Are Clams worth empowering for?

[DrPraetorious]

It would be interesting to have their efficiency decline as more are crafted, but I think the net effect would be that no-one would make them ever.

Personally, I'd like it if they produced 5 (say) gems/combat which vanish at the end of combat if not spent.

Then you would actually use them to keep combat mages supplied with spells, as they are intended to be used. This would actually *reduce* micromanagement, see.

[jutetrea]

Oooh! I like that Idea Dr. P.

Are there any current parallels in the game? Almost seems like it would be possible to change the stone bird into say a blood slave (possibly a bloodthirsty blood slave), have it multiplied by 10 and somehow work out the transition from blood slave usage to gem usage.

Slave ina box!

What game was it that used ammo carts? Carry them around almost like a packmule and it doubles your ammo. Heroes?

While it would reduce micromanagement in general to have a central/army gem distributor (one guy with a bunch of gems, mages take as they need) - the AI wouldn't play nicely with it.

Which goes back to Dr. P's idea, which I still like!

I do disagree that folks wouldn't maket them if they had diminishing returns though. Instead of the whole "clam hoarding" idea, its still nice to have 10-12 just to increase your base astral income.

If codeable i'd still like increasing costs (and/or path req, possibly up to 3W3N so the naied can still forge):
Clams 1-3
5W5N
Clams 4-10
10W5N
Clams 11-20
15W5N
Clams 21-30
20W10N
etc

[lillumultipass]

Waouh, it seems that, for once, I have started an interesting discussion, albeit quite involuntarily.

I have to concur with some opinions that clamming adds a bit of micro-management to a game already plagued by micro. I say plagued, because for me, the main deterrent to playing the game really is the micro associated with late games.
It is a bit of a problem since I also love waging big wars and using costly spells. But there are just so many things that could be automated or done more convenient (like being able to give move orders for more than the next turn, or yeah, auto-forging...)

As to the clams issue: I have played a lot of collectible card games, and usually, when a strategy becomes prevalent/too powerful, the card is either nerfed or banned, or some new cards are created in the next set that counterbalance this strategy. I agree that a strategy that is used by every single nation in the game as a way to be competitive should not exist.

Finally, thanks, I had never thought about Ctrl-choosing my forgers. The problem is, I think they are not located in the same province. But I only have three for the moment, so that's ok.