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Mystery of TA reinforcements - Solved (!?)
Mystery of TA reinforcements - Solved (!?)
Mystery of TA reinforcements - Solved (!?)
I had to make this post long ago, but at the same time, I am happy that now I possess even bigger amount of information. 
So, how do TA reinforcements work? I am ready to answer this question!

Years back, when I played larkinor more actively (like in last days :D) I made up several experiments. Plan of the experiment 1 could be described as following:

1. When there were many repopulated with invaders blocks, I cut them apart from the big groups with 2 line distance. 
2. I started to study blocks with different number of monsters on them and different square sized blocks at the same time. Back then the reinforcements appeared faster, so I did the experiment for time which may seems relatively not so long nowadays, but it was back then - I studies those cut blocks for like a few hours.
3. I was looking for one of these:
3.1. Did the monsters' number increase?
3.2. Did the monsters made a move on the square nearby?
During the study period both those questions were answered "NO".

Experiment 2 was like this:
1. I cleared the corridor (the vertical line which connects North and South cities).
2. I damaged armies on the Western side of it (W armies) by 6 invaders. This would allow me to see the changes in monsters' number, thus - spot the movements.
3. I was constantly checking for numbers' growth and was constantly clearing the corridor.
2 observations were made here:
- There is no change in numbers of W armies if the corridor is cleared
- The numbers of W armies did change ONLY if W armies were somehow connected with E armies (the ones right from the corridor).

These experiments allowed me to make the following statement:

Reinforcements come somewhere from Eastern claster of monsters, Eastern block of invaders. They conquer only the squares, which are connected with E block of monsters. Thus, Eastern block of invaders may have some reinforcement center, and if it will be destroyed - the invaders will stop appearing.[/
b]


Ok, so now we know that we should aim for Eastern block of monsters. But where exactly? HERE: 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10349
 Why ?

Ok, several facts make us choose this and not other square.
1. My experiments - the RC (Reinforcement center) is somewhere on E side.
2. Common sense:
2.1. The far we are from that block the less guard it needs. Run all the blocks invaded where the numbers are shown - you will see, that the far you go from this block the less numbers become. (e.g. 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10310
 - 250k to the Easr, 150k to the North; 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10274
 - 150k to the East, 120k to the West...)
2.2. The RC must be hiden somewhere in the center of map, so it wouldn't be so easy to reach it from the ports, right? There are ports on the North and South of the island, one on the West (though, just a little) so we need to look for the block which is located far enough from both these ports. Even if we calculate the square of TA (83 squares WITH lake, 80 without it - lake is 3 squares big) we will get like the 40th or 41st square in the middle, and if we calculate this number from any of the parts of the island - top north or top south - we will hit approximately this point.
3. Finally, only one thing to explain: 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10382
 - why do we see 500k to the East and 350k to the North, meanwhile North provides bigger opportunities for movement, than East? Answer must be the geometry:
3.1. Let's assume that distance between 2 nearest blocks = 1. Then, distance between RC and 350k block is 2.
3.2. At the same time, distance (once again, geometrical, not step distance!) between 500k and RC block is (square root of (1+1)) = (square root of 2) = about 1.4, which is a bit less.
3.3. Now let's look back at the point 2.1. - the bigger distance till the RC, the more monsters guard it. Since 2>1.4 , we can conclude that the RC block must be closer to 500k block than 350k. 
There is only one square for which this condition is true
 - and I already named it.

Although, there is 
just one alternative variant
: 
500k block IS the RC block
.
This gives us 2 action lines:
1. First we target this 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10347
 block and then aim for 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10348
 to the east and then east again. Even if we will get that 500k is the reinforcement block - it will be cut apart, and we will know where to expect the reinforcements from. Although, I don't think it is the RC.
2. Second is harder but more accurate: we target 500k block right away, and if reinforcements do not stop - we go north and east, thus reaching the RC block that I stated before.

As for me, I would choose 1st way, since we would save up some time (350k < 500k) on kills and would advance to RC faster. Though, I assume 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10348
 will have like 750k monsters and RC - a million. But this nightmare may finally stop.
Thanks for reading,
TA must be cleared by Larkinorians finally, reinforcements must go down! We can!
Artik.
Made a little mistake:

http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10314
 is the block we need to get to. Mistake arisen from "350k" block, which I though was always 350k, until ezekial told me it was once 500k as well... But, 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10349
 geometrically contradicted 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10311
 and 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10381
 blocks, which have the same distance to it but different invaders values.

http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10314
  contradicts nothing (yet). Geometrically all the invader numbers are set correctly. 

But anyway, this doesn't change the plan much. Next target must be 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10347
 and then, according to the data on nearest blocks, we have 2 assumptions:
1. If nothern block has 300k - then we need to get to 
http://larkinorguide.com/cgi-bin/islands.cgi?act=block&bid=10349
 to stop the nightmare. Though, that's unlikely to happen (seeing 300k on it :D)...
2. Most likely, that northern block will have 500k or above, meanwhile Southern block will have either the same value that N block has or higher. Depending on it we get 2 lines of further action:
2.1. if E > N, then we go 1 N and 2 E, thus reaching the RC block.
2.2. if E = N - then both steps are possible to reach the ...314 block.

And yes, once againt run experiment gave us positive data - monsters DON'T move from W part of island unless they are somehow connected with E part of TA army.

Thanks for reading!
Artik
This is some really cool SandyT-style investigating, TCA! Nice job! :)
Whoa! I was never complimented like this. Even more, I doubt there is a better way to do this :p:D. Thanks Tyler !
I don't mean to offend, however, is there a readers digest version of this?
Sure :).
Go to block, which is near 350k and 500k monster populated blocks and attack 350k block. That's how the reinforcements will stop showing up faster :).
Why this one? Due to several reasons, please read above :D.
Artik.
Basically, we know that invaders cut off from the main unit of monsters don't move or grow.  TCA is postulating that this "main unit" of monsters is really a single square somewhere in the eastern block of monsters.  Based on his extensive study and calculations, he has determined that 10314 is the likely source of the invaders and that if we manage to destroy that square the invaders will cease.

Hope that's a more easily digestable version for you, Omni.
It has been proven that Artic was right.  There was a Reinforcement center RC, source of invasions. It is at block 10349.  Hope to see you around Artik.

-kristal.
So, short of clearing the whole island (besides the mystery RC (recruitment centre) square)... I think our most reasonable option is to try and isolate the RC.  It likely won't stop the invasions (although it might).  But at least it will give us a goal.  And once isolated, we can start working at each of the remaining squares in turn.
Well, guess I can say 'don't worry guys, RC is not a 10M block :D'...
Although, it makes sense, since there must be a source of magic nubs for building stones. The question now is - did we influence the numbers of daily invaders by reaching it and cutting it's supplies to the west? Would be interesting to find out.
Regardless, Jason's suggestion is the one I thought of to be logical - by cutting off RC we won't have to worry about invaders besides any but 2 squares - N and W from RC. The downside is it would require 1.5M+ invader kills and Larkinorians are already drained after doing it recently. But it's still the main future plan.
As I mentioned in other topic, studying if getting rid of 1M square changed the numbers of invaders seems to be a good idea. It might turn out that number of daily invaders depends on number of invaders present on TA or on occupied TA blocks, so by getting rid of smaller numbers we might decrease the number of incoming invaders and thus start rebuilding TA safely.
or maybe they come by luftballoons!