I don't know how the rules were decided but I think they are unfair. In the interest or more fair and interesting games I have typed my opinion of the best rules for LN:
1. No a) attacking or b) building in such a way that traps an opponent's villager(s) in the first 10 seconds of the game.
In rare cases someone could wall an opponent's villager (even with a house or LC) at the start of the game before he starts walking. This should not be allowed.
2. No a) attacking or b) building in such a way that traps an opponent's villager(s) before his TC is finished if those villagers are doing any of the following activities:
- building or repairing his LC
- chopping wood by his LC, or
- building his TC
Offensive villager war is pretty useless in TG except to "suicide" on a better opponent. Therefore it should be banned. However, defensive villager war to protect your resources or map control is fair and useful and should be allowed.
3. No killing an opponent's sheep which are beside his LC.
In rare cases like being surrounded by opponent players a player may need to keep his sheep by his LC to protect them, so killing said sheep is bad.
4. No intentionally causing a TC war. In the case of unintentional TC wars either of the players involved must immediately decide to restart the game or play it out.
Players may intentionally start a TC war either to suicide against a player or due to their civilization bonuses. This should not be allowed as it ruins the game for others.
I think those rules cover everything!
- Sometimes delaying your start to wall before your TC is finished could be strategic.
- Sometimes delaying your start to kill deer or boars before your TC is finished could be strategic.
- Palisade walls can be used defensively before laying your TC, to prevent an opponent from dropping his own TC on your spot.
Restrictive rules don't add anything to improve the matches, it simply removes some of the strategy from the start of the game. Under restrictive rules, players with a bad map/start are at a permanent disadvantage because they have no way to defend themselves. For example a player with a fast start and a good map will be allowed to go and kill the slow player's hunt while the slow player is still chopping wood and not allowed to kill the fast player's hunt or even wall! Fair? I think not....
1. No a) attacking or b) building in such a way that traps an opponent's villager(s) in the first 10 seconds of the game.
In rare cases someone could wall an opponent's villager (even with a house or LC) at the start of the game before he starts walking. This should not be allowed.
2. No a) attacking or b) building in such a way that traps an opponent's villager(s) before his TC is finished if those villagers are doing any of the following activities:
- building or repairing his LC
- chopping wood by his LC, or
- building his TC
Offensive villager war is pretty useless in TG except to "suicide" on a better opponent. Therefore it should be banned. However, defensive villager war to protect your resources or map control is fair and useful and should be allowed.
3. No killing an opponent's sheep which are beside his LC.
In rare cases like being surrounded by opponent players a player may need to keep his sheep by his LC to protect them, so killing said sheep is bad.
4. No intentionally causing a TC war. In the case of unintentional TC wars either of the players involved must immediately decide to restart the game or play it out.
Players may intentionally start a TC war either to suicide against a player or due to their civilization bonuses. This should not be allowed as it ruins the game for others.
I think those rules cover everything!
- Sometimes delaying your start to wall before your TC is finished could be strategic.
- Sometimes delaying your start to kill deer or boars before your TC is finished could be strategic.
- Palisade walls can be used defensively before laying your TC, to prevent an opponent from dropping his own TC on your spot.
Restrictive rules don't add anything to improve the matches, it simply removes some of the strategy from the start of the game. Under restrictive rules, players with a bad map/start are at a permanent disadvantage because they have no way to defend themselves. For example a player with a fast start and a good map will be allowed to go and kill the slow player's hunt while the slow player is still chopping wood and not allowed to kill the fast player's hunt or even wall! Fair? I think not....