Are some randoms more random than others?
 

I know that some units get random magic picks ranging across the whole board, while others only get random elemental or random sorc picks. My question however is this:
For those units which get a random pick from all 8 paths, is it the case that one (or more) paths come up more often than others (weighted randomness)? I am thinking here for example of Machaka Black Sorc, where I get a random death more often than a random anything else, and almost never a random astral, or S&A Celestial Master, where of the 2 I get a random water very frequently -- is this just my odd luck or are the random picks weighted in some cases?

Re: Are some randoms more random than others?
 

Equal distribution as far as my observations indicate.


The odds of NOT getting an extra water on a S&A Celestial Master would be ~76.6%. In other words, you can expect almost 1 out of 4 Celestial Master's to get at least 3 water, which certainly leads to the feeling that a lot of Celestial Masters get this bonus.

However, it should be noted that the number of mages of the same type recruited in a single game are often too low to use for any sort of statistics. I player a S&A game where 3 out of 5 Celestial Masters recruited in the first ten turns 1 blood, and by the end, 7/17 recruited had 1 blood - which are too few to use for a good statistical analysis, really, and certainly fall within the range of an "equal distribution" hypothesis. (It was fun though)

Re: Are some randoms more random than others?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks much sir. Suspected as much.
I know too little about statistics to remember standard deviance and what not, but may I ask an unqualified question?

- If 1 out of 4 CMs gets at least 3 water, then isnt the chance also that 1 out of 4 CMs gets 2 Fire, Astral or Air? (Chance of getting +1 water = chance of getting +1 to anything else they already have, right?)

Re: Are some randoms more random than others?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Depends on how you phrase the question http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

If you ask, what are the odds of a Celestial Master to get at least 2 Fire, it is indeed ~23.4% under the equal distribution hypothesis. [And likewise if you ask specifically about 2 Air or 2 Astral]

If you ask, what are the odds of a Celestial Master getting at least 2 Fire or at least 2 Air or at least 2 Astral, the odds are much, much, higher. Since the chance of getting NO extra fire, air, or astral would be 5/8*5/8 ~ 39.1%, you can expect 60.9% of Celestial Masters to have at least 2 picks in one of the minor default paths.