Poll: Is Clam Hording Too Good?

[Xietor]

I do not think looking at the hall of fame has any value.

1. You would have to know the size of the map. Clams are not going to be a factor in small-medium games.

2. How many water provinces and races were in the game. It is much easier to clam if you are a water race and are not worried about being attacked early in the game.

3. What is the skill level of your opponents both in the game and the ones neighboring you.

4. Diplomacy. It is hard to say race "x" is better than race "y" because if "x" is feared then he may be ganged up on early out of mutual fear by weaker races "a" "b" and "c," allowing race "y" to win the game even though it is not as strong as "x."

So I think input from players the community respects as knowledgeable players is of more value.

[Reverend Zombie]

Ewierl said:
Plus, I find the "in-game story" argument also compelling. Why is the world not flooded with such things by day 1 of the Middle Age, if mages can produce items that replicate the natural burgeoning forces of the world? Why haven't all nations converged on Astral, Fire, and Earth magic, with secondary Water, Nature, Blood? The tactic is too good to make much sense in the setting.

The weight of these "in-game story" arguments are always in the eye of the beholder, and therefore unpersuasive. One can just as easily come up with an in-game story why the world is not flooded with these by the Middle Age (forgotten secrets of construction rediscovered with awakening gods!).

There's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense in D3, depending on what your "in-game story" is. But these stories don't make good arguments for changing the game mechanics.

[Lord_Bob]

I don't think clam hoarding can actually get out of hand unless it is very late game, or the power starts as a nation that gets water gems from it's national site, but here are a few ideas:

Mental Drain!
Each clam "creates" it's pearl from the mental and magical energy of it's holder. While this has little effect on the battlefield, the daily drain slows research considerably.
-1 or -2 rp per turn
(thus clams DO COST RESEARCH to have on those research mages)

This change can be added by simply adding a negative Sage bonus to the clams item description.

The Care And Feeding Of Clams:
Clams cost gold upkeep

Hungry, Hungry Clams!
Each clam "consumes" one water gem and produces 1-2 astral gems per turn
clam cost adjusted appropriately

Power Drain:
Clams have a negative effect on holders... lower MR for example. Making them more vunerable to spells and assasins.

Bloodstones:
Horror marking at a real level of power
or
The research penalty.