Re: advices

From: Bryan Thexton <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 07:29:02 -0800 (PST)


This all seems like generally good advice. However in certain cases I would say "There is always another way." I've found that there is very little that is essential.

More specifically:

> One good advice even for a balance clan is: make full raids (cattle
> raids is not enough), your war magic will fail if you don't raid on a
>
> regular basis.
>

Yes, but regular need only be every few years. If your combat strength is weak it is best to save up for when you have a chance of winning, or can afford to lose, and use lower risk cattle raids the rest of the time. Of course if you are strong, go out and kick people around for fun and cows :)  

> Make heroQuests: treasure last for long, many other effects vanished
> too fast. my favorite treasure is on the Aroka HQ, I think is the bag

I'm not sure that other effects vanish, although I get the feeling that when you make the tribe maybe the benefits you sought before fade or something. Sometimes the best benefit however is to boost a youngish leader up to really high skill levels, since for example having someone with heroic animals will help your cattle flourish. Also with many of the quests the skills they stregthen make it easier to complete the quest next time, so you get to the point that you just do the quest at will with very little risk.
>
> of winds very helpfull defending your tulla (and can not break...)
> The Death Rune of Humakt is a must have too.

Why? I think I've only had the death rune once (I tend to have trouble with the humakt quest so rarely do it more than once a game), and haven't had much trouble. Out of Orlanth and Aroka quest my favorite treasure is the splendorbread, that helps our magic at harvest time, but then I'm a glutton for magic.
>
> Watch: Ally your neighbourgs (exept one feuding to extend your tulla
> if you don't start large) it helps with warning.

Having a tribe mate or an ally to your south west, specifically, helps with warning that the horse spawn are coming. Otherwise it depends on where your feuds are...but mostly building a tribe up around you will take care of this. Then I prefer (post tribe building) to build my alliances in other tribes, since it spreads my influence wider.

> Build a watchtower.

This one I will agree is pretty much essential--there is no comparably easy and cheap way to spot raids.

> Dont't trade blacktail, but give it for nothing when the event comes.

The event doesn't always come, however. In fact, I find that in most games it doesn't. Typically after about six or seven years, if nobody has come and asked for him, I use him to help end a feud.
>
>
> Explore Prax (and keep the praxian favor to the end of the game, they
>
> don't raid you)

Really? Nifty! I tend to burn it fairly early on, when I need to really smite a feuding clan that is otherwise too tough, but I'll keep this one in mind!

>
> Fortify your tulla , built a watch tower, build defense vs horses,
> try to find the bullroare, the burning standart, the horse of the
> horse spawn (if it died you can have another at the same place) , the
>
> bag of wings, the death rune, the bagpipes, the humakt shield, trade
> for eurmal shield. If you have the Net try make captives and free
> them for nothing.

i.e. "treasures are good" I think generally with each clan it is always worthwhile looking at what treasures you have and how useful they are for you, and whether you should trade them to someone else (or trade them in the Issaries quest, use them to end a feud, etc).

>
> Keep in mind that your choices during events are dependent of your
> ring gods. Eurmal is a good idea for extra magic but not for its
> advices most of the time, All the lighbringers must be there, Uralda
> is a must have. Ernalda or Humakt have good ideas.

There is a balance that you need to find between cults and skills and gender. Obviously I always try to squeeze in LM, Issaries, and Uralda cultists for the extra sacred time magic they let you assign. But there are some hard choices at times. I agree that the above is good rules of thumb, but don't follow blindly.

>
> Make peace. A good start in a game begins by Chalana Arroy HQ for
> making peace with neighbourgs. Make allies before tribe making. Oath
> is a good choice after tribe making.

The challana arroy "peace bomb" is very potent. For a while I thought it was the only way to survive the early years on the hard setting. I've changed my mind about that, but it is potent. Certainly it is hard to prosper with three feuds going on (the starting condition on hard)
>
> Build Temples: Keep an eye on your sheeps (a treasure in beast valley
>
> can hel try having this alynx at the beginning). The number of temple
>
> is limited by your number of allies and your organisation (alone or
> tribe). At the end of the game you will have no sheeps if you build
> all temples but that doesn't matter.
>

But you don't need great temples to thrive. More recently I usually only build two or three great temples, and so long as I'm generally good with my herds the sheep are able to support it (unless our ancient enemy is the water, the early floods do permanent damage to sheep numbers)  

> Never ever give something to your spliting tulla. Your problems will
> be worse.

Hmmm, I don't know. I've both split my tula and not. Esthetically I don't like how the game splits it, often leaving me with two unconnected pieces of land. Also on the long game, you want extra land available for one part of the end game. However there are times that splitting is OK, so long as the people you give it too are your allies.

> Make big exploration with all your weapon thanes. Recruit during this
>
> time 10 weapon thanes at a time. Keep 30 Weapon thanes. 10 at each
> patrol type. 10 for exploring.

That is one rule of thumb. I generally have less weaponthanes, and use far less than this when exploring (like 3 thanes and 8 carls), and am usually OK.  

> Orlanth Rattle is a must have.

Why?
>
>
> Feeding: Ernalda(bless crops...), Uralda(bless calf), Bantar (not
> plowsong) are classic but also Orlanth (rain) Elmal (sun) Odayla
> (sureshot useless)

Sureshot is useless? Not if you do a lot of skirmishing! I don't know how much is helps with food though.

> Never ever sacrifice for bless
> children or you will be overpopulated soon.

There are actually times when I am short on children, but obviously use common sense here.

>
> And my Last advice: Your chief must be yong. Don't start game with an
>
> 50 old chief.

Why? You can always change chiefs! I do this often, start with an elderly but skilled chief while I find and groom a successor. Also, your tribal king does not have to be your clan chief. I'd say less than half the time do I make my chief into my king, instead I choose someone young and reasonably gifted and use quests to get them ready to be nominated. This is because it is often that you don't have a young leader of the right cult ready to be chief when you are ready to go for tribal kingship. Besides, it is fun to have Bartari or Odaylan kings, I like imagining the visuals!

--Bryan



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