Board Thread:Plants vs. Zombies Heroes/@comment-27053902-20160729215549/@comment-28434137-20160729224153

Should you buy single packs or multipacks? And which multipacks are best, 1000 gem, 2000 or 5000 gem multipacks? I did the math, and the answer surprised me ...

Obviously there is no correct answer for everyone, it depends on how patient you are. But "how patient you are" can be quantified using the concept of "discount rate" from basic economics. (I should probably use the term "pure rate of time preference", but let's not muddy the waters too much). I made a spreadsheet that estimates your personal discount rate, and then calculates which pack type is optimal for your discount rate.

I consider myself a fairly patient person and was saving up to buy a 2000 or 5000 gem multipack. But it turns out that the best pack for me is the 1000 gem multipack. Yay for math (when it brings swift gratification)!

To try my spreadsheet out, click this link (it will prompt you to create a copy of my spreadsheet in you Google docs area). Answer the question at the top (fill in cell A5) and scroll down to row 29 to see the optimal pack type for your discount rate.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Satm72kvGnbxG1toYGbflsngsymNGRu47VYFUXJA-Ug/copy

If you just want to check my calculations (view only mode), click this instead:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Satm72kvGnbxG1toYGbflsngsymNGRu47VYFUXJA-Ug/edit