Four players is usually the epitome of any game, video or board. It's an even number, just the right amount enough to have a reasonable and fulfilling game but small enough to not take up too many spaces and artificially lengthen it. The four man team has been staple of many co-op games, including Valve's excellently crafted 'Left 4 Dead' series, where players take on the role of four survivors braving the zombie apocalypse in late 2000's America. Having yourself and three other friends is a fun time, even with the same campaigns over and over again, mostly due to Valve's ingenious 'Director', who randomizes the levels each time you play.
However, the three player conundrum sucks. Being down one person isn't very fun, and it also disrupts the game by throwing the even number into an odd one. A board game with three players is going to be very lopsided and three players when there's supposed to be four isn't fun either - even though there are AI players that fill in the last gap, it's just better to have a player come along with you.
How do you fix it? Well, aside from the aforementioned AI, there isn't really one unless you decide to build your whole game around accommodating three players... then what about when a forth one wants to play? There's just no winning in this.
However, the three player conundrum sucks. Being down one person isn't very fun, and it also disrupts the game by throwing the even number into an odd one. A board game with three players is going to be very lopsided and three players when there's supposed to be four isn't fun either - even though there are AI players that fill in the last gap, it's just better to have a player come along with you.
How do you fix it? Well, aside from the aforementioned AI, there isn't really one unless you decide to build your whole game around accommodating three players... then what about when a forth one wants to play? There's just no winning in this.