Beiträge von Baltic Trader

For next year, it is perhaps time to start a few ideas going. I would like to toss out a few for discussion.

For the trading system, I would like to see it revert to Patrician type, for a narrower price spread. For example, in furs, 1100 or so is about it for sales in the Hanse. The exports are favored as a result, and similarly export of iron goods is also a better deal. It adds another layer for the gameplay. For the less skilled players, it doesn't really matter as much. They can't keep up in any event with the better players.

For the scoring system, I think CV should be tossed out. A count of employed workers is most accurate and reflective in general of how you are doing.

For the population, we need to get something added to allow for more wealthy, such that construction of a mint won't be an impediment. Perhaps require a mint in the Hanseatic cities, but not the trading stations or trade office towns?

Lastly, I think there should be two real categories, Handler and Pirat. The trading game is more difficult, but more challenging too of someone's abilities. Perhaps they could be different, or slightly different maps as well, or add the mint requirement to it. It is nice to take a break from one type of contest for another. And, perhaps, the two games can overlap, say Pirat in January, Handler in July, both a one year limit? For the faster among us, perhaps?

It does get rather boring to play the same type of game each time, and there are things to learn with the different styles of play.

Comments?

Still enjoying the game. Past mid September now, moved September 11th. Hopefully it is not an ominous date meaning a disaster; purely a strategic decision, what I pay now should be very beneficial in 1301 and beyond. Trade activity is picking up, profits are good. As if they wouldn't be on these settings. We always played at Patrician level of difficulty before, maximum for everything. The Med and America were better markets in comparison at Patrician level. The pirates are pushovers, grabbed two holks, undamaged, with the same ship, back to back avenge my brother missions same day. Eight Med cities tagged, the last four are pending. As soon as the cash is sufficient, the Med will be drained of wine. Thirsty Indians await!

Up to late August finally, offices are up to ten, CV to 1.2 million. Twenty businesses, more being constructed. Bricks are pretty short, holding things back. Five guilds. 24 captains, 34 ships, more in construction. I sold several ships at auction.

America is discovered, and three crayers are off exploring with cargos of wine. Five Med cities discovered, three more due in next week. All cities will be discovered by the 31st of December.

I am debating a move to another city for an earlier mayoral election. Still playing white dove style.

Lagging the pack; hopefully a hare and tortise story.

I was very dissatisfied with the initial clean run. I forswore arbitrage in it, played straight. I stopped just after hitting Lord Mayor. All offices were in, all Med and America ports discovered, and population good increase, CV would have finished about 5 million. But it was not good enough. I did an initial trial of a black sail game, up to July 2nd. All offices built, CV at 4 million with 2 million cash. I had looted five cities, with another 19 to go and averaging 300k apiece, that would have been another 5 to 6 million in cash and goods. Call me an idiot ... ... but it is just too easy on the black sails pathway. I like the challenge. I took a break for several weeks to think it out.

So ....

I have restarted a clean run. Obviously, I need to compromise to keep reasonably up in development. So, I will do the loan thing eventually, and will run arbitrage here and there. Yeah, I am dumb but I want to enjoy myself along the way. And so on the 19th of July I have six trade offices, enrolled in four guilds, have a dozen captains and twenty ships, ten of which are level three crayers (yeah, there is a trick involved, of course) and my America discovery ship is due back August 24th. I have Edinburgh shipyards busy to boost the quality of the pirate captures. CV is over a half million, promotions are regular. The foundation is good. And I promise, no more restarts.

There are a few triggers for seiges that are known. If a seige is successful, the Prince, or mercenary will try his luck again rapidly. (The book A Distant Mirror is a fascinating study of the times, with bands of uncontrolled mercenaries demanding bribes and doing freelance seiges across Europe). Selling him goods at the gate of course softens his anger, but doesn't affect the marauders. When the prince asks for a loan of goods, he usually needs them for his army and a seige somewhere will follow. Don't loan, obviously.

Now for the speculative items: Assuming needs like beer in sufficient quantities are provided for and the soldiers are kept happy (selling iron goods is necessary too, look closely at the other equipment the soldiers carry. In a town with no or few iron goods they have little, sell a bunch of iron goods and you will notice in a few days they are carrying other items now.), have the players smuggled more advanced weapons to the weapons dealers across the Hanse in an effort to prevent seiges? Since the shipyard and the weaponsmith are linked, a force of bowmen are less likely to fend off an assault than a cadre of musketeers, and appropriate sales of crossbows and muskets may be very useful. I presume that the players have joined the respective guilds and made motions to increase the numbers of soldiers to satisfactory levels as well? A 10/10 or as 20/20 won't do as well as the 40/40/40/40 full defense allotment. Even the 20/20/20/20 with full wall defenses wins half the time or better.

I do wonder about a few other things as well; are the "honest" traders experiencing the same severity of seiges? A cog in the harbor serving as outrigger isn't the same as a cog and two or three cannon towers. Perhaps the game somehow in its programming lumps all buildups like pitch throwers, cannon gate towers in with the harbor defenses and count for the city as well defended/poorly defended. And similarly, a neglected defense buildup of the walls and the towers with a rich treasury are an invitation to plunder, like an unarmed cog full of wine and iron goods on the sea with a crew of twelve on board? It would seem so. I would like to hear, if there are any honest players around that is!

And regarding trade with the prince, a healthy competition in the hometown may be trading goods with him (they don't load all they produce on their ships, nor does it all end up in the marketplace either), while an impoverished competitor with no ships and no businesses either may be neglecting the landlord and be a further trigger to seiges. Maybe, just maybe, letting him have a life, and the ability to bribe the invader if he is mayor, just might make your life easier too. Pure speculation of course.

Lastly, making motions to lower the tax rates and thereby present a less inviting target may be appropriate in seige prevention. And in a flurry to build, when we don't allow the town enough time to build its gate towers, we may be sowing the seeds of our own destruction.

Comments?

Cross comparing the two runs, piracy and pure, it is really disappointing. At a minimum, the stratagems availabe in the piracy mode put you ahead by six months. Because of acceleration in the game, it can be as much as a year gained as a pirate by the end of 1302, and ultimately, because of the AI building activity that is forestalled, it is far more useful to pirate. The CV rules, as Bizpro points out, further make the other stratagems that are available in the pirate mode required, as well as arbitrage in both versions.

Whatever. I know a few tricks, too. And after conferring with a couple of friends, I believe my newest one will be a good CV generator. To the tune of several million per day, for as many days as I care to run it ... all legal.

Zitat

Original von bizpro
mit Taian sind nun 3 canadier im contest. mal sehen ob wir nur hockey spielen koennen.
hockey, made in canada, rules

An an American from Texas!