Foundation course

1) Contents
  • Total defense
  • Defense types
  • Terminology
  • Marks of a good maze
  • the Raiders' arsenal
    2) Back to index
    Total Defense
    Defense is more than just a good maze and lots of guards!
    Without the following, you will be no match for incoming raiders:
  • Committed members who (1)Defend, (2)Money Run, and (3)contribute Ideas.
  • Steady and adequate clan income
  • Diplomatic relations - (1)Steady allies (2)Few enemies
  • A balance between clan improvements and defense

    Influencing a raid more directly are:
  • Clan location in the real world (If they can't find you, they can't invade you :)
  • Any element of surprise (Maybe no clan members are on. Or are 15 defenders already waiting?)
  • Number and skill of raiders
  • Number and skill of defenders
  • Presence of any traitors/spies.
  • Ease of killing the guards
  • Ease of navigating the maze/clan defense
  • Defense once in the clan hall (Manor portals? Fantical clan members?)
  • Additional defenses/mazes in the clan hall
  • Ease of escaping with the booty
  • Saleability of the clan eq/Bragging rights the raider gets
    As you can see, the guards and maze take up only 2 out of the list above.
    However, these are the 2 you can most easily control and improve.
    But never forget: Without money to make those upgrades, and if you persistently antagonise the enemy, it is only a matter of time before the defenses fall.
    From now on though, "Defense" will refer to the immediate clan defense (i.e the guards & maze)
    Defense Types
    The clan layout I posted is simply a skeleton - any raider with half a brain will instantly overrun it.
    Despite having the same set of rules to play by, a whole range of designs has cropped up.
    Here are some of the major types:
  • Finesse mazes vs Mathematical mazes  (TM Vilgan)
           -Finesse mazes:Rely on a secret design/plan which make it hard for navigation.
           -Mathematical mazes: Rely on probability & random chance.
           -Comments: When Finesse mazes are good, they are very good. When they are fail, they are very bad.
                 For example: A 1-in-128 Finesse maze can fall to 1-in-1 if the design is known.
  • Guard packing vs Diffuse guards
           -Guard packing: Guards concentrated in 1 room (Forces raiders to bring tanks & regenners)
           -Guard diffusion: Guards spread through the maze (Prevents weak raiders from acting as maze markers)
           -Comments: Most clans use Guard packing intially, and then spread the rest out in groups of 3-5
  • Self-Trusting Clan vs Self-Suspicious Clan
           -Self-trusting: Have manor portals, and clanhallexits to most of the maze
           -Self-suspicious: Have jail-type rooms not unlockable by clan transporters.
           -Comments: None - don't wish to antagonise any clans. :P
  • Key-trapping vs Randomization Mazes
           -Comments: Ideally, clans should have both, but both are room-vnum-intensive.
    Terminology
    Maze - measurements of difficulty
  • "1 in x" or "1/x" - After marking/hunting/etc, there is a (1/x) chance that a route will lead to the clan hall
       -eg:a room with 5 random exits = 1 in 5 = 20% chance
  • 1-man chance: When there is only 1 raider, the chance he will get into the hall
  • Infinite-man chance: When there are as many raiders as necessary
  • Men for 1-in-1: How many raiders are needed for a 100% chance
  • Men for max chance*: How many raiders are needed for the best chance of getting in
           -More useful than men for 1-in-1, 'coz good mazes are never 1-in-1, even with infinite numbers.
           -More relevant than Infinite-man chance, since it tells raiders how many men to bring
    Markers of a good maze
    Does YOUR maze fulfil the following?
    Obligatory requirements
    Can't get key/raider out
    Can't bypass guards/rooms/doors/portals
    Doesn't break any rules
    High Men-For-Max-Chance (see above)
    Uses random repops (RANDOMIZATION)
    Hunt/Wayfind/Scan-proof (HUNT-PROOFING)
    Other requirements
    Forces key into maze (KEY-TRAPPING)
    Minimally swarmable, not markeable
    Recycles guards (RECYCLING)
    Recycles rooms/jails (RECYCLING)
    Still secure even if concept known (RANDOMIZATION)
    Defender friendly
    Easily added onto & improved (PROGRESSIVE)
    Cheap/Efficient
    Raiding & Defense Arsenal

    Raiders Defenders
    Gas Breath
    Regeneration
    Antimagic
    Brew/Scribe & Potions
    Scan
    Hunt
    Wayfind
    Intimidate
    Fly/Land/Flight staffs
    Retreat
    		 Web
    Globe/Antimagic/Sanc/Regen/etc.
    Strangle
    Cure poison/Herbal
    Intimidate
    Fly/Land/Flight staffs
    Earthquake/Meteor/etc.
    Burnt Marbu
    Black root

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