I like the Crusades game within a game. I have played it 3 times and gotten successfully better with my strategy. This time (game ending on May 14, I think the 3rd one), purely on points I would have ended at rank 5 in the Glory category, but due to massive sabotage, ended up at rank 27.


    Once I was below rank 20, with little time left in the game, I don't know why anyone even bothered to add on more sabotage.


    However, it is apparent to me that with the current rules, it is a waste of time for me to play the Crusades anymore. My Glory score was taken down close to 30,000 points, which means that there had to be a lot of sabotage, at least a couple of hundred.


    I assume that this is going to happen to me every single time I get in the top 20, so what is the point of even trying?


    It seems like something that the bigger alliances can easily dominate, because they can tell a large number of members to join the game, take 200% sabotage, and then sabotage any player who isn't in their alliance. They don't have to actually invest any time in playing the game, they can wait until the last hour of the last day, and then put their 200% of sabotage on whoever they are told to bump out of the top 20.


    So as a lone player, or a member of a small alliance, you can invest a great deal of time in thinking of a good strategy for allocating your 500%, spend a lot of time looking for just the right squares, build up a big score, and then get little to show for the hours invested.

    • Official Post

    I see the problem from your point; but only to clear some special points:
    - we want to keep this sabotage hidden; so no one should see who has sabotaged him/here
    - sabotages shouldn't be too strong; i already see these "multi account" support tickets.


    finally; you have 2 options:
    - go forward for points to get the higher value of rank1 bonus. That also means, that you need friends or you shouldn't have so many opponents - if you dosn't care of it, you should go for option 2
    - go only for bonuses and not for glory


    The extra higher bonuses for glory ranks was introduce because it is an other option to get extra % - you can get almost the same without the bonuse when specialization on bonuses self.
    In option "glory" you have to go for the most glory and less bonuses as you can
    for option "bonuse" you have to go for most bonuses and less glory as you can.



    a possible way we could go is to reduce the amount of sabotage damage during the days; so that at day 6 you only deal -30% (5% per day) sabotage damage.


    To get good ranks in glory, you have to go for more attacks (i think you know it) - and a longer time range as last 2 days (to avoid sabotages).
    Anyone other ideas?

    to be honest, I don't like sabotage either ... at least it would take a way, some chance to defend or mitigate it ...
    perhaps it could be done with saboteurs as with explorers in combat, they can fight each other, for example if I have 20% saboteurs they are defeated only by higher percentages?

    Here are some ideas for discussion:
    The stated purpose of the sabotage feature is to allow a player who is presumably close to another player in the rankings to pull the other player down, in order to get up a rank.


    Since only the top 30 ranks are shown, and no one knows the rankings of the players lower down, there is no obvious incentive to sabotage an unlisted player. The only incentive would be in the meta-game, to preemptively damage a known capable competitor.


    If you are not even close to the top 30, then in the world of the game, sabotaging another player doesn't get your kingdom anything. You're presumably doing as a player it to help an alliance member or ally. And this is precisely the area ripe for abuse.


    So one idea might be that you are only allowed to conduct sabotage if you would have a legitimate reason, i.e. you are ranked in the top 30, and looking to get higher, and would only be allowed to sabotage players who are currently ranked higher than you.


    This would mean that it is useless for players to join the game with 200% sabotage and not do anything. They'd never get into the top 30 without making any effort, and taking that much sabotage would make it difficult even if they did make an effort. So that would get rid of spoilers, and make it more of an individual battle between the players. There could still be some coordination between alliance members -- if they were both in the top 30. At which point they'd also be competing with each other, sort of like team drivers of a Formula 1 team.


    Another idea would be to weaken the effects of sabotage by making it a one-off reduction.


    I like the idea suggested about, that the effects weaken over time, as the saboteurs have a greater chance of getting caught the longer they continue.

    Is the Cruzades a standalone or a alliance/friends play? I think should be as the base game. Alliances/friends exist. I try, ofcourse, damage adversaries or competitors in base game.


    What I can observe is some players only help others clearing the paths (bad relations on resources/bonus residences) and sabotaging others. Are they altruist people or something else? I support altruist playing...


    As it is I dont try the glory score. Better a good bonus score than a possible great glory.


    To mitigate this I sugest:
    - Sabotage spreaded along the days as residence attacks (1/6 a day);
    - No sabotage possible the last 2 days - first days you use it as you want;
    - Link the sabotage power to the score - ie: if I have a bad (bonus + glory) score my saboteurs will do a bad work - maybe (Bonus+Glory)/(medium or maximum B+G)*(random used now)

    (© 2012 - Once upon a time...)

    W1 - 124
    Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

    Nice ideas above, I like it. I have some additions t them:


    The saboteurs are not given at the beginning of game, but earned in the crusade. Every night you get a percentage of saboteurs depending on your score in the game. You can use them the next day. The next night, the saboteurs, you didn't use, disappear and you get new ones. This gives players,who play the game from the beginning to the end and play for a good score, more saboteurs than those who log in only on the last day.
    And as a defense against the saboteurs you should get favours ( "Tales taking place during Medieval times, particularly those involving Courtly Love contain a literal favour from the lady. It's generally an article of clothing made specifically for that purpose.") You can give the favours to another player and undo some of the work of the saboteurs.

    Quote from Juflo

    This gives players,who play the game from the beginning to the end and play for a good score, more saboteurs than those who log in only on the last day.

    This is a nice idea truly. The problem is that with the given troops I can participate only 4 days, if I'm lucky 5. Then my troops are finished

    ID 368 | W1

    I'm not a friend of this sabotage feature at all, but (if ever) I really like the idea of being qualified for sabotage. Like in boxing: you need to be the second in the ranking to challenge the champion. Definitely would prevent from ally cooperation!

    ID 368 | W1