Player Events Need to be check

[Hotblack Desiato]

     I agree with most of the above.  1st is too abused, 2nd gets far too many positives (esp. free plot in later rounds), and 4th gets squat.

Posted by: MuleyMan
I think the original had a "niceness factor".  If 2nd or 3rd place got a bonus, usually last place would get a bonus also.  If 1st place didnt get a negative, that was a clue that the others WOULD get a bonus.

     I agree in that the original definitely seemed to be more generous with events on rounds when it handed them out.  Perhaps a modifier exited that significantly increased the ratio in favor to being awarded with an event.  Ex: If 2nd received an award, 3rd would be given a much greater chance of being awarded also, and should 3rd gain an award 4th would be certain to receive one as well since it received twice the modifier bonus.
     Nonetheless, I would like to see 4th given more awards, if even to make it more difficult for players to purposefully ride out the early rounds in 4th to gain the bid and land grant benefits.  Give that player that purposely overspent (976-1000) on a first round auction to get a plot so he would have no money to outfit mules even after catching the wampus a nice lump of money on round 2 to entice them to put up at least one, maybe 2, energy/food mule.  What same player still in last on round 3, here's a free plot/more money, and guess who's in 1st or 2nd next round.  While this example may be extreme, but I think more frequent awards for 4th would help continually shuffle the players out of that position and keep things more competitive in the early rounds of the game.  IMHO the free plot should only go to 4th, if and when it is handed out in the game.

     In regard to the pre/post production round events, I've never seen a pest attack hit 2nd in the PM version of Mule.  Only 1st, and sometimes 3 times in one game.  2nd should be struck by this one with an equal chance as 1st.
     I also do not care for the side by side meteor strikes that seem to occur too frequently, yeah yeah, it's all random, trouble is irony falls upon odd coincidences.  The chance for hitting the same side/quadrant of the map should decrease greatly.  Allowing for it to hit the same plot twice would be interesting; it might add some adventure to the game, because it becomes a negative event rather than a positive.

     Ultimately I believe the goal with the events should be to structure them more towards balancing the competition.  Random attempts to level the playing field.


Thanks,

[Keybounce]

Personally, I think the biggest case of "4th place doesn't get the needed help" type of issue is "3 food and 2 energy".

As I understand it, it will go to the first player encountered that gets an event (30%) and has no food.

If you have 7 or fewer mules, that will help 4th place.
Otherwise, it goes to 2nd place.

(Err, no, I don't _deliberately_ play for that event, but if I can tell I'll be down to one food, I may as well go to zero.)

[Chuckie Chuck]

I've seen people get the energy and food that were not short on either, but one or more players that didn't get it desparately needed the food.

[Peter]

Personally, I think the biggest case of "4th place doesn't get the needed help" type of issue is "3 food and 2 energy".

As I understand it, it will go to the first player encountered that gets an event (30%) and has no food.

If you have 7 or fewer mules, that will help 4th place.
Otherwise, it goes to 2nd place.

(Err, no, I don't _deliberately_ play for that event, but if I can tell I'll be down to one food, I may as well go to zero.)

Yes, that's exactly how it works. I think this may be what players experience when they say that the 4th place doesn't get enough good events.

And to Chuck: The food + energy event can randomly happen even if there is no shortage and then it is spent so it can't happen again.

Both of these things could of course be adjusted and maybe it should to favor the 4th position.

[Chuckie Chuck]

Peter:  I have recieved the 3/2 Food Energy Event when I personally did not have a shortage, but someone else in the round did.

The events are not matching the players needing them.

There should be some kind of filter, to where you HAVE TO HAVE the shortage to get the good event in question.  It should not randomly hand out this event to anyone based on position.  It should do two checks for this one...

1.  Are the in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th.  If yes, do they have a shortage of energy or food.  If yes, they qualify to receive the event.  If no, hold the event until the condition is met.

I understand the event can only happen once.  What I am saying is that when it happens, it should apply only to the person it will benefit.  Not to the person that will just experience spoilage at auction time.