Most Efficient Researcher

[PhilD]

Originally posted by Nagot Gick Fel:

quote:

---

Originally posted by PhilD:
I always assumed the RP of a mage was the sum of its Magic paths, plus a fixed amount (assumed to be 3), with a few having a special bonus. What's the formula?

Make that 3 a 2.

---

OK, so I wasn't that far off, but still - my calculations of this morning are to be shifted by one for the Magic scale (what I thought was Neutral was Magic 1).

[PhilD]

Originally posted by LintMan:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Torvak:
If you have access to sages there is no reason to use skull mentors. They are better off with gem generators.

Wow - Do you really forge that many gem generators that you don't have enough slots to spare for research items? It seemed to me that all the research bonus items are essentially upkeep-free research (the best kind!). One skull mentor or lightless lantern works out as a lot cheaper than a sage, in the long run, IMHO.

-LintMan

---

In my case, I rarely have all researchers decked out in misc items, but I don't agree that the research bonus items are that much cheaper. Gems are a limited resource, while Gold is easier to find. Unless you're playing the Fever game, of course, but then upkeep and costs get more and more irrelevant.

[LintMan]

Originally posted by PhilD:
In my case, I rarely have all researchers decked out in misc items, but I don't agree that the research bonus items are that much cheaper. Gems are a limited resource, while Gold is easier to find. Unless you're playing the Fever game, of course, but then upkeep and costs get more and more irrelevant.

I don't think it's necessary to load researchers down with research booster items, but having some seems nice.

It guess it depends on what you'd be doing with those Fire/Air/Death gems otherwise, and how averse to upkeep costs you are (and whether cheap researchers are available to you). In my current game, I had lots of extra fire and air gems, because I lacked any mages of those types (except for a couple of sages with a single level in them), and also could only buy 1 sage per turn, so spending those gems to ramp up research power seemed like a pretty good deal.

-LintMan

PS - I know you can alchemize fire gems to gold; can you go the opposite way and convert gold to fire gems? Then you'd be able to buy the fire gems to build the lightless lantern.

[Sindai]

Originally posted by LintMan:
PS - I know you can alchemize fire gems to gold; can you go the opposite way and convert gold to fire gems? Then you'd be able to buy the fire gems to build the lightless lantern.

Nope, that would potentially give Earth and Fire a huge edge over other magics.

[PhilD]

Originally posted by Sandman:
A contender for best researcher has to be the Arcoscephale Golden Era philosopher, with 5 research for 50 gold. They've not got any magic, however, so they're useless for anything else.

Note that sages are worth buying even for a maximum drain Ulm. 4 research for 80 gold is considerably better than 5 research for 140 gold.

Hmm, Master Smiths should have 6 RP, since they have 1 Fire and 2 Earth. But the Sage is still better (and is a source of magic variety for Ulm, although a limited one).

And of course, the Philosopher is a good researcher. And he's not completely useless for anything else - he's got a small leadership value.

[Edit: typo]

[ March 24, 2004, 12:01: Message edited by: PhilD ]

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by PhilD:
Hmm, Master Smiths should have 6 RP, since they have 1 Fire and 2 Earth.

Neither Fire nor Earth magic give research bonuses as far as I know. Master Smiths are worth 5 RP just like any other standard 3? mage in Drain 0.

[tinkthank]

Phil makes an excellent point however:
Experience matters. So this is another factor which will favor lots of smaller mages as opposed to fewer powerful mages in general. I often forget this, but it is true; in longer games, you will get 2, 3, and even 4 stars on some mages.