The MA Ulm issue.

[Velusion]

DrPraetorious said:

Suppose that if you have no forge bonuses, you can afford 10 items.

Well, if you have a 50% forge bonus, you can afford twice as many - twenty items.

If you have *two* 50% forge bonuses, you can afford four times as many - forty items.

Forge bonuses are better the more you have.

Let me address this and Baalz post:

#1 These bonuses don't stack. The forge ability direct stacks with the hammer - but it doesn't stack with the FotA. Lets leave off the hammer and use Pythium to compare to Ulm and see who really gets the biggest benifit from FotA.

A) Without FoTA Ulm pays 75% base cost. With FoTA Ulm pays %37 of base cost. Throw on a hammer with Forge and Ulm pays %25 of base cost.
B) Without FoTA Pythium pays 100% per item. With FoTA Pythium pays %50. Throw on a hammer with Forge and Pythium pays %37 of base cost.

Without Forge or Hammers Ulm is saving 25% more when forge wasn't up than Pythium. However that savings comparison drops to 12% once all the bonuses are applied.

#2. You better believe that Pythium wants as much SC equipment to outfit national Angels/SCs (something of which Ulm doesn't have) When you get down to 2-3 gems an item all of Pythium's forgers will be able to output items non-stop. Volume (except for the really expensive stuff) really isn't much of big deal).

#3. Does Ulm have a distinct advantage against all other nations when it comes to forging items without forge? Yes. Do they have a distinct advantage against all other nations when it comes to forging items with forge? Yes.

#4. Yes Ulm has a savings of 1 gem on small items over Pythium with the forge up. But they had just as big a savings BEFORE the forge got put up... so I don't see the advantage.