SE4 Strategy - An Art or a Science?

[Askan Nightbringer]

quote:

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Originally posted by geoschmo:
I think with the size of the user base on PBW, there may be enough of a demand for a "Human only" mod. I could be wrong, but I present as evidence that the "No-AI" mod is one of the most frequently used mods for PBW games.

Of course that is a far cry from the general use that a good single player mod like TDM gets, but I think it might be worth giving it a go.

I am getting a little off topic of this thread though so I think I will start a new discussion.

Geo

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I think a human only mod is an excellent idea. I was looking for your new discussion but couldn't find it
I build valuation models for a living and was speculating about using Present Values to analyse the tech tree. I could build a complex model using resource/research costs, current research/resource production and expected growth (and decline because of maintenance) of these parameters to work out say the present value of capital ship missiles 2 vs the present value of point defence 3.
Don't know if it would be useful but it would be way cool


Askan

[Atrocities]

Not to make light of this topic, but too me SEIV is neither a science or an art form. For me stratigy in SEIV is pure luck. Plain and simple, I role the dice everytime I process a turn. Will my race be conqured by a band of green pig people, will my ship make it through the warp point without getting obliterated on the other side? Stuff like that.

[Hank]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atrocities:
Not to make light of this topic, but too me SEIV is neither a science or an art form. For me stratigy in SEIV is pure luck. Plain and simple, I role the dice everytime I process a turn. Will my race be conqured by a band of green pig people, will my ship make it through the warp point without getting obliterated on the other side? Stuff like that.

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I strongly disagree. SEIV far from pure luck (otherwise I wouldnt be playing it!). SEIV is built on strategy. In strategy, you direct your forces to produce a favorable result from combat.

Probability is the "roll of the dice" you mention. The Science of Strategy is predicting the outcome of combat via probabilities. Calculating this involves math and while it can be tedious, it can be solved.

The Art of Strategy is plan or method by which you finesse the probabilities of combat to achieve that favorable result. The Art involves such things as trickery, feints, misdirection, essentially strategems. The Art is the human side of combat, where you win by out-thinking your opponent.

[ 01 May 2002: Message edited by: Hank ]

[Master Belisarius]

I support the Hank's words.

"Therefore I say: One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle." Sun-Tzu, The Art of War, chap 3
(Thanks Geo!)

For example, if you know your ships and the enemy ships, there is not any luck when you start a battle... but if you don't know the performance of your ships compared with the ships of your enemies, then, the result will be pure luck.

A good player always will try to reduce the random aspects of the game.