Originally
posted by
locket:
Not to fluff on anyone but...... Name me one good netter who has actively landtraded on anywhere near the scale that these or past countries have done. The reason they don't win is because they are simply quite a bit worse than the people who do win(Don't worry, I fit in that crowd too :P )
hey, point taken. the highest finishes by landtraders in its current form were by myself and Mr Plum from RD. i have no doubt there are several in LaF and Evo who could do it better. i'd like to see.
so far the landtrading has been for cashers and farmers getting to 50k+ acres. it takes quite a bit of cash to make that work. i'm sure a techer in the right hands could do much better, trading from 9k to 25k acres. i don't have the time/patience for triple selling, so i haven't tried (yet). the amount of land gained relative to the speed it's gained would be similar to how LaF has liked, in the past, to overwhelm a smaller alliance's retal capabilities by having a group of techers farming simultaneously and then jumping NW. the difference with landtrading is that it costs a lot more, and it's generative rather than punitive/aggressive.
i'm also sure the mechanics of landtrading could be further optimized by players more experienced and knowledgeable than myself. i'd like to see it. i'm not totally convinced that it would yield better results than current grabbing practices, unless practiced in a vacuum / totally pacted out.
with PDM at least, anyone who is landtrading is opted in to our grabbing pacts, meaning that they're also fair game for the alliances we're pacted to. obviously we could 'do trading better' if we did our politics in such a way to totally protect our land traders, but that seems like a net negative for the server.
in my honest opinion, most of those opposed to landtrading see it as a threat to traditional grabbing practices, which it is. (i personally think traditional grabbing practices could stand to have an update.) however, i'm not convinced that it's a cheap strategy or against the spirit of the game. maybe the ghost acre returns or other related mechanics could stand to be tweaked if it's truly shown to be overpowered, but i'm pro-innovation even if it means some growing pains.