Food

[Gustav Kuriga]

I just want to say I saw this coming and tried to warn Tom... now there's going to be so much hoarding of food we'll see no trade, and no war because our regions are dying. If I could, I would offer to buy at higher than 50 gold per bushel.

[Uzamaki]

I am liking the way things are now it is starting to make the game more realistic. I was growing tired of people just seeing food as something cheap and easy to get not worth protecting and fighting over. I believe now people are starting to realize the importance of hording food as well as gaining regions that will produce large surpluses.

I agree that more importance should be had on food, and when a realm is starving it should have more drastic effects, but this has basically halted all war. This is still a game, and a game called Battlemaster. Starvation tactics should be used, the occasional harsh winter should cause a realm to slow or halt combat, depending on how well you manage your food and how much food you produce, and it should be further integrated into our lives. But it should be integrated as a new facet of Battlemaster, not completely take over the game.

[vonGenf]

I agree that more importance should be had on food, and when a realm is starving it should have more drastic effects, but this has basically halted all war. This is still a game, and a game called Battlemaster. Starvation tactics should be used, the occasional harsh winter should cause a realm to slow or halt combat, depending on how well you manage your food and how much food you produce, and it should be further integrated into our lives. But it should be integrated as a new facet of Battlemaster, not completely take over the game.

In the real world, starvation causes war. It doesn't halt it. When there is no food, you take the neighbor's food. I think this is a culture shift that is only starting in BM.

If you don't have food, and you are not willing to do what it takes to procure food, then you will die. Turtling up in your realm and waiting for spring is not what it takes.

[Anaris]

Unfortunately, due to the way starvation is handled, it is still quite likely that going off to war when half a dozen of your regions are starving means you're likely to lose half a dozen regions because your troops were not home to do police and civil work.

[Foundation]

When you go to war after your regions/cities start starving, then you know that your realm's leaders lacked foresight. :P

[Glaumring the Fox]

The war damaged Asylon well enough and we have no issue with it or this, we will continue to fight and deal with it. Asylon is built for a war of attrition and if thats the way it is thats the way we'll deal with it, sucks but what can we do?

[Uzamaki]

In the real world, starvation causes war. It doesn't halt it. When there is no food, you take the neighbor's food. I think this is a culture shift that is only starting in BM.

If you don't have food, and you are not willing to do what it takes to procure food, then you will die. Turtling up in your realm and waiting for spring is not what it takes.

Which is fine and dandy except for the fact that after you cross your borders, you have half the realm you once had due to starvation!

Also, when was Battlemaster so obsessed with the real world? There are a lot of things that go on in Battlemaster that would never happen in the real world, including in in-game mechanics.

[mikm]

Pherhaps the way regions go rogue should be revised.  It's just too easy.
A capital takeover is crazy hard, yet starvation can get rid of your capital quite fast.

[Glaumring the Fox]

I dont like how regions go rogue from starvation, I think that they should go into a anarchy/rioting type stage where they stay under the flag but will need a certain amount of courtiers, the king and troops to turn it around. I think that war and looting should drive a region rogue but just not starvation. Starvation should be a surmountable odd, one that requires cooperation of the realm and traders etc all together, not just a military issue of sending in a takeover unit and turning around.

[vonGenf]

Which is fine and dandy except for the fact that after you cross your borders, you have half the realm you once had due to starvation!

I don't think the starvation is too strong. I do think, however, that it is too fast. However the current situation on Dwilight was unforeseen because of the changes that happened quickly. Once the code stabilises, people will see it coming and act beforehand.

Also, when was Battlemaster so obsessed with the real world? There are a lot of things that go on in Battlemaster that would never happen in the real world, including in in-game mechanics.

My point was that it should lead to more war, not less. I used the real-world as an example of a place where that did happen.

[Gustav Kuriga]

I don't think the starvation is too strong. I do think, however, that it is too fast. However the current situation on Dwilight was unforeseen because of the changes that happened quickly. Once the code stabilises, people will see it coming and act beforehand.

My point was that it should lead to more war, not less. I used the real-world as an example of a place where that did happen.

Problem is, there's no point in going to war for food with the people around you if none of them have any food either.

[Ehndras]

Not for food... ;-)

For territory! As everything begins to go rogue from starving. ;-P

Also, I feel it should be more random and realistic and have entire swathes of the map go starving so its not just one little corner getting cluster!@#$ed when the !@#$ hits the fan.

But of course everyone will cry to mommy if anything adverse happens :-P I for one welcome more ridiculously !@#$ty circumstances, they always bring the most entertainment - win or lose!

[Indirik]

Two points:

1) Drought is a weather condition. Which regions get affected is determined by the weather area of the region. Go to the dynamic map, and turn on the Weather Area overlay. This will show you what regions are together. The problem we are having now is that the West Hills area has been hit by drought for a long time, coming off of a long, low-production winter. That's why Asylon is getting hammered so bad: Their entire realm has been in drought conditions for weeks. (Or, if you prefer an IC reason, it's because Asylon abandoned the Stars and started worshiping fruit. And can you really expect a fruit to protect you from the evils of the world?)

2) Too many random effects turns the game into PvE. That is NOT the BattleMaster experience. BattleMaster is heavily PvP in nature.

[Ehndras]

PvE? I don't see how giving more reasons to destabilize these empires and solidified nations to open them up to war, betrayal, and intrigue is PvE - the whole point is to make PvP more viable by introducing chaos that forces them off their gilded thrones and fat asses to actually fight from what little they have. All these super-rich and well-connected nations sitting on monopolies and power-blocs isn't entertaining - the constant chaos when members of power-blocs fight amongst themselves and everyone goes for each other's throats, now that is!

[Glaumring the Fox]

lol Indirik, the IG roleplay for the drought has only intensified Bloodmoon consumption since the dried nut acts both as food and drug, so what you have happening is skeletal emaciated raving lunatics hallucinating and gibbering but surviving on the nut just barely. It has become our only savior, the stars cannot feed us but thr fruit can.

Plus we still have a few SA members and priests to make double sure.