Publicizing the Next AU Course

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Where is the AU course?

I really want to finally play an AU game. This is a good "jumping on" point. But I can't find the damn thread regarding the AU game that's apparently going on anywhere!

Can someone help me? Is it just "too late"?

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Nuclear Master
I will officially make this an AU house rule as Dominae previously stated. To accept any GPT deals with the AI you must half the amount for the trade to be allowed.

The only problem with this is that I, as a player, often sell techs to the AI at bargain rates just to keep them bankrupt. So if they can only pay 10 gpt, but if they had the money they'd give me 80 gpt, why should I accept only 5gpt?

I guess I'll probably opt out until the bug is officially fixed.

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Yahweh Sabaoth
I really want to finally play an AU game. This is a good "jumping on" point. But I can't find the damn thread regarding the AU game that's apparently going on anywhere!

If it's not at the top of the Strat forum, the latest AU course is probably not up yet (unless you only check the board every few weeks). You can always go to the AU History 101 to make sure. badams52 has been very good in updating it.

Check this thread for an explanation of why the first C3C AU course is not up yet.


Dominae

[Dominae]

Double-post.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Thanks for the links Dominae. I was under the impression that Nuclear Master had set up the new AU course, the first one for C3C... that's what the "apolyton news" seems to indicate.

I'm glad there's no AU course set... I'm grimly determined to win once in the epic game as the Romans before moving on, and I know most people here aren't huge map fans.

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Stuie
The only problem with this is that I, as a player, often sell techs to the AI at bargain rates just to keep them bankrupt. So if they can only pay 10 gpt, but if they had the money they'd give me 80 gpt, why should I accept only 5gpt?

That's some weird reasoning.

How much would you get from the AI if you were playing Play the World? Answer: 10 gpt.

How much would you get from the AI if you were playing Conquests? Answer: 10gpt + 10gpt (bug) = 20 gpt.

How much should ask from the AI to make sure you're not exploiting the gpt bug? Answer: 5gpt.

So, unless you think there was somehow a problem with the AI not giving you enough money in Play the World, you should have no problem asking for half as much gpt in Conquests, which gets you exactly as much as you would normally get. The fact that the AI would pay more has nothing to do with it.

The problem is that the AI is still left with 5gpt, while in Play the World it would be left with nothing (maybe this is what you were getting at and I missed it). This makes the AI richer, but it also makes you richer, because every 1gpt that the AI has is actually worth 2gpt to you. So you if you're in a tech lead you can make some ridiculous money (i.e. double what you normally would) even when you're selling stuff at half price, given that you have enough items to sell. So it seems that the problem you were suggesting is actually bad for the AI, not for you.


Dominae

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Dominae

The problem is that the AI is still left with 5gpt, while in Play the World it would be left with nothing (maybe this is what you were getting at and I missed it).

That's what I was getting at - keeping the AI bankrupt ( 0 gpt )

[Dominae]

Right, well, read the comments in the last paragraph of my last post. The fact that you're getting twice as rich far outweighs the fact that the AI gets to keep a measly few gpt available.


Dominae

[Stuie]

Huh? With the house rule, I'm getting the 10gpt that I should get (5gpt plus the bug 5gpt), but the AI still gets 5gpt that it should not get. Exactly how does this benefit me?

[vmxa1]

Stuie you may as well get use to the proper amount as they will correct the problem anyway. You can avoid the whole thing with cash and carry deals.

[Stuie]

That's not the point. One of my strategies is to get the AI down to 0 gpt by giving techs at bargain prices. The fact that I'm getting some amount of gpt is just icing on the cake. It's not about what I'm getting, it's about denying the AI use of gold.

I guess others see it differently. It's not a big deal; I'll just wait for a patch if AU is going to implement house rules that negate some strategic part of the my play style.

Edit: Cash and carry deals -

[lockstep]

Originally posted by vmxa1
Stuie you may as well get use to the proper amount as they will correct the problem anyway. You can avoid the whole thing with cash and carry deals.

Only that the AI may not have the cash sum equal to the gpt deal it would agree to.

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Stuie
I guess others see it differently. It's not a big deal; I'll just wait for a patch if AU is going to implement house rules that negate some strategic part of the my play style.

Here's an example:

Say an AI has 16gpt available. You want to get as much of that away from it as possible. You can offer Steam Power, Nationalism and Medicine, plus a source of Iron. Obviously the AI will pay up to 16gpt for any of those things. You organize the following trades (with the house rule we've just set up):

1. Steam Power for 8gpt. The AI has 8gpt left.
2. Nationalism for 4gpt. The AI has 4gpt left.
3. Medicine for 2gpt. The has 2gpt left.
4. Iron for 1gpt. The AI has 1gpt left.

At the end of this, you've almost succeeded in your goal of taking away all the AI's gpt. But how much are you earning? It should be 15gpt, but actually it's double that, or 30gpt. Under Play the World it would be no more than 16gpt. So, as you can see, in the situation you're describing (where you're powerful enough to take away all the AIs' gpt), the benefit actually goes to you, not the AI, despite the house rule.


Dominae

[Stuie]

Ok, ok. But in PTW I could probably get the entire 16gpt for any ONE of the items listed, and have the others left to come back later to clean the AI out again.

Let's just say I hope the patch isn't long in coming.

[alexman]

Well, to be fair, the benefit goes to both. The AI does get Steam Power, Nationalism, and Medicine for free, which are objectively worth more than the extra 15 gpt you are receiving after all.

This gpt bug makes more gold enter the game. It doesn't matter who benefits, but it will make the tech rate go faster.

On the other hand, the corruption bugs reduce the amount of gold in the game, so in this case two wrongs might make one right.