| Tips for testing a race? |
Mon, 21 December 2009 11:37  |
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Hey everyone i've been playing around with some races in preperation for a game starting in January. I've read a lot on here about people trying to get over 25k resources by 2450 but is that the best way to test a race out? Does it give a good guide to how the race will play out in a real game situation?
Amanda
'Ninety percent of most magic merely consists of knowing one extra fact.'
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| Re: Tips for testing a race? |
Mon, 21 December 2009 16:36  |
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My advice would be to make sure you can mine enough minerals for sustained warfare as well.
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| Re: Tips for testing a race? |
Tue, 22 December 2009 04:12 |
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| Alter Ego |
 | Officer Cadet 4th Year |
Messages: 283
Registered: November 2002
Location: Germany | |
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Hi Amanda,
You want to be careful about optimizing your race design and your style of play for a testbed though. Conditions in a real game can differ greatly. A race that easily hits the benchmark of 25k by 2450 can fail miserably in a real game. Try to build a race that you think can do well under real game conditions, and then take it for a run in a test bed. If it does well, use it. If it isn't that good, check if this is due to factors that will benefit you in the game you designed it for. For instance, you might be able to buy wider habs or a better econ by taking NAS. This would improve your score in a testbed. But in a real game, pen-scanners might be a valuable trading commodity that can function as your ticket to a good alliance. Quite apart from the fact that you will benefit yourself. In cases like this, you have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. When doing this, try to keep your overall strategy for the game in mind. You do have an overall strategy for the game, don't you?  You need one. And your race design should reflect it. And the strategy should take your own strengths and shortcomings as a player into consideration.
This is all very abstract. To come back to a more practical level: Yes, do run testbeds. The more the better. Run a few in a standard test universe (I believe "small, packed, maximum minerals" is often used) with only your race. See how the race does for res. But also do a few in a universe that reflects the settings of the game you want to join - size, no. of planets, no. of opponents - this will help you get a feeling for the way your race will work under real game conditions.
Regards,
AE
War does not determine who is right. Just who is left.
Bertrand Russell
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| Re: Tips for testing a race? |
Tue, 22 December 2009 11:12 |
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 slimdrag00n | 
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Messages: 630
Registered: January 2009
Location: new york -5 |  
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| Alter Ego wrote on Tue, 22 December 2009 04:12 |
Hi Amanda,
You want to be careful about optimizing your race design and your style of play for a testbed though. Conditions in a real game can differ greatly. A race that easily hits the benchmark of 25k by 2450 can fail miserably in a real game. Try to build a race that you think can do well under real game conditions, and then take it for a run in a test bed. If it does well, use it. If it isn't that good, check if this is due to factors that will benefit you in the game you designed it for. For instance, you might be able to buy wider habs or a better econ by taking NAS. This would improve your score in a testbed. But in a real game, pen-scanners might be a valuable trading commodity that can function as your ticket to a good alliance. Quite apart from the fact that you will benefit yourself. In cases like this, you have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. When doing this, try to keep your overall strategy for the game in mind. You do have an overall strategy for the game, don't you? You need one. And your race design should reflect it. And the strategy should take your own strengths and shortcomings as a player into consideration.
This is all very abstract. To come back to a more practical level: Yes, do run testbeds. The more the better. Run a few in a standard test universe (I believe "small, packed, maximum minerals" is often used) with only your race. See how the race does for res. But also do a few in a universe that reflects the settings of the game you want to join - size, no. of planets, no. of opponents - this will help you get a feeling for the way your race will work under real game conditions.
Regards,
AE
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The only thing I don't agree on is using Maximum minerals. Multiplayer games don't use this so it would not make your test realistic enough to real game conditions.
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| Re: Tips for testing a race? |
Wed, 23 December 2009 04:12 |
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| Alter Ego |
| Officer Cadet 4th Year |
Messages: 283
Registered: November 2002
Location: Germany | |
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Hi!
Actually, I said "I believe (these settings) is often used." If you check the appropriate threads, you will find that max mins are widely used for testbeds. I believe the reasoning behind this is to make tests comparable - as has been pointed out here, different mineral concentrations can influence the results you get. On the other hand, the same thing goes for habs. Widely differing habs for the planets near your HW can lead to widely differing results of a testbed.
In view of this, I personally use testbeds with seed numbers. This gives me comparable results as I can test different designs under the same - standard - cirumstances. After running a new design through these, I can then test it under extreme conditions by using seed numbers that lead to universes with unfavourable mineral concentrations or bad hab draws (for instance). However, more often than not I do without this second part of the tests because with a little bit of experience one can surmise the results in advance.
Regards,
AE
War does not determine who is right. Just who is left.
Bertrand Russell
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| Re: Tips for testing a race? |
Wed, 23 December 2009 07:16 |
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How do you create the same universe ever time you do your tests?
Amanda
'Ninety percent of most magic merely consists of knowing one extra fact.'
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Some go to war with hordes of low-tech warships. 
Some rely on monster econs 
(the 25k benchmark is aimed at those). Some, on race-specific toys/strategies... 
and not every game is suited for every kind of race/strategy. 
