In another thread Sir Vorshlumpf challenged me to provide statistical and empirical data to prove my premise that the Armageddon Counter moved too quickly in Marathon and even some Epic games. With the assistance of CSI, Gil Grissom, on loan from the Las Vegas Police Department I submit the following for your review:
THE CRIME: The death and destruction of many AI and human civilizations. Oh, the humanity!
THE PROBABLE CAUSE: Too many barbarian cities are spawning too fast. Razing them causes the Armageddon Counter to rise too quickly in slower speed games. Bad people, like the Four Horsemen, arrive before suitable defenders can be recruited and the crime takes place.
THE SUSPECTS: Kael and an assortment of unsavory accomplices with funny sounding names you cannot pronounce. The Kael Gang.
THE EVIDENCE: Playing a game of version .23b on a Huge Fantasy map. Epic speed, Monarch, Hannah the Irin, Raging Barbs and Aggressive AI.
1. By the yr 222, the Armageddon Counter is already up to 22. Twos are wild. There have been no wars among civs. No Prophecy of Ragnarok has been built. No Ashen Veil. And so on. Only the raging barbs to blame.
2. I spotted a barb city three tiles away from the borders of my 2nd city. I sent two Hunters to raze the city. It took three turns for my Hunters to return to my city. Upon returning I noticed a new barb city (different name, those clever barbs!) had sprung up on the same location as the razed city. THREE TURNS!
3. After #2 I opened the World Builder and counted 16 barb cities, including Acherons city. As Sheelba and Rhoanna had already been destroyed, this was almost as many cities of the remaining 8 civs. Also, I counted (but may have missed a few) 12 city ruins. I am not sure if these were all from razed barb cities. Also, as in the case of a barb city being built near my border, cities can be built on ruins. But, lets be conservative and say that so far there have been at least 25 barb cities before yr. 250. Isnt that a bit much?
SOLVING THE CRIME: Here are two obvious suggestions that have been given before:
1. Reduce the rate at which barb cities spawn in slower speed games. Three turns is just crazy!
2. Decrease the rate at which the Armageddon Counter increases when a barb city is razed. Instead of 1, made it 3 barb cities razed = 1 on the Counter. Having the Sanctify spell (who has Adepts with Sanctify in early slower speed games?) can help a bit, but the AI never uses it and they raze most of the barb cities.
With this evidence in hand, a squad of Bannor Enforcers was sent to the Lair of the Kael Gang. Curly, Moe, and Larry were brought along in case bombardment or slapstick comedy was necessary. The perps were taken peacefully, and put in a Gypsy Paddy Wagon driven by Perpentach himself.
They were thrown unceremoniously into a Dungeon (-+--+-+--+1 Happiness and -40% Maintenance). They have a Deer and a Beaver food resource in their cell, but lets hope there is not a Blight. They will be tortured unmercifully by Taskmasters and Succubi until they agree to the solutions above and fix this game. If they refuse, Typhoid Mary will be brought in to sneeze on them.
Several prominent Law Bringers have protested their incarceration, but if Shadow is a bit late coming out, you will know why!
PS. Thanks for .23 and the media pack!
THE CRIME: The death and destruction of many AI and human civilizations. Oh, the humanity!
THE PROBABLE CAUSE: Too many barbarian cities are spawning too fast. Razing them causes the Armageddon Counter to rise too quickly in slower speed games. Bad people, like the Four Horsemen, arrive before suitable defenders can be recruited and the crime takes place.
THE SUSPECTS: Kael and an assortment of unsavory accomplices with funny sounding names you cannot pronounce. The Kael Gang.
THE EVIDENCE: Playing a game of version .23b on a Huge Fantasy map. Epic speed, Monarch, Hannah the Irin, Raging Barbs and Aggressive AI.
1. By the yr 222, the Armageddon Counter is already up to 22. Twos are wild. There have been no wars among civs. No Prophecy of Ragnarok has been built. No Ashen Veil. And so on. Only the raging barbs to blame.
2. I spotted a barb city three tiles away from the borders of my 2nd city. I sent two Hunters to raze the city. It took three turns for my Hunters to return to my city. Upon returning I noticed a new barb city (different name, those clever barbs!) had sprung up on the same location as the razed city. THREE TURNS!
3. After #2 I opened the World Builder and counted 16 barb cities, including Acherons city. As Sheelba and Rhoanna had already been destroyed, this was almost as many cities of the remaining 8 civs. Also, I counted (but may have missed a few) 12 city ruins. I am not sure if these were all from razed barb cities. Also, as in the case of a barb city being built near my border, cities can be built on ruins. But, lets be conservative and say that so far there have been at least 25 barb cities before yr. 250. Isnt that a bit much?
SOLVING THE CRIME: Here are two obvious suggestions that have been given before:
1. Reduce the rate at which barb cities spawn in slower speed games. Three turns is just crazy!
2. Decrease the rate at which the Armageddon Counter increases when a barb city is razed. Instead of 1, made it 3 barb cities razed = 1 on the Counter. Having the Sanctify spell (who has Adepts with Sanctify in early slower speed games?) can help a bit, but the AI never uses it and they raze most of the barb cities.
With this evidence in hand, a squad of Bannor Enforcers was sent to the Lair of the Kael Gang. Curly, Moe, and Larry were brought along in case bombardment or slapstick comedy was necessary. The perps were taken peacefully, and put in a Gypsy Paddy Wagon driven by Perpentach himself.
They were thrown unceremoniously into a Dungeon (-+--+-+--+1 Happiness and -40% Maintenance). They have a Deer and a Beaver food resource in their cell, but lets hope there is not a Blight. They will be tortured unmercifully by Taskmasters and Succubi until they agree to the solutions above and fix this game. If they refuse, Typhoid Mary will be brought in to sneeze on them.
Several prominent Law Bringers have protested their incarceration, but if Shadow is a bit late coming out, you will know why!
PS. Thanks for .23 and the media pack!
