wit for kill: some analysis

[Thrutchy]

First of all, I'm reserving judgement on the new wit for kill rule. Instead, I'll just discuss the rule a bit.

Math

• Spawning: Add a wit to the cost of any unit that will likely be killed. One of your goals should be to maximize the wit delta (banked+units) between you and your opponent. When one of your units is killed, that delta is reduced by one. Overall, you can think of the cost of a unit being what it says in the spawn menu +2 (+1 for moving off of the spawn and +1 for eventually getting killed). If you have a medic right there and you are boosting everything spawned, it would be +3.
• Wits per turn: Over the long term, you'll average about an extra +1 per turn. It really depends on the spawn rate of your opponent. Assuming a balanced game, your opponent's spawn rate will become your kill rate. On 1 spawn maps, this should be about +1 and on 2 spawn maps, it should be between 1-2.
• Kills: Killing a unit with 2 move-attacks cost triple over 1 move-attack. This is because the killing attack is free (after you get the wit back). A no-move killing attack is free or even better with BS multiple kills. This math only works if you have the wits to make the killing attack before
  

Effects on decisions

• More expensive units are more attractive to spawn. Here are a couple reasons for this: a) the ratio of total cost for a more vs. less expensive unit is lower than before, and b) effectively more wits per turn means you can (and many times should) spawn more expensive units.
• Healthier units (type and/or boosting) are even more attractive. Here are a couple reasons: a) a healthier unit is more likely to stay alive to the end of the game (denying +1 wit from your opponent), and b) healthier units cost even more to kill if 2 or more attacks are needed.
• Fewer, but more effective units are more attractive. Fewer units means fewer potential +1 wit-kills for your opponent.
• Higher attack units are more attractive. A higher attack power makes a single attack generating a kill more likely. Those single-attack kills are 1/3 the cost of a double-attack kill (before they were 1/2 the cost).
• A medic is more attractive. Here are a couple reasons: a) makes units healthier (see above), and b) more likely to not give your opponent a wit for kill because it stays behind your line and doesn't attack. Multiple medics may become more common.
• Runners are more useful for vision-only behind your defensive line. Similar to a medic, if you keep it behind your line, it is more likely that you can deny its death wit from your opponent.
• Early attacks on a base are even worse. In addition to throwing away units, this fuels your opponents wits.
• Retreating can be more attractive. If the previously attacking units can no longer make kills, it may be useful to spend wits to retreat (and possibly heal) them instead of just letting them get killed.
• New: Sending a medic out to the field to heal (typically a wounded unit) is more attractive.
• Jumping on a bonus wit space without being able to hold it is less attractive. Simply using a runner to jump on a bonus wit that can easily be retaken may no longer be a good idea typically.
• The difference in how many units were killed in a battle is more important. The attacker should have even more confidence that they will come out ahead before attacking. The wit-for-kill allows the attack to be extended, but it also does the same (and many times more) for a counter-attack.
• New: Lukewarm positions that can either partially attack or partially defend are less desirable. More defensive positions are attractive to prevent deaths. More offensive positions are attractive to generate more kills.
  

New: Unit attractiveness for spawning (compared to no wit for kill)

• runner: --
• soldier: -
• heavy: +. Lower relative expense, healthy, and high attack all benefit this unit.
• sniper: +. Ability to attack without moving can make some of its killing attacks free.
• medic: ++. You'll probably want to boost more units to prevent their deaths or make them more expensive to kill.
• bombshell: ++: Hardy and can generate multiple unit kills (without moving).
• mobi: +. Helps generate kills and it retreats units to prevent deaths.
• scrambler: +. A single attack kills any enemy unit, gives you a wit, and a new unit. The downside is the defensiveness of it (1+1) and its converts (reduced to 1).
• bramble: ?
  

New: Game progression

• Less stability. The killing wits help fuel a battle and are more likely to leave a winner (attacker or counter-attacker). Thanks Joggies!
• Shorter duration of turtling. Turtling should typically be more defensive in positioning to prevent kills. This reduces the amount of space for turtling. Two turtlers will probably attack sooner than before. The result should be more explosive.
  

I'm sure there is more that can be added to this list.

[garcia1000]

Retreating is finally a viable option now. That's a good increase in tactical depth.

[Joggies]

Thrutchy - thanks for this excellent contribution. Good food for thought. A lot of the reasoning you've made above seem to me to be overall positives for the strategic depth of the game.

I'm also reserving judgement for the moment, but my initial reaction is this change will be very good for Outwitters.

One additional point I'd add is that the increased 'swinginess' of the game (i.e. a well timed crushing attack will be decisive, as will a poorly timed premature attack) rewards strategic players over tactical players. So rather than just analysing a certain trade-off in isolation, players are now forced to comprehend more fully the overall board state to make good decisions. And I think that's a good thing for a game like this.

[RandyDogz]

(11-23-2012 08:29 PM)Joggies Wrote:  One additional point I'd add is that the increased 'swinginess' of the game (i.e. a well timed crushing attack will be decisive, as will a poorly timed premature attack) rewards strategic players over tactical players. So rather than just analysing a certain trade-off in isolation, players are now forced to comprehend more fully the overall board state to make good decisions. And I think that's a good thing for a game like this.

Very well put. When I first started playing Outwitters I actually found the game very 'swinging' until I learned to try and predict my opponents response before making my move. The fog of war gives a false sense of security until you start understanding what could be lurking. The +1 wit is just another variable making trying to gauge the state of the game different and/or more difficult.

[game_taker]

I would like to add something I noticed with my gameplay currently. MORE SPECIALS. Maybe it's just me with the new surplus of wits I am able to make specials more often.

What this causes: Less attractiveness to heavy.
A heavy with 4 hp requires at least two unit attacks. Whereas 5 hp heavy requires possible 3 unit attacks. However went you look at how a heavy is aimed against specials 4/5hp doesn't make much of a difference.

Bs -- 3 dmg, leaving 5 hp heavy with 2hp allowing a solider to pick him off -- 2 unit attacks.
Scrambler -- 1 hit on any unit so a healed heavy doesnt effect this much.
Offensive Mobi -- the most used tactic for offensive mobi is the sniper + mobi combo. Doing 3 dmg...allowing soldier to pick him off easily.
Bramble -- One some1 uses bramble they are going to spending a lot of wits on branches -- all 2 hp. The extra 1 dmg is seemingly useless against this.

I would like to point out that despite what I wrote above I do still think heavy's are slightly more feasible then last version b/c of the +1 wit on kill.

[Thrutchy]

I updated my original post a bit. I added another section with that covers "swinginess" - less stability.

game_taker: I think it really depends on what units your opponent is bringing out as to whether you should bring out a heavy or wait for a special. In my game with you right now, I think my heavy spawn may have been a mistake against your feedback/scrambler, since you can take him in a single shot. The + and - above was a comparison to the last version, not to each other. If I'm playing scallywags, I'll usually want to save a little more for BS instead a spawning a heavy.

Does scrambler get a wit for brainwashing? I don't have my ipad with me right now. If not, that makes it a little less attractive.

[GoHeat 3]

(11-27-2012 02:24 AM)Thrutchy Wrote:  I updated my original post a bit. I added another section with that covers "swinginess" - less stability.

game_taker: I think it really depends on what units your opponent is bringing out as to whether you should bring out a heavy or wait for a special. In my game with you right now, I think my heavy spawn may have been a mistake against your feedback/scrambler, since you can take him in a single shot. The + and - above was a comparison to the last version, not to each other. If I'm playing scallywags, I'll usually want to save a little more for BS instead a spawning a heavy.

Does scrambler get a wit for brainwashing? I don't have my ipad with me right now. If not, that makes it a little less attractive.

Yes, the Scrambler does get +1 wit for scramble even though it doesn't show the little animation!

[Thrutchy]

(11-27-2012 02:30 AM)GoHeat 3 Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 02:24 AM)Thrutchy Wrote:  Does scrambler get a wit for brainwashing? I don't have my ipad with me right now. If not, that makes it a little less attractive.

Yes, the Scrambler does get +1 wit for scramble even though it doesn't show the little animation!

Thanks. I'm assuming a bug has being filed?