Author Topic: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!  (Read 5999 times)

TheMachineIsSentient

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #30 on: November 16, 2010, 11:54:10 pm »
Does that mean that ideally you should be saving the cities for when you have the galaxy under control for the most part?

Rephrased, are these supposed to be toys to help you win the game (if you can survive the challenges) or more of a... diversion that makes finishing the game harder?

Offline Lancefighter

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #31 on: November 16, 2010, 11:59:40 pm »
if you insist, regarding scout starships.

Fun question, does anyone actually ever use them to scout? :\

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Offline x4000

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #32 on: November 17, 2010, 12:02:50 am »
Rephrased, are these supposed to be toys to help you win the game (if you can survive the challenges) or more of a... diversion that makes finishing the game harder?

It's definitely not intended to make finishing the game harder.  But it's more of an... alternate path.  I'll leave it to Keith to say more, as I'm not sure exactly where he's drawing the line on scope with this.
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Offline x4000

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #33 on: November 17, 2010, 12:03:54 am »
if you insist, regarding scout starships.

Fun question, does anyone actually ever use them to scout? :\

Well, we'll just see.  I don't want to jump the gun on them, though.  I really don't expect them to be used for scouting unless players are against the counterspy.  Generally they're more about the countersniper function and sturdy intel providing in enemy systems, I'd say.
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Offline Vinraith

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #34 on: November 17, 2010, 12:04:51 am »
if you insist, regarding scout starships.

Fun question, does anyone actually ever use them to scout? :\



I know you're not really supposed to (they're mobile detectors and counter-snipers, designed to be used to support fleet actions) but I've been known to use them that way anyhow. When transport hopping large groups of scouts, they can benefit from the inclusion of a scout starship or two.

Offline Lancefighter

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #35 on: November 17, 2010, 12:05:50 am »
I totally didn't think of that. counter spies just became more useless as a result of the radar jamming :\
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Offline x4000

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #36 on: November 17, 2010, 12:11:54 am »
Yeah, that is true -- I'll have to look at that.
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Offline x4000

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #37 on: November 17, 2010, 12:27:38 am »
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Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #38 on: November 17, 2010, 09:19:22 am »
Does that mean that ideally you should be saving the cities for when you have the galaxy under control for the most part?
Actually, if you wait too long to start the cities it'll probably be much harder due to the spawn points being closer to the AI homeworlds (since your border is), and potentially higher AIP.

Quote
Rephrased, are these supposed to be toys to help you win the game (if you can survive the challenges) or more of a... diversion that makes finishing the game harder?
At the one-city and earlier phases it's supposed to be roughly break-even difficulty wise in that you get hit with extra attacks but you've got a no-other-strings-attached golem-esque ship to use as you please, 2 mini-golem-esque, ships, and 8 fairly long range continuous-photon-cannon-of-minor-doom ships.  If you keep adding cities after that, the difficulty shouldn't go up very much on paper (as you continue to get more and more of said ships) but in practice the AI attacks will get pretty intense so it will probably at least feel like the game is harder (and, probably it is).

The big thing in this is that you're basically pulling endgame difficulty into the midgame.  Many of you in the past have expressed a desire for a different kind of endgame challenge because the standard one felt grindy.  Of course, a lot of that has changed with other changes Chris has made, but this progression will provide another way of accomplishing that.

In short, it's not really supposed to be any easier or harder to win by following the Fallen-Spire progression than by not doing so.  But it tends towards a more intense (and more difficult) experience over a shorter time.
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Offline Ozymandiaz

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Re: AI War Beta 4.034 Released!
« Reply #39 on: November 17, 2010, 09:37:03 am »
Does that mean that ideally you should be saving the cities for when you have the galaxy under control for the most part?
Actually, if you wait too long to start the cities it'll probably be much harder due to the spawn points being closer to the AI homeworlds (since your border is), and potentially higher AIP.

Quote
Rephrased, are these supposed to be toys to help you win the game (if you can survive the challenges) or more of a... diversion that makes finishing the game harder?
At the one-city and earlier phases it's supposed to be roughly break-even difficulty wise in that you get hit with extra attacks but you've got a no-other-strings-attached golem-esque ship to use as you please, 2 mini-golem-esque, ships, and 8 fairly long range continuous-photon-cannon-of-minor-doom ships.  If you keep adding cities after that, the difficulty shouldn't go up very much on paper (as you continue to get more and more of said ships) but in practice the AI attacks will get pretty intense so it will probably at least feel like the game is harder (and, probably it is).

The big thing in this is that you're basically pulling endgame difficulty into the midgame.  Many of you in the past have expressed a desire for a different kind of endgame challenge because the standard one felt grindy.  Of course, a lot of that has changed with other changes Chris has made, but this progression will provide another way of accomplishing that.

In short, it's not really supposed to be any easier or harder to win by following the Fallen-Spire progression than by not doing so.  But it tends towards a more intense (and more difficult) experience over a shorter time.


It certanly is more difficult, but with the recent 3x slower delay I am at least able to go and do ohter things on my dual AI 8 gaem then strictly defend :).

And while building defences for the AI waves after the spire, all the regualar waves are basically minor distractions that you shrug off ;). The MK II units does not pose the same threat to a defence built to handle Mk V + Satarship + Golem enemies :P (the zenith trader will be your new best friend when building desired defences)
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