Custom Map #149: Column. By: Sorrontis

[D0m0nik]

The written word is sometimes so difficult to interpret. In accusing you of being rude, I was rude. Sorry Chwooly.

[GoodMorning]

Well, I'm stalemated just before the last of the Struc I could build. Even with every gun I could fit in range and gems on the ships with the most guns, the spawn rate is greater then my firepower, forcing repeated retreats to the turret. With the turret, the kill rate exceeds the spawn rate.

What have I missed, given that the distance to the Emitter seems greater than suicide rushing could cover?

Edit:
Reloading a save after a failed attempt caused hotkeys to fail. Reloading again allowed the same attempted strategy to succeed. Strange.

[ColonelSandersLite]

General thoughts:
This map makes me ask an important question:  What *is* particle fleet really?  For me, the game is largely about positioning, timing, and finesse.  At the end of the day, this just wasn't fun.  I will give it a point for trying something different though.

My Rating:
2/10

My time:
Didn't finish.  I got very near to the end and got wiped.  Decided I didn't want to slog all the way through it again.

Difficulty:
Tedious.

[Sorrontis]

Yep, this is known. Thanks for adding on the pile :P

[Aesis]

I'm extremely late.
Map isn't fun. I won't explain why because it would spoil it. I'm not going to rate it because there's nothing to rate. (unless the map was updated since then)
Didn't try the normal route.

[Sorrontis]

I won't explain why because it would spoil it.

Use spoilers:

Code Select Expand

[spoiler] Text [/spoiler]

[Aesis]

Use spoilers

What I meant by not spoiling it was to not have the easy solution for people that can't complete it, but oh well, i guess it doesn't really matter at this point.

Spoiler

Wait ~10 minutes without spawning your HQ (preferrably when no particulate move out of the turret fields) spawn your HQ next to the mother-thingy, your HQ will target that, your HQ will get stunned 2-3 times, but if no particulate reach you troughout the process, it won't die.

[close]

[Sorrontis]

Ha! Interesting.

[Johnny Haywire]

For some strange reason, reloading this map causes a few glitches in how the particulate behaves. Not sure why.

Had I known this I would've rebuilt my fleet as opposed to reloading the game.

Spoiler

There was a kind of vortex between the 2nd and 3rd mine from the bottom. It would attract particles and cause them to swirl in place, thereby preventing more from spawning. I'd established a forward base ahead of this to build ships, but when I reloaded the game the anomaly was gone and particles dispersed everywhere.  :'(

[close]

[Builder17]

For some strange reason, reloading this map causes a few glitches in how the particulate behaves. Not sure why.

Had I known this I would've rebuilt my fleet as opposed to reloading the game.

Spoiler

There was a kind of vortex between the 2nd and 3rd mine from the bottom. It would attract particles and cause them to swirl in place, thereby preventing more from spawning. I'd established a forward base ahead of this to build ships, but when I reloaded the game the anomaly was gone and particles dispersed everywhere.  :'(

[close]

Sounds like PRPL that didn't persist in save, should have used :GameLoaded, I think.

[Johnny Haywire]

That sounds like a good answer.

My thinking is that it sounds like SOGL (Stroke Of Good Luck) that didn't persist in save.

Should have used :Murphy'sLaw before reloading.  :-\

[Sorrontis]

Interesting. I'm not sure what's the proper behaviour. I don't even know if there's purple in the map.

[Johnny Haywire]

Oh, I just KNOW there's purple in the map, or at least as a result of it.

The skin all around my eyes was purple. My thumbs and fingers were all purple. That's what this map did to me.

Come back to me, friendly swirly gravitation void!  :'(

[Johnny Haywire]

***PARTY AT JOHNNY'S HOUSE!!!***

This was my LAST remaining "sorrontis map" that I'd not been able to beat. And, had it not been for svartmes' comment about this map being a "straightforward march" I probably would've given up.

My initial solution, upon seeing the huge # of particles and the rate at which they respawn, was to "trap" the particles near the bottom, sneak the Power Strip ship just around the two masses, and then sneak and/or build a fleet to deal with the remaining particles above all that. I worked for sooo long to get the particles swirling around the 2nd and 3rd mines from the bottom, and managed to partially finish my solution, but it was taking so long and had to be so carefully navigated I decided there HAD to be another way. And there is.

Observations & answers to previous questions (and I say forget spoilers at this point): How do I beat the map??

1) I could not duplicate Aesis' solution (waiting ~10 min. for the particles to all sink to the bottom.) Each time I tried (10-15x) too many particles remained orbiting the top mine & gun, and they came & destroyed the HQ each time. It wasn't even close.
2) You can't shoot the particles fast enough. Not even with every weapon on every ship you can bring in range.
3) You need the gun in order to turn the tide and get the particle # a bit more manageable.
4) Ramming the particles with extra ships and/or slowly moving forward to absorb particles & rebuild armor will kill the particles faster than shooting them will.
5) It's tough to advance slowly and safely with all that ground in the way. You can remove it and make things easier.
6) Before you begin, it helps to switch your techs to "move/build increase" and "defensive struc" - when you take out the top mine, it will lathe the gun for you while you get that extra gem above it. You're welcome.
7) Once you push the particles back to the area close to the gun, you'll need to feed that gun with remote power. Use the Power Strip (with a gem) and you'll be able to power up the gun while your other ships help keep the particles out of range. Watch the # of particles... when it drops about 300-400, you should be ok to advance.

Here's what my final approach looked like. Once these ships were in position I didn't need to move them. One lathe took down the progenitor.



For all of you still playing this game (anyone?) who haven't been able to complete this map - I hope this helps!

Thanks for all your maps, Sorrontis! Perhaps that even includes this one, I dunno.

And yeah, the picture is big but I figure why not. This map needs some hope injected into it.  ;D

[Sorrontis]

Thanks for putting int the dedication of playing everything I've made.

:D