Balance as I recall it
Posted: 06 Sep 2012, 15:37
(This was a length post for ComplexAI but went off topic)
I last played ages ago. But here is what I can recall of balance.
On maps with the right terrain Flows can fly around the edges and kill HQ. Once HQ is dead the game is basically over.
Any Network expansion is able to defend itself really well because it can spawn Packets. This is also true for the assault unit. Packets are units which should be rapidly deployed as a burst damage spell and then repacked for later use. The Packet count is in effect a global mana bar. Once it is at about 100 on a reasonably small map you can shield a few assault units and go for their HQ, the burst damage is that high.
This causes things such as Mines, Worm and flame strike to be ineffective vs Network.
Flow vs System is only countered by arty because arty 1 shots them. But Flow + Shield vs Arty means that arty one shot themselves and flows now take two shots. Shield also makes assault units resistant. You can pop a shield to even kill arty after they have shot if you are fast enough, it is really effective.
As far as I recall the metagame looked like this:
System wins on very small maps. I'm not entirely sure about how small is small but the core idea is that there are not enough spots for Network to make a shield gen. System can deny expansions with Arty and beat things with a strong mix of Arty and Bytes.
Network wins on medium maps. They can get up a shield gen and use it on Flows to make a building unstoppable death ball.
Hacker wins on the largest maps. At this point swarmer swarms swamp much of the effect of any larger units and Hacker has the beefiest swarmer. DOS works well in conjunction with swarms and can be spammed and be quite helpful. I think Flow + Shield would win except DOS is unaffected by shield. Packets cannot be spawned fast enough to respond to the massive Bug swarms.
Anyway this is as I recall it. I would have to play again (and a lot more) to be more sure. I don't think we ever played enough to figure things out completely. So don't bother doing anything because it was reasonably balanced and unless MP happens again nobody will notice.
I last played ages ago. But here is what I can recall of balance.
On maps with the right terrain Flows can fly around the edges and kill HQ. Once HQ is dead the game is basically over.
Any Network expansion is able to defend itself really well because it can spawn Packets. This is also true for the assault unit. Packets are units which should be rapidly deployed as a burst damage spell and then repacked for later use. The Packet count is in effect a global mana bar. Once it is at about 100 on a reasonably small map you can shield a few assault units and go for their HQ, the burst damage is that high.
This causes things such as Mines, Worm and flame strike to be ineffective vs Network.
Flow vs System is only countered by arty because arty 1 shots them. But Flow + Shield vs Arty means that arty one shot themselves and flows now take two shots. Shield also makes assault units resistant. You can pop a shield to even kill arty after they have shot if you are fast enough, it is really effective.
As far as I recall the metagame looked like this:
System wins on very small maps. I'm not entirely sure about how small is small but the core idea is that there are not enough spots for Network to make a shield gen. System can deny expansions with Arty and beat things with a strong mix of Arty and Bytes.
Network wins on medium maps. They can get up a shield gen and use it on Flows to make a building unstoppable death ball.
Hacker wins on the largest maps. At this point swarmer swarms swamp much of the effect of any larger units and Hacker has the beefiest swarmer. DOS works well in conjunction with swarms and can be spammed and be quite helpful. I think Flow + Shield would win except DOS is unaffected by shield. Packets cannot be spawned fast enough to respond to the massive Bug swarms.
Anyway this is as I recall it. I would have to play again (and a lot more) to be more sure. I don't think we ever played enough to figure things out completely. So don't bother doing anything because it was reasonably balanced and unless MP happens again nobody will notice.