Auto picks, the most used distribution mode among casual players. If you scroll through open games the majority of these games are auto picks, but why? Why do so many players prefer random spots over being able to choose their own positioning?

My thoughts are as follows:
1: Casual players aren't interested in strategy so much, they just want to play the game. Losing also doesn't matter as much on average.

2: Players who prefer auto picks probably have less time and prefer fast games. Auto picks removes the picking phase which can take up some time.

3: With Auto Picks anyone can have a terrible position, or a not so bad position. This means that bad players have a better chance at beating better players.

So if you like auto picks more than manual picks educate me on why this is so, thanks. :)

I have tried playing manual distribution games and don't really understand where is strategically better to pick. It takes me awhile while I count wastelands and look at the entire map and think about where my opponent will pick, etc and I don't tend to have much time and don't want to spend it picking. I still make games with manual just to practice for ladder and try to figure out where to pick best, but if I'm in open games and just want a game that I can focus strategy on the actual game than the picks, I pick games with auto distribute. and I find it kinda interesting. like "which wasteland-surrounded place will the computer put me into this time?" I've had several games with auto distribute against Warlight membership-holders where we just choose a map, use auto distribute, and turn on autopilots and watch our AI fight each other from curiosity or just for no good reason. as you can prolly assume, I'm not the brightest of characters.

I don't want a game based on picks. Strategy imt really shows itself when you do well with the cards you got, not doing well by the cards you pick. Also reason #2.

Edited 2/26/2017 06:59:17

I understand what both of you are saying, and it helps to give me another perspective thanks. What about others? =)

The default way to get picks is automatically rather than manual, so newbs probably don't change this.

Dan, noobs are far more likely to create auto pick games while skilled players are far more likely to make manual pick games. I agree with what you're saying but there's a bigger part of it.

I know this because I check open games a looooooot. I'm not trying to sound condescending and I don't hate auto picks, I even play AP games sometimes when I don't care much about winning.

Edited 2/26/2017 15:49:08

For me, I like auto-picks only because it avoids the drama and name calling due to the bad picking.

Another factor is map size and game size. A lot of the open games are FFAs with many players on large maps. In those kind of games, manual picks aren't really 'pure skill' as much as 'purely deterministic' -- you're fully in charge of where you end up, but you're just replacing RNG luck with RPS luck.

A lot of times in big FFAs, making the 'strategically best' pick on big maps can backfire, because other people who are thinking strategically have the same bright idea and end up on top of each other. Meanwhile someone making 'strategically sub-optimal picks' can end up with an easier start, because they're in an area no-one else wants.

So, when I want a big complicated game on a large/huge map, I prefer auto-picks (although I'll play either). Why drive myself nuts trying to game-theory 10 players each making 5 optimal picks out of 1000 territories, when one guy throwing darts can undo all that planning?


With all that said, I'll freely admit I'm also weak at manual picks, and fully acknowledge that manual picking is an important skill in smaller scale games.

I personally thank that this question has some interesting parallels and is closely related to another, that of Warlords vs Full Distribution

1) Other threads cover this, but the intelligence value of getting bumped from a pick may or may not be worth not getting your preferred pick, depending on the settings. In the 1v1 Auto-game, this is a fairly neutral advantage/disadvantage.

2) I don't like manual picks in team games because of a) the User Interface, and b) the coordination required with teammates.

For 2a) It is very difficult, especially as the teams get larger and the number of picks is larger, to determine where players got bumped from. Toggling back/forth from the Picks/selecting Players, seeing who got what picks, etc. There should be an intermediate turn in the history view that shows the set of picks that you did not get.

For 2b), or not 2b) Team picking is awful - unless 100% of your teammates are used to picking as a team. You get people that don't understand strategies, won't chat, have conflicting strategies, etc. It causes so much angst, and the game can very easily be lost by someone putting all 4 picks in Iceland and leaving 99.9% of the map open. I'd just as soon leave it on auto-picks and get on with the game. Playing on balanced maps helps make auto-distribution games good. MN did a template a while back that I enjoyed, one of the battle islands maps, where about 24 possible spread out starting spots and 3 picks each in a 3v3, leaving 8 starts empty. You still had to hedge a bit on where they started, but there was sufficient risk that they would/wouldn't be where you thought they would be.

People have made some compelling arguments but I think that manual distribution teaches the player so much. There is so much potential strategy and forethought that goes into manual distribution that makes it so crucial to understanding the game and getting better. If an individual is able to properly pick locations that means that they have an understanding of the map and can see how the game might turn out. While it may seem like luck or a waste of time in some peoples opinions I disagree. One must factor in if they don't get a territory and then proceed to counter pick or an individual must decide growth potential from a certain pick. It also is a litmus test for how well one can digest a new map and see how good their skills are by being able to dynamically change to different maps and settings. Maybe this isn't great for new players and yes there are drawbacks but in my opinion there becomes a point where automatic distribution is inferior. I think that all players should properly understand manual distribution because from my experience if an individual can properly understand a map and make good picks they will do well in combat and strategy.

also, don't be afraid and try to learn from people! It is the worst when an individual makes terrible picks and they are completely against any criticism. When I was a newer player, I always made changes suggested by experienced players and tried to learn from them; not tell them to fuck off and surrender.

Not everyone wants to learn. Not everyone wants to be a strategic player.

Calling automatic distribution inferior in comparison to manual is the same as calling all forms of single attack inferior because it lacks the complexity and foresight required by MA.

Some good posts on this thread in favor of auto distribution. I also like Najdorf's post because he explains a bit why auto picks are disfavored by the strat community but yeah.


A little off topic (but doesn't have to be) but I also want to say this:

Full Distribution: Player has more options to choose from and can effectively customize their own picks more to their own personal liking. You can still grab plenty of "intel" from full distribution, also. Some people discredit full distribution by asserting it to be "less strategic", but that's an argument for another time.

Random Warlords Distribution: Different "good" spots every game results in a different picking strategy every game, so unlike Full Distribution you will have to adapt to a board with a different board layout immediately and select the best picks from what you see instead of picking the same way you've already picked 20,000 times.

I like both really. I couldn't imagine enjoying Strat MME if it used full and I like my RoR games with both albeit Full slightly better.

Auto-distribution is good in a casual setting, especially when there are large skill gaps between players. With manual picks games often turn into puppetting matches unless all players are on a similar level, which isn't really all that much fun for anyone involved.