Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!voder!apple!dowdy
From: dowdy@apple.UUCP (Tom Dowdy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Risk game comments
Message-ID: <7322@apple.UUCP>
Date: 4 Feb 88 16:16:19 GMT
References: <1635@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Reply-To: dowdy@apple.UUCP (Tom Dowdy)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 29
Keywords: risk game

In article <1635@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> pswisnov@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Peter S. Wisnovsky) writes:
>One question about the risk game: might the icons representing
>the various strategy levels be out of order? I selected the "neutral"
>icon and it seemed to play agressively, and when I tried the "agressive"
>icon it seemed to play neutrally.

I think that the "neutral" players are by far the hardest (especially
when the card values are set to "exponential increase").  Why?
If you read the help file, you will see that "neutrals" try to 
"hold on to what they have", (ie, they play like most humans, and simply
pile up armies on their border.)  When they reach a certain point, they will
move in on you.  It takes several turns for them to finish you off,
where a real human would simply march all over you in one turn.

I've got a saved game that was going for over 2 hours, me vs 4 neutrals
and all five of us are STILL in the game.  I think the situation is basically
hopeless, as each one of us in turn has captured N America at least 3 times.

Put even one aggressive or chaotic in there, and he'll eventually start
to kill off the neutrals.
 
BTW: This is a great game.  And a perfect one for computerization.
Now if I only had the time to do "Awful Green Things From Outer Space",
which is another chip and dice rolling kind of game.
 
  Tom Dowdy                 CSNET:    dowdy@apple.CSNET
  Apple Computer MS:27Y     AppleLink:DOWDY1
  20525 Mariani Ave         UUCP:     {sun,voder,amdahl,decwrl}!apple!dowdy
  Cupertino, CA 95014    
  "The 'Oo-Ah' Bird is so called because it lays square eggs."