Blackjack Scoring System tries to do this by forcing them into 4TP variance according to a variable gap depending on scenario.
Northern Kings Scoring System tries to do this by positive scoring up to 5VP, but also means losing scores can vary greatly with some scenarios never being able to score as high as other scenarios.
Herts Scoring System does not combine other parts into an overall TP, but uses Scenario VP, Kills, Attrition and Strength of Schedule as deciders.
Possible to win the game by killing both bounty units while keeping yours alive.
Issues:
- Not all scenarios score the same
- Not all scenarios have the same max table VP
- Not all scenarios have the same max winning VP
- Not all scenarios have the same max losing VP
- Not all scenarios have the same highest winning VP if losing VP is at max
- Not all scenarios have the same highest draw score
So can the scenarios be balanced?
Short answer - yes
For the how, read on.....
The VP range
The fixed VP scenarios range from 3 VP available on the table for Loot to 14 VP available on the table for 3 token Push.
That is only one part of the issue, the core of the scenarios have 7VP available on the table, but then Raze pops its head up and although there is 7VP available on the table, the max a player can gain is 4VP, so again unbalanced scoring.
So what are the RAW scenarios scoring like in comparison?
## | Scenario | Scenario notes | VP available on the table | Max Winning VP | Highest Loss | Highest Win with the Highest Loss | Highest Draw Score | Type |
1 | Pillage | 5 objectives used | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | Objective |
1 | Pillage | 6 objectives used | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Objective |
1 | Pillage | 7 objectives used | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Objective |
2 | Loot | 3 Tokens on centre line | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Token |
3 | Push | Centre Token, and 1 token per player | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | Token |
3 | Push | Center Token, and 2 tokens per player | 10 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Token |
3 | Push | Center Token, and 3 tokens per player | 14 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Token |
4 | Dominate | All in the center Circle | Random | Random | Random | Random | Random | Area |
5 | Invade | Get to other side | Random | Random | Random | Random | Random | Area |
6 | Control | 6 squares, opposite middle worth more | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Area |
7 | Kill | Kill at least 10% more than opponent | Random | Random | Random | Random | Random | Kill |
8 | Raze | 1 OM in Center, each player places 3 OM on opposite side 6" from center line | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Objective |
9 | Plunder | 5 Tokens center line, 2 worth 2VP | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Token |
10 | Fools Gold | 5 Bluff Markers per player, all flipped End of Round 3 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | Objective |
11 | Smoke & Mirrors | 5 Bluff Markers per player, a Markers if flipped by each player at the end of each Round | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | Objective |
12 | Salt the Earth | Center OM plus 3 each. End of Turn can destroy a OM you control | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Objective |
There's a light, over at the.....
So right off the bat you can see there are several that line nicely:
- Pillage with 7 objectives
- Control
- Plunder
- Salt the Earth
All with the same scoring profile:
- VP available on the table = 7VP
- Max Winning VP = 7VP
- Highest Loss = 3VP
- Highest Win with the Highest Loss = 4VP
- Highest Draw Score = 3VP
With this baseline, can the other scenarios be adjusted to this same profile?
To varying degrees, yes
Push
Use the 3 tokens plus Center that gives you 14VP available on the table, Then half the VP rounding down for scoring.
This then gives the same scoring profile as the others.
Smoke & Mirrors
There are two ways this can be leveled.
Option 1: Capping
Cap out at 7VP max for scoring and if loser scores 3VP max winner can score is 4VP
Max Draw score of 3VP each
Calculate VP for each player and add together
- If equal to or less than 7 VP, then apply VP for each player
- If more than 7 VP on the table at the end
- Work out the gap between VP
- If 0VP gap then winner gets 7VP, or if draw both gain 3VP
- If 1VP gap then winner gets 4VP and loser gets 3VP
- If 2VP gap then winner gets 5VP and loser gets 2VP
- If 3VP gap or more then winner gets 6VP and loser 1VP
Example 1:
Player A scores 8VP Player B scores 0VP
Player B did not score and VP over 7, so Player A gains 7VP, Player B gains 0VP
|
Example 2:
Player A scores 4 VP
Player B scores 4 VP
Its a Draw, difference is 0VP, so Player A gains 3VP, Player B gains 3VP |
Example 3: Player A scores 7 VP Player B scores 1 VP
Difference is 6 VP, so Player A gains 6VP, Player B gains 1VP |
Example 4: Player A scores 6 VP Player B scores 2 VP
Difference is 4 VP, so Player A gains 6VP, Player B gains 1VP |
Example 5: Player A scores 5 VP Player B scores 3 VP
Difference is 2 VP, so Player A gains 5VP, Player B gains 2VP |
Example 6: Player A scores 5 VP Player B scores 2 VP Equal to or under 7VP on table so no conversion required. Player A gains 5VP, Player B gains 2VP |
Option 2: Adjusting
Remove one of 1VP Bluff counters from each player, and have a 1VP center Marker, this then gives the same scoring profile of:
- VP available on the table = 7VP
- Max Winning VP = 7VP
- Highest Loss = 3VP
- Highest Win with the Highest Loss = 4VP
- Highest Draw Score = 3VP
For Smoke & Mirrors instead of flipping a token each from end of round 1, start at round 2 as the center token is already "revealed"
Fools Gold
See Options 1 & 2 from Smoke & Mirrors
Loot
There are two ways this can be leveled.
Option 1: VP increase
3 tokens, center worth 3VP the other two are 2VP.
Limitation: players can never score 1VP
Option 2: Piles
Center pile of 3 tokens and the other two are piles of 2 tokens each.
A unit can only pick up one token from each pile per turn (so center token would take 3 turns to pick them all up).
Invade
Calculate Scoring Unit Strength for each player and add together
- If equal to or less than 7 Scoring Unit Strength, then convert US to VP for each player
- If more than 7 Scoring Unit Strength on the table at the end
- If only one player scored more than 7 Scoring Unit Strength then winner gets 7VP
- If both players have scoring unit strength then work out the gap between Scoring Unit Strength
- If 0US gap then draw both gain 3VP
- If 1 or 2US gap then winner gets 4VP and loser gets 3VP
- If 3 or 4US gap then winner gets 5VP and loser gets 2VP
- If 5US gap or more then winner gets 6VP and loser 1VP
Example 1:
Player A scores 9 unit Strength Player B scores 5 unit Strength
Difference is 4 Unit Strength, so Player A gains 5VP, Player B gains 2VP
|
Example 2:
Player A scores 5 unit Strength
Player B scores 4 unit Strength
Difference is 1 Unit Strength, so Player A gains 4VP, Player B gains 3VP |
Example 3: Player A scores 6 unit Strength Player B scores 4 unit Strength
Difference is 2 Unit Strength, so Player A gains 4VP, Player B gains 3VP |
Example 4: Player A scores 7 unit Strength Player B scores 2 unit Strength
Difference is 5 Unit Strength, so Player A gains 6VP, Player B gains 1VP |
Example 5: Player A scores 8 unit Strength Player B scores 0 unit Strength
Player B did not score and US over 7, so Player A gains 7VP, Player B gains 0VP |
Example 6: Player A scores 7 unit Strength Player B scores 4 unit Strength Difference is 3 Unit Strength, so Player A gains 5VP, Player B gains 2VP |
Rewards controlling the gap between your unit strength
Dominate
See Invade for scoring calculation
Kill
There are two ways this can be leveled.
Option 1: Scoring Unit Strength
See Invade for scoring calculation
Option 2: Eliminate and Kill
Adjust the scenario so it is not a pure Kill 10% more than opponent wins the game (ie in a 2000pt game needing to have killed 200pts more than the opponent).
At Start of game the two highest point including upgrades and artifacts Hero/Monster/Titans receive a bounty token, if you do not have at least 2 Hero/Monster/Titans then the two highest pointed units, if draw opponent can pick which unit to bounty.
End of game scoring
- 3VP for killing at least a 10% of the points used difference in your favour between your dead and their dead (ie the previous Kill win condition is worth 3VP)
- 1VP for each opponents bounty unit killed
- 1VP for each of bounty units that are are still alive
Possible to win the game by killing both bounty units while keeping yours alive.
Raze
I played about with various adjustments, but most either just moved the issue into a different column, so were still not balanced.The only one I could come up with that still fitted the scoring profile was:
- 1VP for each Objective you burn on the opposite side of the table
- 1VP for controlling the Center objective at the end of the game
- 1VP for controlling each of the objectives on your side of the table at the end of the game
My picks
So with all this an some various options, these would be my picks and adjustments, all with the same scoring profile:
- VP available on the table = 7VP
- Max Winning VP = 7VP
- Highest Loss = 3VP
- Highest Win with the Highest Loss = 4VP
- Highest Draw Score = 3VP
## | Scenario | Scenario notes | Balancing Adjustments |
1 | Pillage | 7 objectives used | None |
2 | Loot | 3 Piles of Tokens on centre line | Centre
pile of 3 tokens and the other two are piles of 2 tokens each. A Unit can only pick up one token from each pile per turn (so centre token
would take 3 turns to pick them all up). |
3 | Push | Centre Token, and 3 tokens per player | 3 tokens each plus Centre - 1/2 VP for leveling |
4 | Dominate | All in the center Circle |
Calculate Scoring Unit Strength for each player and add together
If equal to or less than 7 Scoring Unit Strength, then convert US to VP for each player
If more than 7 Scoring Unit Strength on the table at the end
|
5 | Invade | Get to other side | |
6 | Control | 6 squares, opposite middle worth more | None |
7 | Kill & Eliminate | Kill at least 10% more than opponent and the bounties | Have
10% difference in your favour between your dead and their dead for 3VP Kill top 2 Hero/Monster/Titans Points - 1VP per kill, 1VP if yours are
still alive |
8 | Raze | 1 OM in Center, each player places 3 OM on opposite side 6" from center line | 1VP
for each Objective you burn on the opposite side of the table 1VP for controlling the Center objective at the end of the game 1VP for controlling each of the objectives on your side of the table at the
end of the game May change the dynamic of the game too much |
9 | Plunder | 5 Tokens center line, 2 worth 2VP | None |
10 | Fools Gold | 4 Bluff Markers per player, all flipped End of Round 3 |
Remove one of 1VP Bluff counters from each
player, and have a 1VP center Marker
|
11 | Smoke & Mirrors | 4 Bluff Markers per player, a Markers if flipped by each player at the end of each Round |
Remove one of 1VP Bluff counters from each
player, and have a 1VP center Marker For Smoke & Mirrors instead of flipping a token each from end of round 1, start at round 2 as the center token is already "revealed"
|
12 | Salt the Earth | Center OM plus 3 each. End of Turn can destroy a OM you control | None |
https://sites.google.com/view/shroudofthereaper/tournament-pack/balanced-scenarios
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