Questions about globals

[Minrhael]

About global enchantments:

1) Is there a greater chance that if you cast a global enchantment (hereafter: spell) when the box is full with 5 already that you dispel your own over another nations? 3 times in a row with my having one spell and others having 4 I dispelled my own spell putting up a new one. And I can guarantee that other than the first time, the spell I had up already was cast with far more gems than the computers, it simply didn't have the gem income to put up 300 gem spells at the time that it cast them (or ever for that matter).

2) I thought I read something about this but I couldn't find it: There were 5 spells up including one of mine and a BoT. I killed the caster of the BoT. BoT went down. There were 4 spells in the box. Next turn I cast a spell. Rather than taking the empty 5th slot, it dispelled my own spell (thanks!). The turn after this, the computer cast a spell and used the 5th slot. Explain! Is there a delay or something before you can use that slot?

3) I had two spells up, Vanheim had three, including Wrath of God. It then proceeded to cast Wrath of God again, dispelling it's own. Why?

4) Not globals, but: is there any chance of getting the AI to understand that once my spellcasters have cast Arrow Fend, Wind Guide, and Mass Protection, they don't need to be cast 2 or 3 more times in a long battle? Gem conservation dang it!

[Kristoffer O]

1. Dispel is random. One of the five spells will be 'attacked' by the dispel. If that particular spell is too powerful it remains.

2. All globals are cast simultaneously. If you give an order to cast a global it will still be processed at the same time as the AI's newly cast spells. Thus yuo and the AI both compete for the single empty position. In this case the AI won and your spell randomly 'attacked' one of the now five global spells.

3. Sure about this? Sounds like a bug.

4. There are chances

[Gandalf Parker]

A common tactic for gem conservation (and blood slaves) is to send scouts along and have them hold things. Its also handy for special-use items like special crossbows or items for smashing castle walls. You leave the scouts hidden and let them hold things. Then transfer items between attacks. It also is handy for not losing things hwen the outcome of a battle might be questionable.

[PhilD]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
A common tactic for gem conservation (and blood slaves) is to send scouts along and have them hold things. Its also handy for special-use items like special crossbows or items for smashing castle walls. You leave the scouts hidden and let them hold things. Then transfer items between attacks. It also is handy for not losing things hwen the outcome of a battle might be questionable.

That's fine, but sometimes the spellcasting AI still makes the "bad" decision.

Like if you try to script a mage with several spells, and give him enough gems to be able to cast them all, the AI will decide to spend more gems on the first spells to reduce fatigue, and will not have enough for the later spells. So you have to over-equip him if you want to make sure the Last spell is cast.

[LintMan]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
2. All globals are cast simultaneously. If you give an order to cast a global it will still be processed at the same time as the AI's newly cast spells. Thus yuo and the AI both compete for the single empty position. In this case the AI won and your spell randomly 'attacked' one of the now five global spells.

Rereading what Minrhael wrote, I *think* he was saying that the AI cast its global spell a turn after he cast his spell. In other words, he cast a global while there was an open slot, but it bumped his other spell instead, while leaving the slot open. Then the next turn the AI cast a spell which used the free slot. No competition on either turn.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Minrhael:
3) I had two spells up, Vanheim had three, including Wrath of God. It then proceeded to cast Wrath of God again, dispelling it's own. Why?

This isn't necessarily stupid: If you cast a spell early on in the game, and it's crucial to your empire, the gems you put into it early on may not be sufficient to withstand modern dispels: Thus, you cast it again, overwriting it with a more powerful Version, so that you don't risk interruption of service and the messiness of trying to cram a spell into a global slot.