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Islands: good or bad?
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Xerxes855 wrote
at 1:13 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EST
I notice in the Wiki and elsewhere it says suiciding one territory islands is good, but I don't think that is always the case and I don't see many people doing it. Usually having one island isn't harmful. Here is why I think so:
- If it is weak, it will usually get run over soon anyway - An island helps you with dominance - Once it gets to 8, it stops taking dice and is a reliable dominance boost and potential strategic asset later on. - If it's close, the island may eventually be able to connect - It can help keep other players from growing because they have to protect against it. - If you suicide but the refill adds dice to build it back up, you just wasted dice and sacrificed having a large stack. - If you suicide but win, you now have two territories draining from your main stack. - If your main area is over run, you can sometimes build a new one with your island. |
Replies 1 - 10 of 10
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accountx3 wrote
at 1:41 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EST good if you start with a 5 stack there, bad if not.....
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Tweetie wrote
at 3:27 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT In my view -
- Early in the game, islands are useful as backup if your main territory gets smashed. - Later on, it's mostly only a drag. Long range connections are usually not worth it (unless your goal is to weaken somebody in the path). - Suiciding more often than not doesn't work. People will only take the island if it can be done in a safe way. And even then they often won't, just to weaken you. It's usually more cost-effective to wait for it to fill up to 8 dice. |
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Semagon wrote
at 8:30 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT Xerxes' logic is completely sound, and we just have to accept islands as a necessary evil.
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Scaldis Noel wrote
at 8:46 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT Generally, as long as there is only one island that is temporarily draining reinforcements from a primary grouping of territories, I look at islands as being very valuable. I typically try to use them to weaken the player who is my biggest threat by taking out as many dice from that opponent as possible. If I have an 8 stack and can take out a string of 3 or 4 weaker territories from an adversary, it is often possible to knock out 10 or more dice from that opponent by hitting a 5 stack, 4 stack, 3 stack, 2 stack in succession. It is especially effective if there are several other players who are eager to clean up your singles left behind before your "strong" adversary has a chance to regain the lost territory.
If you use them carefully, they are an asset, not a liability. |
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Semagon wrote
at 8:56 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT An interesting flip-side to this is when your opponent has an island - you definitely want that to sit there a while. I laugh when people beg "please take out my 2, kthx" and people do it. Don't! You're only helping your opponent. On the other hand, if they're getting to a point where you won't be able to safely take it if it grows too much more, by all means go for it, you don't need an 8 lurking behind you.
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Scaldis Noel wrote
at 9:02 AM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT Exactly Semagon.
I only take out a territory for someone begging if: 1) I would have taken it out anyway, or 2) diplomacy now may help me out with the beggar later. I never do it just to be a nice guy, even though I am ;) |
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RaccoonTail wrote
at 1:01 PM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT http://kdice.wikispaces.com/
Most of the Hints and Tips portion predates dominance, and is, in its current form, of limited use to all but noobs. The islands issue is a good example. Before, if you could not link up big and run the table, you could still sac your orphans, get 3 or 4 big stacks together, make the right alliance, and come in 2nd or 3rd place. Now, those islands are earning you dom pts, AND alliances are not as important as they once were. On a related note, I think the mid-game section could use a "dom era" overhaul. Each game progresses with greater fluidity than before. The aggressive early game expansion phase lasts longer. Turtling happens much later or, frequently, not at all. Thus the traditional middle and late game "turtles and coin-flips fest" has mostly faded, and the different game phase strategies employed have become much harder to distinguish. |
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StunnedFaz0r wrote
at 1:43 PM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT So dominance isn't based on connected territories?
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JKD wrote
at 1:54 PM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT Dominance is based on your average size, you receive an adjustment whenever someone is eliminated.
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RaccoonTail wrote
at 1:57 PM, Sunday March 11, 2007 EDT Anyway, every territory you hold is a territory not taking dom pts from you and giving them to someone else.
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