Endless barbarians

[Art Morte]

In two of my last three games I've encountered barb camps that spawn a new unit every single turn until the camp is destroyed. I've spent 100+ turns fighting these camps (I've encountered three so far). I haven't noticed this before, so I was wondering a) has anyone else experienced this and b) is this one more bug that the latest patch introduced?

 

[KyivanRusCivPlease]

In two of my last three games I've encountered barb camps that spawn a new unit every single turn until the camp is destroyed. I've spent 100+ turns fighting these camps (I've encountered three so far). I haven't noticed this before, so I was wondering a) has anyone else experienced this and b) is this one more bug that the latest patch introduced?

I have definitely come across this and this has been the case well before the latest patch. I guess that this is not a bug and that it's the result of the barbarian scout coming home safe after spotting your city and of your failure to destroy the barbarian outpost for a long time after that.

 

[Art Morte]

I have definitely come across this and this has been the case well before the latest patch. I guess that this is not a bug and that it's the result of the barbarian scout coming home safe after spotting your city and of your failure to destroy the barbarian outpost for a long time after that.

But why does it vary, then, that the more normal scenario is where the camp spawns a handful of units and then stops? And surely spawning a unit every turn in perpetuity is a total overkill and not planned?

 

[PYITE]

But why does it vary, then, that the more normal scenario is where the camp spawns a handful of units and then stops? And surely spawning a unit every turn in perpetuity is a total overkill and not planned?

It has something to do with the scout. I don’t know if it’s a bug or what. This is just a guess but it seems like it happens when an alerted scout stays alive and keeps vision of a city.

 

[Art Morte]

It has something to do with the scout. I don’t know if it’s a bug or what. This is just a guess but it seems like it happens when an alerted scout stays alive and keeps vision of a city.

That hasn't been the case, in two out of three these experiences the scout's been long slain but the units keep on spawning. It's got to be a bug, there's no justification for it.

 

[Wizard-Bob]

I believe that if the Scout makes it back to camp, the camp will continue to spawn barbarians until the camp is destroyed, even if you later kill the scout.

 

[Art Morte]

I believe that if the Scout makes it back to camp, the camp will continue to spawn barbarians until the camp is destroyed, even if you later kill the scout.

Normally they spawn a handful and then stop. These camps spawn a new unit every single turn. It cannot be intended.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

I believe that if the Scout makes it back to camp, the camp will continue to spawn barbarians until the camp is destroyed, even if you later kill the scout.

That's my understanding as well.

 

[Art Morte]

That's my understanding as well.

Why do some camps function different than others, then?

 

[rjg85]

The camp will spawn an 'army' to attack the scouted city (5 units?) then stop. But if you start killing them before they finish their 'army' then they will never reach that cap, hence continue to spawn (seemingly) indefinitely in the attempt to reach it.

I have no evidence/stats for this, but it seems to be my experience.

 

[Art Morte]

The camp will spawn an 'army' to attack the scouted city (5 units?) then stop. But if you start killing them before they finish their 'army' then they will never reach that cap, hence continue to spawn (seemingly) indefinitely in the attempt to reach it.

I have no evidence/stats for this, but it seems to be my experience.

I thought about this, but I've had 5 or more barbs alive and still they spawn. I'm convinced it's a bug.

 

[PYITE]

I agree it’s a bug, but what triggers it?

New guess: What about the camp spawning a second scout after the first wave? The scout will have shared vision with all previously spawned units and if one is still in view of a city then you get an instant second wave spawn.

 

[Art Morte]

I agree it’s a bug, but what triggers it?

New guess: What about the camp spawning a second scout after the first wave? The scout will have shared vision with all previously spawned units and if one is still in view of a city then you get an instant second wave spawn.

No, it's got nothing to do with scouts. Two of these camps I've dealt with had no scouts alive for ages. I think it's just a bug that keeps them spawning units every turn even when they should stop.

The only thing common with my three experiences with these camps has been that they've all been located at the end of a peninsula (and all have had a scout go back there initially). But surely that can't have anything to do with it.

 

[Archon_Wing]

I've personally never seen that happen, and I usually fail to kill scouts most of the time.

 

[Rosty K]

No, it's got nothing to do with scouts. Two of these camps I've dealt with had no scouts alive for ages. I think it's just a bug that keeps them spawning units every turn even when they should stop.

The only thing common with my three experiences with these camps has been that they've all been located at the end of a peninsula (and all have had a scout go back there initially). But surely that can't have anything to do with it.

Maybe there's a ship which keeps 'finding' something endlessly?

 

[Forster]

I've noticed this for the last year. Camps spawn every turn or every other turn. Sometimes they spawn every other turn and will then spawn every turn for a couple of turns. Handling one of these can be done, but if it is close you really need to pay attention to what you are doing (especially if it is a horse camp). If you get more than one, and there is a horse camp up can spend an ungodly number of turns before you get the upper hand, and during this time you are building nothing but units to try to survive. In all honesty, I will usually restart a new campaign rather than slog through that.

 

[Art Morte]

Maybe there's a ship which keeps 'finding' something endlessly?

Nah, in my last game I actually saw them spawning every turn as my caravel hanged about and I ultimately defeated the ever-spawning camp thanks to building three frigates. They were a coastal camp but didn't spawn any ships. But my three land units fighting the barbs got promoted near to level 4 just by fighting those barbs, it's stupid.

 

[civtrader6]

Hi, I have observed such behaviour, with a particularly nasty camp that kept spawning a unit per turn for 70 turns. I think the 'common wisdom' as to how barbarians work and spawn is definitely incomplete.

Firstly, there seems to be different levels of camp activity/behaviour regardless of whether you kill the scout.
I have definitely observed camps spawning units (and sometimes lots of units) even though the scout was killed in time and there is no second scout.

Sometimes when you kill the scout the camp will just linger peacefully. Sometimes it will spawn a second scout in virtually one or two turns.

Some camps will send a wave of barbs to attack you. When they approach the city the barbs will start attacking. But sometimes the barbs will just come and linger. Not attacking your city and pillaging maybe one tile.

Sometimes when you destroy a camp a scout will suicide on the first unit he meets (or city). But annoyingly - sometimes a wounded scout or a scout without a camp will try to persistently avoid you.

Sometimes camps just create a few units and stop. But sometimes they don't stop spawning. I have once counted exactly 15 horses on the map. Horses are particularly tricky cause sometimes they just go past enemy cities and end up pillaging your city - 20+ tiles from the actual camp.

...the list goes on - but it seems that there are different types of behaviour the camps can have - so I'm sure there is a 'hidden' variable (or few) we are not taking into account.

 

[Karpius]

Why do some camps function different than others, then?

Why not? Seems to me that its a fairly randomized event built in. The random event could be weak or strong. There is likely a bell curve that the algorithm follows, but all bell curves have extreme possibilities on either end.

Considering the scope and theme of the game, must every event be predictable?

 

[h0nk0815]

Did you kill the scout? Maybe the spawn reduction is tied to the alerting scout?