Thursday, March 29, 2012

Proposal: Lets Try to Limit the Star Wars References

Timed out and passed, 6-1. Josh

Adminned at 31 Mar 2012 00:15:03 UTC

Add a new Institution, reading:

The Rebels: When a player influences the Rebels, they gain 1 of each Resource. In addition, during the next Cycle, they may not Direct resources at any of the Institutions they Directed resources at this cycle.

Aims to avoid obvious decision making and parallelism. Remember, this effectively will mean the Influencer will not be able to earn income from their 1 credit bids the next round, unless they only target half of the institutions.without knowing if they will influence the rebels or not.

posted by southpointingchariot at 29 Mar 2012 03:58:02 UTC Comments (10)

Comments

Murphy:

29-03-2012 04:27:57 UTC

for

Yonah:

29-03-2012 04:34:36 UTC

for

Soviet Brendon:

29-03-2012 07:17:52 UTC

for

Patrick:

29-03-2012 12:30:08 UTC

for

Josh: he/they

29-03-2012 13:02:52 UTC

against Too powerful, and it explicitly is of most benefit to the players who are already winning rather than that being of any help to players who are lagging behind.

Kevan: he/him

29-03-2012 13:51:16 UTC

for Does seem a bit powerful, but we shouldn’t worry too much about power in an auction game, the bids will adapt.

southpointingchariot:

29-03-2012 15:40:22 UTC

@Josh, I’m not sure how its to the most benefit of the winners.

@Kevan, Agreed - I think when a player loses their regular income for a cycle, it won’t be a huge boon. But as you say, if it is, then just bid high for it ;).

Josh: he/they

29-03-2012 20:53:21 UTC

Because a single institution that is more powerful than all other institutions will always be the target of anyone with the power to take it, and for the most part, it will be possible to take it for a price that is lower then the benefits that are gained from it. In a balanced system, where there is no Institution that is clearly greater than the others, it doesn’t matter where the rich players go as they are not extending their lead by doing so; a lead can be extended or eroded as a result of strategy rather than brute force. Where there is a clearly superior option, however, it tends to get passed around between those players who can afford to keep it, and as they are extending their lead each time they do claim it, its status as the plaything of the elite cabal becomes confirmed the longer it so remains.

In short: we should be seeking to create a balanced system, not one where play is reduced to “who can influence the rebels the most”.

southpointingchariot:

30-03-2012 00:47:38 UTC

I don’t agree that the rebels are the most powerful. I think people underestimate the prohibition on directing credits. I think if you look at the strategic implications, this is a reasonably well balanced institution.

Josh: he/they

30-03-2012 07:14:43 UTC

On the turn that you influence the Rebels you can just influence the Rebels, meaning that it has no effect the following turn. With the Rebels in play there’s a clear strategy: turn one, influence rebels. Turn two, influence bank and direct to every other institution. Turn three, influence rebels. Turn four, etc. The first player to get a marine will do this, and while it’s breakable as a cycle it still means that every player will be *trying* to do this, rather than pursuing multiple competing strategies.