One banker Nation explored
When does this apply? As from Monday 11th December you cannot employ this strategy. If you have sent in orders for a game which runs on Monday or later, and which would break this new rule, you should send in a new set of orders.
What is being banned? The One Banker Nation (OBN for short) strategy is now banned. There is no effective counter that an opposing (FP) team can employ to deal with it. We will update the ruling in the Front Sheet GM Message section should updates occur and on the forum and list.
Why is this a Bug? and not mid-game change of rules. I chatted to the game designer about this and its unintended. It is an error of coding. They come up so rarely in Middle Earth, I'm very glad to say, that action has to be taken now to stop its impact. Due to the enormous impact it has on the game we feel that steps need to be taken now. In most cases it removes the entire need for a strategic economic element to the game and therefore benefits the DS majorly. There is a direct correlation between gold in the One Banker nation (the nation with the highest level of gold) and the market prices and natsell limits. (See below for example Leather @23 sell price employing this strategy).
Has everyone been contacted? Yes note if you want to see some of the discussion check out the forum (its the sticky thread called One Banker Nation Ruling) and the list.
For now well do that by hand (and Ill implement a code change as soon as we can get something sorted and tested):
Ruling 10th December 2006; Gold sent to a single nation with the goal of significant upward increase of market prices is not allowed, whether through caravan transport, ransom demands, or other methods. Gold sent to a nation that brings the nations total reserves to more than 80k gold will have that exact amount of gold sent deducted from its stores. In addition gold received by that nation from other sources such as Ransom demands from team-mates etc will be dealt with similarly.
Such an attempt may be judged to have occurred if the upward increase of market prices occurs coincident to the transfer of gold. Judgement may be requested by the opposing team if it feels this ruling has been violated. The judgement will be made by the moderator with opportunity for explanation by the team in question if requested
Later offences will be dealt with more strongly. Examples of this include removal of additional gold from the receiving nation but other penalties might apply. We reserve the right to take appropriate action. Most likely that would be to remove not only that second gold send but give that player a final warning. Further impacts and you'll be removed from the game. Note if we feel that a player is deliberately breaking the rules then we might well enact such a ruling earlier. Ie if you break the rules we'll take appropriate action and that can be anything from removing the gold sent to removal of further in game funds and removal of that player from that game. Any player that brings the game into disrepute we reserve the right to act further."
Its simple to moderate - if players feel that the market has been bumped unfairly get in touch and well check the orders. If we find that it has occurred, well remove all the gold received from that banker nation and we will consider further measures. (Note sending gold to nations is still fine for other reasons - its easy to moderate).
This is the simplest short term solution and workable, especially if players abide by this ruling. Players are generally very ethical, so a hand moderated ruling will work well. We do something very similar in Gunboat and find it works fine.
We will not make any changes to the market prices in current games, even if the banker nation tactic has been used. However, from Monday we will enforce this new ruling.
I intend to take no action about using high tax rates or market buy-outs to affect the market prices. They are tactical choices, with both positives and negatives, and there are strategies which opposing teams can employ to counter them. (Eg Emmissaries for low loyalty PCs, ease of Threatening for high tax nations, and selling product and keeping a low gold level for reducing the impact of Buy-outs). We might look at keeping gold levels below 200k in future for other nations in the game as we appreciate that some Neutrals will look at increasing their own gold values appropriately.
Ill soon look at implementing code changes. These will aim to emulate the present market, with removal of the One Banker nation strategy. No doubt this will have minor changes to the market code, but I feel that something needs to be done here.
** Thanks to everyone for bringing this to my attention; it is very, very much appreciated. **
Data Ive looked at the One banker nation strategy in some depth now. Starting from the same database I set up a game and run from Turn 0 the following examples. Data from which Ive garnered this evidence (and other games but heres the short version).
Test 1) No orders I just run the game.
MARKET PRICES
Product Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts
Avail 6930 4620 3825 600 29250 5925 2400
Buy 9 11 13 113 3 10 18
Sell 6 7 8 71 2 6 11
Test 2) No orders other than 325s (Natsells) of around 25k value (basically food @2).
MARKET PRICES
Product Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts
Avail 7380 9886 3375 593 67792 10326 2400
Buy 10 9 19 123 2 9 26
Sell 6 5 11 73 1 5 16
Test 3) No orders other than all gold in the game sent by all nations to the Long Rider. Minor changes to gold levels to test 1) (948s 10%).
MARKET PRICES
Product Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts
Avail 6930 5040 3825 563 30750 6375 2340
Buy 65 102 117 981 14 93 194
Sell 36 56 65 541 8 51 107
Test 4) No orders other than Tax of all nations to 100% and 325s of around 25k value (basically food). Ie testing to see what a large amount of gold in the game does.
MARKET PRICES
Product Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts
Avail 7110 8219 3465 600 111942 9093 2490
Buy 15 17 24 185 3 16 41
Sell 10 11 16 123 2 11 28
Test 5) No orders other than Tax to 100% and 325s of around 25k value (basically food) and all gold in the game sent by all nations to the Long Rider. Ie a large amount of gold in the game and it all under one nation.
MARKET PRICES
Product Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts
Avail 7650 10996 3510 570 275474 9093 2400
Buy 170 175 329 2617 9 202 520
Sell 88 90 170 1350 5 104 268
Test 6) To emulate a Grudge game: No orders other than all gold in the game gold levels in the game as compare with test 1) (948s 10%).
MARKET PRICES
Product Leather Bronze Steel Mithril Food Timber Mounts
Avail 6840 4500 3465 563 30750 5775 2550
Buy 36 60 67 516 7 51 101
Sell 23 38 42 324 4 32 63
This basically covered the broad spectrum (you can tell I was trained as a scientist uh?!) of possibilities (there are other options of course but I think the results are clear). My reading is as follows:
Tax @100% basically doubles the market if everyone did it (upto half if some players did it) and although has an inherent disadvantage (low loyalties throughout the nations on high tax) is probably okay.
One Banker nation: leads to 4x the market and has minor disadvantage (which can be dealt with by sending slightly less gold). Although it doesnt give unlimted gold to the DS, it does deal with their very major disadvantage of a (relative to FP) weak economy. (Note it doesnt, IMO, allow you to get extra product as the raised buy and sell prices preclude this). Note also that almost all cases the increase in market prices is immediately rewarded in that you can natsell at the new value and make back that initial send the very next turn. (Ie no loss of gold effectively and a very big market)
Clint (GM)
···
sent by all 11 other DS nations to the Long Rider. Minor changes to total
Why would you want to waste our time deliberately?!