What does "Normalization Period" actually do?

[woolymuffler]

What the title says; what effect does changing the normalization period have? Does it represent the period that MPPs are collected for (so changing from the normal "Call to Arms" 14 days Normalization Period to 7 days would double the number of MPPS per year)?

Conversely, would changing normalization period to 28 days cut the MPPs per year in half?

[BillRunacre]

Hi

Normalized Production ensures that production per time period is more balanced in campaigns with variable seasonal turn lengths. Its effect will be to increase production in winter turns (where they cover a longer period of time) and decrease it in summer turns (where they cover a shorter period).

[woolymuffler]

Right, I get normalization in general (and think I want to use it). If normalization is turned off (default for Call to Arms), each turn has the same production (assuming same resources) regardless of turn length. And turning on Normalization scales the production for turn length, as you said.

But what effect does changing the Normalization Period have? The default (turning on normalization) is 14 days. My assumption is normalization period is the "collection period"; so whatever resources you have produce their full value per normalization period which is then adjusted for turn length when normalization is turned on:

Normalization.JPG (12.8 KiB) Viewed 943 times

[BillRunacre]

Yes, I think you've got it!

Give it a quick try in a test campaign to see it in action (I use a test campaign, generally one with a minimal map and units, for testing lots of things, it's much quicker than using the full campaign).

[woolymuffler]

Thanks Bill! That makes normalziation period a really powerful tool for balancing mpps on mods. Theoretically that would provide a way to compensate for the doubled MPPs of simultaneous turns (by doubling the normalization period as well). Worth trying if someone wanted to go with simultaneous turns.

I've been experimenting a bit with 7 day alternating turns year round (which give you 1.75 times the turns, so 1.75 times the MPP if not normalized). I tried normalizing at 14 days (with 7 day turns) as I wasn't sure if the collection period should reflect the period between a single side's turns (which would be 14 days with 7 day alternating turns) or the period between each side's turn. With a 14 day normalization period MPPs felt too low per turn, I assume because I halved economic activity per turn but there aren't double the turns.

I am now trying an 11 day normalization period and it's better, although 10 or even 9 might end up being the sweet spot.

[woolymuffler]

I realized I was making this harder than it needed to be; all I need to do is figure out the normalization period of the standard Call to Arms (which would be about 12.6 days with 29 turns per average (non-leap) year).

No matter how many (alternating) turns you have per year, somewhere around there for normalization period will give about the same number of MPPs per year. Actually it might even control for simultaneous turns, as I assume the normalization code would account for total number of turns per year whether simultaneous or alternating. So I would think you only get doubled MPPs with simultaneous turns if you don't normalize production.

After that, just adjust for feel; I think a slightly shorter normalizaton period works well, as a normalized summer of 1914 is very tight on MPP compared to standard per turn economy. Even with a few more MPPs overall, not much beyond rebuilding unit strength, operating a few units and decision costs are happening in the summer.

[BillRunacre]

Good to hear you're getting there, and it will be interesting to hear how your experiences with it fare.