Suggestions

[luckywaldo7]

There is a backstory btw, and campaigns are definitely on the to-do list, but these things really have to wait for CA to be ip-free.

Which is why freedom from TA has become the #1 priority.

Also, what exactly is it that people don't like about flat balance? I thinks its one of CA greatest strengths. I love having a wide range of viable options as opposed to being forced down a narrow tech tree.

I mean, I wouldn't want every rts I play to be that way. But for CA (imho) it -works-.

[pintle]

There is a backstory btw, and campaigns are definitely on the to-do list, but these things really have to wait for CA to be ip-free.

Which is why freedom from TA has become the #1 priority.

Also, what exactly is it that people don't like about flat balance? I thinks its one of CA greatest strengths. I love having a wide range of viable options as opposed to being forced down a narrow tech tree.

I mean, I wouldn't want every rts I play to be that way. But for CA (imho) it -works-.

I don't honestly believe flat balance is implemented well in the context of 1v1, there are a few optimal starts, and a lot of noobtraps.

I am strongly opposed to 1:1:1 and overdrive, as they both massively simplify the macro game; that, however, is a design decision, and an issue of preference.

I do enjoy the fluidity of team games, and I like the flexibility of builds.

[CarRepairer]

There is a backstory btw, and campaigns are definitely on the to-do list, but these things really have to wait for CA to be ip-free.

Yet you are for 1faction (presumably as a replacement, rather than an experiment, correct me if I'm wrong.) which throws all our current backstory out the window.

[1v0ry_k1ng]

its not flat balanced that well really, not much more than XTA is with its instantly buildable t2. in 1v1, t2 labs are not really legitimate choices because they cost more and cons cost so much and units are so expensive

[luckywaldo7]

its not flat balanced that well really, not much more than XTA is with its instantly buildable t2. in 1v1, t2 labs are not really legitimate choices because they cost more and cons cost so much and units are so expensive

By definition there is no t2 in flat balance. And yes, doing a tank or walker start is quite viable in CA 1v1 (on 1v1 maps that it, not on CCR ofc). Hell, even a can rush or blackdawn rush is viable.

There is a backstory btw, and campaigns are definitely on the to-do list, but these things really have to wait for CA to be ip-free.

Yet you are for 1faction (presumably as a replacement, rather than an experiment, correct me if I'm wrong.) which throws all our current backstory out the window.

Not necessarily. Instead of factions distinguishable by units or a certain art style they would really only be distinguished by ideals.

The upside is that you are not limited to a 2-faction storyline. The downside is that a lot of immersion is lost when fighting an identical faction opponent.

Although maybe you could limit the player and each faction to a lab or two, and then through your campaign you gain the technology to build each lab after you defeat your opponent. That would be cool because you would start the newbie with only a single easy lab (like vehicle) and then as they gain more experience they would get access to more strategies through more labs. That would give the campaign a nice learning curve.

Also maybe there could be hero units. I think a campaign with a bunch of unique hero-commanders could be really cool.

[luckywaldo7]

I don't honestly believe flat balance is implemented well in the context of 1v1, there are a few optimal starts, and a lot of noobtraps.

The is a bit of a problem with veh general dominating bots, air raping veh, and bots being the best way to beat air. It leaves a bot > air > veh > bot rps triangle; additionally planes will always trump gunships.

So you are right, there is some blind rps at the game start that makes it hard to play. Although it is not the intention of the devs to have rps relationships between labs. So its not a result of CA's intended balance but imbalances that need fixed.

[pintle]

I don't honestly believe flat balance is implemented well in the context of 1v1, there are a few optimal starts, and a lot of noobtraps.

The is a bit of a problem with veh general dominating bots, air raping veh, and bots being the best way to beat air. It leaves a bot > air > veh > bot rps triangle; additionally planes will always trump gunships.

So you are right, there is some blind rps at the game start that makes it hard to play. Although it is not the intention of the devs to have rps relationships between labs. So its not a result of CA's intended balance but imbalances that need fixed.

I would say a much bigger issue is the massive failure of core tank lab in the early game, both in area coverage for cost, and silly con units. (It's nowhere near as much of an issue from the lab that has gremlin panther and mumbo). Core advanced bots is very situationally dependent in it's use, and arm adv walker... buff zipper ffffffffs.

I could go on, too lazy to list all the gripes tho :)

I don't think there is necessarily a problem with a lab having a predisposition to dominate another in the open field; but I do think that the pw/ak/flash/gator interaction of any mod which features all 4 needs to be finely tuned in order to make for a rewarding and dynamic 1v1. To that end, I'm not satisfied with gator vs the other light raiders, particularly AK.

[Pxtl]

The Arm walker lab is, imho, the hardest to use as a starting lab. Zipper isn't really much of a raider - more of a raw-speed blockade runner. They really don't have a lot of anti-raider options (the Crabe is prohibitively expensive, and the other units are too slow and short-ranged to respond to raiding).

The Core tanks, on the other hand, aren't half bad to start with... the Kodachi takes a lot of practice and babysitting, but can be used to great effect for a variety of roles - and the Banisher is a freaking nightmare to a guy who took any of the "safe" starts, although its price makes it hard to get out. The big catch with the Core tanks is the Welder. They're fun when you're working in a choke-point - it's nice to have a Con that can take that much of a beating - but otherwise the thing is just a weight around your neck.

The one tank unit I find hard to use is the Mumbo. The thing just doesn't seem to have the kind of antiswarm firepower the Core counterparts have. I mean, it deals out a lot of damage, but usually fighting swarms with Mumbos feels like emptying a river with a bucket.

[pintle]

The Arm walker lab is, imho, the hardest to use as a starting lab. Zipper isn't really much of a raider - more of a raw-speed blockade runner. They really don't have a lot of anti-raider options (the Crabe is prohibitively expensive, and the other units are too slow and short-ranged to respond to raiding).

The Core tanks, on the other hand, aren't half bad to start with... the Kodachi takes a lot of practice and babysitting, but can be used to great effect for a variety of roles - and the Banisher is a freaking nightmare to a guy who took any of the "safe" starts, although its price makes it hard to get out. The big catch with the Core tanks is the Welder. They're fun when you're working in a choke-point - it's nice to have a Con that can take that much of a beating - but otherwise the thing is just a weight around your neck.

The one tank unit I find hard to use is the Mumbo. The thing just doesn't seem to have the kind of antiswarm firepower the Core counterparts have. I mean, it deals out a lot of damage, but usually fighting swarms with Mumbos feels like emptying a river with a bucket.

Mumbo is extremely cost effective vs flash/gator swarms, you just need to kite.

Zipper is completely useless for cost, compare its statline to the glaive... it absolutely sucks as a blockade runner.

Use moar venom if you are having trouble intercepting raiders with arm walker lab. Its my favorite lab in 1v1, and one thing it certainly doesn't have trouble with is dealing with raiders. Launching it's own raids otoh...

[CarRepairer]

Let me tell you a cool trick with Zipper.

Make a few of them. Set them to retreat-at-90% (you'll need to set a retreat zone) and be sure you have swarm widget on. Attack some stuff and hit sprint right before they reach it. You can take out a whole bunch of light to medium defenses and units and your zippers will have narry a scratch on them. This only fails against serious AOE units, do not swarm those.

Edit: sorry, meant unit autoswarm widget, not antiswarm widget.

[Pxtl]

Antiswarm widget?

Also, never thought to kite with the Mumbo. Was too used to thinking of it as like a mini-Sumo.

And the Venom? I'd assumed it was a "use only for all-terrain combat" unit, not a frontline fighter. I tried using a lot of stun-spiders, but in a pitched battle the amount of self-pwnage you get with that is nightmarish unless you've brought along some real DPS action to clean out the stunned targets (hint: not Zeuses or Zippers).

edit: trac's down. Can't look any of htis stuff up in the unit guide.

[Pxtl]

Ah. I usually have the Autoswarm widget turned off after bad experiences trying to chase down a group of morties and similar skirms - the jinking means they can't close the distance to a kiting enemy. I'd use it if I had a button on the orders-bar. And yes, I know the "move" command disables it.

[pintle]

Venom is really quite fast, and has nice aoe (the "niceness" can be negated by the selfpwnage you described). Combine with recluse and use the terrain well (including building mt on the high ground with your weavers) and you can really clean up vs flash spam. Again the key is in kiting.


@ Car: that sounds like a cool idea, I'm not sure how seamlessly i could integrate it into the manic clicking that is my 1v1 game tho