Are the results of random events predetermined?

[kopfschuss]

I have my game saved right before the event for discovering the new medicine, but no matter how many times I reload and try again (no matter what I choose) I always get the same result.

Is it just getting the event itself that is random, or is it just a string of bad luck in getting the same result multiple times?

This prolly shoulda went on the BtS board. D'oh.

 

[DigitalBoy]

I know that if you reload to change the outcome of a battle and try again, the outcome will always be the same. The game remembers the outcome when you reload so that you get the same result. You can change this in options by unchecking "preserve random seed," or something like that. Then the result is random and may change from reload to reload.

The same probably applies to random events.

 

[JujuLautre]

yep; the idea is that all random things are determined by random numbers, which are, in fact, not so random (computers can't make *true* random). So unless you check the option as stated before, the series of random numbers is the same, so will give the same results if you do the same actions.

 

[ZzarkLinux]

I'm saying the same as all the others above me:

If you don't want the exact same combat to have the exact same outcome, you need to unselect the box "Preserve random seed" for the game.

The RNG (random number generator), in simple terms, uses the current random number to determine the next random number. "Preserve Random Seed" saves that current number, and turning it off doesn't save (re-generates) that random number.

The RNG itself can be thought of as a string of numbers: 0.04, 0.482, 0.92, 0.90, 0.82, 0.23, 0.34, etc... And "Preserve Random Seed" saves that exact same string of random numbers.

The RNG isn't just used in combat. For example, if an AI is programmed to have 40% chance to do something, then preserving the random seed, and repeating everything EXACTLY, you will duplicate the EXACT same AI behavior, because the AI gets that EXACT same random number when "decision-time" comes.

Still, the RNG is random. Well, random enough........ That's why some people call it the pRNG (pseudo-RNG).

 

[eewallace]

I kind of think that it is not a matter of unchecking the box, but rather checking a box in the custom game menu that says something like "random seed on reload." And I think by default this is unchecked.

 

[DRJ]

I think the special that comes with the inability to change those random numbers is to invent strategies to deal with them. For example, if I lost a great battle, cause I attacked with a mace in fight 2 of 13, but could have used a pike, as a sacrifice is inevitable in fight #2 thanks to pseudo-rng, I might win fight #13 with that mace, which, in first place, having not sacrified the pike but the mace could have not been won by having only a left pike for fight #13. I remembered those sure-sacrifice-lost-fight-rngs in next battles...

Dealing with pseudo-RNG, I had the feeling, that the RNG always leave a small corridor for human win, meaning they tend to be adequate for an optimal situational human strategy. Its quite fun to figure that out, once you have a big battle and just reload to optimize it. It helps to win futurous battles without reloading!

 

[BrantleyL1]

Never let programmers and end-users mix

LOL.... Spoken like a true tech programmer...

I'm an applications programmer - I do what our end-users want me to do. I'm one of those old-fashioned types. I know COBOL, IMS, VSAM, MVS, JCL and othre ancient languages.

 

[wannabewarlord]

oh my, this knowledge saves me quite some trouble.

yes, I admit I tend to reload battles, when I lose at high odds of, let's say 80% or above, because it simply pisses me off to see a battle odd (alt-click) of 85.6% and then I get my ass whopped. Yes, 85.6% is NOT 100%, but come on...it's damned close

so now I know I can just forget about reloading (which takes some precious game time as well) and accept either outcome (or I could check/uncheck that box, but that's not the point).

I'll just make sure my stack is a little stronger next time

cheers
-wannabewarlord