[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [Freeciv] Exp points instead of Veteran status

[Marco Colombo <marco@xxxxxx>]

On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, Nathan Gundlach wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Marco Colombo" <marco@xxxxxx>
> To: "Nathan Gundlach" <dagchess@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: <freeciv@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <freeciv-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 2:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [Freeciv] Exp points instead of Veteran status

[...]
> 
> > BTW, I like xps also for naval battles... survivals may be experienced,
> but
> > also are damaged and slow, and my need excort to make it to the near
> > friendly city. Right now, it makes sense to excort them only if they've
> > acquired veteran status, and you know that at once.
> >
> > Of course 'experience' vs. 'veteran status' should be a server options
> > at least...
> >
> > .TM.
> 
> Right! Plus, it's better if, the more battles are won, the more exp the unit
> has.
[sorry for cc:ing the list again...]

Of course. The more exp, the more valuable the unit is, also the more
careful you have to be in using it. But if you don't use it, or use it
only for cheap takes, it won't get even more experienced...

Right now it happens to me to 'cheat' using a powerful unit against
easy enemies just hoping to make it veteran. Or, I have to face some
Ironclads with Caravels. Even if I send 2 vs. 1, there are chances the
only result is in one veteran enemy Ironclad, and that's because it
became veteran after the *first* battle (and maybe without getting
any big damage). I mean, right now:
1) Caravel attacks Ironclad. It's likely Ironclad wins easily AND 
   possibly become veteran. Now it's nearly at full hp AND nearly
   unbeatable by Caravels.
2) second Caravel has no chances...

but with experience points:
1) Caravel attacks Ironclad. Ironclad wins easily. It has still a lot
   hp, but also gained few xp;
2) second Caravel has a little more chances than the first one...
   (as it should be: 2 vs. 1 *is* an advantage, after all).

or:

1) Caravel attacks Ironclad. Ironclad wins, but gets damaged a lot. It 
   gets some xps.
2) second Caravel still has more chances than the first one (due to lower
   hp of the defendant) but has to face a more experienced unit.

If you want to keep the effect of 'luck' in battles (which I like),
you just weight the gained xp with a (small) random factor. A lucky
unit will get some xp even without receiving big damage. An unlucky one
will loose a lot of hp without getting many xp.

Such a mechanism should be carefully tuned, in order to mantain game
balance. E.g., every 1/10 of max hp a unit looses, it counts
as +5% in unit power. After loosing 1/2 of hps, it has 125% power.
After loosing (in different battles, of course) all of its hps, it has
150% power (== being veteran). Of course it has to heal between battles 
to reach it (which make sense). After 2 complete worth of hp,
it will be 200% (only a +33% of a normal veteran, BTW).
A +200% phalanx, in a world of phalanx, is a very powerful unit. But has
little chances to become even more powerful (a player has to put it at
risk in order to get more xp). And it will take a lot of battles to
reach that.
The same +200% phalanx, in a world of alpines, can be a useful unit,
but still somewhat inferior. Ah, and I failed to mention that that's
what a *very* lucky unit will get. The luck factor will lower that a bit
(3-4% per hp, maybe?).

.TM.
-- 
      ____/  ____/   /
     /      /       /                   Marco Colombo
    ___/  ___  /   /                  Technical Manager
   /          /   /                      ESI s.r.l.
 _____/ _____/  _/                     Colombo@xxxxxx