Balance to Invader / Defender Game

[The Murtunian Tribes]

As on topic as I'd like to be, I think finding someone who'd be willing to make a real version of my flag for a reasonable price would be... tricky.

Also, there are a lot more raiders than defenders, this is true. Update needs to massively decrease in time. No more than an hour, please, and we'll be good.

Uhhh...didn't that already happen? Sorry, I haven't been on a raid in a while but I was under the impression that update was running at just over an hour.

[Goobergunchia]

To be precise, I timed the major update that just finished as taking 67 minutes and 12 seconds to update all the nations.

[Soaring Tikal]

I lodged a GHR earlier with my concerns.

I have a concern that needs to be addressed by administrators if possible.
Today at update (so far) these regions were taken by invaders:
FollowFollow
The Atlantic Isles
New Zealand
Gaugamela
Steam Punk
Alliance of Socialist States

All were taken within seconds of the regions updating. My concern is a tool is being used that accounts for variance of update is making use of information that is readily available. Essentially it is breaking the Defender / invader game. I understand that under current rules both switching WA and using a script that gives an accurate time of update are both legal. I ask that you look at both of these combined and make one of those illegal.
While invaders are able to move within a 3 second window, defending is obsolete.
This is game breaking and I hope you look into it further.
Thanks Wordy

Reply from Moderators

NationStates Moderators (New. 46 minutes ago)
We notice that this is at least the third time you've raised this question, including a public discussion here viewtopic.php?f=15&t=99254 in which you heard from [violet] and others. There are no new features that suggest scripts are being used for update timing or sequence, as that information is available to pretty much anyone via the API data dumps. Everything you've observed could be done by a dozen players with a bit of planning and an active chatroom, without any scripts at all.
If you want to raise a public discussion in Technical or Gameplay again, feel free.

As I have been directed to take concerns here that is what I am doing. This issue is raised by me yet again as pointed out as it is not going away.
If everything I have observed could be done by a dozen players with a little bit of planning and an active chat room as stated by mods then balance is indeed lost.

Ok, let me clarify this to you then.

I have no knowledge of a script held by raiders, used to calculate update time.

I understand Unibot has one, but I never came across it, nor has any raider shared such script, which under raider unity probably means it doesn't exist among us, as the information is far less restricted among the community.


What we do is simple math, and there is no need for a script at all.

You know how many nations the entire game has, and how much time the update lasts.

You can then calculate the average time each nation takes to update, by dividing the entire update time by the total nation number.

Then the api shows how much nations each region has.
You know the sequence in which they update, and are then able to know, that if X nations have already updated, and each take Y to update, then this region will take Z to update.


We use excel, just so the adding up is made more simply.

No script, macro, or coding is necessary, if you know some math

[North East Somerset]

And a touch of SORCERY or WITCHCRAFT helps too.

[Oliver the Mediocre]

And a touch of SORCERY or WITCHCRAFT helps too.

I told Wopruthien to start by sacrificing a calf to the Random Number God...

[Klaus Devestatorie]

Well, no complaints then.