So far the new 1 vs 1 duel I'm in has been a lot of fun but has been a slugfest with any plan still ambiguous because for two players, there is quite a lot of territory and resources to control with not enough units to control them. You can't just allow your opponent to claim all of the bonus piles so that you are obligated to pursue a chaotic race to get them first and then when they are gone the obvious thing to do seems to undo your opponent's unguarded goldmines.

Well long story short, the game is only 60 turns long and we are already at turn 11 with no end in sight yet to beating on each other over resources
which has been fun but I think more starting units are needed so that some control of captured territory can be maintained sooner and long term I think it would be nice to be able to build a 4th and even a 5th producing barracks through tech upgrades.

TR

Last Edited : Saturday, 13 August 2005 - 21:05

I think we need to see the end of a few duels before we make predictions about how these work.

More starting troops aren't necessary, one has to decide how to expand with what one gets. It's equal.

More barracks sounds good on the face of it but may not really be needed. These are short games and I suspect they won't usually go to the limit. You can build all the barracks you want, but only have 3 in production...keep moving in on your opponent with them. However, it bears thinking about more seriously, I agree.

Mog,
I think our hands are tied as far as how to expand unless you are willing to allow your opponent to take most of the piles which will give him an advantage in tech and upgrades if you do
and yes I know we can build all the barracks we want but I did say "producing barracks".
I agree that I may be premature with this but so far I don't have much of a plan other than fighting over resources.

TR

perhaps this map has too many resource piles?
would removing most of them solve the issue?

i thought that a race to get resources would spark conflict rather than create a game where both players just sit back and build up till they have Master everything, then attack.

The game is fun as is now and the resource piles are sparking plenty of action like you say. If you take some piles away, there might not be enough for both of us to get a fair share. It's just that I don't see a near end to driving each other crazy going after unprotected facilities.

We are still battling for control of the snow and I have slipped a commandeer over to take one of my opponent's goldmines. I haven't got it yet but I think I will. It really is too early to tell but I bet both of us are wishing we could spare an army to guard our already claimed territories.

TR

YES WE DO. you might get it for now, but at what cost?

Well mim,
we shall see.

TR

PS:
I lost a detailed post that I didn't save and I submitted without realising that the server had apparently crashed, but anyway I'll try again.
For reasons already mentioned I think at least two more starting armies are necessary basicly also because there is an element of luck that needs to be eliminated (i.e. that it is possible to send an army to the wrong corner).

If you send an army to the same corner as your opponent where he has arrived first with a superior force, he can eliminate your unit causing you a one to two turn loss in that he is able to establish his gold and resource income ahead of you and start concentrating on an offence while you are still busy establishing your income with the loss of an army to boot.

Also the player who gets ahead as mentioned can even have already sent an army to raid the remaining corner and also later send his commandeers to harass his opponents already claimed resources, causing his opponent to have to waste movement going back where he has been;
So that it is also desireable to have enough armies to discourage pillaging tactics.
Otherwise the "Duels" are a lot of fun but this one element of unluckily going to the wrong corner without enough strength can cause a one-sided game.

TR

If you want everything to be equal play an AutoBattle. Don't whine because you didn't get to a corner sooner than your opponent. Make some choices on your strategy, and play the game...sheez! Just a "suggestion."

Last Edited : Saturday, 20 August 2005 - 13:26

"Author Topic : Duel Resource Control
Nebuchadnezer

Joined 6/9/2005
Posted Saturday, August 20, 2005 - 02:13
If you want everything to be equal play an AutoBattle. Don't whine because you didn't get to a corner sooner than your opponent. Make some choices on your strategy, and play the game...sheez!

Posted Friday, August 19, 2005 - 13:49"

Look Nebuchadnezer,
I don't "whine" ... this is the "suggestion" area. Please take your unflattering comments to some more appropriate thread in possibly "GCC".

I'm playing against a very good player, and it was his unit that arrived too late to the corner not mine, and it was me who had a superior force waiting that destroyed his unit not him;
So again please think before you comment because
I don't really like your comment and I don't think much of you for making it either.

IMO if these "Duels" are going to be the main type game, they need to be devoid of luck advantage circumstances as much as possible.

TR

I'm beginning to think there are too many resources and buildings. Perhaps 2 goldmines less and 1 less set of the others...
Less piles around, too.

Let it develop a bit before the big clash instead of so much wealth lying around.

While there is luck involved, in early strategy, there is always luck.

however, if there are too many resources then so be it.
im just not sure if 1 set of resource buildings per player is enough to fund a campaign.

what if we have..
TOP corner : 1 Woodmill, 1 Quarry
BOTTOM corner : 1 Mine, 1 Goldmine
LEFT & RIGHT CENTER area : 2 Gemponds

This way, there arent too many objects.
Of course there is still the issue of do you send everything towards one corner, or split your forces.

But then, if we dont have things in the corners, how boring would it be. There would be nothing to war over.

i think it is good to have a lot of everything this will make it faster(the game).... and of more high tech!!! and of course then more units!!

Sorry,
I look at my suggestion of adding a couple armies as adding to the "Duels" and I see removing resources as possibly ruining them.

Mog,
why do you think there are too many resources?
Is it because you didn't have enough armies to capture them all?

At least one army must be sent to each of the two swamps, one to the snow, one commandeer must stay behind to build and at least one army must be sent to each of the two corners but you need to send a total of three armies to the corner you want to capture;
So I count 8 armies needed at start.

If both send three armies to the same corner there is no harm done because the result will be that neither gains an advantage. One method takes away from the game to make the given armies enough where my method leaves the game as is but requires a couple more armies so there are enough to cover the given resources.
I see it as being "as broad as it is long" except that I think taking resources away may make a less fun game.

TR

I would suggest to only have gemponds at the corners!

I don't know, I'm not having any problems controling my resources. That happens to be both corners and the middle of the map. I expect that to last until Sage gets a much stronger force :p

I think duels have serious potential but it will take a while before we can say that the current map is good or bad.

Although it would be cool to have a couple of maps to choose from.

Don't listen to anything Ghengis says. I'm playing extremely poorly, so everything he says is tinted by that fact

I think if we actually want these games to end by turn 60 between reasonably skilled opponents we absolutely NEED these resources.

Without them it would be too easy to just sit back near your castle, and well, since it's a good 4-5 turns to get there, the defender should have more troops. Pretty much an impossible seige situation against a similarly skilled opponent.

But as it is now, you've got to take the resources and hold them. If you CAN get a resource advantage, that just might give you the leverage you need to actually successfully seige someone.

Of course, in duels between players of different skill levels, it matters much less.

Card