XP for Surveillance vs. Blockade

[Cory Trese]

I run a simulation script that plays the game using bots. I use player feedback, strategy input and random chance to establish the simulation behavior. Based on the work over the past year the game's XP leveling system has been balanced to include new features.

Originally the game's rule set did not include Blockade and Surveillance at all. When they were added various rule changes had to be made to accommodate them. The skill use and cargo distribution rules where specifically developed to ensure that they matched the XP and game difficulty curves as established by the other actions in the game.

As the game has evolved certain balancing changes have been added to offset advantages and disadvantages of various strategies (while a the same time fixing out right bugs.)

For example, the rules include a check for the "partial records" condition and blocks the award of the records. This is an offset check that is included to balance the static value that is used (scaled to difficulty, of course) to compute the relative value of Blockade and Spy Operations.

All game rules are subject to modification in an effort to fit the target mathematical balance for the dice, skills, tokens and rewards.

The mathematical model includes your play date and hundreds of thousands of turns beyond it. The game is very very difficult. Have you ever played Tetris to 132000 moves? It is HARD.

I appreciate the feedback and will continue to listen to the posters on the forum, e-mails and five star reviews on the Android and Amazon market. The goal of Star Traders RPG is to provide a fun experience for as many players as possible!

[Tenebrous Pirate]

Let me set aside my shit-headed ass-hattery for a moment here and say this. I have played games of all kinds for years. I have run them, played them, broken them, rebuilt them, and mutated them into things that their original creators would not recognize. I understand games and game balance.

Cory understands game balance. He works his ass off to make sure his games are balanced. Not everyone will understand the layered nuances that go into a complex game like this.

If you don't get it, that's fine. Just enjoy the game for what it is. Shake your little fist at the sky in fits of impotent rage, but get off Cory's nuts.

[Cory Trese]

I think one thing that is being misunderstood is the XP for Success system.

There are several levels of success in ST RPG.

There is the lack of success, that is no reward, no penalty.

There is the lack of success, with a major failure (no reward, some penalty.)

There is a critical lack of success. That yields negative feedback and no reward.

There is minor success. This yields a minimal reward.

There is average success. This yields nominal reward and minimal XP.

There is above average success. This yields above average rewards and average XP.

There is critical success. This yields superior rewards and above average XP.

Classification of the "XP Check" as something outside of the core game mechanic requires that we ignore the link between success quality and game reward. Over the long run, XP value is greater than the value of the reward, so while rewards are equivalent to each other (or at least, attempt to be) the XP scale is more difficult to maximize because it starts later in the success curve.

[Fenikso]

This is a great piece of information! Thanks Cory. I have found it by experimenting also but it is always good to have it confirmed.

But with my Zealot who is entirely focused on Blockading I still get a much better success with Surveillance. Even when I am supposed to be bad on Surveillance and good at Blockading (I think). I have Pilot 25, Tactics 30, Intimidate 25, NO Stealth at all, Quick ship, NOT the fast one. I am not sure if that is by design or balancing issue (v3.9.23).

BTW: I really like the way how the reward is now tied to Solar war and Spy battle. It makes the game much more interesting and variable.

[Cory Trese]

v3.9.25 should make the balance of XP between Spy and Blockade more even

[slawyer]

Well, I got the update, and my experience so far is, absolutely NO XP for blockade whatsoever.

I blockade, I get nothing, no matter what the result, unless there is an encounter. Even with multiple solar wars.

Is this the new "balance?" Am I the only one not getting any XP from blockade, or is blockade action just the XP-nazi now ("NO XP FOR YOU!") for everyone?

Is XP only for encounters, contracts, and spy battle now? Maybe my picture of "blockade" is wrong, and it's actually more like a pleasure cruise, just politely asking passing ships for donations, when I'm doing it? What's the deal? Besides the money, it's useless for me now, a complete waste of time (I don't need the money; I only do it for the XP). I get more XP flying about than from blockade, and that just seems wrong to me. But maybe it's just me? I haven't tried a new game yet, so I'm not sure how it works early- or mid-game.

[Cory Trese]

Are you testing with any other characters or just using the really high level one?

Blockade definitely gives experience, just got 26 points in a quick 3 minute test.

Three things that help blockade XP:
- Solar War
- Military Rank
- Blockade Contracts

[slayernz]

For blockade, you should also get RP (if not XP) for blockades in an embargo conflict.

If I am blockading a Steel Song planet and Steel Song and Cadar are trade embargoed, then Cadar should loooooooooove me (and Steel Song should hate me even more than they usually do).

[slawyer]

Just got 3.9.27, and the blockade XP is back now!
Surveillance XP seems like it's significantly improved over the previous version too.
Thanks Cory, I no longer feel like I'm spinning my wheels trying to level up now!

[Fenikso]

Sept 23, 2011 8:19:56 GMT -5 slawyer said:

Am I the only one not getting any XP from blockade...?

In 3.9.25 my Blockade-centric Zealot was still as good in Blockade as in Surveillance when it comes to XP. He was no longer better in Surveillance, but Blockade still seemed much harder than Surveillance as the character was not very well suited for Surveillance except high Tactics. But he achieved similar results in both.

I did not try to compare it in 3.9.27, as my Zealot died recently .