Latejoiners get massive amounts of units

You know the drill. Jump in late-game, mass-producs units, ans rush the capital. The delicately setup game balances between the competing teams, fronts and created advantages of money/production get thrown over completely.

Why grant latejoiners such a benefit? A late joiner wishes to join late, but should therefore not be granted 78 units. The other players worked hard to shift the balance of the game to their side taking casualties in the process. Of course someone may join late, and maybe even get a *small* unit bonus for his boldness as to take up against the established players. If a late-joiner can't produce his own victory, he should not survive.

PS: how is the current latejoiner-unit-bonus calculated? IMHO, latejoiner bonus should be calculated on the unit value or upkeep (not even the amount of units!) of the units the opponents have in the field, not simply by game week.

Kirjoittanut Okmera, 24.02.2011 at 09:53

PS: how is the current latejoiner-unit-bonus calculated? IMHO, latejoiner bonus should be calculated on the unit value or upkeep (not even the amount of units!) of the units the opponents have in the field, not simply by game week.

It's the average number of units among all players in the game.

Figured something like that. In that calculation there are three major problems:
1) "Average amount of units" includes all the stationary and cheap defensive units neccesary to defend (large) territories.
2) Other players have to split up their units over larger areas, assuming they have already occupied large parts of the map, being an easy prey for a sudden 57-unit spearhead.
3) Established players have set up fronts, concentrating their units on threatened sides of their territory and need to keep those units there to preserve status quo with their current enemies.

I'd suggest not giving the latejoiners a large bonus. Let them suit themselves and prove their force with naturally gathered resources instead of a sudden divine intervention that spawns an army that'd normally cost several months to produce in a previously peaceful, unpopulated area.

Let's see:
What you are proposing essentially prevents late joiners (whether normal players or late rushing noobs) from doing anything.
Perhaps keeping units on your capital would help?
Also, there is options to prevent late joining.
(Don't get me wrong, late joining is very annoying, but you simply have to live with it).

Kirjoittanut Ivan, 24.02.2011 at 10:27

It's the average number of units among all players in the game.

No way, really? I recall a match yesterday where I had almost 2K units, and my enemy about 1K, and someone latejoined in Alaska, sending troops to Japan... but he only had 94 units.

Kirjoittanut BASED Ironail, 26.02.2011 at 08:30

Kirjoittanut Ivan, 24.02.2011 at 10:27

It's the average number of units among all players in the game.

No way, really? I recall a match yesterday where I had almost 2K units, and my enemy about 1K, and someone latejoined in Alaska, sending troops to Japan... but he only had 94 units.

There's a limit. Plus, depending on starting funds, you're often not able to buy out all available troops.

Also, it's not actually the average of all units, but of all the available units (units that will be avaiable during the reinforcements week).