Gold spending and fearing the big boys at the top. My take on it.
EDIT 10/July/12 - Go start at post #64... this stuffs old... and was too early in my understanding of the game....
OLD ORIGINAL:
First up there is no point reading this if any of the following apply:
a) You don’t buy gold
b) You don’t plan on being a long term player
c) You’re an IT try hard (not interested in your bull on my post go put your rand() input elsewhere)
d) You’re not an obsessive compulsive addicted statistical minded individual
Before I realised this forum even existed and within a few days of playing I figured that as you climb, longer term players will have had more time to build up income and unit types, that if I intended to climb quickly I needed to offset a few clear issues that a few hours of playing showed me.
I then thought about other games like this where people form groups at the top and you have two choices, cave to a group or try to bravely strike out on your own. So how would this be possible and what dynamics was I seeing?
First, all units can be killed except gold bought ones. (no brainer)
Second, raided buildings lost you about 66% of your revenue. Or gained you up to 66% of their revenue (No brainer)
Third, you can only lose up to (at time this is written) $30k per failed attack or win up to $300k per attack restricted to a max of 10% of the unprotected cash on hand each attack and the number of attacks until the can’t attack any more comes up (Likewise lose $300k a hit). (again no brainer)
I then looked at gold units and found them wanting for the amount they cost to buy vs. their return and initially I set a rule of only buy units that had a (A+D)/G ratio equal to 1.2x the gold value or if one statistic was 0.7x i.e. A/G or D/G. This worked very well initially but climbing as quickly as I was with minimal income coming in I realised I could not replace losses quickly and it was stifling my fun!
So I looked at the statistics of crates and unless you are very unlucky then for the same 800 gold you can spend on say four mid-sized units with a 150-160 A+D total each (a ratio of about 0.75x) you can get 12 Crates with 100 gold to spare. The 12 crates give you 12 units that can’t die and you should get 1-2 rare (maybe the big rare if your amazingly lucky), 3 Uncommon which have similar stats to the 4 set price units, and 7-8 commons which are the equivalent of $2-6million dry dock ships… which can die. An average ratio expected on those 12 crates would be 1.59x when compared to the 0.75x and provides 12 (4 full allies) slots with undying units as opposed to 4 (1 Ally fully fielding) slots.
So now I get an argument “yes but I guarantee I get what I want…” so do I… I guarantee myself that I will have 12 units that later in game terms cannot die, are as powerful or more powerful than the most expensive in game cash units, realistically I will get 3 (of what you paid for to get four) mid powered in addition to the 8 expected lower ones AND likely get at least 1 much more powerful perhaps 2 than what you paid for to guarantee your 4 mid units.
Over the course of a year or two of playing building up the crate items, yes I may even occasionally get a 200+A and 200+Def unit… for 58gold… but I will have hundreds of undying middle and lower units.
So how does this come into my long term strategy with the big boys..?
Simple… returning to basics. (No Brainers are winners)
They can put out hits, they can come rummaging through my city/camp but all they can do is reduce my income to 33%... I’m still making money, and kill off a few of the in house cash units not most of my active army. Their tactics of attrition when they reduce your income and systematically reduce your units to a level you cannot recover from becomes severely hampered if not laughable. Simply manage your allies, dump enough that what you have left in perishable unit fielding allies is replaceable by 33% of your hourly income that you can collect during your gaming day.
I don’t care how much they plunder if my units stay fighting. And as I said, the massive number of extra lower units that can’t die bolstering up the mid and rare ones you get make for staying power. Then sure lash out 950 gold for a unit with over 300A or D but why bother until you have maxed out your ally count and every other unit is non perishable…
My thoughts anyway. I’m only a statistician and looking at this from a cost effective, numerical position.
Oh and I’m a GIRL! Had this out already. So I should add to the top. e) Don’t bother reading this if you’re a bigot who thinks all women are dumber than you.
It’s a simple system and has no bearing on needing special game play changes to make it work in my favor.
Don’t forget those great weekly free indestructible units for events! Every free one is a winner in your army.
Originally Posted by Ryans67
Lol
