V L
United States
Virginia
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Quote:
Phase 2: Auction Power Plants
The robot never bids on a power plant if the power plant has a lower number than his smallest power plant. He also never bids on a fourth power plant if it supplies fewer cities than
each of the three power plants in his possession. He always keeps or increases the efficiency of his power plants to supply the highest possible number of cities. The robot ignores the
power plants which cost more than the amount of money he has. When the robot can supply 2 or more cities more than he has already connected with his power plants, the robot passes and never bids on power plants. He ignores the bidding rule on his puzzle tile.
Addendum for »Central Europe« and »Spain & Portugal« maps: When the robot only has connected cities in regions where nuclear power plants are forbidden, the robot never
bids on these power plants.
Then the robot decides which of the remaining power plants he is interested in, following the rules of his puzzle tile for phase 2. When there is only 1 possible power plant left, he will
bid on this one (even if the puzzle tile tells him to bid on the »second smallest number«).
When the robot bids for a power plant, he always raises the bid by exactly 1 Elektro up to the limit allowed by his puzzle tile for phase 2. Of course, he cannot bid more money than he
has. If the robot chooses the power plant himself, he starts the auction with the minimal bid.
If the robot buys a fourth power plant, he always discards the smallest power plant (the power plant with the smallest number). If there are resources on the discarded power plant he
tries to store them on one or more of his remaining power plants.
Addendum for promo cards: The robot only bids on the power plant »Flux-Generator«. He ignores all other special promo cards
Generally it seems pretty logical. Doesn't bid on plants unless it can make a difference for him. Also, the plant buying tiles typically setup a filter. It will only bid on or try to buy plants that match it's filtering criteria.
Quote: 1. »USING CHEAPEST RESOURCES«: the robot only bids for the power plant that needs the cheapest resources. If there are several such power plants, he only bids for the power plant with the
highest number. Maximum bid: Minimum bid + 5 Elektro.
Cheapest resource I think means: cheapest in the market as of right now. It doesn't try to predict the future situation of the market based on other plants people own, or what the refresh rate will be like next round or step. So if nuke prices were down to $1 per, and a nuke plant came out, he'd favor that one unless another plant was out that also used a $1 resource. At which point he'd only bid for/buy the plant that that had a higher number.
Minimum bid is the # on the plant.
Quote: 2. BUYS THE FIRST CHOICE FOR MINIMUM BID: the robot buys the first offered power plant for the minimum bid. There is no auction. If the robot must choose the power plant, the »first
player« decides.
So you're saying that the guy who gets to bid on a plant first this round would decide which plant the robot would buy? But what does it mean by "IF the robot must choose"? I am guessing that perhaps 2 out the 4 available might meet his criteria but the other two do not because they wouldn't increase his max city powering count and/or he can't afford them. So out of the 2 remaining the first human player to bid on a plant that round would decide which plant the robot would buy.
Quote: 3. »SUPPLYING MOST CITIES«: the robot only bids for the power plant supplying the most cities with energy. If there are several such power plants, he only bids for the power plant with the
highest number. Maximum bid: Minimum bid + 10 Elektro.
This one is easy. We always bid min bid + 9 and let him bid + 10 to take it though. But in plant lineups we would have outbid him for something good/key.
Quote: 4. »HIGHEST NUMBER«: the robot only bids for the power plant with the highest number. Maximum bid: Minimum bid + number of his connected cities.
Interesting one. What if the highest number plant doesn't grow his city count enough? Does he not bid at all? Or does he bid for the highest number plant that does increase his city count instead? I think he ONLY bids on the highest # plant but only if it is good enough for him.
Quote: 5. »SECOND SMALLEST«: the robot only bids on the second smallest power plant. Maximum bid: Minimum bid.
This one is why I think what I do for #4.
Quote: 6. ALL POWER PLANTS: the robot bids on all power plants. If the robot chooses the power plant, the »last player« decides. Maximum bid: Minimum bid +1 Elektro
I assume this one would still fall under the criteria at the top for only bidding on plants to increase city count and such.
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Gerry Lowe
Scotland
Renfrew
Renfrewshire, UK
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Neo42 wrote: Quote: 2. BUYS THE FIRST CHOICE FOR MINIMUM BID: the robot buys the first offered power plant for the minimum bid. There is no auction. If the robot must choose the power plant, the »first
player« decides. So you're saying that the guy who gets to bid on a plant first this round would decide which plant the robot would buy? But what does it mean by "IF the robot must choose"? I am guessing that perhaps 2 out the 4 available might meet his criteria but the other two do not because they wouldn't increase his max city powering count and/or he can't afford them. So out of the 2 remaining the first human player to bid on a plant that round would decide which plant the robot would buy.
There *is* an ambiguity here re. whether the first player (if not the robot) *must* offer a plant which the robot will buy. I've been playing that they don't, as if the rule is more precisely stated as "the robot buys the first offered power plant which meets its standard selection criteria, for the minimum bid". I'm thinking that the first player may not want to take the robot out of the auction, if this leaves the door open for another human opponent...
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kellhus wrote: Neo42 wrote: Quote: 2. BUYS THE FIRST CHOICE FOR MINIMUM BID: the robot buys the first offered power plant for the minimum bid. There is no auction. If the robot must choose the power plant, the »first
player« decides. So you're saying that the guy who gets to bid on a plant first this round would decide which plant the robot would buy? But what does it mean by "IF the robot must choose"? I am guessing that perhaps 2 out the 4 available might meet his criteria but the other two do not because they wouldn't increase his max city powering count and/or he can't afford them. So out of the 2 remaining the first human player to bid on a plant that round would decide which plant the robot would buy. There *is* an ambiguity here re. whether the first player (if not the robot) *must* offer a plant which the robot will buy. I've been playing that they don't, as if the rule is more precisely stated as "the robot buys the first offered power plant which meets its standard selection criteria, for the minimum bid". I'm thinking that the first player may not want to take the robot out of the auction, if this leaves the door open for another human opponent...
I have been playing based on this:
- The Robot has first choice of the lowest numbered power plant on offer regardless of where he falls in the turn order. No other player may bid on this plant if the Robot wants it. He will not bid on any higher numbered plants. For example on the first turn he would buy the 03 power plant without competition for 3 electros.
- If the lowest numbered power plant is outside of the buying requirements (i.e. its smaller than the Robot's lowest plant, it supplies too few locations, or the Robot can currently power 2 or more Cities than he has connect he passes and does not bid in this round.
I believe "If the Robot must choose" applies if you are using the additional power plant deck and have mixed it in such a way that two plants with the same value may both be in play.
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Steve Duff
Canada
Ottawa
Ontario
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rwrad wrote: - The Robot has first choice of the lowest numbered power plant on offer regardless of where he falls in the turn order. No other player may bid on this plant if the Robot wants it. He will not bid on any higher numbered plants. For example on the first turn he would buy the 03 power plant without competition for 3 electros.
No, that's not correct. The lowest plant in the market is not synonymous with "first offered power plant". The first offered plant is the one where a human speaks "Ok, I'll put the X plant up for auction". If on the first turn the first player decides to offer the 06 garbage plant, then that's the one the robot will buy for $6.
Quote: - If the lowest numbered power plant is outside of the buying requirements (i.e. its smaller than the Robot's lowest plant, it supplies too few locations, or the Robot can currently power 2 or more Cities than he has connect he passes and does not bid in this round.
Substitute "first offered" instead of "lowest numbered" and yes, this is correct. If a human picks a plant that doesn't fit the robot, the robot "passes" on buying it, and will not buy anything this round, as there are no more "first offered" plants, there will only be second offered, third offered, etc.
Quote: I believe "If the Robot must choose" applies if you are using the additional power plant deck and have mixed it in such a way that two plants with the same value may both be in play.
"If the robot must choose" just means what it literally says - if the robot is first in turn order, then the robot is supposed to offer a plant. Since he can't, the next human in order offers the plant, which the robot buys.
Personally, I find it a little "game-y" that the human could intentionally choose a plant the robot can't buy when they are picking a plant for him, in order to eliminate him from the auction. I think the human should have to choose a plant the robot can use, and they should be picking a plant they don't want or their human competition does want, etc.
Obviously, when a human is offering up a plant on his own turn, *then* they can pick a plant the robot can't buy.
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Posted Tue Feb 7, 2012 7:30 pm
