Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

I forgot to reply about the Fluctuations of Temperature.

The scales of your Dominion are semi at the whim of the game. For no understandable reason they will fluxuate in temperature, order, production, growth, luck and magic (more than likely all of them including turmoil etc, but these are the only ones I really pay attention to).

This is for all nations/themes. The only real exception to this rule seems to be when you choose Heart of Winter/Desert Sun, which holds fairly true to its cold/heat pushing effects.

Pushing your Cold to 3, could potentially set your scales to your preference, or sometimes not, it really depends on whatever game variable is messing with your scales. There are however sites, that provide scale adjustments that can tweak with them so there is no real guarentee that they will stay where they are supposed to.

But the main instance for choosing Cold 2 over 3, is the fact that (most of the time) your capital will remain in your Dominion temperature. Your capital, like your initial castle, has alot to do with the direction you go in the game and having a stable and consistant -5% income loss (0r -3% if you take growth 1) in the only real guarenteed large province you can in a game is a very real factor.

Starting position plays alot into the game and the speed with which you expand, research and a variety of things. So if you found/find that Cold 3 works to your benefit more than your hamperment, I would take it. I personally don't like to count on assurances of randomness (like the fluxuating scale(s)).

[E. Albright]

Originally posted by Arryn:
Is there a thread capacity limit? Do we care? Seeing as many of the Posts have your name in them somewhere ...

The largest thread I've seen on the Shrapnel forums would be the SE4 forum's "Babylon 5 Mod" thread at 3608 Posts. It's still open for more, so there's no limit close at hand for yours.

For a more repelant example, tho', one could cite the "Ye New Galactic Bar & Grill & Phong's Head Cantina - After Hours" thread, which weighed in at a revolting 2983 Posts before its locking down. It was commonly refered to as naught but a rank-padding thread, and I must say that this accusation seems rather hard to dispute. The original "Ye Olde" etc. thread was bad enough, and it was only half as long...

[Edit: typo]

[ February 11, 2004, 23:26: Message edited by: E. Albright ]

[Psitticine]

Hey, Emil! Nice to see you around here!

[Pillin]

Sure getting cold 3 will hurt you alittle, the point is that it will almost certanly hurt others more than its hurting you. It will make the provinces turn cold faster as thats a function of the difference of your scales and the current scales. Also with growth 1 thats in my opinion the best replacement you get (albeit slowly) increased income from your provinces in a long game

It doesn't turn provinces faster to cold by any degree, unless you choose Heart of Winter.

And the same problem comes up, where the only one you know is going to be Cold 2 (or 3) is your home province, you can still under that scale get just as many Cold 1's. It's just on how the sites are set and whatever impact is on the temperature scale. And if you happen to get a game without a heavy variance (it happens probably 50/50)and loss of gold income, poof, you are taking -3% income in your largest starting province as well as most of the provinces you control.

Growth isn't even a 'long game' increase in income. The effect is so minute that it's not even worth mentioning the growth rate unless you are talking in the 100's of turns.

The only reason in my mind to take growth is you need supply and have no access to items to supplement you, or you plan on some savage blood harvesting with heavy patrollers (which growth can even out some of) or you can't up another scale that would increase your income (order, production, luck).

If you want to make sure you have your temperature scale without worrying, take Heart of Winter. It clears it up as well as spreads outside of your dominion.

[ February 12, 2004, 00:26: Message edited by: Zen ]

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Zen:
If you want to make sure you have your temperature scale without worrying, take Heart of Winter. It clears it up as well as spreads outside of your dominion.

Taking Heart of Winter will definitely stabilize your cold scale, but there's one drawback: You can't take Utgard AND Heart of Winter. Meaning if you want to do a Heart of Winter Jotunheim, you're limited to the basic Jotun. No Seithkonas for you! Neifelheim comes with its own Heart of Winter effect, IIRC, but is Cold-3 anyway.

Yes, so you have to either go with the chance that you will stabilize your economy for the 75% 3k-8k provinces with the 25% 10k+ as you take them with Cold 3, Growth 1 or give you an across the board -3% loss including your capital.

Or you can take Cold 2 and have 75% 3k-8k, 25% 10k+ provinces giving you 3% Less while your capital gives you 3% more.

Like I said, it's all in your playstyle and what you are willing to accept as a variable. People don't take Misfortune 2 because of the chances of a variable happening, while others do.

In this particular case the one thing almost guarenteed is that your capital will be losing -5% income (or -3% with Growth) which is a factor, like I said, for me as I place more value on initial effects that impact the game than longstanding ones. Especially with how important gold is.