Well, I'll be jiggered. Of all the items in the
"Tips and Tricks" articles, this was the one that
came from my earliest ME days, years and years ago.
Back then Ernie and I took it for granted that moving
100% meant losing 10% (we don't remember checking
that or _not_ checking it). The only thing we
checked was what happened when you moved 91%. We've
been using 91% on all 947 orders since forever and
never had occasion to re-check the matter.
Ed, thanks for the correction. I sent email to Clint
that I'd like to publish a correction/retraction in
the next Bree crediting you with having set me straight,
or alternatively if you'd prefer you could write some
sort of "letter to the editor" to be published in Bree.
Jeremy
--- In mepbmlist@y..., "Edward A. Dimmick" <dukefenton@e...> wrote:
JeremyRichman@c... wrote:
>
> Hey as the co-author of that article I must disagree with
> you Ed. There _is_ a difference between moving 100% and
> 90%.
>
That wasn't the issue in dispute and it's NOT what you said below.
We're talking the difference between 100% and 91%, NOT 90%. Keep
your
figures straight.
> The caravans do not take 10% of the amount moved,
> they take 10% of the amount you _specify_ to move.
> You may not like that the program works that way, but
> it does. So specify 100% and they will take 10%, but
> specify 91% and they will take 9.1%.
>
Bullcrap. Might I suggest you actually try issuing said orders and
count the number of units at each location? Since you obviously
haven't
done the empirical observation and are also apparently
math-deficient,
this will have to be spelled out for you.
Assume you issue an order to move 100%. The teamsters cannot take
an
additional 10% because it simply isn't there; you can't take 110% of
stock unless your nation has the Yogi Berra special ability.
Obviously
teamsters don't move things without geting paid, so they will take
as
much as possible - roughly 91% (actually 90.9% but let's keep this
simple). The net effect is everything (100%) disappears from its
origin
and 91% ends up where you wanted it to go.
If they took 10% of stock they'd only be moving 90% and getting paid
an
extra 1% they didn't earn - and teamsters don't do that (union
rules).
Moreover they would not be moving as much as possible, and thereby
not
living up to their contract, and teamsters don't do that (union
rules).
So 100% effectively equals 91%, every time. I've done this enough
times
in actual game play to be quite certain of the results, and can
invariably calculate down to the last unit (though that is rarely
necessary).
If you issue an order for 91% the teamsters will move 91% (actually
90.9% but it gets rounded to the nearest whole unit anyway) and take
9.1% as their fee. 90.9 + 9.1 = 100% of the stock leaves its origin
point, *exactly* the same amount as if you told them to move 100%.
And
91% gets to the destination, *exactly* the same amount as if you
issued
a 100% move.
IOW, ordering a 100% move will transport exactly the same number of
units and cost exactly the same fee as a 91% move order. Got that?
Don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself; send steel,
gold,
and mithril to my capital. 
Oh, and stop making assumptions about what I do or don't like,
you're
not qualified. As it happens I'm quite happy with the transport
system;
···
what I dislike is people misinforming new players.
-ED \1/
