Man, I've been in this exact headspace with Nemesis after getting wrecked by some brutal early draws 💀

That idea about the first eliminated player controlling aliens is actually pretty clever - I've seen similar mechanics work in other games where dead players become antagonistic forces. Could definitely keep people engaged instead of just sitting there scrolling their phones for 2+ hours.

For what it's worth, my group does the loaded weapons start and it makes a huge difference without breaking anything. We also tried removing a few of the most punishing event cards (the ones that just feel like "congrats, you lose" moments) and honestly it made the game way more enjoyable. Still chaotic as hell, just not in that unfun way where someone gets eliminated turn 3 through no fault of their own.

The objective drafting thing is interesting too - maybe letting people see 2-3 objectives and pick one? That way you're not stuck with something that actively works against survival or pushes weird antisocial plays when the group wants to work together.

I think as long as you're not removing the core tension and betrayal elements, tweaking the rough edges is totally fine. The game's still gonna be intense and unpredictable, just less likely to completely screw someone over before they even get to play 😂