Reactions to Ancient Shadows and Suggestions

[KDR_11k]

Is kiting really a concern when your champion can just respawn anyway? Your allies are the problem in the nebulas and they won't kite either way.

[keith.lamothe]

If by the 3-way scenario you mean the zenith-allies vs dark-spire vs neinzul-astrid free-for-all, even a level 1 frigate has a substantial impact in my testing.  Going heavy-laser or heavy-mlrs and killing the enemy heavy or medium (respectively) ships while using your projected shields to keep your ally bombers alive goes a long way to influencing the battle in your favor.  Assassinating starbases is not supposed to be possible until you're much stronger (though a brave frigate can mess with a dark spire base to some extent).

Champion speed is indeed intentionally slower than all the other nebula ships, but not by a huge margin.  The speeds in the nebula are lower because tactical depth gets harder to maintain the faster the speeds (and longer the ranges) of the units.

[Eternaly_Lost]

Could the new modules automatically come with the mkII version unlocked? I think this would give a slight boost (effectively) to the champion level, and encourage experimentation/varied loadouts.

I think that we need a bit more points, rather then auto unlocking everything at mk2 if you can only get 3 modules to rank V. Maybe a way to do so would be to increase the number of points you get at higher levels, rather then scale down the costs. So say at level 15 you start to get 2 points per level rather then 1 point and you get 3 per level at 20. This would be a lot more points, but it would also let you get a lot more options in game.

[LaughingThesaurus]

I vote that your options are your points, rather than your ability to be an omnipotent jack of all trades ship that can instantly switch between any layout. That said, without experiencing the system, I can't say that it needs no adjustment. I can say that limited points is not a problem.

[Coppermantis]

Okay, I really need to know: How on earth do I beat the In Memoriam Terra nebula? I talked about this in my AAR but nobody reads that, so:

I read in another AAR that Spire hulls+Siege modules are useful. That's great, but I don't have either of those. All I have are human, Zenith and Nienzul hulls. The Cookie Monster outranges everything except missiles, which I can only have a few of, and it's faster than my painfully slow champion which for some reason moves at half speed in nebulae. It's almost literally impossible for me to do any damage while the Neinzul are out since it's constantly switching direction and can just kite my champion to death. I could shield micro but it moves too much for that, and it wastes charge that I need for defending the bases.

I've tried staying back and not getting involved too much when it's pursuing the enclaves, but that doesn't work since it has too much health when it takes on the bases. Doing some damage during that period seems to work, but I keep getting my shields taken out due to its kiting, and have to waste time getting them fixed at the base.

Can someone who has beaten it without a spire hull give me some hints? I've never been more frustrated with AI War than I am now.



EDIT: How much does it scale with multiple champions, if at all? I'm not sure how that works. I can add more champions through the manage players window which could help me flank the Ravenous Shadow, but the scenario would then get harder, I assume. The main game notwithstanding.

[Cinth]

Zenith Hull for sure.

Polarizer and IRC are good small mount modules, highest Mk you can get (I had slightly better results with Polarizers).

Missiles are pretty good for your larges. Pack a shield mod if you feel you can spare the slot.

All the champions are faster than the RS. It moves at 52 speed. The slowest Champ moves at 72 in the nebula (Spire).

This scenario is all about dealing damage. Get on the RS as fast as you can and try to stay on it. Shields on you and allies will help a lot. When the RS is at the bases, shield those as you can to extend their life.

[Coppermantis]

I don't have either of those modules. ;_;

Also, I just checked, my RS is moving at 104 speed with my champion at 75.


I think I just might be screwed unless the multiple champs strategy is viable. However, I'm worried that I might hurt myself in the long run by doing so.

[Cinth]

Hrm. RS should only move at 52. Check again? It shouldn't have any speed modifier. If it really is 104 then it is a bug :/.

I was a bit off with the Spire speed. It's 68. Math is hard

[Coppermantis]

Hrm. RS should only move at 52. Check again? It shouldn't have any speed modifier. If it really is 104 then it is a bug :/.

I was a bit off with the Spire speed. It's 68. Math is hard

It says 104 for me, and the fact that it outruns my champion seems to suggest that the tooltip is accurate. Guess it's bugged if it should be moving at 52.

[Cinth]

Something is amiss.

I pulled that from the Mk V section of the F1 index. It is the same in game for me.

[Coppermantis]

Wait.

Does the game speed affect the actual number, or does the number stay the same but represent a higher value? I'm playing on Blitz speed.

[Cinth]

I think you found it. Blitz doubles the speed of the ships.

In the nebula, all ships are supposed to move at half speed.

The RS is the only entity in the nebula to be immune to gravity effects and move at its base speed.

This looks like something that Keith will fix. It drastically changes the balance in the IMT scenario.

[Bognor]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but is it intended that the Neinzul Mourners scenario lacks a large starbase, and thus any means to repair/construct?

Knowing this scenario exists means I'll now want to take a Cloaker Starship and engies with me to any nebula just in case it's this one, which seems to defeat the intent of making large starbases able to repair/construct.

[Faulty Logic]

Wow, just looking at my OP for this thread... Ancient Shadows has come a long way.

I think the Mourner scenario was slated to be rebalanced with a large starbase, though I am not sure.

[Cinth]

I think the Mourner scenario was slated to be rebalanced with a large starbase, though I am not sure.

Might have run out of time this week to get to it. I did Mantis it though.