Custom Map #2877: VPAC Incursion. By: Vertu

[FarStar]

Dark fonts with dark background? I always use fully saturated colors, causing them to appear bright with a dark background. I know better than to put dark colors with a dark background or bright with white. It's possibly just how your system deals with color.

It's the (fully saturated) blue on black that's worst. Add any RG to that B, and it'd be fine. Human eyes don't perceive blue in high resolution, and against a black background, it can be really hard to read (also depends on people's screens).

[CuteExponent]

So im fairly new to PAC maps, only played around 40 total across CW3 and CW4, but after trying and retrying this map a few times. It literally doesn't seem possible to progress past the starting area, i've tried launchers, mesh, pushing, Air Missles, and just mass Emitters, nothing I do pushes past the triple cannon in the bottom center, both the sniper and the AA reload 3x faster than i can send units at them. I've notice every single PAC that includes SAM's they literally dont do anything, just pokes the crafts for less than 1 red dot that heals long before the reload happens, yet for some reason they cost 5 to use. even with 10 of them it wouldn't kill an Aircraft.

If anyone has any tips, would be greatly appreciated.

[Vertu]

The SAM-AV reached a stable place in balance at VPAC Canyon Network. Until then, they where not too viable compared to how robust the Fighters are.

[Freed]

So im fairly new to PAC maps, only played around 40 total across CW3 and CW4, but after trying and retrying this map a few times. It literally doesn't seem possible to progress past the starting area, i've tried launchers, mesh, pushing, Air Missles, and just mass Emitters, nothing I do pushes past the triple cannon in the bottom center, both the sniper and the AA reload 3x faster than i can send units at them. I've notice every single PAC that includes SAM's they literally dont do anything, just pokes the crafts for less than 1 red dot that heals long before the reload happens, yet for some reason they cost 5 to use. even with 10 of them it wouldn't kill an Aircraft.

If anyone has any tips, would be greatly appreciated.

hope this is helping.

Spoiler

I beat it this way (hardcore-mode):build 3 Launcher next to the starting point (you can see where you can put them as close as possible), set to locations: 1. Power Holder left side of the half-island you start; 2&3 against the bottom-right-shild+mobile rift (first spore kills the shild, second the rift).-dont forget to build the forge just next to the second emitter- Then next wave of spores: 1: to the bottom  right corner,next to the bluite (free spot to build an advanced emitter there - just sell the launchers 1&2 after after the 2.shot if necessary -as soon as it runs, swap it to a normal emitter)  2&3  to kill the "pink island" rift below your starting point. next wave: just a little bit above the rift below the greenar. try to build an advanced emitter where it hits. if you go directly to at the rift, the spore will get shot. now sell every launcher and push yourself down to the 3 cannons (use advanced emitter+ fieldgen). as soon as you got them down, push up to the shild where the beacon is (its the first one in the raw with the powerholder).now push yourself against the shild with adv emitters and fieldgen. as soon as you got the rift down, it will get a lot easier. you can build a launcher inside the shild and launch one spore -  it will destroy the shild and that will help you a lot.
from there you need to push yourself down to the redon ore (use lures and a lot of mesh! - I work with 3-4 adv emitters and got there inch by inch). you´ll most likely push yourself under the shilds in the middle - it's a good way too. from there you push yourself down to the three greenars and kill the sniper. if you get a working launcher next to the bluite ore, you send blobs to the rift there and thats done. if you´re that far, you should handle the rest by yourself. as soon as you got 12-14 powerpoints + your borders secure with a few advanced emitters, you could launch a massive spore spam to the fortress in the north. it will take 3-4 waves till they run out of redon and you get the hit. as soon as you kill this rift, the game is over (2more power holders there and guess what - only one 3.8 redon ore left for feeding the anti-air...-just shot the rift lab down as fast as you can... else you´ll get a nasty surprise^^).
use lures and mesh everything you can (put one lure as far left as you can on your part of the island and with mesh under it - it wont get destroyed because the mesh heals it and you dont get that much hits from the main fortress).

[close]

[Vertu]

So im fairly new to PAC maps, only played around 40 total across CW3 and CW4, but after trying and retrying this map a few times. It literally doesn't seem possible to progress past the starting area, i've tried launchers, mesh, pushing, Air Missles, and just mass Emitters, nothing I do pushes past the triple cannon in the bottom center, both the sniper and the AA reload 3x faster than i can send units at them. I've notice every single PAC that includes SAM's they literally dont do anything, just pokes the crafts for less than 1 red dot that heals long before the reload happens, yet for some reason they cost 5 to use. even with 10 of them it wouldn't kill an Aircraft.

If anyone has any tips, would be greatly appreciated.

hope this is helping.

Spoiler

I beat it this way (hardcore-mode):build 3 Launcher next to the starting point (you can see where you can put them as close as possible), set to locations: 1. Power Holder left side of the half-island you start; 2&3 against the bottom-right-shild+mobile rift (first spore kills the shild, second the rift).-dont forget to build the forge just next to the second emitter- Then next wave of spores: 1: to the bottom  right corner,next to the bluite (free spot to build an advanced emitter there - just sell the launchers 1&2 after after the 2.shot if necessary -as soon as it runs, swap it to a normal emitter)  2&3  to kill the "pink island" rift below your starting point. next wave: just a little bit above the rift below the greenar. try to build an advanced emitter where it hits. if you go directly to at the rift, the spore will get shot. now sell every launcher and push yourself down to the 3 cannons (use advanced emitter+ fieldgen). as soon as you got them down, push up to the shild where the beacon is (its the first one in the raw with the powerholder).now push yourself against the shild with adv emitters and fieldgen. as soon as you got the rift down, it will get a lot easier. you can build a launcher inside the shild and launch one spore -  it will destroy the shild and that will help you a lot.
from there you need to push yourself down to the redon ore (use lures and a lot of mesh! - I work with 3-4 adv emitters and got there inch by inch). you´ll most likely push yourself under the shilds in the middle - it's a good way too. from there you push yourself down to the three greenars and kill the sniper. if you get a working launcher next to the bluite ore, you send blobs to the rift there and thats done. if you´re that far, you should handle the rest by yourself. as soon as you got 12-14 powerpoints + your borders secure with a few advanced emitters, you could launch a massive spore spam to the fortress in the north. it will take 3-4 waves till they run out of redon and you get the hit. as soon as you kill this rift, the game is over (2more power holders there and guess what - only one 3.8 redon ore left for feeding the anti-air...-just shot the rift lab down as fast as you can... else you´ll get a nasty surprise^^).
use lures and mesh everything you can (put one lure as far left as you can on your part of the island and with mesh under it - it wont get destroyed because the mesh heals it and you dont get that much hits from the main fortress).

[close]

Well done sir. That's a near identical rollout after my 20th playtest where I got the fastest time and finalized it. Things began to differentiate after killing the micro-rift near the greenar.
I applauded you.
Hopefully with my most recent map, the now Light SAM will actually be useful and be incorporated in such refined strategies.

[Freed]

thanks - I wasnt sure if I really want to play this map (I don´t like the ground-ground-rockets that much)... but it was fun in the end.

[Vertu]

thanks - I wasnt sure if I really want to play this map (I don´t like the ground-ground-rockets that much)... but it was fun in the end.

I assure you I am well aware of the pain of watching the rockets be so effective. They where rebalanced starting at VPAC Small Fry when it comes to their kill-power. Also a form of point-defense is planned.

[VuleJr]

I made a forum account just to say - WHAT AN AMAZING MAP!

I love your maps Vertu, Prospector fortress was great as well (if a bit laggy), but I think this is the best one yet, and I have a few that you released after this still to play. The ~105 seconds to set up before the enemy starts shooting also allows to set up a foothold in different ways. Please keep up the good work!

As for the strategy on hardcore

Spoiler

I didn't take advantage of the free time of enemy inactivity to kill microrifts with spores (maybe next playthrough), but I bruteforced the map with advanced emitters, stashes, and standard field emitter+crimsonator strategy. Love the upgraded SAMs, 2 of them plus an armored lure kept the fighters out of the way (apart from the reactor fighter but it came so late in the game it was only a nuisance)

[close]

[Vertu]

I made a forum account just to say - WHAT AN AMAZING MAP!

I love your maps Vertu, Prospector fortress was great as well (if a bit laggy), but I think this is the best one yet, and I have a few that you released after this still to play. The ~105 seconds to set up before the enemy starts shooting also allows to set up a foothold in different ways. Please keep up the good work!

As for the strategy on hardcore

Spoiler

I didn't take advantage of the free time of enemy inactivity to kill microrifts with spores (maybe next playthrough), but I bruteforced the map with advanced emitters, stashes, and standard field emitter+crimsonator strategy. Love the upgraded SAMs, 2 of them plus an armored lure kept the fighters out of the way (apart from the reactor fighter but it came so late in the game it was only a nuisance)

[close]

I very much appreciate the compliment. Thanks.
Hope you find the other maps to be of similar quality in experience.

[Caz]

So im fairly new to PAC maps, only played around 40 total across CW3 and CW4, but after trying and retrying this map a few times. It literally doesn't seem possible to progress past the starting area, i've tried launchers, mesh, pushing, Air Missles, and just mass Emitters, nothing I do pushes past the triple cannon in the bottom center, both the sniper and the AA reload 3x faster than i can send units at them. I've notice every single PAC that includes SAM's they literally dont do anything, just pokes the crafts for less than 1 red dot that heals long before the reload happens, yet for some reason they cost 5 to use. even with 10 of them it wouldn't kill an Aircraft.

If anyone has any tips, would be greatly appreciated.

hope this is helping.

Spoiler

I beat it this way (hardcore-mode):build 3 Launcher next to the starting point (you can see where you can put them as close as possible), set to locations: 1. Power Holder left side of the half-island you start; 2&3 against the bottom-right-shild+mobile rift (first spore kills the shild, second the rift).-dont forget to build the forge just next to the second emitter- Then next wave of spores: 1: to the bottom  right corner,next to the bluite (free spot to build an advanced emitter there - just sell the launchers 1&2 after after the 2.shot if necessary -as soon as it runs, swap it to a normal emitter)  2&3  to kill the "pink island" rift below your starting point. next wave: just a little bit above the rift below the greenar. try to build an advanced emitter where it hits. if you go directly to at the rift, the spore will get shot. now sell every launcher and push yourself down to the 3 cannons (use advanced emitter+ fieldgen). as soon as you got them down, push up to the shild where the beacon is (its the first one in the raw with the powerholder).now push yourself against the shild with adv emitters and fieldgen. as soon as you got the rift down, it will get a lot easier. you can build a launcher inside the shild and launch one spore -  it will destroy the shild and that will help you a lot.
from there you need to push yourself down to the redon ore (use lures and a lot of mesh! - I work with 3-4 adv emitters and got there inch by inch). you´ll most likely push yourself under the shilds in the middle - it's a good way too. from there you push yourself down to the three greenars and kill the sniper. if you get a working launcher next to the bluite ore, you send blobs to the rift there and thats done. if you´re that far, you should handle the rest by yourself. as soon as you got 12-14 powerpoints + your borders secure with a few advanced emitters, you could launch a massive spore spam to the fortress in the north. it will take 3-4 waves till they run out of redon and you get the hit. as soon as you kill this rift, the game is over (2more power holders there and guess what - only one 3.8 redon ore left for feeding the anti-air...-just shot the rift lab down as fast as you can... else you´ll get a nasty surprise^^).
use lures and mesh everything you can (put one lure as far left as you can on your part of the island and with mesh under it - it wont get destroyed because the mesh heals it and you dont get that much hits from the main fortress).

[close]

What shield are you talking about?  On the starting island there's only totems.  You can't kill those and they don't deactivate.

I'm having the same issue as CuteExponent.  No matter what I do, I can't get out of the starting area.  Too many rockets, plus the nuke, plus the unkillable jet (unkillable because it runs away before it can be killed), can't get use spores because of the totem spam protecting everything (shields are fine, totems are dumb, totems have no counter), totems make skimmers irrelevant because you can't get past the shield with the skimmers, blobs are ineffective unless you spam 20+ of them to overwhelm the point defense, adv emitters are effective until you get to the choke point and then they just can't compete with the laser and cannons and rockets and nukes and fighter and kitchen sink....crimson doesn't even work, even with a field gen pushing it.

Some of your maps are fun.  Some of them are so tedious that they're not fun.  Then there's maps like this one.  It's just plain not fun because there's apparently only one strat that works and if you don't do it perfectly, down to the 0.10th of a second, you might as well just start over.