War stories, trivia, screenshots, etc. for social media

[Captain Jack]

Hi everyone!

I've been thinking a lot about social media. It's a very powerful tool for outreach and connecting with fans but it needs a constant stream of fuel to keep going. To build up hype for the imminent Kickstarter we should be celebrating the game we have and reminding people of the good times they had with it.

Here's our starting point on Twitter. We want to add to that, so here's what we're after:

• Trivia, meaning lore, the different paths to victory, what Murdoch means to us, the many ways we tried to make astro trains fun and what exactly that quote in Cinth's signature is about. 
• Milestones, like the expansion that added your favorite ship, the patch that nerfed a strategy you loved, and all the instances of that infamous "Actually win a legit 10/10" bug.
• Screenshots! We want lots, of games old and current. Close ups, strategy views, all good. Please let us know what version you were using and tell us what is happening on the screen.
• War stories! Better for Facebook than twitter. Tell us about the SuperTerminal that got away from you, the Golem you forgot about, what happened that one time you added Dark Spire and Hybrids to the game...
• Strategies. Not just how to supercat, but your favorite way to play the game.

Anything you post in this thread is fair game for posting. Let us know what attribution you want, otherwise we'll just go with your forum handle.

[Cinth]

what exactly that quote in Cinth's signature is about

That's actually Keith's story.

[Dominus Arbitrationis]

Here's a screenshot from https://steamcommunity.com/id/incredidave

[Draco18s]

I might be able to dig up a semi-AAR of the last game I ever won, the one I refer to when I say "you can thank me for transports having out-of-supply attrition."  'cause I'm pretty certain it was my posting about it that got that change added.

[tadrinth]

You may remember that there was an ARS in my arm of the galaxy.  You may be wondering why I didn't capture it yet.

That would be because it offers Gravity Drains by default, which I could design download, and Lightning Torpedo Frigates as a hackable option.  All hail the RNG! For without it's blessings, surely we would be lost!  I'm going to hack that ARS.  But, not until I have my champions as ridiculously pimped out as I can manage beforehand.

Unfortunately, a wild CPA appears and distracts me. 

That's from my extremely silly AAR titled 'Limburger vs the Angry Gods'.  http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,15770.0.html

Might be some other amusing bits in there. 

[kasnavada]

Is there some guidelines, like whatever is on that twitter should be understandable by people that don't play AI War ?


I'm asking that because, besides not being on twitter myself, nor being PR representative... that there is probably a few simple things to know to "lure" people in rather than scare them away. For example, "fans" ramblings of Eve Online always disgusted me with their "WE ARE THE HARDCORE, YOU'RE THE CAREBEAR" attitude (shouldn't have said that, it's troll bait).

[Captain Jack]

Is there some guidelines, like whatever is on that twitter should be understandable by people that don't play AI War ?


I'm asking that because, besides not being on twitter myself, nor being PR representative... that there is probably a few simple things to know to "lure" people in rather than scare them away. For example, "fans" ramblings of Eve Online always disgusted me with their "WE ARE THE HARDCORE, YOU'RE THE CAREBEAR" attitude (shouldn't have said that, it's troll bait).

That helps to be sure! But I'm also editing anything that we get to make the affection clear and cut out most of the smug.

I'm really more interested in the mechanics of stuff. What are the things in the game that sold you on AI War? Better yet, what version did they show up?

[kasnavada]

What sold me on AI War ?

AI is always dumb in any games, because it's difficult, at best, to have an AI play as a person. In AI War, Arcen didn't waste their time trying to make the AI play like a human. It has its own its rules, designed so it really understands how to use them. Let the better win !

[Misery]

Hm, I don't have too much interesting to show since I'm not exactly hugely experienced with the game here... but I can say that the thing that sold me on the game is that it's an RTS where the actual strategy really matters instead of just how fast you can mash the keyboard.  It's the Dwarf Fortress of RTS games to me, and the complexity promised tons and tons of replay value.  Tons of cool units and things, and best of all, an AI that's capable of DOING stuff.   It takes everything that I always wanted the RTS genre to be, does those things, and then adds a million other awesome things on top of it.

[Pumpkin]

Created Tweeter account. Followed Arcen Games and AI War. Not sure what to do now...

[Mánagarmr]

Created Tweeter account. Followed Arcen Games and AI War. Not sure what to do now...

My greatest condolences. Twitter is a cesspit of pointless and often inflammatory blurbs for the most part.

[tadrinth]

A chunk of the AAR for my current game, which is inspired by the Light of the Spire expansion.  If it has spire in the name, it's on... including the AI type 'Crafty Spire' which starts with Spirecraft superweapons on many AI planets.  This is 1 minute and 20 seconds on the game clock. 

So that’s why Crafty Spire is RED difficulty

I send out the champion to start clearing the first planet.  Then, something unexpected shows up.

That’s an angry Spirecraft Translocator.  What did I do to make it angry?  Better build some more HBCs... I retreat back to Home; no idea if I have enough stuff to fend it off if it follows me.

Oddly, it doesn’t.  In fact, it falls back somewhere outside my scouting range.  That’s really weird, Threat doesn’t do that.  And what did I do to make it angry?

I decide this merits some testing.  Queue up a sandbox game with complete vis. Sure enough, the instant I leave my home planet with a military unit, EVERY SPIRECRAFT IN THE GALAXY CHARGES FORTH. I retreat back, in hopes that they all go back to their home planets, but no. That would be too easy.

They all meet up at a planet three hops out. Every last spirecraft in the galaxy, chilling on that planet. Rams, Martyrs, Shieldbearers, Siege Towers, and Translocators, at least. 

That’s when I figure it out.  There is an AI behavior that rushes to defend AI planets, doesn’t attack human planets, and hangs out 3 hops away in a collected fleet.  That’s what Special Forces does.

All of those spirecraft... are SF.  That is the scariest SF fleet I’ve encountered to date, and I’m not even 10 minutes in.  I guess that’s where the ‘Crafty’ part comes in. 

This might end up being the most guerilla campaign I’ve done. 

[Captain Jack]

Created Tweeter account. Followed Arcen Games and AI War. Not sure what to do now...

Make connections. See if there are other Arcen folk on Twitter and follow them along with the people who are commenting on our Twitter feed going back... two months. Try starting conversations with them! Follow some game reviewers and streamers who've talked about AI War in the past, and try sounding them out in a week or so. In the meantime post content, but not just about Arcen/AI War since no one likes a PR bot. Post cat pictures, comments about restaurants you visit (without naming names), comment on current events without being a jerk and try to show you're a real person... who really likes Arcen games. 

A chunk of the AAR for my current game, which is inspired by the Light of the Spire expansion.  If it has spire in the name, it's on... including the AI type 'Crafty Spire' which starts with Spirecraft superweapons on many AI planets.  This is 1 minute and 20 seconds on the game clock. 

So that’s why Crafty Spire is RED difficulty

I send out the champion to start clearing the first planet.  Then, something unexpected shows up.

That’s an angry Spirecraft Translocator.  What did I do to make it angry?  Better build some more HBCs... I retreat back to Home; no idea if I have enough stuff to fend it off if it follows me.

Oddly, it doesn’t.  In fact, it falls back somewhere outside my scouting range.  That’s really weird, Threat doesn’t do that.  And what did I do to make it angry?

I decide this merits some testing.  Queue up a sandbox game with complete vis. Sure enough, the instant I leave my home planet with a military unit, EVERY SPIRECRAFT IN THE GALAXY CHARGES FORTH. I retreat back, in hopes that they all go back to their home planets, but no. That would be too easy.

They all meet up at a planet three hops out. Every last spirecraft in the galaxy, chilling on that planet. Rams, Martyrs, Shieldbearers, Siege Towers, and Translocators, at least. 

That’s when I figure it out.  There is an AI behavior that rushes to defend AI planets, doesn’t attack human planets, and hangs out 3 hops away in a collected fleet.  That’s what Special Forces does.

All of those spirecraft... are SF.  That is the scariest SF fleet I’ve encountered to date, and I’m not even 10 minutes in.  I guess that’s where the ‘Crafty’ part comes in. 

This might end up being the most guerilla campaign I’ve done.

Sweet Jesus that's incredible, and exactly what I'm looking for.

[Pumpkin]

Post cat pictures, comments about restaurants you visit (without naming names), comment on current events without being a jerk and try to show you're a real person... who really likes Arcen games.

You asks me to have... a... real tweeter account? Meh! Why do you think I didn't have one before?!

Sweet Jesus that's incredible, and exactly what I'm looking for.

Something like that too?

I often feel "Neinzul" when I (ab)use the MkI-IV ENclave Starship + Combat Carrier.

I also remember a wonderful game where I had the chance to unlock three youngling designs: I maxed them all up to MkIV, unlocked the Mobile Space Dock, let everything else as defensive fleet, and went storming AI space with my MSD (loop-build on 3x4=12 caps of younglings and FDR: as the MSD has no gun, with a FRD order, it goes straight to the target, but everything that comes out of it inherit FRD and spread toward enemies.)

It was like controlling dozens of friendly Roaming Enclaves. It's a golden memory I truly cherish.

[Captain Jack]

Post cat pictures, comments about restaurants you visit (without naming names), comment on current events without being a jerk and try to show you're a real person... who really likes Arcen games.

You asks me to have... a... real tweeter account? Meh! Why do you think I didn't have one before?!

Because keeping a social media presence can be work. I had to ditch my Twitter account because it was eating productivity. It's possible to have fun with it though! Pick a few things to follow in game dev, science fiction, pop culture, real science, and just post two or three times a day.

I often feel "Neinzul" when I (ab)use the MkI-IV ENclave Starship + Combat Carrier.

I also remember a wonderful game where I had the chance to unlock three youngling designs: I maxed them all up to MkIV, unlocked the Mobile Space Dock, let everything else as defensive fleet, and went storming AI space with my MSD (loop-build on 3x4=12 caps of younglings and FDR: as the MSD has no gun, with a FRD order, it goes straight to the target, but everything that comes out of it inherit FRD and spread toward enemies.)

It was like controlling dozens of friendly Roaming Enclaves. It's a golden memory I truly cherish.

That's pretty good yeah. What I want from it though is to know why you like feeling neinzul, and if you have any memorable victories or defeats using this strategy.