Login |  Register |  FAQ
   
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 41 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3

Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1

 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:21 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother

Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 9:50 am
Posts: 103

Hypothesis testing, 101.



Only in this case we are looking for a consensus as any 'evidence' is going to be purely subjective opinion, surely? So, there is no 'proof' in a scientific definition of the word.

Though I am open to suggestion of how we can test the warriors while controlling other variables.

Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:45 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:04 pm
Posts: 901
Location: New Haven, CT
Quote: (alakazam @ 08 Jun. 2009, 19:21 )


Hypothesis testing, 101.



Only in this case we are looking for a consensus as any 'evidence' is going to be purely subjective opinion, surely? So, there is no 'proof' in a scientific definition of the word.

Though I am open to suggestion of how we can test the warriors while controlling other variables.

To a degree, yes... though army design and game design does bear a sharp resemblance to hypothesis testing in a pure form:  all it takes is one 'problem/loophole' to break the game...  and one killer army design to begin to spawn variations.  So far, however, this change doesn't seem to break the game or the armylist, it  just stresses it in a different  set of direction.

As such, you're probably right -- there's a heavy dose of subjectivity involved: some people will like 9.2.1, some will not.  My focus, however, is not so much the like/dislike, but rather the places where the warrior = LV fails to meet its stated aims or -- objectively -- seems to have required further tinkering to rebalance the list.  As you suggest, part of the issue with the change is that other variables were decidedly NOT held constant, and in fact seem to have been tweaked as well, arguably to counterbalance the warrior = LV.  


Frankly, my problem with the Warrior = LV change is not necessarily in and of itself, but rather as a part of a complex of changes:

1) As Hena notes, it's not clear what problem the warrior = LV change was intended to solve... To the extent that Chroma states that problem, we move into the realm of testable hypotheses.

2) It's notable that warrior=LV was accomanied by changes to buff gaunts -- this was symptomatic of one underlying issue, which is that an infantry-type synapse node was previously a core component of some 'Nid army lists, and gaunts lose a portion of their function without this component.  FWIW, It's not clear why Inf-type synapses were seen as a problem.

3) One bigger problem, given the 'shoot the big ones' rationale for the change, is that the change fails, objectively, to achieve its goals: one result is likely to be a nid army entirely made up of AVs and LVs -- raveners replacing Gaunts as synapse-shields, with the added benefit that they shield both the 'big ones' and the 'bigger ones.'  NB.  This is a result that is largely 'theoretical,' but this is in part because the new armylist emphasizes raveners: a set of miniatures that do not actually exist except via conversion.





Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:39 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother

Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 9:50 am
Posts: 103

3) One bigger problem, given the 'shoot the big ones' rationale for the change, is that the change fails, objectively, to achieve its goals: one result is likely to be a nid army entirely made up of AVs and LVs -- raveners replacing Gaunts as synapse-shields, with the added benefit that they shield both the 'big ones' and the 'bigger ones.'  NB.  This is a result that is largely 'theoretical,' but this is in part because the new armylist emphasizes raveners: a set of miniatures that do not actually exist except via conversion.

This I definatly do agree with.
Though we have not found a 'problem' with LV Warriors (as our player includes AVs in all his swarms), they also do not make much sence in the context of the Tyranid List.

Was there a big problem with the INF only swarm in earlier lists?

Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:35 am 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:04 pm
Posts: 901
Location: New Haven, CT
Quote: (alakazam @ 08 Jun. 2009, 21:39 )


3) One bigger problem, given the 'shoot the big ones' rationale for the change, is that the change fails, objectively, to achieve its goals: one result is likely to be a nid army entirely made up of AVs and LVs -- raveners replacing Gaunts as synapse-shields, with the added benefit that they shield both the 'big ones' and the 'bigger ones.'  NB.  This is a result that is largely 'theoretical,' but this is in part because the new armylist emphasizes raveners: a set of miniatures that do not actually exist except via conversion.

This I definatly do agree with.
Though we have not found a 'problem' with LV Warriors (as our player includes AVs in all his swarms), they also do not make much sence in the context of the Tyranid List.

Was there a big problem with the INF only swarm in earlier lists?

Not that I was aware... and I was following the list development pretty closely, perhaps starting with 7.xx.

Dave was certainly doing well with hordes of teeth and claw, but the 1/2 gaunt rule only made life easier for him.

I have to admit, I'm still not sure I understand the basic rationale for the change -- beyond the effort to be more fluffy in allowing for 'shoot the big ones.'

Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:41 am 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 3:06 pm
Posts: 9684
Location: Montréal, QC, Canada
Quote: (Carrington @ 09 Jun. 2009, 01:35 )

beyond the effort to be more fluffy in allowing for 'shoot the big ones.'

That's the rationale.

I was reading through the Anphelion Project and looking at the comparative sizes of Tyranid Warriors to other creatures and opponents and realized they towered over Gaunts... there were *much* bigger than "human infantry" as well; I couldn't imagine them "hiding" or being screened by mere Termagants.

Seeing them "in action", in DoWII also reinforced that perception.




_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:13 am 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 3:06 pm
Posts: 9684
Location: Montréal, QC, Canada
In the Anphelion Prroject the following stats are given:

Tyranid Warrior Average Height: 2.4m

Gaunt Average Height: 1.3m

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:56 am 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:04 pm
Posts: 901
Location: New Haven, CT
Quote: (Chroma @ 09 Jun. 2009, 02:13 )

In the Anphelion Prroject the following stats are given:

Tyranid Warrior Average Height: 2.4m

Gaunt Average Height: 1.3m

You know that a 7'10" TW is 4" taller than Yao Ming.  And 12-14" taller than Osama Bin Laden.

I'm a little skeptical that four to fourteen inches of height justifies AT targeting -- i.e. targeting with specifically armor-piercing weapons.





Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:35 am 
Hybrid
Hybrid
User avatar

Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:25 pm
Posts: 9540
Location: Worcester, MA
Marines are 2-2.5m... Where is FW pulling that number from?

Comparing TW size to that of guants to justify their LV status isn't an overly compelling argument. I could just as easily argue to compare them to the Zoanthrope and Lictor models. Warriors are much smaller than those, shouldn't they be INF?

In any case, as Cary has pointed out before, this change has felt like a change for changes sake more than anything else. There was no widespread outcry for LV warriors prior to 9.2, no one cried out when I subjected them to all guant and INF warrior swarms.

_________________
Dave

Blog

NetEA Tournament Pack Website

Squats 2019-10-17


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 10:04 am 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother

Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 4:45 pm
Posts: 8139
Location: London
Must say given the size of the other big beasts can we abstract out the shoot the big ones thing? Though its neat it affects epic more than 40k with the effect on the swarm.

_________________
If using E-Bay use this link to support Tac Com!
'Abolish red trousers?! Never! Red trousers are France!' – Eugene Etienne, War Minister, 1913
"Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography."
General Plumer, 191x


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Marines vs Tyranids v9.2.1
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:40 am 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 3:22 pm
Posts: 5682
Location: Australia
I personally will play a few more games with the LV rule than make a decision on whether it is a useless rule for EpicA or not.

I think others should do the same with some examples of how a player or an opponent has taken advantage of such a rule. So far I personally have not seen an example. It just means that I have to hide them better than I otherwise would.

If the price was lowered as Chroma suggested, even better. There have been times where 25 points has changed the structure of a swarm for me at least.




_________________
Frogbear is responsible for...
Previous World Eaters
Previous Emperor's Children
Previous Death Guard
Previous Imperial Fists
Previous Chaos Squats


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 41 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  


Powered by phpBB ® Forum Software © phpBB Group
CoDFaction Style by Daniel St. Jules of Gamexe.net