Hi everyone,

2000 games in on https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c2fGqedk13kS8PR2XF1Olo7kWrjUu5LwZFLSRUKaKdo/htmlview#gid=0

and the Sardakk N’orr still appear as one of the worst races in the game.

Here is what I was thinking about to strengthen Sardakk N'orr.

Next time I’m hosting, I will propose the following for them.

Starting tech: Space Dock II.

Mainly for 3 reasons.

1) It fixes (just a little bit) the biggest problem for Sardakk, Techs objectives. You will still be behind for the 4 color objectives but you will have a head start on the 2 unit upgrade objectives. It is not a broken thing to do considering several races start with the prerequisites for some unit upgrades and you still need to research regular tech to have your other unit upgrades anyway.

2)It helps fixing your early game. Sardakk have one of the worst starts in the game. I feel like they are a Carrier/Fighter/Infantry race, despite their Dread II racial tech. Statistically (I saw the odds somewhere once) their +1 is more efficient on cheaper units but they don't start with any fighter. The Space Dock II gives them a 7 unit production from the start. They at least would not have to worry about production and could produce a lot of cheap units.

3)The last reason has nothing to do with gameplay: it fits their lore. They are freaking insects, a huge swarm according to their race sheet. They have by far the biggest known population in the game with 28.71 billion individuals. This should translate into the game.

What do you guys think?

Hi.

I wouldn't change anything, this is a game where you are ahead if you know it well. If you know in advance what are the objectives available in game you just don't pick them. Most of the points you can get from tech so easy pick is Jolnar. Some races are just harder to play but they are not weaker.

Now Sardak is a race that has a very hard time winning a short 10point game. But when you play a 14 points game well that is a different story :). Sardak starts weak because their late game power is insane. They have Dreads that can kill any unit, they can swarm fighters that hit as cruisers and cost 1/4, or they can go warsuns that hit on... 1 xD. So yes they score less in the early game, but late game they can just roll over almost anyone :).

If you really want to balance the game in an easy way just remove the tech objectives from the pool and even your 10 point games will be much more tense and longer ;).

Have fun !

Couple of points: Norr have one of the stronger starts with a good home system, 2 carriers and the +1 to hit makes any early combat flat out scary.

Secondly, being considered 'bad' is a tremendous advantage in this game as this game is not a war game. The 'game' of TI is about posturing, insinuating, misleading and generally manipulating your opponents to allow you to score VPs.

The Norr fleet is one of the biggest sticks in the game and should be wielded as a diplomatic tool to further your own goals. As the player with exotriremes - Or even the threat of exotriremes you dictate where enemy flagships are allowed to operate. This can shut down many so called 'strong' races.

Not being able to go for tech VPs as easily can be an issue. So go for Mecatol instead? Norr have to tools to pull that off and keep it if they pick up their other racial.

Norr are fine, they just don't have as clear a focus as other races which makes them a little more difficult for newer players I think.

I'd give them PDS 2, as Deep Space Cannon was the tech that only they started with in 3rd ed. It makes them unique, doesn't break the tech rules and helps them early.

Or maybe give them the choice of Spacedock 2, PDS 2 or Destroyer 2.

None of them are super powerful, but make for interesting decisions.

Maybe their bad statistics correlate with bad players choosing them?

I don't know. In our RL rounds, they were always pretty good, by waging war from the get go, and fighting every fight they could get. In the end, that race bonus only matters if you throw A LOT of dice. The more you roll, the more the bonus factors in, statistically speaking. So maybe for Sarakk, it is not just about scoring VP, but even more about making your neighbors NOT score VP, by constant pressure.