[Malorn]

This is an interesting simulator but it is a little too simple to be effective.

It's basically showing a blob expand and contract.

Assuming all terrain is equal (which it isn't and is a huge missing factor), and assuming facility and outpost proximity is equal (which it isn't and is a huge missing factor), the key things missing are...

1) 2v1. You assume that empires don't double-team. That's a poor assumption. They do double-team and it is often a deciding factor on where to attack. The best way to gain territory and secure resources is to attack an enemy who is otherwise engaged.
- You can sort of factor this in by putting higher priority on all enemy faction hexes for a faction that just lost a tile to another faction. Kick 'em when they're down. it's what people do, and PS2 players will do.

2) Uneven/Fluxuating population. It changes all the time and it isn't always even.
- You can simulate this by increasing or decreasing player pop for an empire randomly each "tick" It's probably easier to randomly choose an empire to adjust each tick than try to change all three simultaneously.
- If you want to be clever you can decrease population after a faction loses several tiles in a short tick span to simulate morale loss. And the converse for several victories.

3) Empires don't always gain territory every round. Sometimes they just lose it. Sometimes they gain several territories at once.
- You might be able to help simulate this by randomly choosing each turn whether an empire gains a territory.
- Use population differentials to weight the gain. If an empire has lower pop, it is less likely to gain territory against one of the other empires. If it has a positive differential then it will be more likely to gain multiple hexes.


If we want a meaningful simulator it needs to factor in quite a bit more, though it is a cool concept to try to simulate.

The sad truth is is that people do double-team, population matters, and that when people lose too much they give up, log, or go to another continent. And they seldom leave a winning fight.