Is it odd that I find Fallen spire games easier than the base game?

[xX Eldest Xx]

To date, I have only managed to win one game, and was FS against a pair of sixes. In the numerous other games that I have started and either lost or abandoned, I've found that I always seem to get further playing the FS campaign than I do the guerilla warfare of the base game.

Does anyone else find the alternate campaign easier(relatively speaking) than the base game?

[chemical_art]

Fallen spire isn't necessarily easier, just different.

Fallen spire is just different, period.

If you want a mode where you think "If I just advance the story at any cost..." then eventually you win with fallen spire.

It's a unique mode where the AI is forced to knock you out where you just have to live, which is unique compared to the usual setup where the AI just has to live and you have the onus to attack.

[keith.lamothe]

Welcome to the forums

With FS it largely depends on whether you know what to expect.  If you don't, the first really serious exo will probably kill you.

With the normal game it also depends a lot on what you know.  If you don't, you'll probably get AIP too high and it will kill you.

One main difference is that you can win FS even if you're somewhat careless with AIP, if you get far enough before that happens.

[Cyborg]

Level 6 still doesn't turn on the main game. Bump that up to seven.

[Marmu23]

To date, I have only managed to win one game, and was FS against a pair of sixes. In the numerous other games that I have started and either lost or abandoned, I've found that I always seem to get further playing the FS campaign than I do the guerilla warfare of the base game.

Does anyone else find the alternate campaign easier(relatively speaking) than the base game?

 Hello! I completely agree with you. With my group of friends we have stopped using Fallen Spire expansion a while ago because the power gained is so high we almost dont need any non defensive unlocks to win at lv8 (only need bombers, raid ships, mobile repairs). Either just getting the first couple frigates or 1-2 cities worth of ships was enough to make wins at lv7 trivial and at lv8 certain. And now we will wait a bit for improvements before buying the new thing because while the champions are really fun they are so overpowered we were almost able to win our 2 test games in trial mode (so 3h limit) on 40 planets without ever unlocking a single small ship or starship (basically, take a few planets, unlock defense things and build them, rush nebulas for level 3 champions, take some planets to avoid deepstrike, we had our forward bases ready outside the 2 AI homeworlds just didn't have time to finish games in 3h).

 For us the most fun, challenging, and balanced experience is to play with all the expansions from before the last 2 (so before shadows and spire) but turn off the botnet and artillery golems, and not choose the shield bearers (i dont remember any other really overpowered units from before spire besides those 3 but might be another). This seems to provide a fair and challenging game for our group, otherwise we'd have to play at lv9+ but none of us find it fun at all like that.

 Anyway, we're really happy there's still updates to the old more balanced stuff, and eventually i suspect the champions will be better balanced, but for now if you found spire much easier than without, try the champions before buying them, they are really fun and well done, but whooaaaa the power!!!

[Mánagarmr]

Anyway, we're really happy there's still updates to the old more balanced stuff, and eventually i suspect the champions will be better balanced, but for now if you found spire much easier than without, try the champions before buying them, they are really fun and well done, but whooaaaa the power!!!

Champions are tons of fun, but I find that late game their power wanes somewhat, and they are after all just a single unit. But they are definitely nice to have along, and great for early planet neutering.

[xX Eldest Xx]

I started a game on 7 last night(I can already feel my grades slipping). I think that after I've either lost or abandoned that one, I'm going to turn on advanced hybrids and see how bad things get.

[Mánagarmr]

I started a game on 7 last night(I can already feel my grades slipping). I think that after I've either lost or abandoned that one, I'm going to turn on advanced hybrids and see how bad things get.

One word: Very.

[Hearteater]

Alas, poor Eldest, we hardly knew him.

[Martyn van Buren]

I think I know what you mean --- I've only played one game of FS, and I got tired of it before getting to the capital, but playing on 7.3 or so around three-four cities it definitely seemed like my Spire fleet was powerful enough to wipe a homeworld clean with very little difficulty.

[Wanderer]

I think I know what you mean --- I've only played one game of FS, and I got tired of it before getting to the capital, but playing on 7.3 or so around three-four cities it definitely seemed like my Spire fleet was powerful enough to wipe a homeworld clean with very little difficulty.

Then, you remember the HW's have a defense fund explicitly built for just the Fallen Spire... and you find out Avenger's aren't the only thing that use that particular graphic... 

[Spikey00]

Honestly my thought as well but given the fact that I haven't done a FS game several months prior to the AS beta perhaps the situation has changed since.  Back then though, definitely IMO.  Once you progress mid-way through the FS campaign you already have a very formidable army of cap ships that instagib most fleet ships rapidly while projecting stacking shields; from there you can spec in defense for both increasing turret caps and improving your spire ships via synergy with modules. 

IMO FS and/or golems are vastly helpful assets over playing a vanilla game after you know what to expect.

Champions seem less significant than either of those as Fox said they're just one ship and generally match up to a couple FS frigates+DDs in firepower (although the botnet turret seems particularly the exception).  Time-wise they're not worth it IMO--even with their accompanying entourage--but you can essentially progress through the entire AS campaign without any AIP cost (in my first test run on 80 planets I stuck to my homeworld).

[xX Eldest Xx]

I think part of the problem is that my general playstyle is, more or less, turtling until I have overwhelming force. That was okay in supreme commander, but in ai war it amounts to a deathwish. FS makes it much easier to simply hold a defensive position.

EDIT: oh, by the way, I have been playing on and off  since last year's (2011) summer sale. Not since I broke my DF habit has losing been so much fun

[keith.lamothe]

I think part of the problem is that my general playstyle is, more or less, turtling until I have overwhelming force. That was okay in supreme commander, but in ai war it amounts to a deathwish. FS makes it much easier to simply hold a defensive position.

Ah, yes, that makes good sense then: FS basically allows you to win by majoring on defense and minoring on offense, where the normal campaign is the other way around (you have to defend to survive, but you win by attacking).

EDIT: oh, by the way, I have been playing on and off  since last year's (2011) summer sale. Not since I broke my DF habit has losing been so much fun

You don't break a DF habit, a DF habit breaks you!

Glad you're enjoying it

[Martyn van Buren]

I think I know what you mean --- I've only played one game of FS, and I got tired of it before getting to the capital, but playing on 7.3 or so around three-four cities it definitely seemed like my Spire fleet was powerful enough to wipe a homeworld clean with very little difficulty.

Then, you remember the HW's have a defense fund explicitly built for just the Fallen Spire... and you find out Avenger's aren't the only thing that use that particular graphic... 

Oh really?  I might go fire up that save next weekend and go get my ass kicked.  Thanks!