Overall Score: Request for comment!

Thirion wrote: Illyriad is a game were you could play a lot of different ways (and more important the way you like most) and still be successful. With the change you would need to be a "Jack of all Trades" and do everything equally - i don't like that.

Deathdealer 89 suggestions are interesting but I would prefer Raj's summation

rajput wrote: Actually I think current overall/ranking scoring system was spot-on and was not the issue... 'I think', Devs made a boo-boo with scoring scale for new enchantment magic school...

A re examination of the Scoring scale for the enchantment magic seems to be needed but the existing "8 year  old" overall ranking system should remain.

Kind Regards

Ossian II

Chief Statistician to the Thane of Clan Moedagh (r'td) 

I think it's apparent that the introduction of the new magic school combined with the way certain magic items are scored has had unintended effects.  It would seem pretty straightforward to correct for this (although it might disadvantage specific players who based their play around this quirk).

Scores in various categories have always been subject to some degree of manipulation; trade scores previously were most often manipulated, such as by buying and selling between alts.  There can be good cases made for the advantages longtime players have in accumulating score (because of time elements to accumulate points in various ways). At the same time, it's easy to ignore advantages that have accrued to relatively newer players by virtue of the game changes that have occurred within the past 5 years vs. the first 5 years of the game life (introduction of trade hubs, the hyperinflation caused by the gold exploit, the relative abundance of basic resources and addition of additional harvestable resources and crafting, the ability to trade prestige). Overall, it has always been possible, as many have demonstrated, for new players to use the score system in order to rank up relatively quickly.  Personally I see this as an advantage.  However, hopefully this ranking up involves some sort of relatively meaningful game interaction. While fun is in the eye of the beholder, I want to cite one of Illyriad's guiding principles, as laid out by the developers:

My question for the devs is: Is there a particular reason for the ratio Rajput noted that favors lesser mana infusions in creating score? Or is this an unintended consequence.  If it is unintended, can it be reversed?

How is the scoring system now, and as you propose it to be, related to your guiding principles?  How does it promote depth and "participation" (meaningful player interaction).  If the current construction doesn't do that, are there changes that can be made to promote these values?

I'd like to see something where inactive players are not reward for not playing, yet it appears they often go up in rank due to the activity of others.  

Just because someone gets 1000 points in a category shouldn't mean anyone else gets points.

I admit not fully understanding the ranking system currently in place.  I think it is based on the top player in each category.   I really don't understand the pie-chart and I like them in business for sure.

Thanks to all for whatever you and the devs come up with.

It would be fair if the points scales for each item were approximately equal but the magic scores are vastly bigger than the other scales.

Top current scores

Magic 1.9bn

Trade 711m

Attack 54.2m

Research 33.4m

Defence 22.7m

Diplo  7.2m

Quest 3.8m

Build  1.4m

Just adding scores will barely shuffle the magic score!