Province level changes

[BrightonRose]

When I went in to explore provinces yesterday, the levels of each varied from "Medium" to "Very Hard". Today, all provinces are showing as "Very Hard", including the ones I opened yesterday but did not explore or complete encounters in. Thoughts? Is it a bug? Thanks!

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Every time you complete a scout, the cost and difficulty of all the rest go up slightly, so while the levels will stay the same for several scouts in a row, you will eventually do the scout that visibly raises the difficulty level. And yes, sometimes, with the way the game is programmed, that means a level may get skipped completely, like with your provinces going from medium straight to very hard and skipping over hard.

 

[Darielle]

The worst thing I did when very new was over scout to the point where every one of mine were very hard. Although gaining certain techs will make the unexplored areas easier, once you've scouted a very hard province, it stays very hard to complete no matter what technologies you get. I scouted to the point where I could open the advanced scout chests for 3 chapters ahead (not that I could open those chests until I was there; I just mean I had enough scouted provinces to do it.) I didn't know that slowing down would make it a whole lot easier in the long run (and a whole lot cheaper to cater.)

 

[Henroo]

The worst thing I did when very new was over scout to the point where every one of mine were very hard. Although gaining certain techs will make the unexplored areas easier, once you've scouted a very hard province, it stays very hard to complete no matter what technologies you get. I scouted to the point where I could open the advanced scout chests for 3 chapters ahead (not that I could open those chests until I was there; I just mean I had enough scouted provinces to do it.) I didn't know that slowing down would make it a whole lot easier in the long run (and a whole lot cheaper to cater.)

Are you sure about that? Even if you research a squad size increase tech, the province stays very hard?

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Are you sure about that? Even if you research a squad size increase tech, the province stays very hard?

The first tech of a new chapter, whether it is called Advanced Scouts or something else, only reduces the cost and the time to scout for unscouted provinces. And yes, researching Squad Size techs is what makes provinces easier, because your army gets bigger, but the enemy army is already set in size. But sometimes a single Squad tech is not enough to lower the visible difficulty rank and sometimes researching one can change Medium into Very Easy. That is the problem with having only five difficulty ranks, sometimes you get these weird up or down jumps in rank.

 

[Darielle]

Are you sure about that? Even if you research a squad size increase tech, the province stays very hard?

Okay, let me clarify. The advance scouts tech makes all your unscouted provinces easier, both to fight or to cater, but not the ones you've already scouted. The Squad Size upgrades give you more troops. So even though the provinces that you have already scouted stay the same level of toughness, fighting will be slightly easier because of your squad size upgrades. Catering those scouted provinces, however, will be the same as they were before you got the tech ... no help at all. In other words, over scouting causes those provinces to be harder than they would have been if you had waited.

Now, one thing you have to balance, though. I don't research any of the squad size upgrades that are optional. I skip those on purpose, because even though they would make province fights easier (if I fought instead of catered), squad size upgrades can hurt you if you do tournaments. So if you're a heavy tournament player, you may wish to avoid squad upgrades whenever possible. Just a thought.

 

[Henroo]

Okay, let me clarify. The advance scouts tech makes all your unscouted provinces easier, both to fight or to cater, but not the ones you've already scouted. The Squad Size upgrades give you more troops. So even though the provinces that you have already scouted stay the same level of toughness, fighting will be slightly easier because of your squad size upgrades. Catering those scouted provinces, however, will be the same as they were before you got the tech ... no help at all. In other words, over scouting causes those provinces to be harder than they would have been if you had waited.

Now, one thing you have to balance, though. I don't research any of the squad size upgrades that are optional. I skip those on purpose, because even though they would make province fights easier (if I fought instead of catered), squad size upgrades can hurt you if you do tournaments. So if you're a heavy tournament player, you may wish to avoid squad upgrades whenever possible. Just a thought.

Yeah, I am aware that skipping optional squad size increases makes the tournament easier. It also makes the Spire easier. I fight way more in the Spire & in the Tournament than I do in provinces, so I skip the optional squad size increases. I recommend other players do so as well.

 

[Darielle]

Yeah, I am aware that skipping optional squad size increases makes the tournament easier. It also makes the Spire easier. I fight way more in the Spire & in the Tournament than I do in provinces, so I skip the optional squad size increases. I recommend other players do so as well.

Thanks for letting me know. I didn't realize it helped in the spire too.

 

[Deleted User - 4646370]

According to last results here optional squad size upgrades don't change Spire difficulty.

 

[Yogi Dave]

When I went in to explore provinces yesterday, the levels of each varied from "Medium" to "Very Hard". Today, all provinces are showing as "Very Hard", including the ones I opened yesterday but did not explore or complete encounters in. Thoughts? Is it a bug? Thanks

This has been discussed before without a satisfactory answer, as I remember. My understanding is the number of troops the enemy will have is fixed when you begin to scout the province and it is based totally on the scouting cost. The hardness of the province is based on your squad size and the troop techs you have finished. If that is all, then a province that has been scouted could become easier, but never harder. Since they can become harder, there is something else at play, which I've never heard an explanation for.

For provinces not yet scouted, they can become easier in the same way as above plus if you get an advanced scouting tech since that lowers the scouting cost. With every province you scout, the price to scout the next one goes up by a small amount. The cost to scout is also higher based on which ring the province is in, with higher ring numbers costing more. So, in this case, completing a scout could cross a threshold in cost of the next scout that would make them show as harder. If a scouting did not complete, again, I've never heard an answer, just some speculation.

I'd love to hear a good answer to this, but I've given up trying to find one. I ran across this in the fall of '17 and it was discussed in a thread this year. So, if anyone knows how this can happen, please, please, chime in.