jakewilliams wrote:Draknor: level 1. In 1v1 you each start with 12 terits. If you take a single terit from the next player, they start with 11 (while you have 13) and it's very hard to take back two territories with a drop of 3 troops. First turn is a major advantage in a sequential game, or non-speed freestyle game.
Solar System 4 players (so either 2v2 dubs or 4p) you each start with 15 terits. With normal rolls the first turn, you can get the next player to 14 terits and at a disadvantage to start (they get 4 to drop opposed to the 5 the first player started with). With great dice you take 4 terits and they drop 3 (while you dropped 5).
This would be of lesser importance in multiplayer or manual games - but as I play mostly team or 1v1 games this affects me greatly.
Jake
I have three perspectives on this:
First, yes, you are right it is unfair to the player-who-goes-first.
Second, the dice aren't that predictable. On maps like Solar System and Draknor, I've gone first my fair share of the time. Some of those first turns result in winning 2 or even 3 territories from my opponent. Other first turns result in winning 0 territories. I play my fair share of 1v1 as well. I like the challenge that it brings to go second and have the opponent take one or more territories from me. I win a fair share of those, but, yes, ultimately the player who goes first wins - no matter which map it is. Typically an inexperienced player or a player new to a map will be the one to lose when going first - on any map.
Third, If you reduce the number of territories owned by players, you end up increasing the number of neutral territories resulting in more player territories getting locked in by neutrals. The benefit, then, goes to the player who goes first AND has an enemy on his/her border as opposed to a neutral. (assuming as you have that firstplayer's dice will be successful. I think increaing the number of neutral territories on a map like draknor will make those games last longer...taking them out of the realm of being played in speed...and possibly taking them out of the realm of being played in 1v1.
There are maps that should see a reduction. Ridiculously large maps like Stalingrad, WWII Europe, etc. On those maps, there are simply too many armies awarded tot he player who goes first.
What I would like to see is some kind of coding that prevents multi-territory continent bonuses to be handed out on the drop. One example would be any continental bonus on the Classic map. Another example would be any continental bonus or capitals bonus on BeNeLux.
