Forum: empire-en
Board: [589] Strategy & Tactics Discussion
Topic: [80491] Humpers' Empire Guide: Tools and Rubies
[1509711]
Humpers2 [None]
:: March 14, 2013, 8:43 a.m.
I did the mantlets experiment just now on the dragon, dragon range bonus is 147% I attacked with 15 iron mantlets, and I lost 4 soldiers (frontal).
In the middle there are only dragon fires, they are ranged defenders.
I did the same before the equipment update without casualties (frontal).
So mantlets work very well but 100%. Maybe mantlets dont work 100% on defender equipment bonus ?
Good question. Unfortunately your inclination is incorrect. 20 mantlet's still works. It doesn't really make sense, but you have to rationalise it by saying that mantlets are reducing effectiveness rather than combat power, despite them being incorrectly grouped together in the new spy reports.
That's to say that 20 mantlets will work instead of what you'd expect in fire now for example to be 25 (since even with no tools it says 125% ranged. I was using 25 for a while too, but you don't need to.
[1509916]
GhjHero [None]
:: March 14, 2013, 8:51 p.m.
Are you ever going to post the rest of your guide to the game?
[1510250]
Humpers2 [None]
:: March 15, 2013, 10:24 a.m.
Are you ever going to post the rest of your guide to the game?
There are a couple of things holding me back, not least a clash of interests. Have I written more? Yes. Will it be posted? Like I said there are a few issues but probably.
[1510441]
Queen Hawk2 [None]
:: March 15, 2013, 8:25 p.m.
This is a great guide:), I have mainly studied the tools part, I am really wanting to increase my skill in the use of tools and this a great help:D. I look forward to seeing any updates in the future:)
[1511065]
GhjHero [None]
:: March 16, 2013, 7:07 p.m.
There are a couple of things holding me back, not least a clash of interests. Have I written more? Yes. Will it be posted? Like I said there are a few issues but probably.
Ok good to hear.
[1511186]
HeroCedrtic2 [None]
:: March 16, 2013, 10:29 p.m.
ok you come on now nothing about it all right not plaeses thank you so match
[1512607]
Arratay [None]
:: March 18, 2013, 11:28 p.m.
I still disagree over the mantlet issue. There is no way to make soldiers' defense go below 100%
[1513218]
Gaz The Boss [None]
:: March 19, 2013, 9:19 a.m.
Well this is how it works right now. Its stupid and with the equipment update is now completely imbalanced as most people have +90 ranged commanders, so the defender should have +90 ranged castellan to counter the bonus, but as ranged defenders can be reduced to 0 on the walls the attacker has a lot more advantage now, also makes the gameplay poor and even more monotone than it was before.
[1513283]
Humpers2 [None]
:: March 19, 2013, 12:14 p.m.
I still disagree over the mantlet issue. There is no way to make soldiers' defense go below 100%
Then you have missed the point of mantlets. Can I ask have you ever used mantlets in Empire? Also I said it makes ranged soldiers effectiveness go below 100%.
[1513284]
Humpers2 [None]
:: March 19, 2013, 12:18 p.m.
Gaz The Boss wrote: »Well this is how it works right now. Its stupid and with the equipment update is now completely imbalanced as most people have +90 ranged commanders, so the defender should have +90 ranged castellan to counter the bonus, but as ranged defenders can be reduced to 0 on the walls the attacker has a lot more advantage now, also makes the gameplay poor and even more monotone than it was before.
Agreed on this totally. Really poorly thought through....
[1513345]
Gaz The Boss [None]
:: March 19, 2013, 4:29 p.m.
Hope they will revise this soon, as it is almost useless to have melee bonus on the commander. If u dont have +90ranged +90 melee bonus on the same commander, you are better off with a full ranged commander with moat/wall/gate reduction and u can almost guarantee yourself a +30% bonus in the keep. I thought equipments will make the game colorful but it made it very grey. Now if you dont have a great castellan your castle is just a slaughterhouse for defender and it takes a long time to build up de ent castellans in all castles so weaker alliances lost their smallest chance to catch up with the big ones
[1513396]
Humpers2 [None]
:: March 19, 2013, 7:16 p.m.
Agreed and for some reason (not sure if its just me I have received a lot stronger commander equipment than castellan equipment in general). Its impossible to defend attacks now against a strong commander.
Worse still the game I feel is becoming dull since everyone is so focused on constantly looting for marginally better equipment. I know a lot of people are feeling burnt out after looting all the time.
Worse still the game I feel is becoming dull since everyone is so focused on constantly looting for marginally better equipment. I know a lot of people are feeling burnt out after looting all the time.
[1514062]
Gaz The Boss [None]
:: March 20, 2013, 8:37 a.m.
Its because theres 14 commander and 11 castellan equipment types. So u get more commander eq than castellan. Also u get set your commanders for many different tasks, so u get many useful equipment, while as a castellan u try to set all for the same task, defending. And u gotto build 7 of them, while u only need 1 or 2 attack commander and u need ranged bonus only so its not hard to get a +60/70 ranged commander that u can easily upgrade to +90. And looting towers all day every day can be extremely boring, then spend another half day reforging the items, clicking a million times a day not including any strategy, and the daily tasks just make it even more monotone. It was a good game once, now its a robot game. Also as i said its almost impossible now for a smaller developing alliance to break through as they have no good commanders or castellans, while the developed players have fully built castles and now 2x stronger armies as standard. Earlier it was, build up, research, fight. Now its build up, research, fight, get burnt, get equipments, fight, get burnt, get better equipments, fight, get burnt, quit 
[1515399]
Hobee [None]
:: March 22, 2013, 3:22 p.m.
I have read each and every post in this thread, including Humpers2's amazing, brilliant, fantastic original/updated post at the very beginning.
However, I still have questions regarding this subject. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding some things Humpers2 wrote. Would anyone like to answer my questions? Admittedly, I'm hoping to get the expert Humpers2's attention; that's why I'm asking my questions here, rather than in another area of our forum.
I've tried to be extremely precise in how I phrased my questions. Hopefully anybody who answers will try to be precise too. I'm quite sure I could get vague (possibly illiterate) answers elsewhere. But another reason I'm posting here is that I'm hoping for a highly comprehensible response. As exemplified by Humpers2's presentations.
Thank you all.
QUESTION #1: PART A AND PART B
So far, I have assumed that one's "combat attack power" is completely irrelevant when one is defending, and one's "strength in defense" is completely irrelevant when one is attacking. (A.) Is my assumption correct, about when each is irrelevant? Also, commanders and castellans can get combat strength percent gains (which, I've assumed, come only from equipment?) for ranged or melee soldiers. So far, I have assumed these combat strength percent gains only increase "combat attack power" and not "strength in defense." (B.) Is my assumption about combat strength percent gains correct...even for castellans?
QUESTION #2: PART A, PART B, AND PART C
Based on my reading of Humpers2's words, I seem to have learned that flaming arrow and bulwark tools enhance "strength in defense" for ranged soldiers. This enhanced "strength in defense"--which Humpers2 calls "effectiveness"--may then receive a percent gain from wall protection and gate protection. (A.) Is my reading of Humpers2's words correct? (B.) Do flaming arrow and bulwark tools only help soldiers on the wall section those tools are on, only when they fight on that wall section (and not when those same exact soldiers later move to fight in the courtyard)? (C.) Do flaming arrow and bulwark tools get consumed the same way as wall protection and gate protection tools (i.e. do multiple insertions of a flaming arrow or bulwark tool in a slot automatically spread over waves without adding together in one wave?)?
Some information in this thread, from January 2013 and February 2013, implies the answer to part C of this question #2 is YES. But I feel it's still not crystal clear.
In essence, with this question #2, I am trying to discover the finer points (if any) about what flaming arrows and bulwarks can do, that wall protection tools and gate protection tools cannot do. Which perhaps Humpers2 didn't already explain rigorously (again, if any).
QUESTION #3
So far, I have assumed that loot sacks, loot carts, banners, or war banners, inserted in a slot, do nothing unless at least one attacking soldier survives from that slot's wave. Is my assumption correct?
QUESTION #4
Though I'm maybe not 100 percent sure, I've seen enough evidence to convince me that loot sacks and loot carts can be functionally added together by multiple insertions in a slot. Can banners and war banners be functionally added together in this way, too?
QUESTION #5
What quantitative impact does morale have (in other words, mathematically, what does morale do...does it affect any of the other scores or numbers discussed in this thread)?
-- Hobee
However, I still have questions regarding this subject. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding some things Humpers2 wrote. Would anyone like to answer my questions? Admittedly, I'm hoping to get the expert Humpers2's attention; that's why I'm asking my questions here, rather than in another area of our forum.
I've tried to be extremely precise in how I phrased my questions. Hopefully anybody who answers will try to be precise too. I'm quite sure I could get vague (possibly illiterate) answers elsewhere. But another reason I'm posting here is that I'm hoping for a highly comprehensible response. As exemplified by Humpers2's presentations.
Thank you all.
QUESTION #1: PART A AND PART B
So far, I have assumed that one's "combat attack power" is completely irrelevant when one is defending, and one's "strength in defense" is completely irrelevant when one is attacking. (A.) Is my assumption correct, about when each is irrelevant? Also, commanders and castellans can get combat strength percent gains (which, I've assumed, come only from equipment?) for ranged or melee soldiers. So far, I have assumed these combat strength percent gains only increase "combat attack power" and not "strength in defense." (B.) Is my assumption about combat strength percent gains correct...even for castellans?
QUESTION #2: PART A, PART B, AND PART C
Based on my reading of Humpers2's words, I seem to have learned that flaming arrow and bulwark tools enhance "strength in defense" for ranged soldiers. This enhanced "strength in defense"--which Humpers2 calls "effectiveness"--may then receive a percent gain from wall protection and gate protection. (A.) Is my reading of Humpers2's words correct? (B.) Do flaming arrow and bulwark tools only help soldiers on the wall section those tools are on, only when they fight on that wall section (and not when those same exact soldiers later move to fight in the courtyard)? (C.) Do flaming arrow and bulwark tools get consumed the same way as wall protection and gate protection tools (i.e. do multiple insertions of a flaming arrow or bulwark tool in a slot automatically spread over waves without adding together in one wave?)?
Some information in this thread, from January 2013 and February 2013, implies the answer to part C of this question #2 is YES. But I feel it's still not crystal clear.
In essence, with this question #2, I am trying to discover the finer points (if any) about what flaming arrows and bulwarks can do, that wall protection tools and gate protection tools cannot do. Which perhaps Humpers2 didn't already explain rigorously (again, if any).
QUESTION #3
So far, I have assumed that loot sacks, loot carts, banners, or war banners, inserted in a slot, do nothing unless at least one attacking soldier survives from that slot's wave. Is my assumption correct?
QUESTION #4
Though I'm maybe not 100 percent sure, I've seen enough evidence to convince me that loot sacks and loot carts can be functionally added together by multiple insertions in a slot. Can banners and war banners be functionally added together in this way, too?
QUESTION #5
What quantitative impact does morale have (in other words, mathematically, what does morale do...does it affect any of the other scores or numbers discussed in this thread)?
-- Hobee
[1515708]
rustyliving (US1) [None]
:: March 23, 2013, 1:20 a.m.
Amen, Hobee. I have the same questions, but was trying to figure out how to ask them clearly. I'll look forward to the responses!
[1516143]
BobFighter834 (INT2) [None]
:: March 23, 2013, 12:38 p.m.
QUESTION #1: PART A AND PART B
So far, I have assumed that one's "combat attack power" is completely irrelevant when one is defending, and one's "strength in defense" is completely irrelevant when one is attacking. (A.) Is my assumption correct, about when each is irrelevant? Also, commanders and castellans can get combat strength percent gains (which, I've assumed, come only from equipment?) for ranged or melee soldiers. So far, I have assumed these combat strength percent gains only increase "combat attack power" and not "strength in defense." (B.) Is my assumption about combat strength percent gains correct...even for castellans?
A moderator once posted somewhere else that attacking strength is NOT used, in ANY way, when that soldier is defending. The same is true for the other way around.
An archer, when attacking, has an attack strength of 10. That it all that is used. Its reasonable defensive powers is not used in any way. When it is in defense, its horrible attack is not used at all.
[1516152]
Bat88 [None]
:: March 23, 2013, 12:55 p.m.
I have read each and every post in this thread, including Humpers2's amazing, brilliant, fantastic original/updated post at the very beginning.
However, I still have questions regarding this subject. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding some things Humpers2 wrote. Would anyone like to answer my questions? Admittedly, I'm hoping to get the expert Humpers2's attention; that's why I'm asking my questions here, rather than in another area of our forum.
I've tried to be extremely precise in how I phrased my questions. Hopefully anybody who answers will try to be precise too. I'm quite sure I could get vague (possibly illiterate) answers elsewhere. But another reason I'm posting here is that I'm hoping for a highly comprehensible response. As exemplified by Humpers2's presentations.
Thank you all.
QUESTION #1: PART A AND PART B
So far, I have assumed that one's "combat attack power" is completely irrelevant when one is defending, and one's "strength in defense" is completely irrelevant when one is attacking. (A.) Is my assumption correct, about when each is irrelevant? Also, commanders and castellans can get combat strength percent gains (which, I've assumed, come only from equipment?) for ranged or melee soldiers. So far, I have assumed these combat strength percent gains only increase "combat attack power" and not "strength in defense." (B.) Is my assumption about combat strength percent gains correct...even for castellans?
QUESTION #2: PART A, PART B, AND PART C
Based on my reading of Humpers2's words, I seem to have learned that flaming arrow and bulwark tools enhance "strength in defense" for ranged soldiers. This enhanced "strength in defense"--which Humpers2 calls "effectiveness"--may then receive a percent gain from wall protection and gate protection. (A.) Is my reading of Humpers2's words correct? (B.) Do flaming arrow and bulwark tools only help soldiers on the wall section those tools are on, only when they fight on that wall section (and not when those same exact soldiers later move to fight in the courtyard)? (C.) Do flaming arrow and bulwark tools get consumed the same way as wall protection and gate protection tools (i.e. do multiple insertions of a flaming arrow or bulwark tool in a slot automatically spread over waves without adding together in one wave?)?
Some information in this thread, from January 2013 and February 2013, implies the answer to part C of this question #2 is YES. But I feel it's still not crystal clear.
In essence, with this question #2, I am trying to discover the finer points (if any) about what flaming arrows and bulwarks can do, that wall protection tools and gate protection tools cannot do. Which perhaps Humpers2 didn't already explain rigorously (again, if any).
QUESTION #3
So far, I have assumed that loot sacks, loot carts, banners, or war banners, inserted in a slot, do nothing unless at least one attacking soldier survives from that slot's wave. Is my assumption correct?
QUESTION #4
Though I'm maybe not 100 percent sure, I've seen enough evidence to convince me that loot sacks and loot carts can be functionally added together by multiple insertions in a slot. Can banners and war banners be functionally added together in this way, too?
QUESTION #5
What quantitative impact does morale have (in other words, mathematically, what does morale do...does it affect any of the other scores or numbers discussed in this thread)?
-- Hobee
Hi Hobee,
1.
A. Yes. Attack power/strength is irrelevant when soldiers are defending and defense power/strength is irrelevant when attacking. This is why attacking troops get slaughtered when defending in the keep.
B. A soldier's combat strength can be increased by equipment and wall tools. Castellan equipment can increase the combat strength of defending troops (defense power only) and commander equipment can increase the combat strength of attacking troops (attacking power only).
2.
A. Yes. Flaming arrows, bulwarks and arrow slits, are specifically designed to increase the ranged defenders' strength/effectiveness. Wall, gate, and moat tools, increase the combat strength of all defenders on wall, not just ranged defenders.
B. Defensive tools, including flaming arrows, bulwarks, etc., have no effect in the keep. They only affect the soldiers stationed at the specific wall section.
C. Yes. Flaming arrows, bulwarks, arrow slits, all get consumed the same way as the other wall tools. If you have soldiers on the wall with defensive tools, then 1 tool gets consumed per slot per wave. The tools will only get consumed if that section of the wall is attacked. For example, if you have 4 tools in every slot on the left flank, then a 4-wave attack on the left flank will use up all of those tools. One tool from each slot gets consumed each wave and only one tool from each slot affects any given wave. Flaming arrows, bulwarks, etc., just increase the defensive strength of ranged defenders while the other tools affect all defenders.
3. I am pretty sure that loot sacks, carts, and banners work whether or not a troop survives in that wave. Maybe someone else can verify this.
4. Loot carts, loot sacks, banners and war banners, can be added together but they have to be inserted into separate slots. Their effects still add together even in different slots.
5. In the main part of the game, morale is equal to the attack power/strength of a unit(s). In the thorn king event and blades coast, morale works like an equipment bonus (ranged/melee bonus) instead.
[1516489]
Hobee [None]
:: March 23, 2013, 7:36 p.m.
Thanks for your Amen, rustyliving. I invite you to consider relocating in usa 1, to join my alliance. I think you and I would get along well. My alliance has some pretty smart up-and-coming Castle Lords, just like you and me. Note, however, that we have a 250-ruby entrance fee (that weeds out Castle Lords who are low-level or otherwise too casual in our opinion).
Bat88, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your incredibly informative, articulate post was a pleasure to read. I'm sure rustyliving, and many lurkers, thank you as well.
You had some surprising answers, at least to me.
First, your answer to my question #1, part B surprised me. Actually, I thought castellans sometimes lead attacks too--like when they conquer outposts--but if I'm right (?) then that's something you did not explicitly address, regarding combat strength percent gains from castellan equipment. Along these same lines, I have a follow-up question for you or anybody:
If, as Bat88 says, the "strength in defense" of a ranged defender can be increased by combat strength percent gains from castellan equipment, then do mantlets and cast iron mantlets serve to negate these percent gains?
Second, your answer to my question #4 surprised me, if I understood you properly. Any of the tools we are talking about here, if considered individually, doesn't seem to do much. Only when deployed in large quantities does a loot sack, a loot cart, a banner, or a war banner seem worthwhile, at least in my opinion. Therefore I am sad to learn, as you are perhaps saying, that it is mandatory for multiple quantities of a loot sack, or multiple quantites of a loot cart, or multiple quantities of a banner, or multiple quantities of a war banner, to be deployed in separate slots in order for them to functionally add up. I would have felt better if I could have inserted all my loot sacks into a single slot, for example. Unless, of course, I've misunderstood you! In hindsight I do realize that my question #4 was susceptible to being misread; sorry if that happened.
-- Hobee
Bat88, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your incredibly informative, articulate post was a pleasure to read. I'm sure rustyliving, and many lurkers, thank you as well.
You had some surprising answers, at least to me.
First, your answer to my question #1, part B surprised me. Actually, I thought castellans sometimes lead attacks too--like when they conquer outposts--but if I'm right (?) then that's something you did not explicitly address, regarding combat strength percent gains from castellan equipment. Along these same lines, I have a follow-up question for you or anybody:
If, as Bat88 says, the "strength in defense" of a ranged defender can be increased by combat strength percent gains from castellan equipment, then do mantlets and cast iron mantlets serve to negate these percent gains?
Second, your answer to my question #4 surprised me, if I understood you properly. Any of the tools we are talking about here, if considered individually, doesn't seem to do much. Only when deployed in large quantities does a loot sack, a loot cart, a banner, or a war banner seem worthwhile, at least in my opinion. Therefore I am sad to learn, as you are perhaps saying, that it is mandatory for multiple quantities of a loot sack, or multiple quantites of a loot cart, or multiple quantities of a banner, or multiple quantities of a war banner, to be deployed in separate slots in order for them to functionally add up. I would have felt better if I could have inserted all my loot sacks into a single slot, for example. Unless, of course, I've misunderstood you! In hindsight I do realize that my question #4 was susceptible to being misread; sorry if that happened.
-- Hobee
[1516592]
AgentY [None]
:: March 23, 2013, 9:14 p.m.
When you capture an outpost, you can't use a commander. You use a castellan. That is because during the occupation time, the castellan benefits you kept on that castellan will be put to use. So, if you sent a castellan with a 20% bonus melee combat, you will have a 20% melee combat bonus during the occupation time.You had some surprising answers, at least to me.
First, your answer to my question #1, part B surprised me. Actually, I thought castellans sometimes lead attacks too--like when they conquer outposts--but if I'm right (?) then that's something you did not explicitly address, regarding combat strength percent gains from castellan equipment. Along these same lines, I have a follow-up question for you or anybody:
-- Hobee
[1517034]
Marisuhhh2 [None]
:: March 24, 2013, 3 a.m.
How do i get a "castellan" ?????