MP: Noobs vs. Vets, Game Over, Noobs are Victorious! Hail Noobs!

[Septimius Severus]

Originally Posted by rdonj

I don't know... 3 to 1 may be a bit more than is necessary. I mean, we're actually more or less holding our own in a pretty much 1 to 1 ratio at the moment. If ulm hadn't had so much trouble expanding he might not even be in danger of imminent death right now. It would take a pretty big map to justify the 3v1 I think.

The consensus seems to have been that the vets would gain the upper hand in the mid to late game due to their ability to create thugs or SC's and their familiarity with the magic system, maps, etc. I'm thinking of 3:1 to balance this, it will be a larger map and a longer playing game (as you know I don't care for this cramped stuff).

I'll likely give them first choice of nations.

Perhaps an indie strength of 3, though I'll need to balance this to ensure timing.

Edit: But we'll have to see how the current game plays out.

[rdonj]

Originally Posted by Septimius Severus

The consensus seems to have been that the vets would gain the upper hand in the mid to late game due to their ability to create thugs or SC's and their familiarity with the magic system, maps, etc. I'm thinking of 3:1 to balance this, it will be a larger map and a longer playing game (as you know I don't care for this cramped stuff).

I'll likely give them first choice of nations.

Perhaps an indie strength of 3, though I'll need to balance this to ensure timing.

Edit: But we'll have to see how the current game plays out.

Imo it's not the thugs and SCs that are the big advantage the vets have over noobs, it's their overall knowledge of how to use spells and summons effectively, and knowing how to use their resources most efficiently. Actually thugs are probably harder for a noob to make than an SC, since they are supposed to be both cheap and effective as opposed to just effective. The vets are also probably better at dealing with early SCs, which is something I was worried about for this game with the choice to make many SC pretenders being an obvious one for them, but so far it hasn't been going too badly.

I think a map that allowed a proper 2 to 1 advantage for the noobs would be just fine, 3 to 1 and you start running out of room to maneuver and you may not be able to come at them all at once. Then again maybe that would work, but I still think it might be a little too much.

So in the battle for his capital, my 150hp pretender received TWO afflictions from glancing (5-8dam) arrow hits in the first two turns. Which is ridiculously lucky on its own. But then more than that he got Crippled and Chest Wound so he could neither reach the front lines to turn the battle in my favor, nor flee the battle once my men routed. Off the scale luck!

Wow, that is pretty rough. Ulm must have the luck of the dominions gods on his side to be pulling off a crazy stunt like that.

[Septimius Severus]

Originally Posted by rdonj

Imo it's not the thugs and SCs that are the big advantage the vets have over noobs, it's their overall knowledge of how to use spells and summons effectively, and knowing how to use their resources most efficiently.

Quite correct, the vets advantage comes from their in-depth knowledge of every facet of gameplay including the strengths and weaknesses of every available unit.

Originally Posted by rdonj

I think a map that allowed a proper 2 to 1 advantage for the noobs would be just fine, 3 to 1 and you start running out of room to maneuver and you may not be able to come at them all at once. Then again maybe that would work, but I still think it might be a little too much.

The actual number of players would not be much more than at present. But as I say, we'll have to see.

[Ironhawk]

Originally Posted by Septimius Severus

The consensus seems to have been that the vets would gain the upper hand in the mid to late game due to their ability to create thugs or SC's and their familiarity with the magic system, maps, etc. I'm thinking of 3:1 to balance this, it will be a larger map and a longer playing game (as you know I don't care for this cramped stuff).

I'll likely give them first choice of nations.

Perhaps an indie strength of 3, though I'll need to balance this to ensure timing.

Edit: But we'll have to see how the current game plays out.

3:1 is just too much. Possibly if all the noobs were rank amateurs - but as we can see from this game that is clearly not the case.

[Septimius Severus]

Originally Posted by Ironhawk

3:1 is just too much. Possibly if all the noobs were rank amateurs - but as we can see from this game that is clearly not the case.

Admitedly, some of our noobs are greener than others, but I did give the vet team the opportunity to review and/or reject any noob team member whom they felt to be a ringer. They will always have this right.