Tournament formats

[Catwalk]

I'd like to suggest the following two formats for tournaments:

Game of the month
This will be a simple game where we always compete for the earliest win with no extra victory conditions or rules. Or you can play it just for fun, of course. No real reporting is expected, except you're asked to make a standard report of vital game stats (such as hero list, city list an overview map) every 4 years. An unedited and randomly created game is posted each month, with a month to finish it. This is intended to give some easy, slightly competitive fun with minimal hassle.

Variant (might need different name)
This is modelled on the MoO Imperium games (go check them out if you haven't already) which use different rules for each game. You're expected to do a bit more reporting for this one (but ultimately it's voluntary, we can't exactly force you) with more screenshots. Victory conditions and variant rules will vary wildly, sky is the limit. This is intended to give variety and unique challenges for those who are into that, as well as the fun of reading and writing detailed reports.

[WhiteMage]

Thanks Catwalk. I am eager to enter a tournament myself. I am not much interested in playing a long list of in house rules, so I will enter the first kind. The only rules for that shall be the obvious “No save and load cheat”. That is, immediately before quitting game you must save and that’s the only one you can load next when you continue. Also, “only one attempt per player”. This will also allow connecting fun with work, as feedback from such games for further development is expected to be the most relevant. We shall play the latest version of MoM. The tournament game should be a saved turn 1 game, with a fully randomized selection of choices, rather than a long list of speculative decisions of what would be interesting for players. Let me know if you want me use my algorithm to generate a fully random game.

[Jtm]

We shall play the latest version of MoM.

I'm assuming you mean latest Insecticide Patch by that. After all it is nothing but AI improvements and bug fixes.

The tournament game should be a saved turn 1 game, with a fully randomized selection of choices, rather than a long list of speculative decisions of what would be interesting for players. Let me know if you want me use my algorithm to generate a fully random game.

Spoken like true mathematician I like this. Would you mind revealing your algorithm here? If not, PM it to me, please.

[Catwalk]

I'm fine with switching between Catnip and Insecticide for these games.

[WhiteMage]

I'm assuming you mean latest Insecticide Patch by that.

Yes, the latest version of insecticide, but I would prefer Catnip if we can get a good pool of players. Would be important for testing and further development.

Spoken like true mathematician I like this.

Thanks, computer science Ph.D. and mathematical AI research.

Would you mind revealing your algorithm here? If not, PM it to me, please.

Here is the algorithm I designed for myself long ago which I modified to make it easy to understand. If not clear, let me know.

(Begin)
Impossible, Four opponents

Generate random integer from 1 to 3
If 1 then small land size
If 2 then medium land size
If 3 then large land size

Generate random integer from 1 to 3
If 1 then weak magic
If 2 then normal magic
If 3 then powerful magic

Generate random integer from 1 to 4.
If 1 then generate a random integer from 1 to 14. Select wizard that corresponds to number (e.g. Raven is #2). Go to Select Race.
If 2, 3, or 4 then choose custom wizard
Generate a random integer from 1 to 14, which determines picture.

Generate random integer from 1 to 4.
If 1, 2, or 3 then go to Option 1
If 4 then go to Option 2

Option 1. [Book favor]
Spend Picks:
If there are 0 picks to spend, go to Remove Default Selection of Spells.
Generate random integer from 1 to 2
If 1 then go to Pick a Skill
If 2 then go to Pick Books

Pick a Skill:
Generate random integer from 1 to # of skills not already check marked [initially 18]. (Each skill has equal chance of being selected even grey skills can be selected). Select the skill that was given by random integer (Warlord #2); if it is not selectable then select minimum prerequisites: if there are more than 1 ways to select prerequisites then generate random integer to select color then select minimum number of books to make skill happen, repeat selection of color if necessary, but do not exceed minimum support for skill. Once skill is selected, go to Spend Picks.

Pick Books:
Generate random integer from 1 to 5. This determines what color of books you will choose next. Generate random integer from 1 to maximum number of picks available. Select # of books in color given by the integer. Go to Spend Picks.

Option 2. [Skill favor] Generate a random integer from 1 to # of (unchecked skills + 5) [initially 23, 1-18 corresponds to individual skills, 19-23 to individual books in each of the 5 colors]. A random integer represents a skill or a single book in one of 5 colors.
If a skill is not selectable then select minimum prerequisites: if there are more than 1 ways to select prerequisites then generate random integer to select color then select minimum number of books to make skill happen, repeat selection of color if necessary, but do not exceed minimum support for skill. If there are more picks to spend then go to Option 2.

Remove Default Selection of Spells

Select Spells.
Generate random integer from 1 to # of unchecked spells at lowest rarity level (first time: 1 to 10). Select spell that corresponds to random integer [first column is 1 to 5].
If more spells can be selected then go to Select Spells.

Select Race
If not myrran then generate random integer from 1 to 9. Select race that corresponds to random integer.
If myrran then generate random integer from 1 to 14. Select race that corresponds to random integer.

Select Color.
Generate random integer from 1 to 5. Select color that corresponds to random integer.
(End)

[Note: if a random skill is too expensive to make it happen then reroll – this is a time saver, not requiring you to find out which are already impossible]

It’s not perfect, but pretty close to be considered fully random. If there is a demand, I could improve it further, but this worked pretty well for myself. I can do a probability analysis on it, which I have not done yet.

[robinh3123]

(Begin)
Impossible, Four opponents
.. (Quote deleted)

WhiteMage:
Please note that it is possible to win an impossible level by a random selection, BUT it may take too long, both game time (year) and real player's time. Many people here may not have time to do so.

I personally plays short game only at this time:
Life magic + warlord + variance
Artificier + Runemastery + variance
Conjurer + Sorcery mastery + variance
11 books (very seldom)

I did previously won a game in v1.31, with zero book start. But that's long long ago. Not to say that in current v1.40x, the computer player is much stronger. Those "too-challenged" game is not my option to play.

[Tlaloc]

Please note that WhiteMage has modified the part of his algorithm that generates books and skills to boost the frequency of Life/Death books and Divine/Infernal Power. He asked me to post the updated pseudocode on his behalf. A brief summary of the changes are:

1. When it rolls a death book, but can't add it due to already having a life book, then add it as a new life book. (Do same for life book being rolled, but death book is present)
2. When it rolls divine power, but can't add it due to having a death book, then add infernal power. If that is impossible, then move to next line. (Do same for infernal power being rolled, but life book is present – add divine power).

Below is the updated pseudocode for his algorithm.

--------------------

Pseudocode removed since he updated it below after I posted.

[WhiteMage]

I cleaned it up in order to make it more readable and eliminated the default wizards, which are not good to have for true random generation. I asked you earlier not to implement that part. Did you? Please review and let me know if you agree that this is equivalent to what you already implemented.
--

(Begin)
Impossible, Four opponents

Generate random integer from 1 to 4
If 1 then small land size
If 2 then medium land size
If 3 then large land size
If 4 then huge land size

Generate random integer from 1 to 5
If 1 then 0.5x magic
If 2 then 1x magic
If 3 then 1.5x magic
If 4 then 2x magic
If 5 then 2.5x magic

Generate a random integer from 1 to 14, which determines picture. (e.g. Raven is #2)

Generate random integer from 1 to 4.
If 1, 2, or 3 then go to Option 1
If 4 then go to Option 2

Option 1. [Book favor]
Spend Picks:
If there are 0 picks to spend, go to Remove Default Selection of Spells.
Generate random integer from 1 to 2
If 1 then go to Pick a Skill
If 2 then go to Pick Books

Pick a Skill:
Generate random integer from 1 to # of skills not already check marked [initially 18]. (Each skill has equal chance of being selected even gray skills can be selected). Select the skill that was given by random integer (e.g. Warlord #2); if it is not selectable then select minimum prerequisites: if there are more than 1 ways to select prerequisites then generate random integer to select book color then select minimum number of books to make skill happen, repeat selection of color if necessary, but do not exceed minimum support for skill.
If divine power was rolled, but there is already a death book, then add infernal power. If that is impossible, then go to Spend Picks.
If infernal power was rolled, but there is already a life book, then add divine power. If that is impossible, then go to Spend Picks.
If the rolled skill is too expensive to make it happen then reroll [this is a time saver, not requiring you to find out which skills are already impossible]. Once a skill is selected, go to Spend Picks. If it is impossible to pick any skill, go to Pick Books.

Pick Books:
Generate random integer from 1 to 5. This determines what color of books you will choose next. If death was rolled, but there is already a life book, then consider this roll life. If life was rolled, but there is already a death book, then consider this roll death. Generate random integer from 1 to maximum number of picks available. Select # of books in color given by the integer. Go to Spend Picks.

Option 2. [Skill favor] Generate a random integer from 1 to # of (unchecked skills + 5) [initially 23, 1-18 corresponds to individual skills, 19-23 to individual books in each of the 5 colors]. A random integer represents a skill or a single book in one of 5 colors. If death was rolled, but there is already a life book, then consider this roll life. If life was rolled, but there is already a death book, then consider this roll death. If a skill is not selectable then select minimum prerequisites: if there are more than 1 ways to select prerequisites then generate random integer to select color then select minimum number of books to make skill happen, repeat selection of color if necessary, but do not exceed minimum support for skill.
If divine power was rolled, but there is already a death book, then add infernal power. If that is impossible, then go to Option 2.
If infernal power was rolled, but there is already a life book, then add divine power. If that is impossible, then go to Option 2.
If the rolled skill is too expensive to make it happen then reroll. If there are more picks to spend then go to Option 2.

Remove Default Selection of Spells.

Select Spells.
Generate random integer from 1 to # of unchecked spells at lowest rarity level (first time: 1 to 10). Select spell that corresponds to random integer [first column is 1 to 5].
If more spells can be selected then go to Select Spells.

Select Race.
If not Myrran then generate random integer from 1 to 9. Select race that corresponds to random integer.
If Myrran then generate random integer from 1 to 14. Select race that corresponds to random integer.

Select Color.
Generate random integer from 1 to 5. Select color that corresponds to random integer.
(End)

[Tlaloc]

Yes that is clear, and equivalent to what I implemented. I agree it's better to remove the default wizards and no I didn't implement them.

I guess my above post in this thread is now unnecessary, so I may as well remove or edit it.

[Tiltowait]

If I did this, I'd only be interested in v1.4. If there is to be a variant then let it be a finished variant. I can't do software testing as a recreation.