Strategy Guides/5 Hour Battle vs Slash and Burn

Yes, it would be nice if CA devs listened to the players who would like battle times curbed a bit, but many people will tell you that if the 3-hour battle became the standard, they'd want the refresh rate on tokens to dole out (approximately) the same number as they would receive if the battle was for 5 hours. But why? There's a whole other mindset that screams - Kill them all! Kill them all right now! No farming!! The quicker we get to the next battle, the better! How do we know which is the better plan?

What is the best way to run your guild battles (GBs)? Should you farm? Or should you slay and keep moving? The way to know what's most effective for your guild/individual play is to clearly define your goal and then figure out the stats. If your guild wants to "get it over with" then attack and move on BUT... If you are looking to build up battle points and have a battle point requirement within your guild, the best way is to farm a 5-hour battle.

Yup. I hear the shouting. Shout all you want. Math is a simple, black and white logic that cannot be denied except by loony birds. So, here is the math for the 5-hour battle versus a 1-hour battle:

Factors to consider ~ Even if a battle only lasts 1 hour, all numbers here are broken down in an hour-by-hour comparison, which moots the "we get an extra battle" argument. All that is factored in by breaking it down to the simplest common denominator. In other words, the ratios already show that!

To start with, let's look at a base score without win bonus for max points (240) per hit to get an apples-to-apples comparison.

A 1-hour GB = 19 tokens.

A 5-hour GB = 59 tokens.

* REMINDER * Intial receipt is 10 tokens + refresh rate of 10/hour and only able to gather 9 in first hour due to entrance (clock) delay. Festie has the refresh rate of 12... NOT GB.

Max points earnable in 1 hit = 240.

To factor over battle's duration and minimum of 9-hour "cool down" before next battle.

1-hour battle is divisible by 10.

5-hour battle is divisible by 14.

THEREFORE

A 1 hour GB means a maximum of 46 coins (240 * 19) every 10 hours ~ 4.6 coins an hour while a 5-hour GB is a max of 142 coins (240 * 59) every 14 hours ~ 10 coins an hour. Add in a win bonus... the ratios are now 5.5:1 vs. 12.1:1.

You see, the more time spent in battle versus the amount of time *not* in battle is the key. You may start with an extra 10 the first hour, but you *always* start with an extra 10 the first hour whether it is an 1-hour or 5-hour battle. The less time in battle = more time out of battle = less opportunity for additional coins. So, when the math is hammered out, the "ideal" or best case scenario shows that you get an increase of greater than 100% when you maximize your guild's time in battle.

Of course, this makes sense mathematically. Again, the base ratios are 1:10 or 5:14 (1 hour of battle every 10 hours or 5 hours of battle every 14 hours). If we take into account the coin bonuses at the start of the battle, this breaks down in tokens/hr to 19 tokens per 10 hours (1.9:1) or 59 tokens per 14 hours (4.2:1). Of course, the win bonus of 20% increases the divide in favor of the longer battle as the bonus has a larger effect on the greater number. [Being 22.8 tokens per 10 hours versus 70.8 per 14 hours leaving ratios of 2.3:1 and 5.1:1] Again, we can see that even the base return shows greater than 100% more tokens per hour with a 5-hour battle.

<p style="font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">So, if we stop here and handle only the argument of the most effective way to accumulate "activity" points, the basic math favors ALL players in a longer battle no matter their win ratio or point count per hit. Whether scoring 100, 135, 160, 200 or 240 (so your "level" and battle range and preferred attack are 100% irrelevant), every individual averages 100% MORE tokens per hour with a 5-hour battle. No matter what you want to say or think, the math proves that you get more opportunities to attack and earn coins when farming a battle.

<p style="font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">If we also take into account other "life" factors, we can note that the longer battles leave a larger span of time for members to attend. While only 1:5 may attend a 1 hour battle, it is fairly easy for 4:5 players to find time to at least join up and drop 10-11 tokens within a 5-hour time frame. Again, THE MORE TIME IN BATTLE = THE MORE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN BATTLE. It is easier to find a moment to attend within a 10 hour window every 14 hours than a 3 hour window every 30 hours. For people playing alts or with access to other accounts, the token drop count for the guild rises even higher.

<p style="font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">I'm sure additional factors can be drummed up but, ultimately, the numbers all filter down to support that a longer battle supports (1) increased activity, (2) total point count and (3) a higher position on the leaderboard (which factors into acclaim amongst the greater CA populace).

<p style="font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">BOTTOM LINE: If battles are "tedious" for your guild, there's not really a point to roll for them. If you have members that want to earn coins, then let them get in there and have their time. Give it whatever time you want and walk away. So what if a battle is rolling? If you don't want to participate, don't participate in that battle. I have a monster I'm fighting. Do you have to help me fight it because you see my CTA? You play monsters based on what's convenient for you. Do the same with GB. Play the time span that is convenient for you. Collect later. Have someone else collect for you later. Skip this battle because the end time doesn't work and join the next battle instead. I mean, you have 9 hours to collect and the ideal sleep schedule is 8 hours so... budget wisely.

<p style="font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">Castle Age guild battles do NOT track your win count or your time in battle or give any bonus for killing quickly. THE ONLY MEASUREMENT OF GUILD BATTLE SUCCESS IS TOTAL POINTS ACCUMULATED BY THE GUILD. Therefore, you should also wait to kick people out until the 1st of the month as all their activity is lost when they leave prior to the first. Take a screen shot on the last day of the month and sort it out the next day. This will also increase the only thing that Castle Age does measure for your rankings - total coins earned by all members who are a part of the guild at the end of the month.You can be proud of winning battles. Winning battles produces bonuses. Just keep in mind, there are thousands of people out there who only know how to measure the success of your guild by your ranking on the leaderboard. It is not a win that increases your ranking the most but rather your time spent in battle.

<p style="font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">So... Cheers! :)