Tests need repeatable pseudo-random numbers to yield repeatable
results. Commit 73f1ac8 (v4.3.33) reseeds the PRNG with the count of
commands right before executing a command when running_test_suite is
on. This doesn't help the update: whenever update code exercised by a
test is changed to consume fewer or more PRNs, all subsequent users
get different numbers regardless. The ensuing test result changes are
extremely tedious to review.
To address this problem, reseed the PRNG in the update's two most
important loops with the iteration count when running_test_suite.
This way, the effect of perturbing the PRN sequence lasts only until
the next iteration.
There are many more loops, but reseeding in all of them seems
impractical.
Perturbs test results across the board. Hopefully, that'll happen
less frequently now.
Signed-off-by: Markus Armbruster <armbru@pond.sub.org>
Items, ships, planes and land units all contribute to the power
factor, which determines position on the power chart.
Items are worth
amount * item value * (0.5 + nation tech level / 1000.0)
The item values aren't quite right: producing stuff can *hurt* your
position on the power chart. Food, uw and rads are worth nothng.
Reduce the value of oil, and give rads the same value as oil. Tweak
value of iron and oil products so that production's power change is
roughly zero around p.e. 0.9 (tech 110), except for construction
materials, where it's zero at p.e. 0.5 (tech 0). Construction
materials become less valuable, shells, guns and petrol become more
valuable. Increase value of bars to roughly match the other changes.
It may still be too low. Halve the value of civilians, and give the
other half to uw. Results:
old new change
civ 100 50 / 2
mil 100 100
shell 80 125 * 1.5625
gun 400 950 * 2.375
pet 2 7 * 3.5
iron 10 10
dust 200 200
bar 1000 2500 * 2.5
food 0 0
oil 100 50 / 2
lcm 100 20 / 5
hcm 200 40 / 5
uw 0 50 new
rad 0 50 new
Ships, planes and land units are worth
base value * effic/100.0 * (0.5 + unit tech level / 1000.0)
For ships and land units, the base value is
lcm/5.0 + hcm/5.0
Build cost is ignored, but lcms are valued twice as much "loose" ones
(before this commit). Therefore, building stuff can change your
position on the power chart in both directions, depending on the type
of build.
For planes, the base value is
20 * (0.5 + nation tech level / 1000.0)
Build cost and materials are ignored, and tech is squared. This
is plainly absurd.
Unify to
(power value of money and materials to build) * effic/100.0
This formula is chosen so that building stuff doesn't change your
power factor. Bonus: it doesn't assume anything about possible build
materials.
For ships and land units, factoring in build cost overcompensates the
discounted value of construction materials more often than not.
Noteworthy changes for the stock game:
ship type old new change
ss slave ship 20 5.8 * 0.29 largest decrease
cs cargo ship 20 7.8 * 0.39
ts trade ship 60 25.5 * 0.42
frg frigate 12 7.8 * 0.65
bb battleship 24 21.8 * 0.91
cal light carrier 22 30.4 * 1.38
can nuc carrier 30 84.6 * 2.82 largest increase
land unit type old new change
hat hvy artillery 12 9.6 * 0.8 largest decrease
linf light infantry 2.4 3.32 * 1.38
cav cavalry 3 5.4 * 1.8
inf infantry 3 5.4 * 1.8
lar lt armor 3 6.4 * 2.13
com commando 3 15.4 * 5.13
eng engineer 3 30.4 * 10.13
meng mech engineer 3 45.4 * 15.13 largest increase
For planes, the power value change depends on the type. Below a
certain nation tech level, planes of this type become more valuable,
above less.
For the stock game, planes costing at most $1000 become less valuable
at any nation tech level that can build them, and planes costing at
least $1800 become more valuable at any practical tech level,
i.e. under 400. Noteworthy planes:
plane type new
sam Sea Sparrow 2.1 least valuable
f2 P-51 Mustang 4.34
lb TBD-1 Devastator 5.92
jf1 F-4 Phantom 10.6
tr C-56 Lodestar 10.78
jt C-141 Starlifter 15.86
jhb B-52 Strato-Fortress 33.54
ss KH-7 spysat 41.2 most valuable
The old value is a flat 12 at nation tech level 100, 15 at tech level
250, and 18 at tech level 400.
Signed-off-by: Markus Armbruster <armbru@pond.sub.org>
Actual abilities of ships, planes and land units depend almost
completely on the individual unit's tech, not the nation's tech. The
power factor should reflect that.
The power value of a unit is of the form
base value * (20 + nation's tech level) / 500
Change it to
base value * (20 + unit's tech level) / 500
Note that a plane's base value still depends on the nation's tech
level. This commit merely makes the absurdity stand out a bit more.
To be fixed later.
Signed-off-by: Markus Armbruster <armbru@pond.sub.org>
In the old times, power didn't consider tech at all. Chainsaw's
option NEWPOWER (mandatory since v4.2.14, on by default before)
changed this dramatically: the power factor gets multiplied by
max(1, tech) / 500.
In the early game, small absolute tech differences yield large power
factor differences. For instance, if country A has tech level 10, and
B has 5, then A gets a factor two boost.
As the game progresses, tech differences between viable countries tend
to grow, but only slowly. The influence on power diminishes. For
instance, if C has tech level 270 and D has 240 (quite a respectable
tech lead), then C gets a modest 1.125x boost over D.
Change the factor to (20 + tech) / 500. Now A's advantage is only
1.2, and C's is 1.115.
You might think that's rather low. However, tech is not power unless
you project it, and then it manifests itself as sectors, population
and other stuff power counts.
The same tech term occurs in plane power, except with just tech
instead of max(1, tech) . Change it there as well, for consistency.
Signed-off-by: Markus Armbruster <armbru@pond.sub.org>
Notable gaps in its coverage are fallout, most of guerrilla, delivery,
distribution, ALL_BLEED and LOSE_CONTACT.
Signed-off-by: Markus Armbruster <armbru@pond.sub.org>
