Deficit playing

[UpperKEES]

It's always nice to have more energy, but investing in more can be a bad choice when you already have enough to finish the map. In that case better use it for fire power, speed or charging the totems.

[Colin]

I believe that it is a balance between a couple factors:

1. How much time you have until the Creeper overflows you.

2. How much energy (in blaster/mortars/drones) it takes to get past the Creeper to the totems.

3. How much energy you need for your power grid + bonuses (speed/storage)

If you find a balance between these three factors, you can complete any map with a decent time.

It's always nice to have more energy, but investing in more can be a bad choice when you already have enough to finish the map. In that case better use it for fire power, speed or charging the totems.

There are so many perfect examples of this when you're playing one of KEE'S maps.
Unless you have just an enormous amount of Creeper to fight back, you usually
don't need more than about 17 energy with about 160 in storage. The 160 in storage
usually handles most short term deficit problems (charging totems/building/drones recharging).

[Karsten75]

Unless you have just an enormous amount of Creeper to fight back, you usually
don't need more than about 17 energy with about 160 in storage. The 160 in storage
usually handles most short term deficit problems (charging totems/building/drones recharging).

That borders on the absurd. I can't recall many maps where I have *ever* needed 160 energy in storage. The exception that stands out in my brain is Alwego's map.

If you disagree: Pick a map (with the exception of the one I mention above) and we'll both play it. At the end post a near-completion screenie, you with 160 in energy and me with no more than 40-60 in energy storage and we 'll compare completion times.

[UpperKEES]

160 energy in storage is indeed quite a lot and a bit of a waste (especially considering this topic is about playing as efficient as possible).

Pick a map (with the exception of the one I mention above) and we'll both play it. At the end post a near-completion screenie, you with 160 in energy and me with no more than 40-60 in energy storage and we 'll compare completion times.

Okay! Nice Job 1: The Hydraulic Engineer. ;D You already played it, so you should know....

I think there are some more maps out there that require some energy in store, like mthw2vc's Deception, but usually 20-40 is enough to handle the peaks.

[Colin]

@ UpperKEES Well, I was thinking of that map when I posted that.  :P

@ Karsten, You are probably right in general for most maps though. However,
there is a certain amount of logic there. As far as how much energy storage
is really needed (other than the extra 20 to get past 20 energy usage).
For example:

You have a energy production: 12

You have 20 energy in storage

You have energy usage of: 11


You just sent 4 your drone bombers (the 11 energy usage is without them
charging). You have a constant flow of packets to several blasters capping
emitters, if the flow of packets is interrupted the emitter will become uncapped.
At this point you have a choice, nearly make 1 reactor, build an energy storage,
or do nothing.

What is the charge rate of a drone? 2 or 3? If its 2 that means when they
get back. you run up 8 energy usage which means you have a deficit of 7
or 11 if its 3.

Anyway, when the drones come back do you only charge 1 at a time? Because if you let
all four of them charge up, it would cause a deficit before your 20 energy ran out, but
would it cause a deficit if you have 40, 60, 80, or 100?

It all depends how closely you play a map, (having 100 energy storage to help with the
deficit of the drones when they come back only costs 80 more energy, where-as another
5-6 reactors. . . 100-140.

Some maps, like KEES' map: Nice Job 1: The Hydraulic Engineer require a certain amount of
storage because you cannot make reactors. Do you see my point?  ;)

[Karsten75]

Okay! Nice Job 1: The Hydraulic Engineer. ;D You already played it, so you should know....

I think there are some more maps out there that require some energy in store, like mthw2vc's Deception, but usually 20-40 is enough to handle the peaks.

Some maps, like KEES' map: Nice Job 1: The Hydraulic Engineer require a certain amount of
storage because you cannot make reactors. Do you see my point?  ;)

While I mentioned another map, it is specifically for maps in this category that I mentioned as an exception, but that is NOT the rule.  the original statement was that in general 160 energy should be in reserve.

And as for that map, I played it, but I have no recollection anymore. So I will decline. :)

[BigBird]

It all depends how closely you play a map, (having 100 energy storage to help with the
deficit of the drones when they come back only costs 80 more energy, where-as another
5-6 reactors. . . 100-140.

ya know, I never thought of that... economically that is. Ive always created more reactors or speed and never let my storage get above about 2 or 3, although i do end up pausing a lot in order to do that...

[Colin]

It all depends how closely you play a map, (having 100 energy storage to help with the
deficit of the drones when they come back only costs 80 more energy, where-as another
5-6 reactors. . . 100-140.

ya know, I never thought of that... economically that is. Ive always created more reactors or speed and never let my storage get above about 2 or 3, although i do end up pausing a lot in order to do that...

Well doing something like that would be important if you
had blasters that were barely able to hold the Creeper
back at full power, thus if they lost any amount of power,
the Creeper would begin to overrun them.  ;)

[nozomu]

Deficits arent much of a problem as long as you can quickly get more energy but it easily decreases you time on a map if you dont go into a deficit.
Also has anyone else been in a deficit beacause they're supplying too many weapon but still are producing more energy than is being drained? I do that alot.

[Fisherck]

that is probably because you are over 20 energy and you have not built any storages. Since odin city only has a self storage of 20, the maximum it can produce every second without a storage unit is 20. If you build a storage the maximum is then 32.