Chapter 5 – Game Options

I don’t know what happened.

I really don’t.

I just broke Richard’s nose, and I’m already stepping into my capsule. Why?

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that I just broke a couple of serious clauses from the thick brick of a contract I had to sign. I didn’t read it all, but I did skim through the first page. It clearly stated that physical violence outside of the game would lead to instant disqualification and the police would be contacted immediately.

So would anyone like to explain to me why the staff appear to have ignored the fight as if it had never happened in the first place?

The two bulky guards had just picked me up, pushed me along the corridor and into my designated room. Inside, a caffeine addicted intern had given me and four strangers a short explanation about the technical process of hooking us up to the capsules. He didn’t even give us any time to ask questions before they chucked us in and slammed the lid shut.

What the fuck man?

I don’t even…

Like a cold slap on my jumbled mind, the same intro music from the entrance ceremony fills my mind. It feels as if the sound originates from all around me at once, even inside my own head. Every cell in my body is shaking in anticipation, drowning out my earlier feelings of confusion.

My body relaxes and I soon take in the music, savoring every moment of it. It doesn’t take long before the game’s logo makes its appearance and the music fades. My body loads in and takes shape as my personal virtual avatar. My avatar looks identical to how I look in real life.

I hover calmly in virtual space. The only thing I can see is a thin veil of a fog-like substance floating around me. There are no walls or floor here, only a horizon filled with infinite darkness. It is only me. And I’m ready to tear shit up.

It’s game time!

The moment is finally here. It feels so damn weird. This last week has gone by in a flash. Only a few days ago I was a below average social reject, destined to live out my days working night shifts at the local seven eleven kiosk. Now, I’m competing against the rich kids of society’s elite at the largest stage of this century. It is funny how fate brought me here.

I make a few light stretches, trying to get the feel for my new avatar. Sadly, there is no way for me to use the personalised avatar I have on my own FIVR helmet, but this new one doesn’t feel much different, albeit it looks a bit plain.

My skin starts to crawl and my fists clench. My heart is hammering. I’m getting psyched up! I wonder why my skin is crawling while in virtual reality?

Meh… who cares?

A blue translucent virtual display appears before my eyes.

Welcome to Fantasy Royale!

The round will start in: 1 hour, 0 minutes, 0 seconds

Please select your race

Taken back by the abrupt message, I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. This game doesn’t cut any corners, does it? I only have an hour to prepare? What the hell! That's not enough time to analyze my options and make an informed choice. Damnit Logan… And here I was starting to like you…

The game doesn’t even allow me to pout for long though. Soon after, a surprisingly long list appears

Available Races

Human

Angel

Demon

Elf

Centaur

Orc

Pixie

Lich

Troll

Imp

Skeleton

Gnoll

…

The sheer amount of data being processed before me is staggering, to say the least. The list is long. Too damn long. A small number at the top-right corner of the list counts a hundred and thirty one options. That’s one hell of a long list. I don’t think I can even name a quarter of the available races. Balancing them all would be impossible. A thought strikes my mind. Maybe they aren’t supposed to be balanced? Logan… What the fuck did he create?

I keep browsing the list. I try selecting a few, hoping to get some information about the races. No luck. It seems like the developers don’t want some poindexter break down their games on numbers alone before it’s too late.

Hrumpf.

My eyes narrow and a few deep furrows appear on my forehead. There must be a way.

If I can’t make a perfectly logical assumption about the races, then I should try to play the mind game. Well… I don’t really know where to being...

Giving my head a shake, I collect myself. Let’s start with the obvious. Large and traditionally powerful races like Angels, Demons, Dragonkin and Centaurs practically got a large sign hanging above them, telling us how freakingly overpowered they probably are.

I can’t really say I know Logan Andrews… But I’d be damned if he ain’t trolling us hard on this one. I should just scratch all of those. So what does that leave me with?

Humans? No. Too plain. This option is just screaming to be selected as being the only real safe choice. I’m not falling for it.

What about all the small ones? Hobbits, Pixies, Murlocs and Kobolds?

…

Naaaww.

Weaklings. There is no way they could work… Or could they? What if… Didn’t Logan hint towards something like this last week during the interview? How the weak beat the strong… numbers. NUMBERS! Of course! The smaller races probably have a huge numerical advantage! In such a large scale strategy game like this, numbers alone is a great advantage.

Those larger races probably have a massive advantage in straight up combat, but the smaller ones should definitely make up for it in strategy. 90% of a strategy game is about maneuvering after all. It’s far easier to scout around, gather information and lead an enemy around on a wild goose chase with a numerous force rather than a small one.

That’s it! It gotta be it!

…

Yes. Definitely.

So which race do I choose?

The inner Lord of the Rings fan in me draws me towards hobbits. Hmm. No. Their arms are too short. Not fit for combat. So then… what about… murlocs? They most likely have a superior advantage in aquatic settings, but I would probably get screwed over in a hostile environment with no water. Murlocs in a desert wouldn’t be more than a poorly made portion of fish & chips. I’m scratching that out.

So what is there then? Kobolds?... If my fantasy lore serves me right, they aren’t adaptable enough… Pixies… too feminine. Ghouls? … Those claws would probably hinder weapon usage. So what about… Arrg! Too hard!

With a deep sigh, I start scrolling down the list at a fast pace. Eliminating most races at a single glance. A certain race I have seen a million times before catches my eye.

Goblins… really? Why would I… It’s just so… Really…

But on the other hand...

Goblins! That could work! Tiny green humanoids with a knack for murder. What isn’t there to love?

Grinning, I quickly tap the word Goblin in the list. A prompt appear.

You have selected Goblin

Are you certain?

(YES / NO)

I don’t hesitate clicking yes. A small ember of glee sparks within me. I have always been fascinated by the fantasy depiction of goblin society. Usually treated as a savage and weak race, they are in reality one of the most cunning species. They are quick on the uptake to implement the technology of their enemies and make use of their weapons, and they can persevere in almost any environment. Like a race of next-gen cockroaches, tailored for the fantasy world!

Most people only look upon goblins as fodder for the other, larger goblinoid species, but a true goblin fan like me knows they can thrive on their own. Doesn’t hurt to be underestimated as the underdog by the other players!

Taking a moment to collect myself, I cast a glance on the clock in the top left of my vision. A little over 38 minutes left… Damn. I’d better hurry.

A new prompt appears:

Please rate your preferred available starting environment

Forest

Mountain

Swamp

Snow

Jungle

Plain

Hill

Riverlands

Lake

Ruins

Tundra

For the umptenth time today, I’m stunned. That’s a lot of options. I guess I was correct in my assumption about Goblins being a highly adaptable race in terms of environment. Makes me excited to think about what else I might have been correct about.

So… How do I make an educated guess about this? From my experience, Goblins prefer to live in caves underground, in small villages deep in a forest or jungle, or hiding among the vegetation in a swamp. Ruins are also a definite tell tale sign of Goblin society.

I sit for a while, knocking my brain around to try and figure how I’m supposed to approach this problem. In the end, I just decide to go with my gut. Goblins are supposed to be cunning, so I’d better pick an environment that compliments this skill set, but one that can also work out in case I’m completely and utterly wrong.

I rate my choices in the following manner: 1: Mountains, 2: Forest, 3: Ruins, 4: Jungle, 5: Swamps. I assign the last options randomly, figuring I would most definitely get one of the common first choices I select. I take another glance at the timer. Twenty-six minutes. Getting close…

After confirming my ratings, yet another choice appears. How many of these are there? I should probably pick up the pace. Who knows how many more there are…

Please select your character class

Warrior

Berserker

Archer

Rogue

Ranger

Mage

Shaman

Priest

Oh ho ho. Now we’re talking! Customizing my own character! And so many appealing options! This option is easy. All bow down before the mighty goblin berserker! I tap berserker from the list, and soon the prompt appears, asking to confirm my choice. I raise my hand and let it hover above the yes button for a while.

…

Something prevents me from confirming my choice. I get this empty feeling in my stomach that I’m about to make a horrible mistake.

My gut is right. This seems wrong. I tap no.

Okay, let’s get back to analyzing my options. What do we know? Goblins are numerous, but weak. Being a melee fighter in general is awful for a Goblin. It would be like throwing wet towels at a bowling ball. I mentally eliminate Warrior, Berserker and Rogue. I’m left with spellcasting classes and ranged fighters.

Spellcasters would feel like the most obvious choice, but my gut tells me that option has severe flaws. Goblins are weak, and nothing screams ‘HEY COME KILL ME!’ like a tiny fireball dispenser. I scratch out these options as well.

This leaves me with only two real choices. Archer and Ranger. Nobody would look twice at just another archer in a horde of goblins… But I suppose they are also priority targets. I need something subtle. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss the Rogue? Why would I have to fight anyway? I should just stay out of sight, letting my minions fight. This is a strategy game after all.

The Ranger. This class is the most mysterious to me. According to both my real life history knowledge, combined with my knowledge of fantasy lore, this class can be anything. Rangers can be either Rogues, Swordsmen, Archers or Scouts. The choice is too risky. I would love to get a stealthy archer, but an unarmored swordsman? I would be useless!

The logical choice for me is now to be a Rogue. This option at least guarantees me good hiding skills. There is that little gnawing feeling in my gut though. Fuck it. Believe in your gut Greg!

Ranger.

LET’S DO IT!

Tap. Confirm. Time remaining: 14 minutes.

All right, another problem out of the way. I can’t help but wonder what’s next. The next prompt makes its appearance as if on queue.

Please select the class of your Advisor

Warrior

Berserker

Archer

Arbalest

Ranger

Rogue

Assassin

Mage

Shaman

Priest

Alchemist

What’s this? My advisor? What in the…

I scratch my beard in confusion. Well, I would have. If I could actually grow one.

Sigh … Life is unfair.

Ok. FOCUS GREG! Time’s running out! I try to gather my thoughts. I can’t afford messing about too much. These choices could mean the world to me. Right. Composure gained. Let’s see what we got.

An advisor is usually your most trusted subordinate. At least if my knowledge from all those old mobster movies my mom used to love doesn’t betray me. Since I can also select a class for it, then it should be safe to assume it will be a NPC under my direct command. Since the game makes a huge deal about it and gives it a title, this mob is mostly way stronger than the other ordinary units under my command. Like a mini-boss. Or maybe a bodyguard? The ‘Advisor’ title shows that it’s probably intelligent. I guess it’s seeded by a separate artificial intelligence unit, or one of the lesser virtual intelligences, a V.I.

Anyhow, I should pick a powerful class to compliment my own.

So what facts do I have here… I’m still a goblin, so a melee class is out of the question. That eliminates Warrior, Berserker, Rogue and… Assassin? WHAT THE HELL!? I didn’t get that option! That’s so unfair! What else is there?

…

Arbalest? Alchemist? The hell! Those options sound awesome! Why can’t I… fuuuck. If the virtual space I am currently occupying had any walls, I would kick them. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself for the umptenth time today. I can postpone my rage for a few minutes. Time is running out.

Ok.

So since I chose a ranged class myself (or so I hope), it’s no point getting another one. Perhaps I should go for a stealth one? An assassin would be cool… but that could be risky. I don’t know what happens if I lose my Advisor. Does it have permadeath? If so, a squishy Assassin that would need to get close to an opponent puts him at a great risk.

Better play it safe. I’m going to go for a magic class. If I have to make an educated guess, I would have to guess Alchemist is a support sort of class. This could be pretty great for my army as a whole, but my gut tells me otherwise. If my advisor is indeed my own bodyguard, I want him to be able to pack a punch.

I considered choosing priest for a moment, assuming it’s a healer class. I make a wager I won’t need it. I’m going to stay hidden and out of sight. Healing would be a waste. Okay… So this leaves the Shaman and the Mage classes. Let’s be honest. A Shaman looks like the most obvious choice. A Shaman is typically a jack-of-all-trades, using both offensive, defensive and support magic equally. A valuable and highly versatile unit to have in any group composition.

I’m really tempted to choose it. It is after all, a very logical choice.

I spend a few moments considering this. My brain tells me to go for it, but my gut… Damn. Why does my gut make this so difficult? The Mage. It’s a good choice really. It might lack the versatility of a Shaman, but it more than makes up for it in firepower… or so I guess. Who knows with this game? I can’t put my finger on it, but I can’t help shake the feeling that the developers added the more exotic choices of Assassin, Shaman, Ranger, Arbalest and Alchemist to draw attention away from the generic ‘standard’ type of classes.

Any gamer should know deep down how sheer magical power solves most problems. You never enter a large scale raid without chucking the group up with enough mages to give Hogwarts a run for their money. Well fuck it. It’s not a bad choice. I’ll go with my gut. No regrets!

I select mage and confirm my choice. No way back now!

I cast a quick glance at the timer in the top left corner of the monitor. 4 minutes and 12 seconds remaining. Crap… How many things are there to choose from? What happens if I run out of time? … Why isn’t anything happening now? Is there no more options? Am I done?

The questions keep racing through my mind. I can feel my heartbeat against my chest, and sweat running down my forehead. I don’t even bother to question why my virtual avatar is even sweating.

My monitor remains blank.

10 seconds pass. Hurry up!

20. Come oooon.

30. Is this thing broken?

1 minute. !!11!1!!1!!

2…

I guess that’s it. I must be done. My muscles relax, relief washing over me. That shit was intense. It’s kind of a dick move of the developers to give us a short timer, and not telling us how many choices we have to make. Some may call it psychological torture!

Still, it’s brilliant. Keeps us on edge.

The pressure of making unknown choices on a time limit can stress out anyone, tricking them to make a bad decision because they don’t think they have time to think it through. Hell, I would probably have fallen for it myself if I wasn’t so dense and got caught up arguing with my gut feeling.

…

“I love you gut!”

Would you like to name your Advisor Gut?

(YES/NO)

Ehm… What?

Ho… Wha… Why? Thank god my avatar has hands, because this is the first time I ever truly felt the need to bury my face in them… And maybe cry a little.

No.

This has to be a joke. Someone is fucking with me!

“What the fuck man? I know someone is fucking with me!” I yell, while raising my avatar's arms with clenched fists. I stand still and stare into the void of virtual space for a couple of seconds, before the anticipated translucent blue window appears before my eyes.

d;-}

I knew it. I fucking knew it.

I can’t help but shake my virtual head. I’m not even going to dignify the developers trolling me. I kind of respect it… but no. I just can’t allow myself to get roped in by them. Or else, they won’t leave me alone.

The time limit is about to expire. 10 seconds. 5… My skin starts to crawl ever so slightly. I don’t know what make me do it, but with two seconds left on the clock, I hit accept. One…

A radiant white light blind me.

My vision is thrown far into the air, looking down towards the hexagon game world. It is as if I turned into a bird, casually observing an oddly-shaped island floating in dark space. Is this it? Do I finally get to play now?

When life serves you lemonade…

Another freaking window appears in front of my eyes!

Welcome to Fantasy Royale!

The wiki has been unlocked!

You have selected the race: Goblin

Racial details unlocked!

Map unlocked!

Your starting biome is D-13-1

You have drawn the starting environment: Forest

You have selected the personal class: Ranger

Starting gear for selected class unlocked!

You have selected your Advisor class: Mage

Starting gear for selected class unlocked!

The round will start in 30 minutes, 0 seconds

Please select your Name

Please select your Tribe Name

Please select your Advisor’s Name

→ Advisor’s name already selected

Please choose your Starting Location

Woah! Another round of decisions to make reveals itself to me. Great. I should have expected this from Logan. This game is just as big of a tease as he is. I can almost hear the sound of his laughter somewhere in the game cosmos.

At least we are told how many decisions we have to make before the timer runs out this time. Shouldn’t be too hard… the only tough decision I have to make is selecting my starting location. The rest of the time I can spend reading up on my racial abilities and the wiki! Oh holy sweet baby jesus! Time to satisfy my inner statistics monster.

Ok. Let’s get the non-essentials out of the way. My name?... Ugh. Is this one important? Nah. It’s not like anyone is going to bother too much about it anyway? Let’s see… a name…

…

I can’t think of anything at all.

Crap.

Ok this isn’t supposed to be so hard… Right. Let’s choose something fitting for a goblin chieftain. My goblin lore suggests I should choose something short and simple. Like Gor… Morg… Gob… Scratch that last one. No way I’m lowering myself to naming a goblin Gob.

Nah. I’m the chief. I need to pick something… chief-like. Let’s see. If I put in a apostrophe… How about… Greg’lok?

I try the name on my tongue a couple of times. Not too bad actually. All right, Greg’lok it is! What’s next?

Tribe name? Gawd. I’m not even going to… Dark Fangs. Yes. Moving on.

Advisor’s name… lucky! Already did that one.

I quickly check the timer from the corner of my eye. 27 minutes!? I wasted three minutes on those stupid names!? Greg you stupid son of a… STOP! Damn. I can berate myself all I want later. I have to spend this time wisely.

I browse through my list, making some mental notes about what I have to check out before the timer runs out. Starting location… Forest Biome. That was my second preference on the starting biomes. I can’t complain about that. And I start in biome D-13-1. Where’s that?

I open my freshly acquired map and have a look around at all the individual hexagon biomes that make up the game world. I quickly figure out I have the ability to zoom in and out at will. I try focusing on a random biome. It’s a mountain biome. I can’t make out the individual parts of the biome, whereas it is mostly covered by a thin veil of mist. It covers the area hidden beneath, preventing me from making out any details. Classic fog-of-war feature. Goes to show the game won’t allow me to gather intel from a territory controlled by other players quite so easily.

I am about to discard the biome and have another look around when I notice a small floating number at the biome’s center point. B-2. What does that mean? Hold on!

I zoom out and take a look on several other biomes. They all have different letters and numbers, following a certain pattern. The letter appears to symbolize which hexagon circle away from the center the biome is located on. The closest circle around the gray core is named A, while the furthest circle at the edge of the game world is named E. The numbers are the individual biomes in that circle. The northernmost biome in the circle is numbered 1, and following a clockwise pattern, making a nice even numbered circle. Much like a regular clock.

My biome is located in D-13-1. That’s the fourth circle away from the center. This circle has twenty-four biomes in it. Seeing as I’m located in the thirteenth one, My biome is the southernmost biome in the circle. I’m not sure what the one means.

I let my mind wander over to my own biome. Not surprisingly, it is a large forest biome. Unlike the other biomes though, my biome isn’t completely covered by the fog-of-war. The biome appears to be divided into six equal parts. Almost like pizza slices, cutting from every corner to the center. The northernmost pizza slice is completely clear of the fog. If I follow the same logic as the biome numbering, the northernmost slice of my biome should be numbered 1. It just so happen to coincide with the number of my starting location.

Hell, I deserve a pat on the back and a high five.

Sherlock Holmes ain’t got nothing on these deductive skills.

Let’s have a closer look at my home for the next year. I’m not going to miss my chance at making my most important decision in the game. Choosing a starting location has been known to either make or break strategy games in the past. There are just so many different aspects to take into consideration.

Available resources, natural defences, logistical efficiency and room to expand is but a few of them. The first step any aspiring settler should take into consideration is the local landmarks.

I scan the forest and notice a problem with starting in a forest. There is nothing but trees everywhere. My bird’s view ain’t helping shit! DAMNIT GREG! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PREDICT THESE SORT OF THINGS!

Arrg.

Okay. Let’s stay positive… I may not be able to locate any gold mines, but I may be able to choose a good defensive spot. I get a good view of my quadrant of the biome. The center of the biome is actually a small mountain. It looks unnaturally steep, most likely placed as such to prevent players from scaling over it.

The side of the mountain strikes me as a good possible starting location. The upside is that nearly half of my base would be defended by a steep mountain side. This can greatly help in organizing a defence. Another strong point is that mountains are usually great sources of ores and minerals. Metal is the the backbone of any warring nation throughout history after all.

There are some clear downsides with this location though. I have to assume my neighbours should all think the same way I do, and decide to start near the center mountain. This would put me in a very uncomfortable position. The travel distances would be too short, possibly subjecting me to constant blitz attacks. But one has to wonder… does the gain outweigh the risks?

There are also two rivers crossing through my lands. One to the northwest, and one to the northeast. The northwestern one isn’t anything special, whereas it’s just a river going in a straight line, barely touching my territory. I don’t even bother trying to argue for the strengths and weaknesses of this location.

The northeastern river seems interesting on the other hand. It follows a zig-zag pattern through my northern border, all the way to my middle eastern border. Picking a location in one of the bends in this river would put me in a very strong defensive position, being covered by the river in three directions. This is a strong choice. Areas around rivers often offer great locations to gather herbs. Agriculture flourishes in these areas and animal life should be plentiful.

The only possible downside I can think of is that it can severely hinder my mobility. Being the goblin race, my gut feeling tells me I have to be one sneaky sonofabitch. Geographical hindrances could spell my doom in the wrong scenario.

The choice is tough. It all boils down to these two prime starting locations. In my mind, they are equal in worth. Not even my gut feeling has anything to say on this matter.

…

Should I flip a coin?

“Eanie, Meanie, Miney, Mo”

Mountain start it is!

Yes I know. Don’t ask. It’s done.

Thoroughly pleased with myself, I decide to check the timer. A whole whopping 12 minutes to go! That’s plenty of time to browse the wiki. I take a quick look through the list of things I should do, making sure I didn’t forget anything.

Of course I forgot something.

Racial details? This… looks like something that should have been the first thing I opened when I unlocked it. A bad feeling starts to swell in my stomach.

I open it, and soon a detailed list of my race appears before my eyes.

Goblins

Tier 1 Race - Goblins cost 2 Summoning Points (SP) per unit. Gain 6 SP per day. Starts with 60 SP.

Magical Affinity: Fire, Blood

Mounts: Unknown

Racial Traits:

Adaptable: Lessens negative status effects from incompatible biomes by 50%

Natural Predator: 20% Increase to skill gain for Tracking, Hunting, Concealment

Scavenger: 20% Increase to Hunting, Foraging, Herbalism. 20% Increased yield from looting enemies

Wild: -30% Decrease to Farming, Breeding

Weak: -30% Decrease to Mining, Masonry, Lumberjack, Digger. -10% Damage Modifier to Slings, Bows, One-Handed Weapons. Not counting Daggers.

Small Stature: Can not wear Heavy Armor, Two-Handed Weapons, Heavy Shields

Agile Fighter: No negative Damage Modifiers from other racial traits to melee weapons if Double Gripping

Greg you stupid sonofabitch. If you had read this twenty minutes ago… Just looking at these numbers, I should have chosen the river start! Just look at these bonuses to hunting, foraging and herbalism… And those debuffs to mining! AAARG! My gut has abandoned me…

I’m not even sure I want to play anymore…

Naah, just kidding.

I take a few minutes to read through my racial information and do some quick mental calculations in my head. My first impression about the race is that it’s really, really trash. There are so many negative aspects! My main point of grief for this race is the ‘Weak’ racial trait. It’s game breakingly bad. Damnit. Should I have chosen a bigger race?

…

Too late to complain now. I try to analyze my strengths, to see what makes up for all the bad. My [Small Stature] trait is also bad, but understandable. Although it’s still bad, it means I shouldn’t be too dependant on metals, since heavy armor requires more of it. Perhaps I should focus more heavily on damage output?

Moving along, the [Wild Trait] is bad, but it doesn’t really matter. I don’t really expect goblins to be farmers or sheep herders. The ‘Scavenger’ trait more than makes up for it though. Being in a forest, a large bonus to Foraging, Hunting and Herbalism is my super strong point on the settlement management side. It does most likely mean I have to spread my forces out wide, but the gain should more than make up for it.

Combat wise, the [Natural Predator] trait is down right broken. Holy shit. Used correctly, it will turn my forces into a fierce raiding force, taking enemies by surprise with deft guerilla tactics. The [Adaptable] trait should also help greatly when invading, although not by much since Goblins already function well in nearly all biomes from the start. [Agile Fighter] … Ok. This trait practically screams at me that I should definitely pursue a strategy based on high damage output, and focus less on defence.

The biggest mystery of my racial abilities is that I’m designated as a tier one race. This could mean so many different things! How many tiers are there? Do the tiers signalize how strong my race is compared to the others? I hope not. That would mean I probably got one of the weakest rolls.

My rumbling gut tells me the solution lies in the information behind it. Summoning Points. Apparently I start with sixty of those, gain six per day and my Goblins cost two to summon. That means I can summon three new Goblins per day… right? But why such specific numbers? Why isn’t it just telling me I can summon thirty goblins to start off, and three new ones per day?

I rack my brain trying to come up with a solution. After five minutes of hardcore thinking, some loud cursing, some quiet wailing and a series of light punches to my temples, I come up with two possible theories. I suspect this is connected to either the race tiers or my personal level. Most likely both.

I base my tier theory upon my knowledge about the different races. I doubt the tiers measure their strengths, because that just seems unbalanced and dumb. Why would the developers intentionally tell us that they made some races weaker? If there is ever a second round of this game, nobody would ever want to play the lower tier races. It goes to show that there should be other units of measurements for the tiers. My own theory is based on the races’ sheer sizes.

Obviously, there is a significant size difference between a goblin, a human and an ogre. It makes no sense that their units should all be equal in strength. If a duel between a goblin and an ogre would be an even match, nobody would find the fights believable. This is the most logical assumption.

Right, so if I believe in the developer's sense of honor and fairness, and the rough estimate of the races ‘sizes’ there should be enough tiers to effectively use all the summon points per day for each different tier. That should mean three tiers? I shrug. I’ll figure this out later. Regardless, since I have a small race, I should technically get more units than the other players. It’s only fair after all.

The other theory I have is connected to my personal level. Later in the game, I should be able to summon more units than early game. Let’s face it. Three goblins per day isn’t going to cut it later down the road if the developers hope for constant action.

Most likely both these theories are correct… But what if… I freeze. A wave of stone cold realisation hits me straight on.

...

Why didn’t I just check the wiki for all this?

For fucks sake Greg…

Browsing through the wiki is what I have been looking forward to the most, and here I sit and make baseless assumptions like a dumbass with the answer sheet right before me. I’m such an idiot.

With all my tasks done, I select the wiki. My eyes widen in delight when a long list of information and statistics appear before me. Hallelujah! This is what I’m all about! Time to break the game, information style!

I catch a sideways glance at the timer.

The game will start in 0 minutes, 5 seconds

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”