Custom Map #728: Extermination. By: Decagon

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This topic is for discussion of map #728: Extermination


Author: Decagon
Size: 448x252

Desc:
The retaliation has begun; GalCorp is launching a counter-offensive against the Crystallid fleet. WARNING: Massive ships. Play at your own risk.

[Exodus Legate]

That was really fun.

[Syth]

Slowly but surely made my way through, was still rather overwhelming however.

Spoiler

The HQ makes for a lovely "bomb" to destroy the Flare instantly ;)

[close]

[Keeper Decagon]

Slowly but surely made my way through, was still rather overwhelming however.

Spoiler

The HQ makes for a lovely "bomb" to destroy the Flare instantly ;)

[close]

*sigh*

Well, I guess people will use whatever works. There are more legitimate ways of beating it though.

Spoiler

For example, the Flare is extremely energy-reliant, and is unable to support its own energy reserves with all guns blazing. Using Missiles, for example, coaxes out the Flare's numerous Particle Beams, which drain energy like a madman. Its extended use of Fighters, MK7s and Shields will also drain its energy.

Trick is to be patient, wear away at its energy (even sneak a strike at the energy mines near its patrol route to cut off half of its guppy supply). Not so much to use the HQ as a veritable nuke for large ships, since that trick could be used for all Super-Capitals in my maps and completely ruins the whole challenge of them. :/

[close]

[GoodMorning]

Decagon, I think this is the point where a custom HQ (the old one being lost forever) may become helpful.

Edit, having read the below:

Fair point, I had thought that "fail on HQ loss" was a different setting. I'll put in a suggestion so that at least a script can help.

[Keeper Decagon]

Decagon, I think this is the point where a custom HQ (the old one being lost forever) may become helpful.

Perhaps, but a few things to consider are MK7s, because people don't know how to protect their HQ's properly, and various enemy vessels also have HQ modules. If you kill an enemy HQ-bearing ship, you lose all the same. Removing the modules makes the Super-Caps/other command ships look lame and much less important than their role dictates.

For a prime example of the first point, look no further than the map "Singularity" and its utterly dismal rating and feedback. I made it a "loss on HQ destruction" map, and since MK7s are a part of the increased difficulty my maps present, apparently it was unfair how the MK7s could out of nowhere bust a HQ, despite there being a multitude of shielded ships capable of protecting them from harm.

I just don't understand why people feel the need to use cheese to pass a map that is very much passable with even mediocre PF skills like my own. I wouldn't need to resort to making HQ death a failure condition if the puzzle I presented wasn't being so cheaply bypassed.

[Bluepikmin64]

Here's what I did:

Spoiler

I first pushed to capture the flip emitters and cannons. After capturing all of those around an energy mine, I would capture that too. Once the area was successfully I began to mire all the land. I simultaneously sought out the invisible ship spawners. (Some were already destroyed cause they take priority over mines and cannons) After that I captured/destroyed the mines near the Flare.

At this point, the cannon at the bottom would occasionally pound the Flare. The Flare would of course try to recapture the mines, but that was fine. The Flare would move out of range of the mine after recapturing, so it lost more energy than it was making. When it's tanks were half full (or half empty) I moved the MK7s (All AMPed) and the carriers into range. This quickly drained its remaining energy reserves. Once the shields were down, its engines were able to be destroyed. The Flare became a sitting duck. It was quickly destroyed after this. I then kept an MK7 next to its spawner and took down the nexus. 

[close]

My strategy took a long time and was probably really unnecessary,but that's what made it fun.

[Syth]

I'll admit that having felt bad I replayed the map. Overall it's fun just more on the and time consuming side if played "properly".

[Johnny Haywire]

This is one of those maps where you can make slow, steady, almost lossless progress if you're patient enough.

I found that a small group of ships in the middle was enough to secure the mine then my omni-ninjas took the bottom flip emitter & subsequently the mine pretty easily. From there it was just all sorts of fun.

This map was so well planned by the end of it, as the super-overpowered flare is slowly powerless, you actually feel bad for it. Almost.  :D

Still enjoying your series! Thanks again for all your work on these  ;D ;D

[tornado]

something to consider, if its impossible to make the map HQ fail because of enemies, perhaps have a PRPL core with a lose condition on top of the existing HQ?

[GoodMorning]

How, pray tell, is that different?

There is a possible workaround involving jump time examination to fail the mission if the HQ lasts less than (say) three frames when it warps in, in order to prevent HQ bombing.

[tornado]

From what I understand the condition "Fail on HQ loss" causes the mission to fail if a HQ module dies, no matter whose.
What I'm suggesting is place a PRPL core over the relevant ship/s and say something like
"Stay on this position relative to the ship. if this thing dies, fail the level".
Please don't write code for this, I want to take a crack at it *Dusts off Text Editor and wiki pages*

I'm presuming this is possible, I heard some suggest it somewhere before...
If it isn't well that's a shame.

[Keeper Decagon]

Well, if you manage to get a working script, do let me know. The sooner I can abolish unwarranted HQ bombing, the better.

[tornado]

Good news: I have the relevant commands(FAILMISSION, and , GETSHIPISDESTROYED).
Bad news 1:There is no documentation for either command. so I don't know what inputs they take, or what outputs they give.
bad news 2:GETSHIPISDESTROYED probably relies on a ship UID, which ranges form 0-23. that's every slot EXCEPT the Default HQ.
So if I can hammer a prototype together I should work fine, for that one ship. it wont work if the ship is moved from that slot, or if
it doesn't start built(I'm fairly sure it would get a little stroppy at that).

again, if anyone else is working on this, can I please have the satisfaction of actually having done some PRPL? I have something that
is a start, I can probably get it working. just let me figure out stack based languages first.

[FOXX]

I have a script from Stickman to contain the HQ. Maybe that can help him.
I've send Decagon a PM.