Game 5684

[Maximus Dominus]

Any idea what causes the map message?

   

[Maximus Dominus]

Turn orders for the Underworld are in.

[Brekk]

Any idea what causes the map message?

Looks like the map didnt render properly with your browser.  Did your second turn work OK?  I get this type of thing when I try to use my IPad.

[Maximus Dominus]

Looks like the map didnt render properly with your browser.  Did your second turn work OK?  I get this type of thing when I try to use my IPad.

It did fine, this time.

[Maximus Dominus]

Well, all things considered Turn #1 went fairly well for me (the Underworld). At least, from my perspective, it did.

I think that all of my turn orders got processed (I'll try to do a detailed check of that, tomorrow, sometime). I did max out the number of orders that I issued. I remembered to verify my turn orders before clicking the ready button. I saved my turn orders several different times, as I was trying to figure out which actual orders to issue. I remembered to issue the order for customizing my kingdom. I successfully moved some armies/military units. I successfully moved some characters. I successfully trained some characters. I even managed to snag a seat on the High Council. Not that I really know what to do with it, of course, but at least I have that going for me (personally, I'm not a fan of the High Council concept).

I very much like the fact that the Underworld receives gold, each time that other kingdoms train or hire an agent. Here's a little info about kingdoms that trained agents on Turn #1:

The Training of Agents by Kingdom for Turn #1
Ancient Ones = 1
Dark Elven = 3
Deathknights = 2
Elementalist = 1
Free Traders = 3
Giants - 2
Halfling = 4
Lizard Kings = 1
Lycans = 6
Red Dragon = 1

I don't know what is typical for agents being trained on Turn #1 for the game, but that translated into 36,000 gold for my kingdom, right out of the gate. The figures listed above don't include data for my own kingdom's training of agents, of course. Looks like the Sorcerer was the odd man out, this turn, and didn't train any agents.

I did make myself a map of which regions that the players in this game started in, to try and aid myself in improving my familiarity with the map and the players. Downloading the game files and opening them remains overwhelming, as far as trying to internally process all of the info that the game presents, and in the manner that it presents it. Having to scroll the map (Snapshot.html) horizontally, in order to see the full width of the map, continues to feel awkward.

[Jon Deaux]

Nice job Max, most people just use the HC to raise their influence.  As far as agents, most kingdoms that start with a level 3 agent, which is pretty much every kingdom, will, at the very least, train that agent to level 4, because that allows the use of the search for population centers and encounters order.  Others may train all their agents to level four for the same reason, while still others will start the majority of their agents on standing orders to train all the way up... depends on how much people like to use agents.

If you look at each kingdoms set-up sheet, you can calculate the levels of their starting agents (all kingdoms generally start with 3,2,2,1, then the secretive trait gives an additional level 4, spy network gives a 6, etc...) and guess which ones they raised on any given turn... keep in mind a lot of people will use the customization to raise an agent from 2 to 4, for the same reason mentioned above.  Although now with the new revelation spell, all that record keeping I used to do is kind of rendered unimportant.

If you play with the agent training cost (starting at level 4 you can do that), you can manipulate how often people train agents.

Sometimes, people don't exactly do what you expect though.  As the UN, I like to raise the agent training level all the way, so that people are less likely to train agents, so that I am the only one with high level agents... but in my last game that sort of backfired, everyone seemed to be desperately training agents.  Well, at least I made a ton of gold.

Good luck!

[Strongwill]

I do well with underworld, I do the opposite of tac. I set it low and reap the gold from mass training while letting my own train at hardly any cost, I use the gold surplus to pump my wizard corps.You can set standing orders for agent training in your kingdom far past the allotment of standing orders.

[Jon Deaux]

I do well with underworld, I do the opposite of tac. I set it low and reap the gold from mass training while letting my own train at hardly any cost, I use the gold surplus to pump my wizard corps.You can set standing orders for agent training in your kingdom far past the allotment of standing orders.

Paul probably has the right idea here.  I did well with the UN once or twice, but badly other times.  Since the change of counterespionage from after to before early kidnap, it's been a lot different.

Also, keep in mind that stealing an artifact that is being held by a king is about as hard as kidnapping the king, and comes with the same consequences... I lost three 20+ agents just trying to steal a king's neckless. One of them, with the ring of invisibility was level 27.  Dead, not just failed, dead.  I may not have been correctly taking all the CE into account, however.

If I understand, stealing gold/food/mithral or sabotaging a PC or recon will require you to overcome the CE associated with fortifications.  Kidnap does not (at least, it's not supposed to) I assumed stealing an artifact would not, but I think it does, it's the only explanation for my colossal failure.

[Maximus Dominus]

I do well with underworld, I do the opposite of tac.

QUESTION: What is tac?

You can set standing orders for agent training in your kingdom far past the allotment of standing orders.

QUESTION: Can you elaborate on this further?

Your saying this prompted me to try and figure this out. Is this due to Forethought?

Forethought
Increases +2 standing orders allowed at onset, +1 per region controlled over standard.
+3 (instead of +2) orders allowed over influence.


So, what is the maximum number of standing orders that the Underworld (or any kingdom, really) can issue (not counting them controlling more than one region)?

Standing Orders
Each kingdom may issue three standing orders. An additional two standing orders may be
issued for each region that the kingdom has under control. So, a kingdom in control of
two regions may issue up to seven standing orders. When regional control is lost, the
appropriate number of standing orders will be requested to be removed the following turn.


I want to make sure that I am not missing something, where Standing Orders are concerned.

[Strongwill]

I do well with underworld, I do the opposite of tac.

QUESTION: What is tac?

You can set standing orders for agent training in your kingdom far past the allotment of standing orders.

QUESTION: Can you elaborate on this further?

Your saying this prompted me to try and figure this out. Is this due to Forethought?

Forethought
Increases +2 standing orders allowed at onset, +1 per region controlled over standard.
+3 (instead of +2) orders allowed over influence.


So, what is the maximum number of standing orders that the Underworld (or any kingdom, really) can issue (not counting them controlling more than one region)?

Standing Orders
Each kingdom may issue three standing orders. An additional two standing orders may be
issued for each region that the kingdom has under control. So, a kingdom in control of
two regions may issue up to seven standing orders. When regional control is lost, the
appropriate number of standing orders will be requested to be removed the following turn.


I want to make sure that I am not missing something, where Standing Orders are concerned.

I think I had maybe 11 or 12 training at one time.

Lol tac is Sr Tac who is Jon Deaux persona.