I know the point of no-luck cyclic move order is to completely eliminate luck, but I think there are some situations where it actually increases the amount of luck. One example is in the Small Earth games, where one pick is clearly the best one. In that case players will often only pick 2 starts, rather than the normal 4, in order to get the picks more quickly. However, if your picks overlap with your opponent, you will end up getting a random starting spot, which could be good or terrible based on which one you get.

Here's an example of a game where I only picked 2 starts. I ended up getting both of them since I picked faster and he didn't take my second spot in his top 3, but but I also likely picked faster because I didn't bother to pick 4 starts as he did.

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=8871031

I think you should be required to pick the total number of starts that all players will get. That would rule out possible luck in getting random picks.

Edited 6/8/2015 20:38:31

I read something in the wiki indicating that the random territories are distributed based on the lowest territory number in the map itself (something I think only the map maker would know) so it is actually pseudo-random.

As for changing it in order to eliminate luck, I don't think it is necessary. Getting a randomly assigned territory is a risk you take when failing to make a sufficient number of picks.

The wiki's note: (I can't speak to the accuracy of the wiki but this note was edited by Fizzer)

If all territories that a player picked are already taken, then a random available territory is given to that player. Unless the game is a coin game, in which case players will receive the territory that has the lowest territory ID that's available as defined by the map creator. It's recommended to ensure you pick enough territories so that this will never happen.

https://www.warlight.net/wiki/Manual_distribution

Edited 6/8/2015 20:46:52

Whoa, I had no clue.

This means that one could easily* know what "random" territory one would risk getting in a Coin game.


*I know at least one way of getting the territory ID. And looking beyond that, anyone would be able to learn the sequence simply by playing enough coin games, were someone gets a random spot. (This may cost some coins I suppose.) Both methods is some work through. Maybe just ask the map maker?

Interesting, I didn't know that. That does seem to suggest that it should be a bit easier to find a map's territories' ids, so that it doesn't appear to to be a random assignment.