A Long (or Very Short) Game

[rchaneberg]

So all of these 10/10 games sound like they're a lot of 'fun,' so I figured I would share in the joy.

Anyway, I present the settings:
120-planet Snake map
10 Gravity Drill
10 Any Non-technologist (Neinzul Cluster Bomber)
All Minor factions on
Golems and Spirecraft Hard
All Ships
Avenger and Astrotrains for AI 1
Advanced Hybrids and Beachheads for AI 2




That first mark IV world raises an issue, with it there I can guarantee that I can get Spire Frigates before I need to expand, but I may really need defensive depth and the hybrids and Spire Civilian Leaders make any delay much more dangerous. I think I'm going to try to survey as quickly as I can while I fortify my last homeworld. Who knows with a little luck and some advise, this may be my first win

[Hearteater]

Who knows with a little luck and some advise, this may be my first win

All Minor factions on
Advanced Hybrids and Beachheads for AI 2

If I were a betting man, I don't think I'd bet on this for your first win.  It will likely be the your most hilarious defeat though .

[zoutzakje]

oh to remind you of something.... if you play with multiple homeworlds, losing just one of them means defeat... so fortifying your last homeworld is useless (at least, that's what I've heard).
And you really need some easier settings lol. Gravity drill could work in your advantage, but cluster bomber is trouble. Both easier types would be best. put golems and spirecraft on easy, you do NOT want exo's on 10/10. turn Core Shield Generators (ship type) off in a snake map, that will be your doom, even in a 7/7 game. and the Ai plots need to be off... all of them. especially the hybrids.
Do all this and you might be able to capture... at least 3 planets.... lol. 10/10 wave type AI's are supposed to be unbeatable, even with easy settings. If you manage to beat 10/10 the way you are playing now, then you are the master of AI War.

[rchaneberg]

Well, the first experiment ended after 13:00 minutes.
Turns out 10 raid starships will really ruin your day.
On the bright side Z-shredders are excellent against the large fleet blob right out of a wormhole.

Next time I'm not going to build so many turrets, using fleetships instead. I'll probably add a fortress and plenty of gravity and tractor turrets.
Definitely gonna turn off core shield generators, may change AI 2 to a nonwave type if this gets more ridiculous than it already is.

[keith.lamothe]

An interesting attempt, but all the minor factions and hybrids (let alone advanced hybrids) on 10/10 ?  I really think you're getting into "mathematically improbable", even if you were playing perfectly

[zoutzakje]

exactly. The settings you were playing with are just overkill. As keith recently said, when somebody wins a 10/10 game, it usually gets filed with the bug reports. 9/9 is possible to win with good strategies, but dif 10 is pretty much made for fun. It's basically a survival game. So far I've lasted 1 hour and 15 mins in my 10/10 game, but I have no doubt that i will get owned hard eventually lol

[rchaneberg]

I don't really expect to win, but it is fun to see the game at it's most brutal.
On that note, currently sitting at AIP20 having just 'returned' the first shard. I intend to start invading after the Spire storyline gives me an objective, but it's probably going to get out of hand after I start increasing AIP.

I'm hoping to conquer my way to a gravity drill system and turtle through the first exos, then try to get some deep scouting done for planning purposes.

Oh, gametime is only 21:22.

[keith.lamothe]

I don't really expect to win, but it is fun to see the game at it's most brutal.

It can actually get more brutal with some different AI types and settings, but this is sufficient

[rchaneberg]

Made it past 2 hours and into my first shard return before I lost this time.
Meet my first Devourer golem today, set me back 32 spire frigates and 24 riot mark 2's while I was neutering the shard world.
Think I'm gonna turn him off, update, and try again tomorrow.

[keith.lamothe]

"Spire Frigates are the best kind of cookies."

Another bumper sticker for the Devourer...