Why Does Rank Matter? (original reference)

[Big Head Zach]

Here are the things in the original game that depend on the positions of the players involved:

• During the Land Grant, if multiple players "buzz-in" on the same plot, the player furthest behind in the standings gets the plot.
• During auctions, if multiple buyers (or sellers) meet the price line at the same time, the players furthest behind get to trade. Other players do not get to interrupt unless one of the parties backs away from the line, or hits critical level (runs out of cash, runs out of predicted surplus goods, or runs out of goods entirely).
• The player in first place cannot be the recipient of a Good player event.
• The players in 3rd and 4th place cannot be the recipient of a Bad player event, nor Pest Attack nor Radiation.
• Players take their turns during Exploitation from first to last, unless there are 7 or less MULEs in the Corral; in this case, the order is reversed so players that are behind are ensured of at least installing 2 MULEs on their turn.

[Tei]

This make so having a long strategy pays. Having 1st position all the game will collect to you lots of malus, while a guy with a long strategy will receive lots of bonus.  Having a strategy that will show latter but seems "bad" now pay a lot.

[poobslag]

As far as the last-place preference for "buzzing in" - does timing still matter? if someone in first place buzzes in right away, and someone in last place is slow to the buzzer - who gets the land?

i feel like the AI usually beats me to the land-grants even when i'm behind in rank.

[Big Head Zach]

As far as the last-place preference for "buzzing in" - does timing still matter? if someone in first place buzzes in right away, and someone in last place is slow to the buzzer - who gets the land?

Well, it's a strange issue now that there's a significant slow-down to the land grant cursor scrolling. In the original, the cursor moves so fast that people can't help but buzz in at the same time. With it slowed down, it's easier to determine who buzzed in first; however, in my opinion I think the original intent was just to determine which players desired a plot, and then gave it to the one furthest behind in score. It just seems "in the spirit" of what the phase is about.

We're not molly-coddling the slow, we're letting players have an equal opportunity to request the plot they want, and then apply the ranking rules accordingly.

[maskdbandt]

is there a way you can store the plot selections for all players per slot and then grant it to the person in last place prior to the cursor going to the next spot?  i find lag being a high influence on plot selection

[MrBrown]

Well, it's a strange issue now that there's a significant slow-down to the land grant cursor scrolling. In the original, the cursor moves so fast that people can't help but buzz in at the same time. With it slowed down, it's easier to determine who buzzed in first; however, in my opinion I think the original intent was just to determine which players desired a plot, and then gave it to the one furthest behind in score. It just seems "in the spirit" of what the phase is about.

Yesterday I had my first online match against humans, and I noticed that the cursor moves significantly slower compared to playing against bots only. Must be something ping/connection related. But please don't make the cursor so fast that you miss the spot you want every second time. It should never be faster than it is right now if you play against bots only.

We're not molly-coddling the slow, we're letting players have an equal opportunity to request the plot they want, and then apply the ranking rules accordingly.

That sounds good, the timing shouldn't matter in this case.

[Xpovos]

I played in my first competitive game over the weekend, and because I was in first place on turn 1, I got shafted hard and spent most of the rest of the game in 4th place.  However, any time a plot was contested, I never got it.  I lost two to AI and one to the other human player who was in first.

So it does not appear to be fully functioning yet that the lowest place person who buzzes in gets the plot, unless somehow my buzz-ins weren't registered at all, though that seems unlikely, since my buzz-ins for non-contested plots worked fine.

[Yarr]

I played in my first competitive game over the weekend, and because I was in first place on turn 1, I got shafted hard and spent most of the rest of the game in 4th place.  However, any time a plot was contested, I never got it.  I lost two to AI and one to the other human player who was in first.

So it does not appear to be fully functioning yet that the lowest place person who buzzes in gets the plot, unless somehow my buzz-ins weren't registered at all, though that seems unlikely, since my buzz-ins for non-contested plots worked fine.

Timing is still a crucial part in land grant. The AI is superb in this part of the game, there's no way to beat it, because the bot can select the plot on the very first frame,so you would have to be extremely lucky to get that plot.

[Cyclone]

um i don't think you can get a land when the box turns gray, when it turns gray it's going to change to the next spot, that's when I press spacebar, not when I visually see the box on the plot I want, but the gray box on the plot before.

[zaphod77]

The computer always beats you in the land grant without tool assistance.  ties between computers are broken with the rank rule.

This is to make up for some of their artificial dumbness.

On c64, first place can still get a good personal event, though it's uncommon.

[NJDevil]

I always hated the first curse.  in some cases its so Brutal you end up losing just by events. However I always wondered if everything was random....but on a % based on position.  Maybe only a 5% chance something good could happen to 1st......and 95% bad........but the way it is now.....some people get nailed with losing a plot in the beginning......and losing a mule at the end of a turn.