The plot system

[EviLine]

Here's an example:

I'm a Mysticos of Naxos with 25 intrigue and quick trait and I want to kill someone. I have over 500% plot power, the target's spymaster and his wife both want to kill him. The plot takes years to trigger, then when it does I get caught, I save scum, get caught, reload, get caught. That second check after the initial plot trigger to determine whether you're successful or not is completely non-transparent. I have no %'s tages to see what my chances are.

The plot power and your intrigue stat seemingly has no impact whatsoever after the trigger. I doesn't matter whether you had a few high plot power accomplices or many with low plot power, you have the same chance to get caught.

Now I understand that even the best laid plans should have a chance to fail, but this is way too random. I swear to god I once had a plot with over 1400% to kill some brat kid with literally everyone in the court joining and I got busted which is laughable. A powerful King can't smother a child in his own house without everyone in the world knowing about it.

 

[Rascar Capac]

Agreed, plots are flawed. Said as much before, when they decided to take assassination from us.

 

[EviLine]

Agreed, plots are flawed. Said as much before, when they decided to take assassination from us.

Assassination was also completely random, you click a button and it either succeeds or fails.

There should be levels of the plots. Like: you want it done fast, the plot triggers fast, but you may get caught easier. You want it done with care, it'll take more time but the result will be much better

 

[Rascar Capac]

Assassination was also completely random, you click a button and it either succeeds or fails.

Not. Sure, it could fail, and cause backlash. But it did provide quick results.

There should be levels of the plots. Like: you want it done fast, the plot triggers fast, but you may get caught easier. You want it done with care, it'll take more time but the result will be much better

So all you want is shorter MTTH?

 

[EviLine]

Not. Sure, it could fail, and cause backlash. But it did provide quick results.

So all you want is shorter MTTH?

No. I want a more diverse plotting system and more plots in general. And plots should not trigger and succeed or fail just on RNGeesus.

 

[Rascar Capac]

No. I want a more diverse plotting system and more plots in general. And plots should not trigger and succeed or fail just on RNGeesus.

Well, I'm inclined to agree partially. Plots are too limited in scope and can take too long to work, which I perceived in your post and agreed with. One of the pros of old diplo-action was that it was up to player decide when.

On the other hand, how would you decide success or fail if not by RNG? Because if target is not in your complete and utter power, we need a chance of failure. No risk, no fun.

 

[Thrake]

On the other hand, how would you decide success or fail if not by RNG? Because if target is not in your complete and utter power, we need a chance of failure. No risk, no fun.

Less RNG, like minimum 15% chance of failure including 10% of failure AND discovery, no matter what (maybe add modifiers depending on rank so that assassinating a lowborn has a much lower floor of failure than assassinating an Emperor). Then you mix his idea above about how fast you want the plot to trigger (or better yet: YOU choose when to trigger it, and the longer it is being plotted, the higher the success chance, like a slow monthly ticking increase in plot power) with plot power to determine how fast and what are the odds of success AND discovery are (I would agree that it seems that discovery chance is similar at 70% plot power than it is at 500%; only success chance).

Alternatively, if the plot is discovered, only part of the members could be revealed: RNGeesus munches number and decides that people with less than 10 intrigue are discovered, anyone with more than that gets no opinion penalty with anyone. That could make intrigue more appealing to plot than diplomacy (the way it is high diplo is best to get people in your plot).

 

[Rascar Capac]

I'd be on board with player having option to try and force the plot through. Fabrication plots already have something similar.