The Shadow Brotherhood of the Underworld

[Ry Vor]

See attached dossier. Lots of special orders.

[Lord Diamond]

In my two games, the Underworld has left the agent training in place at 4,000 gold. I am not complaining, and I fear just how powerful their agents are getting, but I am curious as to why. Is it because their treasuries are overflowing at the moment and that they are really enjoying the cash flow? I can see how the Underworld might not want to do anything to decrease ther income now that they get a fixed rate.

[Kalrex]

We will see...

[Hawk_]

We will see...

I would say pricing at 4000 would make the UN a lot more gold. When the price is 10,000 nobody trains so there is no extra UN income.

[Kalrex]

There also aren't 20 more really good agents running around...

[Jumbie]

UN in my game 103 raised costs on turn 1. Seems like he's not into the money so much as monopolizing the skills.

[Ry Vor]

We will see...

I would say pricing at 4000 would make the UN a lot more gold. When the price is 10,000 nobody trains so there is no extra UN income.

Before, the Underworld got 25% of training costs, so 1000 if cost was 4000, or 2000 if training was set at 8000, 2500 if set at 10,000. Now the Underworld gets a flat 1500 for training no matter what the cost of training is.

Historically (before the change), the Underworld would almost always set training costs to 10,000, without much thought about it. This way their agents dominated, and they still got a good income if, for example, at 8000 training, only 50% of the agents would train, the Underworld still got the same income as pricing training at 4000. There really was no decision involved - raising training costs made having high level agents exclusive to the Underworld.

Now, raising agent training costs does not increase the benefit to the Underworld in price per training. This has multiple benefits to the game play at large and creates a strategic decision for the Underworld. For example, as costs remain at 4000, more players train agents and so enjoy that aspect of the game that before may have been closed off.

Additionally, the UN player has to determine the strategic aspects of both allowing higher level agents elsewhere vs. the income he can get. The economic concept is called the elasticity of demand.

[Daenerys_Targaryen]

We really have to thank the UNderworld. Much much ! easier to manage our court with 2 less emissaries And we be in a hurry to thank them in own special way



The Red AL100

[Brogan]

When does the UN get the extra income, as soon as people hire an agent or train an agent? Or do they need to wait until the next turn to spend the income?

[kevindusi]

You'll get it as soon as they 500 or 510, so you can try to plan for it later in the turn if you're feeling spunky.