Author Topic: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?  (Read 8904 times)

Offline Hearteater

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #30 on: September 09, 2011, 02:51:36 pm »
But in practice the coordination usually isn't there ;)  But I have heard from some MP trios that basically don't get a lot of challenge from the game unless they really jack up the difficulty (we're talking 9+ here, hybrids and such thrown in) because they've gotten so good with the division of labor.
In Starcraft 1 I had a MP group that used to do the multiple-players control one team mode.  One person built the base, one person built and staged the offensive units, and one person executed all attacks.  When we got good at it, the sear overwhelming power of our economy made it impossible to lose (against the computer).  Our offensive guy couldn't get the units killed faster than we could produce them.  It seriously felt like cheating how fast we could make stuff.

In summary, division of labor is extremely powerful.

Offline zebramatt

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #31 on: September 09, 2011, 03:29:24 pm »
mindloss, do you play with lots of other things switched on? Hybrids, Golems Hard and suchlike? Or is it just basic options on 7/7?

I think one of the unusual things about this game also is one's definition of "finding it hard" shouldn't necessarily equate with "no winning". Losing is half the fun!

Offline x4000

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #32 on: September 09, 2011, 03:30:39 pm »
Yeah, that 7/7 recommendation was really for not having any minor factions on.
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Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #33 on: September 09, 2011, 03:31:27 pm »
Every time I hear of a new player having everything on in their first real game, I get a chuckle ;)
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Offline mindloss

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #34 on: September 09, 2011, 04:07:19 pm »
With 6 players, for instance, once you get down to a single-wormhole chokepoint and have all players with a full cap of Riot mkIIs with tazers could create a permanent-paralysis zone to stop the guns of all non-para-immune parts of a wave, cpa, etc.

In my couple of games, the level of coordination was a little more along the lines of "don't let the devourer eat my stuff while i'm in the john." I mean, not quite, but yeah. :)

In Starcraft 1 I had a MP group that used to do the multiple-players control one team mode.

I'm jealous. I absolutely loved that mode because of the huge increase in potential organization (not to mention controlling all three races), and nobody ever ever played it. (Well, almost never.) Good thing there's AI Wars :D

mindloss, do you play with lots of other things switched on? Hybrids, Golems Hard and suchlike? Or is it just basic options on 7/7?

I think one of the unusual things about this game also is one's definition of "finding it hard" shouldn't necessarily equate with "no winning". Losing is half the fun!

Well, to be fair to myself, I should say that after I beat my first game (the easy one), I went straight to a 7/7 with a bunch of options on while having no idea what they did. Died a few times, and went back to playing easier levels and slowly learning all the options one or two at a time. I generally avoid loading in most of my games if I lose in a 'reasonable' way (including a couple games that were 10-15 hours in). And now that I think about it, I haven't really played a proper 7/7 since I started (the one I won was that 10-planet snake shield-bugged ship-stalled-bug cluster-f). I'm doing a Fallen Spire on 60-or-something 7/7 now and it's going fine.

So yeah, I'd probably do okay now. I'm finding there are maybe three really important things that kill you often which you have to learn, and then a bunch of small random things that will kill you but are relatively infrequent (e.g. EMP Guardians).

The important things, IMHO:

1) If you poke unsuccessfully at the AI, it will poke back. Hard. (This goes 10x for homeworlds.)

Corrollary: if you poke successfully at the AI, it will still usually poke back.

2) The AI likes to hit you while your attention is on hitting it, so don't leave your guard down and keep an eye on the alerts.

3) Identify your primary defensive chokepoint(s). Figure out about how many turrets you think you'll need. Multiply this number by 5-10.


I've been doing better since keeping those in mind.

Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #35 on: September 09, 2011, 04:14:17 pm »
Figure out about how many turrets you think you'll need. Multiply this number by 5-10.
Sounds like tip of the day material to me.  But don't forget the LWF :)
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Offline mindloss

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #36 on: September 09, 2011, 04:25:01 pm »
Yep, I almost pointed out the parallel to software design... but figured someone would jump on it for me. ;)  Wasn't expecting a visual aid though!

Offline Echo35

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #37 on: September 12, 2011, 04:55:20 pm »
Yes, it's a nuke on every planet.  Some folks have done this to play as a sort of alternate game mode where you have to scrape by with what remains after this happens.  I don't think anyone's won.

I used one once as a rage quit.

Offline Orelius

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #38 on: September 12, 2011, 06:44:28 pm »
Seems like  a very time-consuming and expensive ragequit, though.

Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #39 on: September 12, 2011, 06:46:15 pm »
Seems like  a very time-consuming and expensive ragequit, though.
If you're going to do something, do it with style.
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Offline BobTheJanitor

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Re: Okay, who's *actually* used the doomsday device?
« Reply #40 on: September 12, 2011, 07:54:05 pm »
Seems like  a very time-consuming and expensive ragequit, though.

Alt+F4 is for uneducated casual gamers. Furious AI War players spend the next three hours collecting resources in order to destroy the galaxy, to make sure the 'rage' part of the ragequit is duly emphasized. That's just how we roll.