Messages

1

AI War / Re: Do harvester upgrades now dominate econ command stations?

« on: July 31, 2012, 10:53:16 AM »

You missed a pretty critical additional piece of the history a bit further on in the release notes:

http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=AI_War_-_Current_Post-5.000_Beta#Prerelease_5.033_And_Other_Times_There_Are_A_Few_Too_Many_Ponies

Yeas, that is right. But even with these changes people point that harvesters still outshine eco stations. After 5.033 nerf harvesters are stronger than before 5.031 buff. So instead of making race between what recieves more buffs harvesters or eco stations I suggest to look back and see what changes lead to this. Maybe reverting back profit of harvesters in patch you mentioned was not enough to balance harvesters and eco stations.

2

AI War / Re: Do harvester upgrades now dominate econ command stations?

« on: July 31, 2012, 09:46:21 AM »

I think there is need to remind situation that was several months ago. Patch 5.031 Harvest Of The Unloved (Released March 21st, 2012) made strong buff towards harvesters because many players "pointed out the fact that harvester upgrades were basically just universally inferior (with some small exception) to econ station upgrades".

I will quote patches notes about harversers changed

--------------

Harvester III:
Knowledge cost from 4000 => 2500 (so 4500 total).
Production from 36 => 73 (so +16 => +53).
Yes, that's a lot, but that's what parity with econ III looks like. And nerfing econ III would have been an outrage considering how much waiting-for-resources happens on challenging games _with_ econ IIIs.

In short, harvester upgrades should now be competitive with econ station upgrades. Getting mkIII in both harvesters also now costs the same amount of knowledge as getting mkIII econ stations, but has a somewhat lower "barrier to entry" in that the individual knowledge costs are smaller.

Further balance feedback is, of course, welcome. This change will have a fairly dramatic impact in favor of harvesters on multi-HW games, for one, but it's primarily important that choices be interesting in single-HW games and adjustments can be made for the less common scenarios (as long as multi-HW doesn't become excruciating, of course). Of more concern is the impact on multiplayer games if all players gift all their harvesters to one player who upgrades to mkIII harvesters (and gives resources back) and other such tomfoolery, but that can also be adjusted for as the need arises.
----------------------------

I guess such feedback was given now. If after such buff harvesters outshine economic stations that means some changes to harvesters shall be reverted.

I still think my idea of allowing Economic Orbitals increase your resource cap makes them useful without any major changes.

If harvester buff resulted in Economic station become no more useful, let agree that harversters's buff was too strong and they are needed to be adjusted apropriate way.

3

AI War / Re: Do harvester upgrades now dominate econ command stations?

« on: July 30, 2012, 11:41:56 PM »

Im my opinion Harvesters shall have advantage when player have a big empire. 20+ planets unlocking harversters shall give more than econmic station. Before 20+ planets unlocking economic stations shall be more profitable than harvesters. In my opinion player economy was overbuffed with last harvesters buff.

According Chriss amount of capturing planets in a game "For normal play, my general answer is around 20-30 planets out of an 80 planet map".
http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,3654.msg23854.html#msg23854

I think here is where harvesters shall be balanced. Before 20 planets ecomic stations shall give more profit, after 20 planets more profitable becoming unlocking harvesters. Unlocking ecomic stations or harvesters shall be  a strategic decision, based on amounts planets player has or goes to capture.

4

AI War / Re: Some Starships cost too much Knowledge

« on: July 30, 2012, 01:33:57 PM »

I am conscious of the fact that the game without superweapons is a different balance target.

That is nice to hear!

5

AI War / Re: Some Starships cost too much Knowledge

« on: July 30, 2012, 10:09:06 AM »

First developers buffed players so 10/10 difficulty became too easier.

What patch was that?
[/quote]

Series of patches. Including lowering costs for Sniper and Spider turrets, reducing energy cost for many turrets, big buff for harversters, new energy system which benefits player a lot and more. There was a huge buff to player economy. After all buffs there was not a surprise to see a thread that points 10/10 is no so difficult as it was expected.

http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,11190.0.html

Then AI strike back and also was buffed. In result we have now a strict, elagant system ruined. For one difficulty it is one AIP datacenter reduction, another difficulty is another. Same for Coprocessors, AIP floor. People complained that there was not enough challenge in storming homeworld. But they assaulted it with help of Golems, this is a superweapon which definately make assault more easier. Core AI Posts recievied good buff, but what about assaulting Homeworlds without golems or Spire ships? It looks this type of gamesetup was punished becouse of gamesetup that uses Golems.

I did not make this poll to try to make the game easier or to buff the player. But to make higher marks of Bomber and Plasma Siege Starships useful. At the moment they don't even exist. Well.. they do.. but unlocking them would be waste of knowledge.

Unlocking higher Marks of Bombers is a more viable option than unlocking more Bomber Starships. Vs Heavy, Artillery, Command-Grade, Ultra-Heavy, Structural a cap of MarkI Bombers have almost 2x better dps than a cap of Mark I Bomber Starships. Bombers are also cheaper and unlocking more of them costs less knowledge.

Today I have read another post in the forum. That person wroted that unlocking bombers without a factory is a waste of knowledge. Opinions of people are very different what is a waste.

Also fleet ships can destroy guard posts and starships too. Fleet ships are the core. Starships are there to support the main fleet.

I can say opposite. Straships are the main assault force and fleet ships are there to support them. This game is flexible in tactic. I have made video to represent a tactical deep of the game. My main strike force are Bomber starships.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLaSyK0RmDo

Destroying guard posts by fleet will result in a lot of fleet losses. That is an economy penalty for building new ships, and time losses for bringing reinforcements to the fleet... While bomber straships can destroy them and return back without losses. Also there is AI Eye which makes straships very important in assaults; if person want to capture ion Cannon -  all these makes straships far more viable than cap vs cap calculations.

If there was no Spirecraft or Golems there wouldn't be Exoglactic Strikeforces. And without Spirecraft and Golems I would have more resources for other things. Being more aggressive and rebuilding my fleet for example.

Golems allows use of superweapon in destroying waves and makes assaults for homeworlds easier.  Else resources (for rebuilding fleet or turrets) would be wasted in defeating waves. I guess  ability to use Golems gave more advantage than payback for it. I have seen AAR about defeating AI 10/10 with Golems but have not seen without them. But last "AI strike back patch" affected both type of gameplay.

6

AI War / Re: Some Starships cost too much Knowledge

« on: July 30, 2012, 12:53:22 AM »

First developers buffed players so 10/10 difficulty became too easier. After players asked to increase difficulty and many features like datacenters and AIP floor that were stable for many months were changed. Now again players are asking to buff their side. Decreasing their cost allows player to have less planets and decreases amount of AI progress players get in a game. This is a run in circles. I think this way of upgrades for game is a wrong way. Such way makes the game only worse.

Consider bombers starships. Try to play game without spire fleet or golems. Without them bomber starship is the most awesome straship in my army. How assualt posts without them? Destroy enemy straships? Try to play without golems - this is completely different game and I guess a lot harder.

7

AI War / Re: Does anybody use the Spire Mini-Ram?

« on: May 21, 2012, 05:55:49 PM »

I have not played with eyebots in my fleet, but in my current game i have spire mini rams and I enjoy them a lot. They have appeared in third addon and with Spire compaing from this addon they are great. I have exoattacks every 35 minutes(with 1-2 spire cities). That means 5 detachments with about 5 straships in each including Spire Towers - altogether ~25 starships. I already know systems they go through. So I have not lack of targets or difficulties with choosing system what defend. They also very good in defeating annoying Spire stealth ships if they are nearby and those Spire Blade spawners. They are ships that can destroy enemy capital ship by the quickiest way. That can be very usefull also in tough situation.

In coclusion: spire mini ram is good.

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A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: New Reviews, Interviews, and Videos for AVWW

« on: May 16, 2012, 03:51:48 AM »

Review of top Russian game site ag.ru (site has 50 000 000 - 70 000 000 visitors every day).

http://www.ag.ru/reviews/valley_without_wind

they call it Acceptable with 65%.
That is really good for indie game. Jagged Alliance: Back in Action got there 60% and Tropico 4: Modern Times 68%, Risen 2: Dark Waters 68%. A lot of games there got from 20% to 50%.

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AI War / Re: I have created movie for advertisement tactical combat

« on: March 19, 2012, 01:41:25 AM »

Here is a final release. I will also suggest to send letters to a game strategy sites like wargamer.com. Tell them that is a gameplay video from your game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLaSyK0RmDo

10

AI War Meeting Grounds / Re: Looking for coop 2 player game on -4 speed

« on: March 18, 2012, 01:11:50 PM »

Cyborg, have you skype account? We can see when we are each other online and speak.

11

AI War / Re: I have created movie for advertisement tactical combat

« on: March 16, 2012, 12:22:32 AM »

I have no script. I add manually notes to movie maker. It was my first movie I added subtitles. Well I learned that nice feature during creating the movie.

But Hearteater had done what you have asked. He wroted in his post all texts from movie and polished them. I just copied and replaced my notes with all what he has wroted with just 2-3 changes. He also did awesome work. His post is a text version of my movie.

I used some old data from your site. I read about how many AI styles you made in two first addons. But there is a third one. If you tell me how many AI styles was added in last 3 addons, I will changed it. Also I do not know how many small ships are available to player in base game with 3 addons. I just typed 30+. Again if you tell me correct number I add.

I also had some troubles showing variety of the type of ships available to player. First player recieve 3 base ships. Also 3 additional types available as mercs. He recieve a bonus ships. He can build several starships too. There are riot starships user can design. And there is a limit of letters in note I can add to movie. I almost broke my head when I tryed to do this and ended with short version of it. If you can describe this better I will gladly change.

-------------------
More than 70 types of ships, over 30 fleet ships available to the player. In every game a player begins with only four, but has the ability to steal 4-6 additional ship designs. So every game the player has a unique set of ships with a unique type of AI.

12

AI War / Re: I have created movie for advertisement tactical combat

« on: March 15, 2012, 10:25:37 PM »

If there is no more feedbacks the next update of movie will be final.

13

AI War Strategy Discussion / Re: Game Setup

« on: March 15, 2012, 10:15:47 PM »

I usually study econom station II, gravitation turret, advanced warp sensor and forcefiled II. If AI has stealth ships I learn stealth detector. I study econom III when I got cap of econom station II. I also build at once 1-2 Bomber starships. I do not attack enemy without them. After I build bomber starships I build 1-2 raid straships. I need them if enemy has any Guard post under forcefields.
I also like to have small losses in ships so I am using bomber strarhips for destroying Guard posts. You can see my tactic in assaulting systems in  movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IchcqwyF8c
It is filmed on speed -4 which I usually play my games and you can see fight is not so slow as maybe it sounds on such speed.

If I find a planet with any fabricator, ARS or Z-energy generator in 2 jumps from my Home station I go for it. Else I take neighbours planets to my home station unless I see a neighbour system borders with a IV world which I do not want to alert soon.

14

AI War Meeting Grounds / Re: Looking for coop 2 player game on -4 speed

« on: March 15, 2012, 09:36:25 PM »

flippie, create account in skype (skype.com) if you have not so we have a voice chat in game. Write here what its name is and I will contact you when you are online in skype. I also can give you some tips on such speed if you need them.

15

AI War / Re: I have created movie for advertisement tactical combat

« on: March 15, 2012, 10:16:39 AM »

Is it right in English?

One of my Raid Starships is heavily damage.

or maybe this is corrrect

One of my Raid Starships is heavily damaged.