Problem with sophisticated pillager

[Gerontius]

Something has gone wrong with the "sophisticated pillager" skill, which should give a 30% chance to receive an adventure bonus quest

For both of these mail below, I received no quests, even though the mail says the skill has activated

http://forum.thesettlersonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5807&stc=1&d=1395961928

http://forum.thesettlersonline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5817&stc=1&d=1396688737

Notes concerning the bug:

Explorer emails do not always mention "sophisticated pillager", which implies that the skill is only mentioned in an email when it has been activated.

I have 6 bonus quests currently active, but not for any of these adventures. I know you can only have one quest for each different adventure. Perhaps there's a hard limit of how many quests you can have in total, or perhaps there aren't any bonus quests for these particular adventures (which I consider to be "undocumented key feature" type bugs).

On the second image, I only expected to receive one bonus quest, not two. Receiving none was final confirmation for me that something was wrong. Perhaps something has gone wrong with the interaction between the "sophisticated pillager" and "trouble-seeker" skills.

Still haven't bothered reporting this to support since, really, they're not going to do anything about it. I'll wait to see how many more lost quests I get...

----Updates will follow below to keep track of problem----

Update: 8 April 2014 - found traitors and lost skull at same time, skill "fired", but no new quest

[SmurfAsH]

I guess what has been triggered here is "Trouble-seeker". And yes, don't blame BB for putting in some real hardcore coders in this game - this stinks trainee-program all over.

[Gerontius]

No, I don't think trouble seeker is the problem.

Note that the FIRST of the two trouble-seeker slots is the adventure, and I've only ever had a sophisticated pillager activate on the first slot, never when I've found an adventure on the second slot.

For example, my next search had lost skull in the second slot, and sophisticated pillager didn't activate, nor did I expect it to (although it would be nice if it did!)

G

[Dorotheus]

As it says you only have a 30% chance of getting the bonus quest. Have you seen any mention of the sophisticated pillager when you have not recieved the bonus quest in the past.

[Gerontius]

The message only mentions "sophisticated pillager" if a quest has been found.

eg, I just found outlaws (and only outlaws, no second set of map pieces/second adventure) and it made no mention of the skill working and, as expected, I don't have an outlaws adventure quest.

[Dorotheus]

So presumably not a graphics bug then.

[Gerontius]

Just had it happen again when I found a "Tomb Raiders". TR was in the first slot, 11 map pieces in second, list of applicable skills mentioned sophisticated pillager, but no bonus quest.

Unless I make a find where it's just a single adventure and the SP skill says it activates but hasn't, I won't bother reporting this to support. Any more ideas what the problem might be in the meantime?

[Gerontius]

Updated above with a new screenshot...

[ddakka]

Is there any updates on this, or even BB looking into this? I have been holding off for a while now but I have upgraded both of my luckies to the point of needing to choose a top skill. My gf has this and she also experiences the problem. In about a months (before easter) and she as gotten 2 bonus adv. She has only been sending him out for adventures solely.

Is this just being ignored by BB? I really wish they had some active staff in these forums that can respond to these issues. It's like they all go into a black hole when posted. If anyone has any info please respond. In the mean time my gf is doing another explorer that doesnt have the trouble-seeker to see if she gets more of these bonus adventures. Really sux to have to experiment with this as skilling your tree to top tier is a very long and laborious process. All because BB can't even respond to this post. Very very disappointing.

[Sharpielein]

I haven't gotten a single Adventure Bonus Quest from my Sophisticated Pillager for a full month, but don't ask me how often the skill triggered ... I really don't know. Thought the skill was a good investment, but the "Nya nya I did something but you get nothing" addition makes it kinda ... totally meh...

[Gerontius]

I had a dry patch, but they're creeping back again now.

[Sharpielein]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/Sharpsharp/2ca563fa-d13f-4291-be37-023a069e8884.png (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Sharpsharp/media/2ca563fa-d13f-4291-be37-023a069e8884.png.html)

Guess what bonus adventure I got?
NONE.

[minion79]

Successful extra quests found in less than 1 week using 1 lucky explorer only, since the end of the summer event. Have since found more. This was achieved using several short searches during the day and long overnight. after a few days of this I ran a few medium searches to get a fair sample. All searches bought back at least 1 quest.

http://s25.postimg.org/dw4vryren/screenshot_181.png
http://s25.postimg.org/mfo9ppzr3/screenshot_182.png
http://s25.postimg.org/bu4edptfj/screenshot_183.png
http://s25.postimg.org/6781g8qwv/screenshot_184.png

http://s25.postimg.org/cfbga8bwf/screenshot_190.png
http://s25.postimg.org/beb7l3uwv/screenshot_191.png
http://s25.postimg.org/twfk5ccov/screenshot_192.png
http://s25.postimg.org/b5dmv6i4f/screenshot_193.png


http://s25.postimg.org/wtz7d6x4v/screenshot_201.png
http://s25.postimg.org/q4snx6bsv/screenshot_202.png
http://s25.postimg.org/ba42j027z/screenshot_203.png
http://s25.postimg.org/bo5eilmbj/screenshot_204.png

http://s25.postimg.org/msnh19hz3/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/mh60oi1j3/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/k147anjgf/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/56flwh9vj/screenshot_246.png

http://s25.postimg.org/8sz7ecke7/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/ndga96fcv/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/t4b20ncqn/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/4cbftevjz/screenshot_246.png

http://s25.postimg.org/9z3pk224f/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/4oyqsrhvj/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/rexvlr133/screenshot_246.png
http://s25.postimg.org/h65efxd1b/screenshot_246.png

[Gerontius]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/Sharpsharp/2ca563fa-d13f-4291-be37-023a069e8884.png (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Sharpsharp/media/2ca563fa-d13f-4291-be37-023a069e8884.png.html)

Guess what bonus adventure I got?
NONE.

Apparently it's a known bug that there are no quests for co-op adventures. This might explain a lot of the problems - the skill "fires", but since there is no quest available for the adventure in question, nothing actually happens.

That doesn't actually explain the first picture I posted in this thread, unless there's no quest for tropical sun, either. I certainly don't remember ever seeing one. Same for valiant little tailor.

Perhaps this is the solution to what this bug is. Co-op, epic raid and a few other adventures don't have quests and the bug is that the sophisticated pillagar skill doesn't know and still says it has been activated.

Given how often I seem to get co-op adventures, if the above theory is correct it's no wonder sophisticated pillager seems to work less often than it should .

[Gerontius]

[center]Successful extra quests found in less than 1 week using 1 lucky explorer only, since the end of the summer event. Have since found more. This was achieved using several short searches during the day and long overnight. after a few days of this I ran a few medium searches to get a fair sample. All searches bought back at least 1 quest.


Lucky you. Not sure what point there is to this except bragging rights...We all know it works sometimes.

[Glavo]

Hey everyone, I need some help here.

As I am level 45, one of my explorer have learned the sophisticated pillager skill due to science system. I have made several searches, 20, maybe 30 and this skill never worked for me. It was mentioned as an affection skill with one of my searches but nothing more happened. I hvae never seen a new quest showing up somewhere. Am I missing something?

I will most welcome all your answers.

Cheers, Glavo

[Glavo]

It has somehow worked out. I got "skill bonus" topic in my quest book with one bonus for additional award. Do I have to complete this one to get another bonus quest or could I have more bonus quest under skill bonus topic.

Thx for comments,

Glavo.

[Pityaker]

you can collect more for different adventures, not sure if you can stack more than one for each adventure.

[Glavo]

you can collect more for different adventures
That's what I've meant, thx for your comment. Helped me a lot.

Cheers, Glavo

[blacknat]

t
That's what I've meant, thx for your comment. Helped me a lot.

Cheers, Glavo

The most I have had is bonuses for 2 adv, guessing that is the max so either delete one if its one you don,t plan doing and you should get another in due course. If anyone has had more than 2 let me know please.

[minion79]

I've had 5 different at once, I think you could get more.

http://s25.postimg.org/h65efxd1b/screenshot_246.png

[frenkzmacolo]

Bug still exists, got VLT today, skill activated but no bonus quest. I guess 1 year is not enough time to fix it.

[Baggis]

I've upgraded an explorer to use the Sophisticated Pillager skill, so far not very sophisticated, he has found nothing in nearly a month.. Is this normal??

[Ozzymandeus]

...not sure if you can stack more than one for each adventure.

Only one Bonus Quest per adventure at any given time.


I've upgraded an explorer to use the Sophisticated Pillager skill, so far not very sophisticated, he has found nothing in nearly a month.. Is this normal??

I have three lucky explorers all upgraded with this skill and a decent chance of finding 2 adventures at once, all running multiple adventure searches per day and I can occasionally go a week or so without one. It's rare, but it happens, so I would say one slower explorer with the skill not finding one in a month is well within the bounds of the RNG.

A lot has to do with the adventures your explorer finds, because you only have a chance of getting a BQ if you find an adventure that has Bonus Quests programmed. As far as I have managed to gather, there are no Bonus Quests for Scenarios, Co-operatives, VLT, Lost Skull, Tropical Sun, Arctic Explosion, Bastille Island, Sleepy Reef or Sleeping Volcano.

[Jim_B]

I believe this explorer skill is bugged - I only appear to get a bonus adventure quest when my explorer's "Trouble Seeker" skill results in 2 adventures. Surely this is not how the skill is supposed to work? I have never had a bonus quest when he return with just one adventure.

[Dorotheus]

Now you mention it I can only recall the same happening myself.

[Jim_B]

so it seems that to have a 30% chance of getting a bonus quest, I have to have fulfilled the first condition of getting 2 adventures (also 30%) as well as also not finding map fragments (around 30%)

so the odds are nowhere near what one would expect from the description: about 9% of successful searches (if the explorer is fully skilled in trouble seeker). If the odds of finding map frags is about 70%, then actually only 2.7% of adventure searches will give a bonus quest.

If this is intended then the description is highly misleading

[Peajay]

I'm willing to bet this is not the only skill that is bugged. Didn't these skills come out 2 years ago?

[IainC]

I think that what is happening here is the same as for the geologist skills. I have geologists with the Natures Gift (15% chance to refill a deposit) and Quality Copper Mineshafts (45% chance to get a copper mine that mines at double speed). The Natures Gift only ever happens when I get a Quality Copper Mineshaft so what I suspect happens is that when the geologist finishes a search, the game generates a random number from 1-100 and applies that roll to all skills instead of rolling for each separately. So the Sophisticated Pillager should happen every time you have a successful Trouble Seeker result that doesn't end in map fragments.

So, your Explorer finishes his search, the game rolls the dice. If the roll is <30 then the Trouble Seeker and Sophisticated Pillager both happen. Then the game rolls to see what adventure you found and that table is the one that determines whether it's map fragments, Nords, VLT, etc (There's a different table for each search duration). If the result is map fragments then the Sophisticated Pillager isn't applied. So it's not 30% of 30% of 30% (2.9%) it's 30% of 30% (9%)

[Madorosu]

I just had a Nords bonus quest generated when Trouble Seeker didn't kick in and give me a second adventure.
The Lucky Explorer in question returned a copy of Nords and a Harvest Ritual buff.
Feel free to weave that into your theories! :)

EDIT:
Also got a Bonus Quest for DB this evening with no Trouble Seeker activated.
Once again, the Lucky Explorer also found a Harvest Ritual.

[Rosejane]

Before the lady explorer became available I had one explorer set up for adventures including the Sophisticated Pillager skill. I got fairly valuable additional quests from time to time (though less than 30% of the time). I recovered the books & set the lady up to be my new adventures explorer giving the right skills.
I'm not sure how long ago it was we got her but I haven't had an additional quest since then. She very occasionally brings back 3 adventures/map parts but that is it.
BB say 30% is a low probability (!!!) & months without that skill producing results is quite possible without there being a bug. I'm not convinced.
Anyone else having this problem?

[Dorotheus]

I have seen no indication that the skill has been expanded to include the new ali's, apart from that i'm seeing the same returns as before xxl came out.

[Durin_d]

Here's a list of the quest http://osettlers.com/en/quests/skill-quests

You have to first find one of these adventures and then you have 30% chance to get the bonus quest

[Houri3_old]

4 threads merged

[Rosejane]

This explains a lot. Recently, I've been sticking to 'very long search' in the hope of FT & Ali adventures - mostly getting co-op adventures (does anyone do them?) & map parts. Still seems very unfair when game promises 30% chance of a bonus quest & no mention that you only get it from shorter searches.

[HFoC]

The whole science system needs to be overhauled, and adapted to the XXL package. Preferably with a free skill reset event.

[Xibor]

Here's a list of the quest http://osettlers.com/en/quests/skill-quests

You have to first find one of these adventures and then you have 30% chance to get the bonus quest

Thanks for that. This was just being discussed in the house, nice to have the clarification.