Re: all in one year (Or, Ernalda Hates Me, This I Know)

From: Bryan Thexton <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 06:48:16 -0700 (PDT)

Or perhaps that land is uninhabited because it is a swamp, or an elf forest, or something similarly hard to cross. Or perhaps the land isn't so awful, but a stream that flows through there was in flood. Or maybe you didn't even try, because when your god talkers took the omens before the raid, it was clear that your only chance of success would be to attack from the east. Or.....c'mon, if you put your mind to it, I'm sure you can come up with lots of other reasons that would channel your attack through a particular route, even if the game doesn't go into them all in detail. Remember, this is mostly a high level simulation game, so sure it rolls the dice and says "you go this way," but that is to simulate the fact that Dragon Pass is not all one vast meadow that you can cross in just any which way.

> Edward wrote:
> >>-several messages told me that I was short on
> carls, even though I'm not
> >
> >My theory on this is that your top farmer is
> looking at momentary numbers,
> >not baseline.

Yes, besides farmers sent off on various missions, there are also the ones who are currently wounded or sick. What I find sometimes happens is that I know a number were just wounded, I get the message that we are short on carls, presumably triggered on the fact that we now don't have enough healthy carls, but once I move forward and look at the situation in the next turn, many have already healed up and are back at work.

>
> I should have added that I was low on cows anyhow,

I find the mid-late game can be a real bugger for cows. You are right, nobody will trade them to you. I find that the Uralda quest becomes by far the best way to get some, if I can complete it, with the Ernalda quest being a decent plan B (note that one of its general effects is to improve cattle fertility for the next three years). Of course, there is the usual advice about maxing out in herds each sacred time, having an Uraldan on the ring if possible, having the best animals skill on the ring, and all that, but sometimes the best you can do in that regard barely keeps your herds scraping along.....and one bad disaster can really screw you up. My last game I made it to the end only because our clan chief was practically an avatar of Ernalda and could do that quest in her sleep, otherwise I'm sure we would have suffered death by cows.

>
> It's possible that the drought was due to failing
> the Ernalda quest, as the
> quester died fighting Daga. This was the default
> quester, I'd just like to
> point out.
>

Personally I consider a good Ernalda quester to be one of the clans most important treasures. Her quest is the answer to *so* many problems. If I am without a good quester, I will usually take my best bet, do everything I can to ensure success, then send her off with the objective of making the quester wiser, so that she can do it better next time. Of course, that is a reflection of my play style, others may view it differently

--Bryan



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