Ix

[Blauwbaard]

Ix, the level the introduces drones, is so easy to win. It took me 7:30 without using drones. I just couldn't be bothered building them because I already had two mortars bombing the pools with emitters. Maybe something worth looking at if you decide to rebalance some of the levels.

[zena]

You're joking?! Ix is the first level I'm properly stuck on! Nothing I build can last the second "pulse" of the creeper - I don't have enough power to recharge or build so I get overrun :(

How did you do it?

[zena]

Or.. anyone? Help? :(

[knucracker]

Ix can be trivial, or very difficult based on what you do in the first minute of the mission.  The first thing I would do is to move the city closer in.  Say next to the drone nano tech.  Then, build nodes to the north east and to the south west.  Pick up the upgrades and use them all for economic upgrades.

If you hurry and build a line of collectors to the top of the hill you can put a single mortar there that will bombard both pools before they overflow.

In the below screen shot I actually built a drone first and used it to empty the pools.  Then I put a mortar to demonstrate where to place it so it will knock down both pools.

If you do let the pools overflow note that you still have a little time to react.  Don't try to keep the creeper pushed back at the leading edge with blasters.  Instead hit the pools on the hill with a drone.  If you keep the creeper confined in these pools, all of the creeper that has escaped will wither and die.

As an advanced note, most people don't realize that the creeper actually has a small 'evaporation' rate on exposed edges.  If you cut off the creeper from a resupply source it will wither.  

[zena]

Ooh, nice :)

I'll give it another go tonight, ta!

[idiosyncratic i]

I've been going through the game on double down mode, and so far, Ix is the only one I'm having trouble with.  The double calderas just fill up so quickly that I can't seem to move fast enough.  Anyone had any success with this level on double down mode?

[knucracker]

I've not played it on double-down mode but I'll give it a shot tonight.  My initial thoughts might be to build a mortar almost immediately and then fly it in on a bombing run.  It will reduce the Creeper level and buy some more time.  Of course when it exhausts its ammo it will have to be flown back to reload.
If it isn't possible to get a mortar built in time, a blaster might work.

If this strategy doesn't work, then I might try to hold up in a corner of the map by moving the city first thing.  Let a good portion of the lower plain flood but focus on getting a drone or a mortar built so I can drain the calderas.  Once they are getting bombed (by either a drone or a mortar sent into hostile territory) I might drive a line of collectors across the edge of the map to get a supply line in place so a mortar can permanently punish the calderas.  After that it will just be a mop-up exercise.

All theory since I've not actually played Ix on DD.... I'll let you know if any of these ideas worked :)
Btw, thinking about this gives me an idea for a map I may do with the beta map editor....

[idiosyncratic i]

Everything you've suggest I've tried, but there are a lot of combinations of the above that I haven't gotten around to yet.  Plus, you might also just be able to do things a little quicker than me.  Good luck to you.  Let me know if you find the right formula.

[idiosyncratic i]

Finally figured it out.  The solution is to build up your network as fast as possible towards the base of the hill and build blasters to hold off the creep, and only then building a drone to drain the pools.  There just isn't enough time to build a drone or a mortar before the creep start coming down the hill, so even if you focus your energy on building one of those first thing, the creep that has already come down the hill will finish you off even if you do get the pools drained.  So you need to build enough collectors to power enough blasters to hold off the creep just long enough to build a drone to drain the pools.  There wasn't much margin for error when I did it, a couple seconds slower and I would have had to retreat my blasters, which would mean less energy, which would mean not enough energy to both power blasters and build a drone. 

I like this level on double down a lot.  For most of the levels, once you figure out a general strategy to beat a level, you have a lot leeway in the execution, and you know you're going to win way before you actually do.  This one, your play has to be really tight.  You have to make sure you don't let your energy get down to zero, or you won't be able to build the buildings fast enough. 

Of course, if someone else figures out a less stressful way of doing it, I'd love to hear it.

[knucracker]

Cool.....

Btw, I just added you to the beta group.  You will see a new group called "beta" when you login to the forums.  In there are messages for the map editor and some maps that have been posted already.  You might be interested to take a look at these maps and the editor as you can very easily create maps that are really tight like Ix on DD.  Plus if you happen to make a map that is pretty cool, I'm sure others wouldn't mind giving it a shot :)

[bigschank]

here is my double down Ix video. enjoy

[Aurzel]

this topic has been dead for months and you've already posted this video on a different topic which is about ix on double down, this is about ix on normal

~LOCKED~