Love this game but I have to admit that the levels take me a looong time to complete. I can easily spend more than a hour getting through a level. I stumbled across this comment http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=18.0 (http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=18.0) from Virgilw suggesting that most players take only 5-20 minutes per level. I feel inadequate.
I tend to play a turtling strategy: String out some initial collectors to gather energy. Then identify a few choke points where I can establish a defensive perimeter. Once my defences are stable I then I hide behind them while I maximise my energy intake and add stuff like storage and speedys. Eventually when I have enough energy I push my line forward and take back the emitters one by one. This is an effective but slow strategy but if I try to play more agressively I invariably run out of energy or get over-run before I reach the goal.
Quote from: Liambp on April 21, 2010, 06:40:21 AMI stumbled across this comment http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=18.0 (http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=18.0) from Virgilw suggesting that most players take only 5-20 minutes per level. I feel inadequate.
I spent a couple of hours on a level last night, and the game clock only showed about 30 mins - so I think Virgil was referring to game-time, which is quite a bit slower than real time! So chances are you're not the slowest!
Quote from: Liambp on April 21, 2010, 06:40:21 AM
Love this game but I have to admit that the levels take me a looong time to complete. I can easily spend more than a hour getting through a level. I stumbled across this comment http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=18.0 (http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=18.0) from Virgilw suggesting that most players take only 5-20 minutes per level. I feel inadequate.
I tend to play a turtling strategy: String out some initial collectors to gather energy. Then identify a few choke points where I can establish a defensive perimeter. Once my defences are stable I then I hide behind them while I maximise my energy intake and add stuff like storage and speedys. Eventually when I have enough energy I push my line forward and take back the emitters one by one. This is an effective but slow strategy but if I try to play more agressively I invariably run out of energy or get over-run before I reach the goal.
I did the same thing; unless the map is kind of redundant... meaning that it doesn't provide any kind of challenge, then I speed thru the levels.
I've noticed on the HS that there are a lot of seemingly IMPOSSIBLE scores...
_k
When I played CW the first time, some maps took me about 45-50 minutes to complete. When I play them now, I finish them in 10-15 minutes.
From what I read about your strategy: this seems fine. You probably still play too aggressive, how strange that may sound. I fight the creeper as late as possible, first gaining as much energy as possible (read: needed). Then I go straight for the totems and don't spend time building more collectors on new land than I need to advance. I only cap emitters that will cause me a lot of trouble. Of course try to avoid having a deficit, especially when building collectors and/or reactors. Better build them one by one until you have the energy to build more of them simultaneously.
My second tip is: pause a lot! Virgil indeed refers to the game time, but when you use a rather new computer this will be almost equal to the play time when you don't pause. Pausing will enable you to move around stuff easily and fight at various fronts at the same time.
At last: enjoy the game! Don't worry about the time it takes you, as long as you have fun. The more you play, the more experience you will gain, resulting in faster times and higher scores.
@ Kamron: which scores do you mean?
He Means the scores that are like 9980 on maps like loki
I understand what an unbelievable score is, but I don't see one. Do you? (The high score for Loki is 8745, which is only 42 points more than I managed myself and this score was done by a guy who tried 16 times).
Quote from: Liambp on April 21, 2010, 06:40:21 AM
I tend to play a turtling strategy: String out some initial collectors to gather energy. Then identify a few choke points where I can establish a defensive perimeter. Once my defences are stable I then I hide behind them while I maximise my energy intake and add stuff like storage and speedys. Eventually when I have enough energy I push my line forward and take back the emitters one by one. This is an effective but slow strategy but if I try to play more agressively I invariably run out of energy or get over-run before I reach the goal.
I do the same thing.
Don't worry, just have fun.
I prefer to just enjoy the game, well, the training sim until I know if it runs in WINE on Ubuntu.
I will drag out the game because I am enjoying it so much.
If you are going for a score then yes that is pretty slow, however most people i know like spiffen and kamron like to spend as much time as they want, it does not matter how long it takes, just have fun with it. I am an expert player, but i don't like being a showoff so I don't try to get high scores, I just like to have fun with the maps. For example, i sometimes wait for the creeper to build up to a certain elevation then just attack it, just to mess with it.
Quote from: Mare on June 30, 2010, 01:12:14 PM
i don't like being a showoff so I don't try to get high scores
You can also see it as an additional challenge of course. Or as a help, because it indicates what you need to beat that map. :)
Quote from: Mare on June 30, 2010, 01:12:14 PM
i sometimes wait for the creeper to build up to a certain elevation then just attack it, just to mess with it.
Did you know that you'll be killing the creeper even more effectively that way? Another good reason for not fighting the creeper too soon!
Quote from: UpperKEES on June 30, 2010, 01:32:58 PM
Quote from: Mare on June 30, 2010, 01:12:14 PM
i don't like being a showoff so I don't try to get high scores
You can also see it as an additional challenge of course. Or as a help, because it indicates what you need to beat that map. :)
Quote from: Mare on June 30, 2010, 01:12:14 PM
i sometimes wait for the creeper to build up to a certain elevation then just attack it, just to mess with it.
Did you know that you'll be killing the creeper even more effectively that way? Another good reason for not fighting the creeper too soon!
You can kill it more effectively by just waiting!?!?!? wow i did not know that XD I just wanted to make fun of an all destroying liquid that cannot touch anything to kill it....
Yeah, a blaster shot kills up to 1 elevation layer for a certain amount of cells. Drones and mortars do the same for 4 elevation layers (and even more cells), so it's more effective to let the creeper rise to these levels and do something else in the meanwhile. *adds another reactor* :P
Quote from: aj00200 on April 24, 2010, 11:46:14 AM
I prefer to just enjoy the game, well, the training sim until I know if it runs in WINE on Ubuntu.
I will drag out the game because I am enjoying it so much.
Just to let you know I've just finished this great game on a standard WINE installation on ubuntu 10.04. Runs identical to a windows PC.
Now to try some of the user levels :)
i use to spend a good hour in game time to finish a level when i first started...
i beat the game and the final level it only took me 2 tries to finish it I rock
my times have of cource dropped and i have fun killing the creeper over nad over and over
All this time I assumed I was the slowest player ever. :) I usually spend WAY too much time building up a TON of energy before I even make a move. I should really try and get away from that.
@PHOENIX79 yeah, thats my kinda strategy as well. :) build up resources and then attack the creeper, taking my time. :)
Right before I play a map I usually look over the scores. After a while you get to know who the most skilled players are. I never expect to get the very top score, but I have surprised myself a couple of times. Then I read all the comments on a map. Sometimes there are tips in there. (Some of the best tips are disguised as criticism, so I try to read between the lines.) I never deconstruct other people's maps in the editor though.
I'm pretty sure that building up resources first is always the best strategy, (it's hard to conquer a map in a deficit) the key is to estimate how much you need, then stop building and start fighting. I am a notorious over-builder, so if it seems like my time is getting way out of hand compared to others, I start over and try to build less.
I have picked up a few tricks along the way, just by playing a lot. People are also generous with help in chat. (although I often find myself laughing too hard to type)
If I get a really bad score and don't want to play the map again, I post it anyway, just to keep myself humble.
I'm pretty sure I over-build on EVERY map. I never go for the high score anyway. CW is my relaxation time before work, so maybe just watching the packets move around is enough for me.
Beat the game once, and then go through it a second time on Double Down mode, after that, when you go back over the levels without double down the creeper becomes less of a burdon and more of a pushover ^.^ its how I got faster at least :D