Random Events

[Iceman]

I remember some time back we had a conversation about frequency of random events. More specific the human perception thereof (annoyance in game play when holding many systems) vs. realism & game balance (or difficulty level vs AI).

How about unlocking certain event types depending on a minimum number of systems held and at the same time lowering frequency per system for other standard system events?

For example cluster events affecting a group of nearby systems.

[Spocks-cuddly-tribble]

@SCT, I had this compreensive reply to the random events thread done, but the timeout monster ate it...
I'll take another shot at it tomorrow or so, I'm still recovering from that shock.

That sucks, using preview function after some time might help.

And don't worry, it's not about me, but about the needs of your gang. My older comments on the issue were just about preventing some BotF default mistakes. I can't even recall where I posted them.


EDIT: Not related, but I missed this one (I watch the topic only sporadically).

It doesn't make the game harder (all empires, even AIs, can/have to deal with chances/obstacles) just more unfair/random depending on minor races map placement vs. the empire values/features.

So what you're saying is that there's no point in having difficulty levels in games where there are opponents (whether human or AI)?

Note I was talking about the BotF default setup (here only connected with your difficulty level influence to minor-race fleet buildup).

"BotF difficulty level bias (minor race strenght+, bad random events+, intel attack frequency-)"

The implementation of the three parts of the difficulty level feature is flawed/unfinished in BotF.

It should not affect minor races and intel attack frequency (the calculations in BotF work better using the average of the empires starting levels resp the own starting level for intel).

And BotFs' AI empires need protection from negative random events/monster, borg in particular (you can win the game using borg to destroy all AIs).

What would you suggest DL should affect?

Mainly harder/smarter AI opponents (empires). It appears that you already achieved a lot in this regard.

And two of the three above addressed topics are still somehow affected by the difficulty level in ECM (except the minors).

- prevent any possibility to exploit this extra strength

I'd say you would have to have all minor races have no ships to achieve this.

It's only about the link to the difficulty level. See explanation here: viewtopic.php?p=54967#p54967

- insert AI empire cheats to compensate this extra strength

Which would make it easier for the AI empires that had easier starting positions.

It's the worst solution from the list.

- somehow eliminate the extra randomness in multiplayer

Which you can do by setting Minor Races to None.

Yes, and random events off. But again, context is the difficulty level.

That's why I removed any influence of difficulty level to minor races in ECM (average starting levels of empires works fine instead).

Doesn't that benefit the empires that start at a higher civ level (if different levels are selected)?

Not more than using the default difficulty level code. It's not that simple, cause we are talking interaction/context of different exploitable/flawed features in BotF (e.g. like the intel fix/correction causes a disadvantage for higher starting levels).

Doesn't that make the game "easier" at lower civ levels starts? By the time you get to TL3 in a TL1 game, minor races will be less powerful than in a TL3 game? Or am I misunderstanding what you meant (it's late, my brain needs rest)?

This again is a complex matter in BotF (empire features, conquer vs. bribe or human player exploit usage vs AI).Thus problematic in context with the difficulty level.

But, as a rule of a thumb, in BotF it makes the game easier for AI empires and harder for human players (many exploit possibilities removed).

[Iceman]

@SCT, I had this compreensive reply to the random events thread done, but the timeout monster ate it...
I'll take another shot at it tomorrow or so, I'm still recovering from that shock.

That sucks, using preview function after some time might help.

I usually do that, been burned way too many times already. But this time dinner got in the middle of it, and...


I'm in a bit of a dilemma for some time in regards to how targets are selected. Most events select all empires that are eligible (according to the frequency of the event), and then roll for each of them - meaning that potentially the event can happen simultaneously to multiple empires, even all of them (though unlikely). A couple of them, the last ones to be implemented, I made only select a single (eligible) empire, randomly.
Not sure which is the best approach, honestly.