? How far should such notions be taken? Is there a limit to how many new options should be added by any method to any one space?