db (08/17/82)
In our local game, it seems a large number of the countries are having serious plague problems. The empire manual Plague and innards sections seem to be a little inconsistent in their description of the probability of contracting the plague. Im interested in the answers to two questions. First, the plague manual page describes a likelihood-of-plague factor that begins with the factor (civ + mil)/999, and the innards page describes the LOP factor as beginning with the factor (civ + mil)/254. Is one a mistake, or is the difference only in how it is interpreted, with the innards version the actual equation? Second, assuming the worst case innards version, a LOP value of 3.2 is obtained assuming a fairly advanced country of t_level=r_level=300, ore=0, effic=100, mobil=100. the factor would go up for some sectors with ore, low mobility, etc, but the point is that even a factor of 5.0 would indicate about 5% chance of contracting plague. our country seems to be contracting plague with smaller factors than 3, in totally isolated sectors, at a much higher rate than 5%. Is there a possibility that empire doesnt do a true random number selection? has anyone else experienced a high plague contraction rate? dan becker harpo!db
sjb@sri-unix (08/17/82)
Supposedly, the true number for the first factor of the 'LOP' factor is (civ + mil)/999 I have seen sectors get plague with LOP's of 2% The best solution I have found is to just shoot your research level up way above your tech level (e.g. maybe start research plants going a week or two before tech plants) Get those levels nice and spread apart. The higher your research is, the better. Countries that concentrate solely on tech get the plague running rampage through them. As for Empire not using true random numbers, is there any such thing?