How is Random Quanta Used?

[Demagog]

So let's say you have two quanta pools and you want to play an SoG (let's call them life and fire because they are short and easy to type). So, are the two quantums that will be spent dependent or independent of each other? In the case of the former, you would have a 1/3 chance of losing two life quanta, a 1/3 chance of losing two fire quanta, and a 1/3 chance of losing one of both. As for the latter, you would have a 1/4 chance of losing two fire quanta, a 1/4 chance of losing two life quanta, and a 1/2 chance of losing one from both. I'm pretty sure I used the words dependent and independent correctly. There are much more complicated examples of this, for instance more quanta pools, higher random cost, and gaining quanta instead of losing quanta (quantum pillars).

[PuppyChow]

I'm fairly certain it's independent, just because dependent would be much harder to program for something that really is only a minor point in the game.

With dependent, you would have to make an algorithm to get every possible combination of elements for the random quanta. For instance, a sod, out of quantum pools A, B, and C.
-AAA
-ABB
-ACC
-ABC
-BBB
-BAA
-BCC
-CAA
-CBB
-CCC
I think that's it. With quanta from all 12 pools, it would be TONS of possibilities (I don't feel like calculating the exact number).

So what seems easier to program? Take one random quantum, then take another, then take another?
Or make an array with EVERY possible combination (making an algorithm to do this would be pretty hard in itself... I'm not entirely sure how I would do it), and then choose a random combination out of that array?

[Ashebrethafe]

Dependent vs. independent is only half the question. Do you already know the quanta are picked from a set, not a bag? (You seem to be assuming that you have the same chance of losing two life quanta as two fire quanta, if you have at least two of each.)

I haven't heard anything definitive about how random quanta work, but I always assumed it was independent, bag for consumption, and set for production -- that if you have 4 life and 2 fire, you have a 2/5 chance of losing 2 life, a 1/15 chance of losing 2 fire, and an 8/15 chance of losing 1 of each; and regardless of what quanta you already have, each of your quantum pillars has a 1/1,728 chance of producing 3 life, a 1/576 chance of producing 2 life and 1 fire, and a 1/288 chance of producing 1 life, 1 fire, and 1 time (and likewise for each of the 11 other elements, 132 ordered pairs of elements, and 220 unordered triples).

[plastiqe]

Random quanta is random?  : )

[teffy]

Calculating the number of possabilties is quite simple, It´s the number of possabilities to elect multisets with 3 elements out of a set with 12 elements. (See wikipedia->Multiset) That´s the binomial coefficient (12+3-1,3)= 14!/(11!3!). I think the way the quanta are elected is the same as the way for Devourers and zanz wrote, how that works. Programming that array needs math or tricky if things (what happens if only 2 of a special quanta is available?), I think it´s easier, if the computer only chooses a few random numbers 

[zanzarino]

0. Check if there is enough quanta doing the summation of all pool. If yes:

1. Generate a N random number between 1 and 12
2. Is there quanta in the N pool?      Yes: quanta-1          No:GoTo1
3. Enough quanta removed?             Yes: The end            No:GoTo1

[Demagog]

Awesome. Thanks Zanz. My curiosity is satisfied.

[PuppyChow]

*Gloats that he was right*