Conquer Club

Under what conditions are the duplicate cards for the same territ possible in a game?

I had though duplicate cards weren't possible, but someone mentioned a hypothetical of more cards in play than unique territs in a small map and I really didn't have a good answer. Say an 8 player nuke game on doodle earth... all players have 4 cards, but there are only 18 territs on the map. There must be duplicates right? In most large nuke games I've played usually people get a card they already own early then they will tend to just stack that spot so people can't bomb them (under the assumption duplicate cards can't exist). I've used this tactic before, and I've never been bombed while doing it. Just curious if someone has a clear cut answer to that.

Interesting.. Fact is you don't get to this kind of situation on a small map.
But we could start a game and create this scenario..

You get duplicates only if one of each card is already in play once.

Yeah, let's say you're playing on a map with 24 terts, and each of eight players is currently holding five cards. That means there are forty cards held and only 24 terts, so obviously there are duplicates among the 40.

Someone can work out an actual algebraic way to state this, but the probability of duplication is based on the size of the map and the number of players. The more players, the more likely it is, and the fewer terts the more likely it is. Duplication becomes impossible when the (# of terts) => (# of players)*5.

The largest standard game is 12 players, which would mean there is potential for 60 cards to be held. The vast majority of maps have less than 60 terts. Of course it's not often that everyone has 5 cards at the same time, but it does happen. So with 12 players, duplication is possible on a majority of maps.

With a more common 6 player game, the most cards held could be 30, so duplication could only occur on the maps with fewer than 30 terts, of which there are only 14 (https://www.conquerclub.com/public.php?mode=maps&sort=Territories) With a slightly-less common 8 player game, duplication could occur on any map with fewer than 40 terts, so no you're in to a larger set of maps, anything from Jakarta down, 46 maps total.

Who knew you could use math for something? My favorite is when, I cash the same card to nuke a place for the third time in a row, and during that whole time someone holds a region for a bonus. Somehow none of those cards make it to a set for someone to cash.

Happens all the time when you play battle royal games.

Thanks Duk and Beast.

Just so I'm clear the actual duplication won't occur until there is already more cards in play than unique territs correct? In other words if the map has 40 territs, the first 40 cards issued(assuming none are cashed) will always be unique and card 41 is the first time a duplicate will occur? This seems to be exactly what Zabeast is saying, just wanted to confirm.

mookiemcgee wrote:Thanks Duk and Beast.

Just so I'm clear the actual duplication won't occur until there is already more cards in play than unique territs correct? In other words if the map has 40 territs, the first 40 cards issued(assuming none are cashed) will always be unique and card 41 is the first time a duplicate will occur? This seems to be exactly what Zabeast is saying, just wanted to confirm.

Yes. And no second duplicates will occur until all duplicates are in play. Similarly, If duplicates are already in play but unique cards are cashed, the unique ones are handed out first.

Extreme Ways wrote:

mookiemcgee wrote:Thanks Duk and Beast.

Just so I'm clear the actual duplication won't occur until there is already more cards in play than unique territs correct? In other words if the map has 40 territs, the first 40 cards issued(assuming none are cashed) will always be unique and card 41 is the first time a duplicate will occur? This seems to be exactly what Zabeast is saying, just wanted to confirm.

Yes. And no second duplicates will occur until all duplicates are in play. Similarly, If duplicates are already in play but unique cards are cashed, the unique ones are handed out first.

Yes.

But then, are there any rules as to who gets what cards? Or it's random?
Meaning i can get the same card twice?

i-andrei wrote:But then, are there any rules as to who gets what cards? Or it's random?
Meaning i can get the same card twice?

The distribution of cards is similar to a normal game. If no unique cards are available, You get a random card from the pool of available cards. So yes, you can end up with duplicate cards yourself and this probability is just as large as getting another duplicate you don't already own.

Small addendum, the colour of the card is not fixed and does not need to be duplicate.