RISK suggestions and feedback

[Gustaf]

Maybe giving preference to people who have never participated before (now this has nothing to do with ME. It would be far from mind to suggest things that would primarily benefit ME.)





Ok, I really want to play but I always miss my chance.

[Gustaf]

Oops, I missed it again...

I didn't realize I was allowed to sign up when I was last online. Ah, well...next time perhaps...

[Gustaf]

BTW, given that Canada and Mexico are now officially no longer involved, my comments on the regional reinforcements should be revised. The following take into consideration, primarily, the number of states per region and the number of those states that border elsewhere.

Pacific - 2
Southwest - 4
Plains - 5
South - 3
Midwest - 5
Southeast - 3
Mid-Atlantic - 3
New England - 2

Taken into consideration.   I'll keep it as it is currently for another game or two, but in the mean time, what do others think about this?

I finally looked this up. I think Jas system is an improvement, but I haven't learned this USA regions well enough yet so that I can keep it all on my head. The important point here is that the VITAL thing is the number of bordering states. This is what makes it difficult/easy to hold a region. Secondly, the regional bonus is a BONUS. If there is a bunch of states situated in a way that makes it possible to keep say 5 of them by defending only one, it would be beneficial to do so regardless of other factors. The point of regional bonuses is to make it more worthwhile to hold regions than it would otherwise be.

So, the worse region is clearly the Plains. You have to defend 6 states and get 1 for free. 1 for the price of 6 (or technically 7 for the price of 6, but whatever). No one in their right mind would ever do it if it weren't for a huge regional bonus. Thus, it is very much deserved. In the Midwest on the other hand you defend 5 states and get 4 extra. That is a much more reasonable deal. So, even though it is larger I would say the Midwest should have at the most an equal bonus to the plains. The best regions are New England and Southeast where you have 3 states to defend and 3/4 respectively as a bonus. So those two should give the smallest bonus and then the Pacific where it's 3/2. The South should have a high bonus given that it requires you to defend every state in the region. The same goes for the Southwest.

So, all-in-all, Jas's system looks pretty good. I'm not sure it would the one I'd go with, but it's an improvement. Though I'd say the Midwest and Plains gives too small a bonus, both should be at least 6, otherwise no one will go for them anymore.

[Gustaf]

On the regional bonuses I have this suggestion: calculate the cost of of each region in the following way: 1 for each territory that cannot be attacked from the outside and a determined number (something like 2-4) for each territory that has to be defended. Then divide that number by a determined number (3-4) and that's the bonus.

[Gustaf]

Or to include the rule I've seen for capitols which states that if you lose your capital you lose every territory in that region to that opponent. That may make people play a little more defensively.

[Gustaf]

Or to include the rule I've seen for capitols which states that if you lose your capital you lose every territory in that region to that opponent. That may make people play a little more defensively.

Might be a potential source of a lack of fairness, though, because the guy who makes Maine his capital will have much, much less to worry about than the guy who is forced to make his capital in the Plains or in the Midwest.

Forced? Rational individuals always have a choice Gabu. They always do.

[Gustaf]

Or to include the rule I've seen for capitols which states that if you lose your capital you lose every territory in that region to that opponent. That may make people play a little more defensively.

Might be a potential source of a lack of fairness, though, because the guy who makes Maine his capital will have much, much less to worry about than the guy who is forced to make his capital in the Plains or in the Midwest.

Forced? Rational individuals always have a choice Gabu. They always do.

Not everyone can get allocated a state that is as naturally impervious to invasion as Maine.  You'll get a Maine capital, a Florida capital, and a capital in either Alaska or Hawaii, and after that, the remaining three players will be at a completely and utterly unavoidable disadvantage.

Well, actually, in my version of Capital Risk the capitals are secret from the other players. So that would avoid that. Those with the safest capitals would have the disadvantage of everyone knowing which state was their capital.

But, really, there are unfairness in the allocation anyway, I'm not convinced that this is worse than any other unfairness. Though I guess it's true that Soulty, Ernest and Colin have survived longest thanks to better capitals in the current game.

[Gustaf]

Once the current games of Capital and Domination are over, I'm putting all RISK games on temporary hiatus.

Noooooo...

If you're tired of certain people not reading the rules, etc just ban them!

[Gustaf]

With Canada out of the game, I'd really like to see a Maine - Florida link. Maybe instead of the pointless Maine - Massachusetts link you currently got.

It's not pointless. Every state should border at least two other states. Otherwise, Maine would be a dead end. You may note that there are no such dead ends in the original Risk game.

And, damn it Joe, the Mission and Capitals games were the ones I was really looking forward to! Domination was supposed to be a mere stepping stone...

[Gustaf]

Once the current games of Capital and Domination are over, I'm putting all RISK games on temporary hiatus.

Noooooo...

If you're tired of certain people not reading the rules, etc just ban them!

Oh no, that's only a minor annoyance.  I still enjoy running these games, but I'm just going through a little burnout.  I'll be starting it up again only a couple weeks after the current ones finish.

Now, that is a good man. No worries then. I'll try and win my game asap, promise.