The problem with this line of explanation though is really simple, T4’s aren’t this. They are instead, expensive, underwhelming, late to the party, slow and squishy.
I think I just need to get my head around this is a different game and be ok with that.
Late game I’m running into AIs that have parked 6 stacks around a city and somehow I’m finding it a bit frustrating that the only way to break thru that is to either rush expansion and take everyone out early or do the same thing they’re doing and recruit a ton of units for a slog of a battle. Oh, and these 6 stacks they have, typically that’s just on their nearest city to me, they’ve got way more lurking in the shadows to come hit me,
For me this works as a tactical game, and in that area I find it an improvement in most every way over AOW3, the battles are just a good time all around.
But strategically, it feels to me like I either have to rush or zerg. That doesn’t feel terribly strategery to me.
The reward of going tall and developing an economy that could field powerful stacks to bring the killing hammer blows at the end was the reward I enjoyed for building a properly kitted out empire in AOW3, not so much here.
Tier 3 units often seem pretty good to me, but I’m still learning.
I just found a fun nod to the TV show “Modern Family,” of all things. One of the land-related techs includes a quotation from a real estate agent named “Phil Dunford.” Ha!
So, while this only works where you’ve set up team scenario, which just so happens to be about the only way I play this or AOW3, it’s still worth mentioning if anyone else also plays teams.
One solution to T4s eating a lot of cosmite is this: Trade with your team mate. My AI team mate was more than happy to sell me cosmite for energy. And it just so happened I had plenty of energy. I can’t take the credit for coming up with the idea, it was the AI that initiated the request, only at small numbers. I just started making offers with larger numbers so it mattered.
Going rate for 50 cosmite is 400 energy. Not cheap, but then I was making 200 energy a turn. So I considered a pretty good deal.
So I’ve finished the two Vanguard campaign missions. That’s it for the Vanguard campaign, then? Or will it continue later? I ask because I kept seeing hints indicating that my choices might affect later developments. For now, I guess I just go on to the Kir’ko campaign mission?
Most people say that non-campaign scenarios are best, as you can set up teams or whatnot. And yes, the campaigns can be a bit annoying when they lead you on far-flung quests. But I like the campaigns as introductions to the lore and composition of each faction. I’m looking forward to digging into the Kir’ko.
I’ve stopped for the moment on the 2nd Amazon one, my impression is they’re only loosely connected in the sense that who survived in your campaign is among the choices of who can lead in the final battle. Someone who has completed can confirm, but I believe it’s something along those lines.
And I may have found a way to do it as well as it turns out. With a bit of attention to insuring you grab cosmite sectors, the right research decisions and some energy for cosmite trade w/ my ally I think I’ve cracked the code on how to support fielding enough T4’s to make a difference.
I’ve not found the AIs are terribly smart though about the implication of doomsday. Last campaign I completed yesterday I won with it and the AI’s sat with their 6 stacks in their city and let the clock run out instead of charging at me to prevent it.
The last time I attempted my doomsday weapon, I was immediately denounced and forces started to ramp up against me. I backed down because I don’t like conflict (yeah, yeah, I’ll get over my builder-philosophy one day), but it was scary.
Is there any rhyme or reason to how the NPC factions at war with you can suddenly have stacks spawn near your territory when there is nothing nearby to spawn them? It’s one of my least favorite things of the game, trying to defend against these pop-up stacks that have no way to be where they are. If I had left some transporter, spawner, or something else there then it would be my fault that they appear but otherwise I find it very cheat-y.
I’m not sure that they’re magically spawning as much as they’re probably just moving in the fog of war. If there are roads in place they can move a fairly long distance and get the jump on you. I make a point of plopping down look out towers (I forget what they’re actually called) on top of mountain ranges all over the place for this very reason, to keep an eye on’em.
As for doomsday, I mentioned it above because I thought it was interesting the AI was just content to sit it out and let me win. I’ve had previous campaigns where they stormed my capital when I triggered it.
Now if you’re talking NPCs as in the Pargon, fish, etc, I don’t know what they’re about in terms of spawning and stuff. I’m usually staying at peace with them and don’t worry about them. I’m thinking of the enemy AIs, in my scenario games they’re the ones who are really dangerous.
It isn’t sexy per se but stuff like the Kir’ko tier 4 unquestionably vastly improves your army over your opposition. An army-wide buff of range and accuracy or damage is just enormous.
Yeah, they may be Spacers or Growth, for instance, who seem to declare war on me pretty easily compared to other factions (I’m always friends with Paragon, it seems). I can’t say for sure they aren’t just moving out of a fog-of-war, but there are always at least two armies attacking my annexed sectors or forward bases before I can get armies in position to defend. There’s probably something I’m not seeing, though.
The devs said the game was balanced for that, but they were afraid some people wouldn’t be happy with neutral creatures being a real threat, so they made the “normal” setting lower.
My next game will probably be Kir’ko Psynumbra. I didn’t like Syndicate/Psynumbra but I think it was more of a function of me not liking the Syndicate units. If you had asked me on paper which faction I thought I would end up playing if you just described them in-game, I’d have said Syndicate. But turns off they just bounce right off me. I also doubt I’ll play again with Amazons. On paper a terraforming faction sounds fun, but in practice it’s rather tedious and I didn’t love their units.
