Atlantis Times v1.1 v01n12 From: JJC%TRPASB@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 20:05:36 +0000 ######################################################################## =-=-= Atlantis Times v1.1 Volume 1 Number 12 =-=-= ######################################################################## Words from The Big Guy: Finally, after a delay, the turn is done. There were a number of mail problems that resulted in the delay. Next week's orders will be due on Monday instead of Sunday, to ease the pain of a short week. Remember to allow plenty of time for orders to arrive. I'm currently looking into some way to let you know when the orders have arrived, so you all know things got here. More on that as I figure out how to do it. Keep your eyes open. You might see some surprises. :-) If you have mailing lists for an alliance, please include me on the list. I like to see how things are going. I'm on one list already. I'm debating some changes to the attack command, specifically to make it harder to attack high-stealth units. Specifically, I'm thinking of making the attack command cancel a behind order. I'm also thinking or requiring the unit that attacks have an observation skill at least as high as the stealth skill of the target. The next result (I hope) is to make it much harder to attack spies and the like. I welcome comments, but use the atlantis mailing list so all can read them. Submissions to the times are down, so I'd encourage all of you to submit Times articles. Good luck, and enjoy. - TBG ######################################################################## Fengal woke up with start.. What was that noise? Had they come already? Surely not! The last report had them 5 months journey to the South! Leaping from his bed and running to the window revealed that it was just Brian's huge force performing their morning exercises.. Praise be to the town Defenders! Fengal thought admiringly about his own small band of highly skilled knights.. Their warhorses ought to be arriving on the twenty second of the next month; his trainers had caught fifteen excellent wild steeds in the spring and training them was well under way.. The market prices for the remaining riding horses was guaranteed to see the group through the ever worsening resession, even though the nearest market that bought horses was 19 days ride to the south- east... A sudden darkening of the sky made him up into the clouds! What was that?! [Picture this: A large fear-inspiring face is forming in the black, boiling clouds.. The face takes the form of Atnerks! It speaks: Behold All You Denizens And Mortals of this Land! It No Longer Pleases Me to Play Host to Your Pitiful Lives. Your Petty Wars Are Of No Interest to Me.. You Bore Me! Begone!] And with a flash reality starts to shimmer and fade! The World is disolving! *BLACKNESS* [Another God watches on with dismay.. It has the kindness of heart to capture an essence of The Land and create another.. Lesser of form, but another world nonetheless, one where people can once again live their lives.. Ongutoc surveys its work and is pleased...] *BRILLIANCE* What is this? Where am I? Who am I? Faction 104? Unit 549? What can all this mean? *KNOWLEDGE* (*restricted, modified, and processed*) A new land! [Plans are hastily made to survey the surrounding areas, sound out the other new arrivals for alliances, earn an income and live off the land] The Order of the White Crescent lives! ######################################################################## Map of Atlantis --- -- -------- December, 1 Edition Emperor Shaddam IV of the Padishah Empire (Faction 3) Donations may be sent to unit #3! Send new information and corrections to email address <ckim@skidmore.edu>. The most recent edition will be will be published in the Atlantis Times and will be mailed to the Atlantis mailing list. Please note that if no new information is received, new maps will not be published for that month. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 0 - - - - - O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 1 - - - - O S O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 2 - - - O S P S P P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 3 - - - - O P P O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P M - - - 3 4 - - - - - P P - - - - - - - - - P - - - - - - - - - - O F P - - 4 5 - - - - - S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O F P O - 5 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P P P P O 6 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P O P P - 7 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P O P - - 8 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O - P - 9 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - 10 11 - - - - - P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P - 12 13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13 14 - - - - - F - - - P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 15 - - - - - P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15 16 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 17 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17 18 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 19 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21 22 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 23 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23 24 - - - - - - - - - - - - P - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24 25 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25 26 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26 27 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 27 28 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 29 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29 30 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 31 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31 32 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32 33 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33 34 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 Legend: F=Forest, M=Mountain, O=Ocean, P=Plain, S=Swamp Please note that row 34 is directly accessible from row 0 (Going north from (10,0) will get you to (10,34). ######################################################################## Do you find yourself alone in the world? Did your parents just kick you out to fend for yourself with only a small stipend? Do you feel in need of some understanding friends in a time of need? Well, this is just for you... ANNOUNCING THE NEWBIE ALLIANCE!!!! For all the lost souls out there who have just discovered this dangerous and enchanting world. The Newbie Alliance is a place where the wayward adventurer can feel at home, safe from the cruelty of domineering warlords and evil magicians. It is a place to meet others like yourself who understand what you are going through. So if you find yourself in need of a little help from your friends, contact the Newbie Alliance at smellack@crash.cts.com The preceding announcement has been a paid advertisement brought to you by your friends at Rorschach Inc. ######################################################################## From the Diary of Lord Banana October, Year 1 Hearing the approach of the returning Lord Falken, I quickly left the tent through the back door and snuck out of the camp. For the last hour or so, my small group of colleagues had been stamping noisily around, pretending to look for Lord Falken (who was obviously hiding in the bushes), and doing a great job of keeping him pinned down, studiously not finding him. I took once last glance back at the beautiful Rowena as I left. She was a great wife, yes. If only Lord Falken knew just how great... ######################################################################## You've heard a lot about these alliances, but you're not sure who's in them or where they are. No one ever contacted you about an alliance. You think your faction is doing pretty well, but is it ready for a confrontation with three, or four, or even more factions, are allied against you? You heard somewhere about one that was producing forty swords a day. You're certainly not ready for that kind of an enemy. You'd like to beef up your forces a bit, but constant recruiting can get expensive. And you're not sure you have the time you need, either. One report said that there was an aggressive alliance moving towards you already. It might be a matter of only a few months before their upon you. How you wish there was someone only a few months away who would come to your aid. Who might, in return for a reasonable ammount of gold, send you soldiers, mages, and tacticians. Someone who already had trained, armed soldiers to put at your disposal. Such a person might well make the differene in your continued survival. If you live in the region encompassing the lands of 2-9,12-16 or there abouts, such a person exists. Let me introduce myself. My name is Lord Falken. I'm a highly skilled tactician, and I command a fair- sized group of armed, well-trained soldiers. Also, my wife, the beuti- ful Lady Rowena, is a skilled mage who has discovered a powerful combat spell and taught it to her two students. All these assets can be yours, and are available at reasonable rates. We live in a dangerous world, and it only makes sense to protect yourself as well, and as efficiently, as you can. Contact the Brotherhood of Northern Warriors at crall@usc.edu and let us fight for you. ######################################################################## Diary entry for October, 1. There is so much to discover that I can hardly spend the time to eat. Alison has made me study stealth and now she wants me to learn to ride on a horse rather than in a wagon. She claims it is so I can protect myself (flee) but how can I spend a whole month learning to ride when this lightning research is going so well. I expect the horse which Alison promises will be the best available (and I suspect the quietest) will become a white elephant. Demi the Magican ######################################################################## ATLANTIS ECONOMICS PART 5 This weeks question: What is the 'Battle worth' of weapons? Before 'Battle worth' can be calculated, a combat model must be derived. In my initial model, I will assume hand to hand combat (no missle troops behind), and that all attacks are simultaneous, and that all casualties are removed at the end of battle. This will slightly overestimate total casualties as in the real battle some of the dead will not have gotten a chance to attack. The model will be used to predict "break even" battles between different troop qualities, and should give good results in non missle battles. A "break even" battle is defined as one in which each side inflicts the same percentage casualties on the other. Theoretically both sides would hit 50% losses the same round, but in the actual battles (with combatants attacking one at a time), one side or the other would win. Above average luck on hits will also be a factor in a "real battle." Variables: Na = Number of troops on Player A's forces Nb = Number of troops on Player B's forces Pa = A's probability of hitting B Pb = B's probability of hitting A Equating percent casualties results in: Na * Pa Nb * Pb _______ = _______ Nb Na which can be simplified to: Na/Nb = Square root (Pb/Pa) Assigning Player A a 100 man Swords unit with skill 2, results in the following "break even" battles. Player A = 100 Level 2 Swords Player B forces needed 700 Skill 0 141.4 Skill 1 100 Skill 2 70.7 Skill 3 14.3 Skill 4 Conclusion: Once you get to Sword level 2, you have no fear of peasant mobs. The final data needed to assign 'battle worth' to a sword is what is the worth of a man, which in Atlantis is but 50 silver. I value training a $15 a month (based on the revenue that was lost by not working), and get the following values for swordsmen: Skill 0 $50 Skill 1 $65 Skill 2 $95 Skill 3 $140 Skill 4 $200 Using these values and the combat table above gives a sliding value for swords based on training level. A 100 man Skill 1 swords unit is eqaul value to a 141.4 man Skill 0 group if Swords are worth = $5.7! This value comes from solving the below equation for S: 100 * (65 + S) = 141.4 * 50 If you have level 2 swordsmen though, you get a radically different number, versus Skill 0 troops they are worth $255! Conclusion: The battle advantage of a sword is low in the hands of poorly trained men, but are extremely valuable as your troops get trained. Next installment: What is the 'battle worth' of armor and fortifications? The above analysis generated by the scribes of faction 59, "Larson's Adventurers", formed in Gurkacre (9,14) on Jan 01 reachable at "Bill_Larson@ncsu.edu" ######################################################################## The simple folk of Carrigaline believe that the forests of Atlantis are actually the hair of the Xerethin - mighty Earth Giants whose feet stand rooted at the centre of the world. Mithin, Second of the White Cloaks of the Brotherhood of the Mist reflected on the myth as he gazed down from his hilltop onto the waving canopy of Salen Forest. He had, after all, been a simple peasant himself before tasting the Innkeeper's liberating ale, known simply amongst the Brothers as the Recipe. Mithin packed the remains of his meagre lunch, and started down the hill. He had previously spied smoke rising from a clearing to the north-east, and hoped to find a village there. The Innkeeper had made it clear that that the Salen Xerethin was due for a haircut, and Mithin's mission was to enlist some local labour for the task. He patted the waterbottle that he carried by his side, disturbing the faint blue mist that gathered around its mouth. ######################################################################## Cai was worried. Being the Seneschal was not a pleasant task. Particularly when the whole province was gearing up for what might be a series of battles for their very existence. There were recruits to be harried into training squads, supplies to be organised for the army preparing the Southern defences, scouting reports to be analysed. And the peasants were always ready to talk about the "old days" under Prince Corwin, as if the new taxes were somehow more burdensome. How long would the armies hold together if they knew that the charismatic Vlad had not been sighted for several months? Cai had no illusions about his ability to hold the impetuous leutenants in check without the authority from Vlad implied by his seal of office. But where was Vlad? Three months ago he had set forth to the West in a personal embassy. Vlad had wanted to find out what truth lay behind the stories of the strange clan of Wu'tzell. The reports that had come back had at first been promising, then ominous. Lately, no reports had come back at all. A guard knocked on the door and interrupted Cai's troubled thoughts. "Sir, the mage Akh-Greth would speak with you, about ... fire demons. ######################################################################## =-=-= END TIMES 112 =-=-= ######################################################################## Up