Barbarian Intensity Settings

[cracker]

In recent GOTM games the setup conditions have held the barbarian activity settings down at the first active level "Roaming"

• Roaming = barbarian activity with era uprisings of 8 horsemen/camp
• Restless = barbarian activity with era uprisings of 16 horsemen/camp
• Raging = barbarian activity with era uprisings of 24 horsemen/camp
• Mystery = barbarian activity known only to cracker and God (not necessarily in that order)

I have hesitated to raise the activity setting because I have strong feeling that the way uprisings occur globally at all the same time is just disruptive in more ways than it adds interest.

This is one of the reasons you have seen a number of different options used to alter the way barbarian type/hardship events can effect the game.

I want to make sure that we include considerations for the way our players would like to see barbarians included in the games by asking you to provide comments and suggestions here in addition to just casting a vote.

 

[Justus II]

Is the only difference from Roaming to Restless to Raging the # of barbs in the Era Uprisings? I thought it also affected the frequency of barb camps, but I may be wrong. I think the level of "normal" barb activity has been fine, given the additional 'regionally intense' challenges. If you had a map without the special regions, maybe a higher level would be called for, but as it is now seems fine to me. I voted for Added features and base setting of Roaming, but a suprise now and then would be OK also.

 

[Singularity]

I think one of the things you've done with GOTM in the last rounds are to add an element of total surprise and challenges that we never get in a 'normal' game. I feel that as long as it doesn't brake the game in any way, or display a potential at ruining a game for newer players it should be a surprise from game to game.

Next GOTM I wont read the barbaric description in the scope, as it can ruin some of the fun of seeing some of your stuff for the first time.

 

[Pygzilla]

I like surprises but anything up to raging is OK with me. Actually I'm not real fond of OFF

 

[RufRydyr]

I used to set barbs at the min. level, but it's been fun to see your surprises. Keep 'em coming!

How about a Yeti on the mountains?

How about Anacondas in the lakes?

 

[Ambiorix]

I'd say surprise us ! The barbarian settings are there to be used, it would be a shame to limit ourselves to just 'roaming'. I'd even accept a game setup where the barbarian settings (and other options as well, for that matter) are unknown at the start of the game, simply because this is also an option that can be chosen in a regular game setup.

The first goal is having fun, a second goal is learning to master this game. In that respect, it would be handy to see how players deal with unknown settings.

 

[Kemal]

I would prefer to use only the lower levels, and certainly no raging, as especially on higher difficulty levels people will become dependant on the RNG to get a good game going. Sure, you can send a spearman with each settler, but they can lose to horsemen too and losing an early settler due to bad luck can really disrupt your game and the fun you'll have from it.

Any surprise (like the fogs/volcano and impies so far) is ok with me and a nice added feature to the game, but please no insane amounts of barbs early on.

 

[Darkness]

I like surprises, cracker.
But, like Kemal said, on the higher difficulty levels an insane amount of barbarian activity can kill all chances to set up a decent game....

 

[haegint]

I voted Suprise us. I'm ready for all sorts of barbs, volcano barbs, squids. I agree that on high difficulties, they should not disrupt the game too much.

 

[Shillen]

I voted continue using added features but leave the base at roaming. I think the fun part are the added features. Increasing the barbs from roaming to restless or raging adds very little in terms of gameplay and can add quite a bit in terms of frustration. It's particularly bad when you lose a few settlers, through no fault of your own, and it can really ruin your game.

 

[LKendter]

Well start a deity game with Raging barbs and you will truly know pain. The higher I play the game, the move I have learned to hate barbarians.

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I know I don't what to see a clone of tournament game 4-3 and the barbs in point blank range of the capital. I almost quit that game during the first 10 turns out of frustration.

 

[hotrod0823]

I voted for the standard settings but only because my machine didn't like the special barbs on GOTM17. It made it unplayable for me .

I am not possitive but I think the lag (2-3 min) was caused by the special features.

Hotrod

 

[cracker]

Originally posted by LKendter
I know I don't what to see a clone of tournament game 4-3 and the barbs in point blank range of the capital. I almost quit that game during the first 10 turns out of frustration.

Yes, that game was an unfortunate result. (Sorta took the pressure off me, though!) I think that may have been an attempt to copy some of the added barbarian features that we have been using because the features do seem to be somewhat popular. The problem with inserting barbarian activity into the game is that even with a great deal of knowledge as to how the game works there can be consequences of inserting the barbarians.

 

[Megalou]

I trust you to set up balanced games, so I see no reason not to give you free hands. But I'm not going to avoid the descriptions like Singularity. If anacondas might suddenly raise their heads and swallow spearmen I want to know it. Why? Because the games take so long to play I don't want to make mistakes for other reasons than my own incompetence as a player.

 

[Borealis]

As long as it doesn't mean the lag we had in this GOTM, I'm for it. I prefer playing on lower barbarian settings, especially in PTW with the more intelligent barbs, but if everyone's on the same page I have no problem with it. I generally take time to write up my QSC in the first place, so the lag for me was tiresome in the amount of time my computer spent .

 

[planetfall]

This was a hard poll to answer. You have taught me not to like sendentary, but after a while always having razing tends to distort the game. I love the mystery aspect to the barbarians, but would like to see the activity level of the barbarians to float between roaming and razing.

== PF

 

[alamo]

I vote for suprises. We can always set up our own map.

Higher barb levels would be ok if we could get a couple of warriors or spears at the start.

I started the Tourney 4-3 game. There were 5 barbs attacking the capital in the first 10 turns. I even got a warrior from a GH, but there were too many to handle at first.

 

[Pal {UI}]

While I like playing with Barbs active on my own games, GOTM should be seditary or off to make sure that some players are not handicapped more than others by a random element (there are already enough of those!)