Game mechanics

[Nelphine]

the bigger problem is you have to defend against AI on harder difficulties, and at an earlier time. You don't have resources to spend lair hunting. So the easier lairs just get left around until they don't matter.

If you can I would change the drops based on difficulty. Higher difficulty have such huge budgets, items are easy extras. Lower difficulty if you get a non item, there's no budget left to add an item.

[namad]

Even on extreme items are by far the most common results. I often get many at once, it can be frustrating having to throw away so many "good" items simply because i do not need anymore items.

I think it's fine as is, but definitely don't increase item rates imo.

[Nelphine]

Why is archmage the 50% when sage master and mana focusing are 33%? If any of them are going to give more, I would rather it be mana focusing, since you can use alchemy to create mana instead of power. As is, I spend most games maxed on skill generation, use alchemy for mana, and live with whatever research I get from buildings (unless I need something in particular like a very rare summon).

[Seravy]

Why is archmage the 50% when sage master and mana focusing are 33%? If any of them are going to give more, I would rather it be mana focusing, since you can use alchemy to create mana instead of power. As is, I spend most games maxed on skill generation, use alchemy for mana, and live with whatever research I get from buildings (unless I need something in particular like a very rare summon).

Research is linear. 33% more RP gives you 33% more research done and that is that.
Skill is not linear. +50% SP will not get you 50% higher skill.

Skill = SQRT(Total SP)

With Archmage it's
Archmage Skill = SQRT(1.5*total SP)+10 = SQRT(1.5) * SQRT(Total SP) + 10 = Non-Archmage skill*1.22+10

In other words you get 22% higher skill and another +10 on top.
All the rest comes from you putting more into SP because you want to take advantage of the retort.

[Nelphine]

Hum.

The last point that you get more because you use it more, may be true for some, but my guess is that for the AI, and definitely for myself, my spending habits have nothing to do with the retort.

And while I see your point, if we accept that the formula with no retorts is balanced, then the non linearity doesn't mean that much. Instead of comparing what it does, compare opportunity cost. If I need 400 research and 400 skill, and I have 800 power, then:

Without any retort I get 0 mana. With sage master I get 100 mana. With archmage I get 133 mana.

But you're right that it's not about any given turns need, it's balanced over the whole game. My purpose of mentioning my usual strategy is to point out that skill is already the most helpful thing you can spend power on. By default I'm going to max skill. Archmage is the best way I can do that due to the opportunity costs of the other retorts.

So, let me rephrase my question: does anyone else think archmage is better than mana focusing and sage master (and indeed probably the best retort period except maybe warlord and Myrran, which at least both cost 2 picks)?

[Seravy]

So, let me rephrase my question: does anyone else think archmage is better than mana focusing and sage master (and indeed probably the best retort period except maybe warlord and Myrran, which at least both cost 2 picks)?

I do but the other two have different uses so they do not compete with each other in the first place.

Mana Focusing is strong for early game strategies. With those you don't need research or skill that much. Often you can afford leaving your skill near the starting amount, only pushing it up by another 10 or 15. You already pick the commons you need to start, and don't need research until you get some from conquered libraries and such.
Sage Master is something I only pick if I go for a game where I intend to press my research advantage. In these games I'll try to keep research near the max and only have the bare minimum needed on skill and mana.

Opportunity cost is a nice theory but it assumes you were not picking the retort with the intention of wanting more of that particular resource than what you could otherwise produce.

I think what Archmage actually competes with are these retorts :
Astrologer - A real 50% skill boost and a significant advantage in power income. Superior to Archmage if overland spells are the priority.
Alchemy - Free mana from gold so you can push the skill bar to the max
Channeller - If combat casting is in the focus, this pretty much acts as a 200% bonus to your mana crystals because you no longer need to spend triple in every combat. Which can then be spent on skill.

[Nelphine]

Astrologer only works on non instant spells. By getting more skill you specifically take away from that aspect. It only helps in the early-mid game. I would always pick archmage before astrologer, even if astrologer was 1 pick. Astrologer is only better on particular turns any time you can plan ahead (and certainly over the whole game) archmage is much betier.

Alchemy is wasted past the early game. By the time you get alchemists guilds, you earn enough in taxes you don't care about wasting half of it (while still ending up gold capped eventually).

Channeler.. I've never had these super large numbers of combats where it matters. Unless you regularly have more than 2 combats per turn (for at least, oh, 10 or 15 turns consecutively) archmage is better due to power savings. unless this happens multiple times (possibly dozens) over the game archmage is definitely better.

The only time other things are better is when you don't have time to plan your power use; so channeler is super awesome on the turn an AI declares war and attacks you 15 times. But if you survive the first few rounds archmage is much better.

At the highest difficulty, long term economy is my preferred manner of winning. And nothing compares to archmage for that. Similarly those AI who have archmage hurt the most.

Perhaps other strategies are better, which reduces how good archmage is overall.

[namad]

I agree with seravy. Especially since archmage is better and better the more you need it, the harder the ai, the longer the game goes, the bigger the landmass, the better archmage gets.

This can make it seem overpowered in the long run, because in the long run you do dump everything into skill. However during those first 100 turns you probably don't. Archmage is probably one of the better retorts on impossible, but on normal it's not very fun at all. Plus 22% is less than 33%.

Also archmage doubly benefits the ai, they have tons of power, they don't really need more mana, they already get an overland casting skill bonus that stacks with archmage. If you're not cheating though archmage isn't quite as good.

[Nelphine]

Hum. Hadn't considered the difference on lower difficulty. I'll concede that, but that's mostly because you don't need as much skill, so you can research faster and get rarer things and when you get them you can afford to take more time to summon them.

[Tlaloc]

Are the rewards from lairs, nodes, etc reduced if you whittle away the defenders little by little each turn?