Game balance suggestions.

[Jasper]

Boy, it would sure suck to have someone nail you with Fires from Afar if you tried this! The threat of that would make me reluctant to try this with anyone but Atlantis or R'lyeh.

It is definitely a long term investment, although Water gems don't really have compelling uses early on and the underwater races are more assured of surviving until turn 40 than most.

I think Pearl Clams are usefull enough that I build them when I have water gems sitting around, but I don't see it being worth the oppurtunity cost transmuting gems to water in order to forge them.

[stiger]

Originally posted by Jasper:

I think Pearl Clams are usefull enough that I build them when I have water gems sitting around, but I don't see it being worth the oppurtunity cost transmuting gems to water in order to forge them.

Second that.

Do alchemy on pearls (as suggested) - and the cost of each clam becomes too high. 20 pearls = 1 clam = 1 pearl a turn = 20 turns for a clam to pay back its initial price in pearls. Even less tempting with other gems as it's 4 to 1. That's just too long investment to try after turn 20 I think as not even underwater nations are that safe...

Still I understand const2 could be considered too low so no harm in making clam actually produce a pearl once per season, not once per turn - that's quite reasonable.

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by stiger:
Still I understand const2 could be considered too low so no harm in making clam actually produce a pearl once per season, not once per turn - that's quite reasonable.

If the clam of pearls cannot be expected to pay for itself in a reasonable amount of time then it becomes a pretty useless item to forge. Since one astral pearl every three turns makes it take 60 turns to pay off, it is really almost worthless at that point.

[apoger]

I think the cost is correct now.
It's just cheap enough that I consider using them, but expensive enough that it's not a clearly superior choice. IMO.