I just wanted to start this thread because, as a new player I got conflicting advice. Is there any reason not to start camping in Mountains? Has anyone actually checked the probability success in each terrain type with respect to em rank?
Scott W
While I’ve often come across idiosyncratic examples, I was once advised as follows: Much of ME works similar to an increasing slope line compareable to an exponential curve and those “curves” follow, to a reasonable degree, common sense:
Mountains are more difficult to camp in than hills, than forests, than plains…
Harsher climates more difficult than more mild climates…
As there is a finite number of pops available, the closer the number of existing pops is to this limit, the harder it is to “find new settlers”.
Emissaries are best served being named ASAP, issue ideally 2 520’s before trying their first camp, then a couple easy ones before moving to mountians. Go ahead, prove me “wrong”, happens all the time…no accounting for dice.
…
Brad
I agree name your emissaries early, and start laying the camps down while there is a large population pool to pull from. Early on I have had even new emissaries be successful in any terrain, but I think Brad may be right about terrain difficulty ratings as available population decreases.
One drawback to trying to place camps in the mountains if you are a free is dragons. You are much more likely to have a dragon come check out your camp if it is in the mountains. If it only has a 15 or 20 loyalty it may go away if you’re playing a free nation. If you have an emissary there trying to improve its loyalty you might lose them as well, especially if you are the Dwarves
The other Brad
In reverse, if you are a Dark Servant, I recommend camping mountains right away. The dragons will help increase your loyalties, doing the work of emmis for you, so making a camp with a 16-20 loyalty isnt much of a liability just do it after you raise taxes or else the increase is likely to make them disappear.
Fletch
Why bother, as a DS those hills near the QA are ideal and safer. Theres a decent chance of gold and timber. Why present the FP with targets that Northern Mordorian mountain camps can see on the Northmen map?
two points:
- any FP risking his emis for infing away a DS camp in the misty mountains is a fool providing dragon food
- as DS you want to recruit those dragons, wouldn’t you
Exactly! Let the FP muck around in the Misty camps, a dragon will eventually eat them, or stall them whilst they look up the proper response!<S>
Between the various local nations, the FP simply calculate exactly how many HI can burn exactly how many camps and give them exactly as much food as they need in order to march up and down the mountains in order to keep the Misties clear. More often than not, if done properly, the army commander on the last camp can simply 250/810 knowing his army will disband, and retool for more. 3 nations adopt mountain camp burning armies and the hit to DS production and dragon sightings will come around to hurt them.
Sure, they can do that, but if they want to tie up a commander and the resources for the troops to chase camps, thats fine.
I figure most camps are pretty expendable anyway, by every turn they give you some cash in the form of either gold or minerals, its a plus
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fletch
[b]Sure, they can do that, but if they want to tie up a commander and the resources for the troops to chase camps, thats fine.
And how many commanders do you tie up recruiting troops to feed the dragons.
Between the various local nations, the FP simply calculate exactly how many HI can burn exactly how many camps and give them exactly as much food as they need in order to march up and down the mountains in order to keep the Misties clear. More often than not, if done properly, the army commander on the last camp can simply 250/810 knowing his army will disband, and retool for more. 3 nations adopt mountain camp burning armies and the hit to DS production and dragon sightings will come around to hurt them.
Interestingly enough you guys are trying this tactic in game 39 and it does have an impact but not a major one. After the game I would be interested in swopping some information there though.
It’s reduced our Dragon catching by about 1/4 I would say.
Clint (player)
Dragon catching, economic damage, loyalty drops.
Like a sample in the mall - if it’s free…why not? How difficult would it be for 3 FP nations to have 1 weak com character find 165 HI and some food to wander about (training too…) for a few turns? Would we expect this strategy to knock the DS to their knees begging for mercy? Of course not, silly that. But, I would maintain that it is minor damage AND annoyance caused to the DS for FREE. How lazy would one be to NOT work this angle? Please.
Thanks, you all have made some interesting points, especially about the small anti-dragon camp armies. No sooner did I read it here then it happened in a game. I think the answer to my original question is…
There is no reason not to start camping in the mountains, if you are the DS, from the start of the game.
Scott W
I would like to add that the camp burning strategy is only adviseable if the resources and characters needed for it are easily expendable, i.e. rather not before turn 10. Plus, burning camps before camp limit is hit makes little sense as many DS emmies will be running around creating new ones. After camp limit, an effective addition to the strategy would be the FP having some emmies who quickly fill the gaps resulting from the burning, leaving the DS with no population when they arrive.
On the other hand, the DS will most probably choose those misty hexes which are difficult to reach from any FP pop - three or more turns of marching would scare me off.