Contest 2007 Objectives

  • Please post your suggestions for the upcoming contest here

    Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new
    Wer niemals einen Fehler gemacht hat, hat noch nie etwas neues probiert Albert Einstein

  • Hopsing has posted a comprehensive model for the contest 2007. We would appreciate further comments and/or suggestions in the appropriate threads. This thread will now be closed.


    I would like to present a model that would more or less eliminate population and company value from the contest. Population will only be a milestone.


    The basic idea of the contest should be, as pointed out by Larsson, to attract as many players as possible to the forum.


    Based on prior suggestions I have looked at the following scenario:

    • Map etc. A nmap with 12 starting towns. At least one of each goods will be available. There are no longer categories of pirate and trader and all known tricks within the game are allowed.


    • Categories Each player can choose from the following categories: newbie, advance, pro.


    • Objectives for Newbies[/b] Complete supply of 100,000 citizens with goods from own production with a social make-up of about 10% rich, 20% wealthy, and 70% poor, which is the normal average composition. The businesses necessary to completely supply the 100,000 citizens must be built and working at least at 70% efficiency.
      Based on the statistic mean for the contest1303, the population should be reached by 1303. This date shall not be the end point but rather a time frame.
      The necessary businesses, exclusive of building industry, amount to about 750 – 800.
      Med trade is possible and can be used to support the production. New production towns can be founded, regardless if they have optimized goods or not, but must have at least 3,000 citizens at the end save.
      Level of difficulty Trader without modifications.


    • Objectives for Advanced Complete supply of 300,000 citizens from own production, as for the Newbies. Time frame is to the end of 1305 and the social make-up should include at least 15% rich.
      All founded production towns shall have a population of at least 5,000 citizens.
      Level of difficulty Merchant, without modifications
    • Objectives for Pros Complete build-up and supply of at least 1,000,000 citizens with a minimum of 18% rich. Maximum 9 business in total of all import goods (cloth, pottery, wine); the remained must be imported from the Med.
      Level of difficulty Patrician without modifications.



    Evaluation

    • Newbies Points for satisfaction of the population in each town, i.e. very happy = 4 pts, happy 3 pts, very satisified 2 pts, satisfied 1 pt, dissatisfied 0pt, annoyed – 1 pt. The new production towns do not count. If the complete supply level is reached prior to 1303 points are awardes as for the Pros, but calculated by months.
    • Advanced Same as the Newbies. For completion of task prior to 1305 points are awarded as for Pros but calculated in months.
    • Pros Same as the other groups, the level of satisfaction up to 1312. If the task is completed prior to 1312 the player the player gets the average of the prior years added to the current point. For example, if the player completes at the end of 1310 and has, to that date, accrued 400 points, he gets additional 80 points (400/10 x 2)
    • Awarding of points To the end of 1301 a save from the end of each quarter will be used, after that annual saves.


    I hope that this model can form a real base for a discussion. It should be possible for jurors as well since they never have to view more than 12 towns.

    There has already been some discussion about this model and, for one, it was identified that the time frame for the Pros may be a bit tight.

    Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new
    Wer niemals einen Fehler gemacht hat, hat noch nie etwas neues probiert Albert Einstein

  • I believe that the game should be the same for everybody. However, to accomodate participants with less time there should be a few milestone. A player can quit at any or continue on.


    The evaluation of one's ability to use own production to satisify the demand is a good one. To facilitate the work for the jurors the satisfaction level in only the starting tows, which should all be Hanse towns of identical layout, should be evauated.


    I see the separation/milestones as follows:


    Group I: all starting towns at least 10,000 citizens, net of beggars, by the end of 1303
    Group II: all starting towns at least 20,000 citizens, net of beggars, by the end of 1306
    Group III: all starting towns over 30,000 citizens, net of beggars, with an absolute end date of 1314


    There should be some bonus points awarded to compensate players who play longer and, therefore, have larger populations.


    Luxury goods: it should be left up to the player how (s)he gets the necessay goods, by either import or own production only or through a combination of both. However, for those who use imports, the stock on hand should at least eaqual 1 month's consumption. This ensures that goods are avaialbel until the next expeditions bring more from the Med.

  • Unfortunatley, no suggestion came from the internationl forum :(


    The latest suggestion:


    Each player starts at the same point and with the same level of difficulty. (This point is currently being voted on and, to date, the majority voted for one version vs. separation by player skills)


    Evaluation is based on the level of satisfaction of each social group in the starting towns and, potentially, in the new production towns as well.
    Each player should achieve a moderate increase in population of a set percentage (i.e. 40% this has not yet been identified). A revision for final years for those who completly build up their Hanse may be necessary.


    This format means that a player who only completes 1302 has as good a chance to be in the top as one who uses every last lot in whatever formt (s)he desires. Provide for your citizens and they will be happy.


    The suggestion for points is:
    very happy: 4; happy: 3; very satisfied: 2; satisifed: 1; unsatisified 0; annoyed: -1


    • Does arbitrage affect the happyness? NO, it can only increase your reputation in the initial stages. There is no real supply to the town's market halls. And CV does not affect happyness in any way.


    • Does piracy affect happyness: YES. If you pilfer the town's coffers and markethall the citizens' mood will become lower. For one, the harbour defences are gone, which does have an effect on the mood. Also, the number of guards will become lower since the coffers do not support a large contingent.


    • Does it matter how you build - blocks of 4 vs. seamless? NO The required increase in population will be moderate and based, most likely, on what slow players achieved in prior contests

    Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new
    Wer niemals einen Fehler gemacht hat, hat noch nie etwas neues probiert Albert Einstein

  • I don't mind the suggested point system. As long as it is not depending upon population or CV I'll be happy. The current formula tends to take the fun out of the game. It gets kind of boring if the winner is know before the contest even starts.
    Hats off to whoever manages to master the seamless building techniques but trade should be the awarded by a large margin over anything else.

  • @Patrician Jr


    It is not easy to get targets witch are not influenced by CV and Population. Witch mutch CV for example you are alble to lower prices so you will get more satified people.


    I suggestet to integrate some Special quests in the contest. These should not help the player to get the target. But with the additional points the ranking ist not so shure at the beginnig.

    Niemand braucht ein einfaches Spiel! Ein gutes Spiel reicht!


    Für die Dunkle Seite! Auch Piraten wollen Handeln!

  • There may be a misconception. Selling at lower prices does not require a higher CV. You are actually saving storage fees by selling at a lower price. Each commoditiy that you sell at a lower price will save you to carry about one week's inventory. Add it up, it is a huge GS number with 26 towns.
    Lowering prices does not equal higher consumption. All that happens is that the market halls have higher inventories. There is only an increase if the prices are not being lowered all across the board. This would trigger that the AI will buy cheap in one town and sell in another, thus undercutting your administrator.
    I am using my contest2006 game to try some variations. For example, since I have a great surplus in meat, and the prince will not pay much over 1,100 - mostly less- I have lowered the price for meat in all towns to 1,050 after ensuring that all had extra inventories, supplied with building convoys. The market halls bought up the inventories rarther quickly but then it was down to the usual weekly supply with no changes required in the weekly deliveries by the auto convoys.
    Lowering the prices of meat did not really effect the mood but lowering the prices of bfg goods had an instant effect.

    Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new
    Wer niemals einen Fehler gemacht hat, hat noch nie etwas neues probiert Albert Einstein

  • If I have enoug money I can sell the Basic goods for dumping prices. So did Arno in the 2006 contest. If enoug good are produced and carryed this mehod works well. If the prices for Grain , Fish, Wool, Whale oil etc. very low the satisfaction ist no problem.


    The problem ist to produce and carry the needed amount. ;)

    Niemand braucht ein einfaches Spiel! Ein gutes Spiel reicht!


    Für die Dunkle Seite! Auch Piraten wollen Handeln!