Problem with card drawing

Right now, each player draws an event card, and then if they are also at a colony, they draw an item and mission. I may make it so they have to choose between an item or mission.

@Relexx
I can't really make the events a choice in the current set-up as they also control how often the items and missions get reset. (They way it works out now, as more players are in the game you'll see more items/missions in the pool, but they also get reset faster.)

I have considered making the item/mission drawing optional, but I have noticed that players then tend to take extra time trying to decide if they want a chance at an upgrade, or opt not to draw, thereby trying to prevent other players from possibly getting an upgrade. It's another level of strategy, yes, but I'm not sure the extra time it takes makes the game more fun, as it can be a complex decision. (Tracking what items are already drawn, how badly you need an upgrade and how much it will help, what opportunities will be likely unlocked, and then comparing all that to all the opponents' positions.)

Now, I could remove the drawing of items/missions if you start your turn at a colony, and let the reset mechanism repopulate them. And instead give the player the option of staying at the planet for extra draws if there is currently nothing desirable.

@Taavet
That's a really interesting idea; It gives more depth to the strategy of what items to pick up, but that could also work against the player too. It might be too limiting as the player may be forced to keep sub-standard items just for the VPs. In itself, this can be an interesting mechanic, but it's already a challenge to get optimal items. So ultimately, this would practically redesign the whole game. Also, there's a physical constraint too, as the item cards are relatively small as it is and there isn't room to add mission text. (Increasing the card size leads to a cascade of gameplay changes in itself.)

Ultimately, I might be over-thinking what isn't really a big issue anymore. This is already a positive change from the original idea, which was to tie some random events to a die roll every round of turns (a game-wide effect for all players that round), and some events tied to planetary exploration. It was overly complicated, and also necessitated rotating which player acted first, as getting first crack at the random events was a huge advantage. Compared to that, it's a success. Still...

Interestingly, tying random events to planetary exploration isn't a bad idea, and may be an improvement by itself - though it will mean less event variation. The big issue is the resetting of pool cards, as tying this to exploration is unsuitable (not consistent enough, and gets worse as the game goes on)

So maybe the real question is how to regulate card pool resets, as the other mechanics can be shifted around with less impact on the game. (with a 4 player game, the pool resets roughly every 3-5 game turns)

Yes, the available items are shared between all ports. However, the items pool is frequently more than six items, as every time a player begins his turn on a planet, an item (or mission) card is drawn. If they don't want it or can't afford it, it will get added to the pool. If they sell an item back, it goes to the pool. So the pool is constantly growing and frequently getting reset. So even when a player is not at a colony, an item may come up that prompts him to come back to civilization to buy it. Even if an item is bought by someone else, or you missed the window, chances are something similar will be available in a few turns.
There is also the option of turning to piracy and attempting to rob another player of an item, though this comes with its own social and game mechanic consequences.

This adds another element of strategy, such as what to purchase right now, and what can wait until next turn. Should I get that scanner or the engine? But I know my opponent will want that weapon, should I try to block him or boost myself? It didn't seem relevant to mention before, but you can only by purchase one item per turn, so players will be making choices like this.

Drawing private upgrades could certianly work, though in my case it would have to be a larger number of cards as there are many different types of items. Something like double the amount of cards to draw. With a lot of cards and no ability to plan for items before you draw them, this will probably disrupt play quite a bit. I may experiment with that mechanic a bit though. I do like that some ports will effectively have different selection sizes.

I've also given some though to having some basic functionality items be available for purchase at all times, and not dependent on the random element of card drawing. However, adding yet another stack of cards isn't attractive at this juncture. Instead, this is somewhat covered by different ships having a 'stock configuration' that includes some basic items. As well as different characters having some basic abilities, like perhaps reflexes to improve defense, or mechanic tools to provide repairs. Things that would otherwise need to be bought.

EDIT: As a side note, while that list is amusing, judging by the posts there's probably not a boardgame on the planet that couldn't find its way onto it.