!Somewhat of a spoiler alert!
Spoiler
I can't seem to get through the initial layers of day 20. I've tried running 6 dark beams simultaneously and mirrors to snake through the ground, but I run out of energy crystals before I can destroy all of the gates. The superdrones then proceed to annihilate everything.
I've also tried digging into chambers, shielding them off, and C-bombing them, but that just opens them up for drones to come through.
When I run 2 dark beams (one on each enemy digging entrance), I can't seem to be able to advance at all, especially since the beams kill friendly units. With only 2, I can have blasters on the entrances, but even about 15 of them can't take down the superdrones.
I would prefer to not use the beams at all, but with the drones it is impossible not to. Any tips for me to get me on the right track? Maybe build a certain amount of dark beams, etc..? No walkthroughs please.
Conversion bombs also do a lot of damage to drones that run into them, or dark beams can be turned on/off for short bursts to clear out the drones quickly - you don't actually *need* anything but conversion bombs and nullifiers up till the end though if used properly.
...you ran out of energy? xD
Wow, I never thought anyone would ever actually do that, I only use half of it when I try. I think I need a break!
You're obviously using way too much of that huge energy reserve you have all at once, if it is a problem...
The trick is to not have to take on all the upper layer enemies at once. So I went after the two gates that put out enemy excavation packets first. (Well; actually I converted the top two pockets of compressed creeper on the way to attack the gates. ;)) By not having to engage on numerous fronts I was able to clear the upper levels with one dark beam and assorted mirrors, conversion bombs, and conventional weapons.
Quote from: mthw2vc on May 19, 2011, 10:23:53 PM
...you ran out of energy? xD
Wow, I never thought anyone would ever actually do that, I only use half of it when I try. I think I need a break!
You're obviously using way too much of that huge energy reserve you have all at once, if it is a problem...
and how is that possible, mthw?
40+ packets per second in the last chamber
Ah, thanks a lot.
Quote from: thepenguin on May 20, 2011, 04:59:13 PM
40+ packets per second in the last chamber
Yeah, just 4 DB's is already 48 packets each second. Add some blasters, nullifiers and CB's and a starting player will be out of energy in no time.
I actually did do it as mthw2vc said, and ended up with half energy crystals left when the
Spoiler
nexus was destroyed
I managed to rush the excavating gateways with conversion bombs and a single dark beam, then took the rest of the chambers easily as I only had to manage them one by one. Clearing the whole top out only one beam and a couple conversion bombs saves energy. Never built a single blaster or launcher. I took on the bottom chamber with 8 dark beams initially, but shut down 4 of them once most of the drones were cleared.
ok, i need help too. i did the layers before the thing, but how should i assault the last chamber? none of my attempts worked.
Dark beams are your friend. You probably heard that somewhere else in this thread. Here's how to use these effectively:
Spoiler
Dark beams are very expensive to make, and to arm. Plus, they cannot be moved. Rats! If only you could make their beams go to other points of the map without building a new one...
Spoiler
Aha! There it is, right next to the dark beam on the menu! The dark mirror! Better start thinking with portals mirrors. The blue preview beam helps, but if you are good at spatial reasoning like me, you pretty much won't need it. Just build mirrors!
wow... one db, with enough mirrors, can take out all the creeper around it... thx. i finished it. awesome!
I have been doing this map a lot recently trying to figure out how people have been able to complete it so quickly my best time is only 22min so far if some one wants to send me a message or something about the trick to getting around 10min I can sleep easy again.
here's a tip, don't do this. http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=6976.msg42436;boardseen#new
Quote from: mthw2vc on May 19, 2011, 10:23:53 PM
...you ran out of energy? xD
Wow, I never thought anyone would ever actually do that, I only use half of it when I try. I think I need a break!
You're obviously using way too much of that huge energy reserve you have all at once, if it is a problem...
Ok seriously man, three minutes? You do voodoo.
3 minutes 1 second. 8)
The key to this map is just rushing it. You have the energy, so do not worry about wasting it...
I like taking my time and hate micro'ing dark beams. Up until the end I just spam shields and conversion bombs. drones aren't big fans of shields. And I actually ran out of energy my first playthrough because I spammed blasters. On my second playthrough I just said "forget this" and let the enemy drones eat my shields. it wasn't like I couldn't make more, and they were killing better than the blasters.
Quote from: Fisherck on May 23, 2011, 02:03:48 PM
3 minutes 1 second. 8)
The key to this map is just rushing it. You have the energy, so do not worry about wasting it...
rushing the map (to me) is a lot less fun. I like the epic battle against swarms of uber powerful drones while trying to get nullifiers up, and chip away at the nexus's defense.
Quote from: Krell on May 24, 2011, 08:04:49 PM
"...eat my shields...
What a great quote - needs to be in a CW2 HOF somewhere.
**********
As for the Uber players we have, I really do salute your ability to finish these games in the incredible times you have.
For me, the fun is in (1) figuring out how to survive and (2) working my way through all the obstacles to the finish. Oh, and (3) I couldn't do those kinds of times anyway - so there might be a touch of rationalization on my part.
I think that - in the end - we all agree that CW2 is some amazing work by Virgil.
no arguments here. And on a lot of maps, there's some fun challenges like, beat level 19 without capping any emitters or gateways, things like that. (I haven't tried that yet, but I plan to soon)
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 25, 2011, 05:11:42 PM
no arguments here. And on a lot of maps, there's some fun challenges like, beat level 19 without capping any emitters or gateways, things like that. (I haven't tried that yet, but I plan to soon)
That sounds interesting... done! That was kind of a pain. I finally managed to get to the last bunker with stable power levels. I let it run for a while to make sure.
(Click below for a bigger image)
(http://www.ian.org/Games/CW2-L19-A-Small.jpg) (http://www.ian.org/Games/CW2-L19-A2.jpg)
wait, I'm just curious, is it possible to get to the nexus before it is completed? or id that just for the story line?
It is possible if you know what you're doing - but truthfully anyone able to do it probably wouldn't have had any trouble beating it normally anyway. The nexus finishes at 2:58 (if you don't kill any of the creeper around it), and if the creeper around it dies then it stops increasing.
Personally, I am just having trouble breaking into the first layer of dense creeper and drones without all those super drones coming out and wrecking all my stuff.
Can we get a video of someone beating it before the nexus is up?
For the beginning of the map, probably the easiest way to do it is to just mass lots of blasters/launchers at the beginning with a few conversion bombs, and head straight for the middle chamber while using conversion bombs with shields on the left and right chambers, and just charge lots of blasters and launchers into the middle chamber - the spoiler has an image of the general strategy I use (though when going for high scores i build stuff a bit differently and tech domes and such, but the general idea is the same). Once you clear out the middle chamber you can deal with the rest of the map at your own pace - don't bother using blasters or launchers for creeper anywhere else on the map though, the creeper is too dense for anything other than dark beams/conversion bombs to clear it out essentially. Before entering the last chamber you should have lots of dark beams ready, but turn off any of them you don't need once the drones are cleared out. You'll need both dark beams and conversion bombs to damage the boss.
Spoiler
(http://i.imgur.com/PdbDv.png)
I tried this, I didn't move in fast enough and ended up getting murked by those super drones.
Spoiler
Seriously though, those things will rampage through five blasters and set of a CB or two before being destroyed.
I am going to try again later but I have to be twice as fast...
Quote from: TonyP2000 on May 29, 2011, 10:03:07 AM
I tried this, I didn't move in fast enough and ended up getting murked by those super drones. Spoiler
Seriously though, those things will rampage through five blasters and set of a CB or two before being destroyed.
A tip... keep your dark beams AWAY from that pit, and target through mirrors. If you have your dark beams right at the opening to that super drone pit... One explosion means 100 packets worth of work, and minus one uber beam.
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 29, 2011, 10:15:38 AM
A tip... keep your dark beams AWAY from that pit, and target through mirrors.
I kept using the same dark beam I put at ground level to clear the upper levels. Just move mirrors. (Plus three more addedd just above the bottom chamber.)
just use C-bombs on the very left and right pits, then just dark beam everything in an effective way, use nullifiers here and there too, it's a a lot faster than waiting for a dark beam to destroy something.
Yep; I used a lot of conversion bombs on creeper pools.
I can't clear the upper layer on this map with Dark Beams, same as OP. I use only CB's and Nullifiers.
If I try to play it using Dark Beams, I run out of Energy - and that's before I even get to the Nexus.
Edit: Scratch that. Just managed to do it. ^^ Had just over 17k Crystals left.
So I finally completely took over the top layers, Its how do I take out those blasted drones in the Nexes's layer. Any good tips to beating that part?
A good idea for that is to build a long shaft along the side of the Nexus chamber. Have one Dark Beam aimed down it, and a few more set in alcoves along the side. Then, open up the shaft at the very bottom of the Nexus chamber and activate the Dark Beams. It works well for destroying them all.
I finally beat this one, this had to be the most dreadful final boss I have ever played in my life. I beat it with two dark beams shooting at the bottom and left emitters; an army of blasters; crap load of CBs.
You don't have to destroy every emitter to beat this one, but it probably helps.
I don't think I am ever doing this level again... :-[
Needless to say, props to Virgil, this was a great game and challenging as well as engaging last boss. :D