The Eight Laws of Border Dynamics

[AlanH]

I am not the expert by any stretch of the imagination, but, my understanding of an exploit is to "cheat" the AI by using loopholes in its logic to gain an unfair advantage. There are standard rules against exploits for games of the month and other comparative games where gamers want to understand where they stand in relation to others. An example of exploits of which I am aware: trading for AI workers very early in the game (AI goes for it and stunts their growth) or continually founding cities that push several squares into an AI's civ so that their capital or important city is within immediate range for an attack. there are many examples, but I am not sure where they are posted in this forum.

I don't want to threadjack this discussion of border conflict management by getting into a debate about exploits. Suffice to say as a GOTM Staffer I'm well aware of the issues, and different competitions set different standards, hence my comment. One of the above is prevented by the GOTM setups, the 'combat settler' is allowed. There's a list of allowed and disallowed game tactics for GOTM here

 

[spankey]

Thank you, I will check it out.

 

[eldar]

This particular article helped me enormously in COTM7 - I gained a very important resource monopoly because of it

Thanks TA!

Neil.

 

[Tubby Rower]

I don't want to threadjack this discussion of border conflict management by getting into a debate about exploits.here

This is my last post here about this topic. I'm getting with Alan via PM to check some of my tactics to see if they are disallowed in GOTM since that is the only thing that I currently compete in. Funny thing is is that I'm stink so I guess I'm not really competing except for the red ambulance

 

[Panzar75]

Unless you are a follower of that peculiar sub-cult of Civ III fanaticism that, considers the optimum opening to be: taking the starting worker and settler hut hunting and razing the civilized world to the ground with the force of mighty conscript warrior hoard, you have undoubtedly noticed the subtle power of cultural borders...

Has anyone actually won a game this way?

 

[punkbass2000]

I don't know, but I think it would possible on Chieftain if you allowed warriors to be popped from huts, anyway.

 

[bluebox]

Nice summary of whats going on with borders. I knew the effects from observation but you gave me a new insight by thinking of tiles rather than borders.

BTW, there's another typo from your 2nd post:

Bablyon claims tile 3 at rank 1, Veii claims it at rank 3 => Veii gets it.

must be read: Bablyon claims tile 3 at rank 3, Veii claims it at rank 1 => Veii gets it.

and, spankey, "combat settlers" are explicitly allowed in gotm + hof.

 

[Tomoyo]

I don't know, but I think it would possible on Chieftain if you allowed warriors to be popped from huts, anyway.

You would need very very very good RNG luck.

 

[punkbass2000]

I haven't double-checked to make sure this was mentioned in your article, but I believe you forgot to mention a very important detail. In all formulae calculations (AFAIK), adjacent tiles are counted as 1, and tiles that only connect at a single point are counted as 1.5. What is less than obvious, however, is that these numbers are rounded down. This makes the following rule less than absolute:

III. Each tile is assigned to the civ that controls the city that has the lowest rank claim on it.

Imagine two cities, one 333336 from the other. The tile 322 from the NW city would appear to automatically go to it, but, in fact, it goes to whichever city has the higher culture. It is 444 from the SE city and thus is 4.5 tiles away, truncated to 4. It is also 4 tiles from the NW city. I haven't fully tested this, so let me know if its wrong.

 

[jonnyincognito]

You would need very very very good RNG luck.

Maybe easier with an expansionist culture? Wonder if there's a Hall of Fame for fastest completed game?


Joshua

 

[TimBentley]

Maybe easier with an expansionist culture? Wonder if there's a Hall of Fame for fastest completed game?


Joshua

Yes, expansionist would be better. I might be crazy enough to win that way some time.

There is a Hall of Fame for fastest finish; boogaboo has won in 3650 BC on chieftain, warlord and regent (others have won that fast too).

 

[EMan]

Update: Make that 3800BC now!