So...

The core rules say that compensation is to be taken randomly from the players hand. But with rewards cards, the hand is marked? Are we still supposed to draw compensation randomly (with dice, or something), or are we meant to pick and chose as we like; taking reward cards with the understood risk of running into Rifts?

Thanks!

Crimhead,

We are meant to pick and choose what we want, with the risk of picking rifts if we pick cards from the rewards deck. Another disadvantage of picking consolation cards from only the rewards deck is that you have no chance to get a flare.

That's what I figured, but by the rules compensation is taken at random. Maybe we could get this addressed when the FAQ is updated for Incursion?

I've always assumed that's the whole point of haing different backs to begin with (why otherwise)... to tempt people to steal the cards, which makes the negative carsd and rifts that much sweeter!

I actually think Crimhead raises an interesting point, one that has been debated in games I've played. Since the rules say Compensation is randomly drawn from the player's hand, the shuffling, fanning, and drawing from the hand works well when there isn't a Rewards deck. However, the introduction of Rewards cards into that method clearly allows players to make decisions about the drawing of the cards that are not entirely random. One strategy would be to completely avoid the chance of a Rift exploding by always drawing non-Rewards cards. Other players might risk some Rifts in order to get at the Rewards. So, surely this method actually decreases the likelihood of Rifts exploding than an alternative method that is truly random.

This leaves us at a fork: with random drawing, what is more important, the randomness, or the drawing? One direction is to do as described above, allowing the Compensation collector to decide whether or not to risk taking Rewards that might turn out to be exploding Rifts. Another would be to skip the drawing part - the player paying Compensation thoroughly shuffles his/her hand without looking at it and then deals the Compensation out. The latter would be fully random.

I think an official FAQ post on this is warranted.

oliver! said:

It definitely is, but I would guess that's not going to happen anytime soon. In the meantime, designer Kevin Wilson and the playtesters have unofficially confirmed that Rifts are indeed supposed to be a risk when choosing to target reward-back cards for compensation (and other "random selection" situations).

So it's pretty well established at this point that "randomly" means "without seeing the faces of the cards".