[Graeme Dice]

BigJMoney said:
Let's compare the two in detail, assuming they both end in the same result:

If they both provide the same result, then you should build your interface around the one that removes micromanagement. Thus, making the pretender boost income automatically would be the one you choose.

My idea: A pretender with a Dominion strength of X has the capability to sit in a province and prevent an amount of unrest equal to that generated by having taxes set to 110%.
Application: You set the taxes to 110%, and your people begin to rebel. You send the ol' pretender in there and it stops. Maybe even use an army to patrol to get rid of the few that remain. Tell the pretender to leave, and what happens? The people go nuts again, but you still make the money. Everything makes sense.

Except that what actually happens when people are playing the game is that you will just have to change the tax levels around in every single province as the pretender moves around. There's nothing strategic about this, it's just pointless micromanagement since you will never get unrest unless you forget to change the taxes.

Your idea: A pretender with a dominion strength of X raises the money gained by the province he is in by 10%.
Application: You send a pretender to a province. You get more money. Tell him to leave, and you get less money. Why even add this to the game?? It's redundant!

It has exactly the same effect as your suggestion, yet it has absolutely no micromanagement. Thus, it's the far superior choice.

There are probably dozens more ways gameplay analysis could streamline dominions to make it less micro work, but then it would lose its personality.

Then perhaps you should go back and play Dominions I, since you seem to think that micromanaging your taxes is such a wonderful piece of gameplay. Micromanagement is nnot good gameplay. Micromanagement is what happens when you are required to manually adjust things that should be automated because the optimal decision is obvious.

At this point it really seems you are trying to kill the idea for no other reason than to be correct about what constitutes better gameplay. So what? It's not like this idea adds micro to the game. All you have to do is play with the tax rate to see how high you can get it with the pretender in town.

Why don't you go and re-read what you just wrote here, because you've just directly contradicted yourself. First you claim that your suggestion wouldn't add micromanagement. This is laughable, since it clearly requires you to adjust the tax rate to take advantage of the pretender's movement. Then you tell us that you have to play with the tax rate. Note that playing with the tax rate is micromanagement. Thus, you've directly contradicted yourself.