From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 18531 invoked by alias); 30 May 2004 05:54:33 -0000 Mailing-List: contact xconq7-help@sources.redhat.com; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Subscribe: List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: , Sender: xconq7-owner@sources.redhat.com Received: (qmail 18524 invoked from network); 30 May 2004 05:54:32 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mail1.panix.com) (166.84.1.72) by sourceware.org with SMTP; 30 May 2004 05:54:32 -0000 Received: from panix5.panix.com (panix5.panix.com [166.84.1.5]) by mail1.panix.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 24B5748715; Sun, 30 May 2004 01:54:32 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from kingdon@localhost) by panix5.panix.com (8.11.6p2-a/8.8.8/PanixN1.1) id i4U5sWa24794; Sun, 30 May 2004 01:54:32 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 05:54:00 -0000 Message-Id: <200405300554.i4U5sWa24794@panix5.panix.com> From: Jim Kingdon To: tom_and_sue_schaub@mac.com Cc: xconq7@sources.redhat.com In-reply-to: <4D5CCCBE-B1B1-11D8-98DA-0003934474B0@mac.com> (message from Tom Schaub on Sat, 29 May 2004 15:46:47 -0500) Subject: Re: (Mac?) Interface q's References: <4D5CCCBE-B1B1-11D8-98DA-0003934474B0@mac.com> X-SW-Source: 2004/txt/msg00455.txt.bz2 > First, how common is use of the Sequential option? I prefer this form > of play, since I am usually playing solitaire. The screwy part is that Sequential affects the game balance (at least in the standard game). Basically, it is a pretty big advantage to move second, because the first-moving player will often expend their ACPs and thus be unable to counter-attack. The second-moving player doesn't have the chance to choose to spend the ACPs on movement rather than counter-attack, but they do have the ability to spend the ACPs on counter-attack if there are any attacks, and then use them for something else if there were no attacks. The only way the first-moving player can get a counter-attack is to put units in reserve, and taken to an extreme, this would mean never moving. Playing against the AI, if you set non-sequential, the AI will typically move first (unless you type pretty fast). If you set sequential, it depends on the order of the sides in the sides list. So for a challenging game, set sequential and make sure you are first on the list, before the AI(s). With human vs human, there is an incentive to stall. Stan once mentioned something to me about wanting some kind of feature to give a timeout or compulsion to move or something. I suspect that re-thinking the combat system might be a cleaner solution (although hardly a small one - even with all its flaws the standard game has generally been more balanced/enjoyable than most of the others that I've tried, including some combat model 1 games).