I often play the following variant w/ Figures:
Each player also starts with a 1 Figure in play (randomly drawn, obviously). Starting player determined by the lowest letter on any of their top cards.
Initial meld still required, so you can get the short straw if your figure and hand are all the same color, but that's not particularly different than other crap starting hands.
I like it is an extension of the 1 base, 1 echo change with echoes, and relative to the "story" of a game, its basically a "founder".
