Custom Map #182: Day 21: A second base

Kithros · September 18, 2011, 02:36:25 PM

If you build a microrift at the bottom early on, you can completely ignore all the creeper on the top part of the map and just dig from the bottom since the creeper fields keep it from going there (hide the LS at the top of the map and build a microrift up there too).

theherkman · September 19, 2011, 03:46:59 PM

Kithros, I have tried this. I can't get the dig packet out until about 4:15. By this time you have already shielded the dark beam. How are you doing this? :'(

Kithros · September 19, 2011, 04:11:41 PM

Quote from: theherkman on September 19, 2011, 03:46:59 PM
Kithros, I have tried this. I can't get the dig packet out until about 4:15. By this time you have already shielded the dark beam. How are you doing this? :'(

It's all about balancing building reactors etc. at the right times - you don't want to dig too much too early, ideally you want to have just enough energy to keep building beacons and digging constantly towards the gateway - since the energy cost of digging decreases as the packets need to travel more distance, you'll probably have energy to build an extra microrift (which both lets you dig faster and lets the gateway reach the block faster) - and it's worth mentioning that I built several reactors above ground right at the beginning of the map, but I made no attempt to defend them once the creeper started to threaten them. Also you shouldn't move to the top of the map until both microrifts are finished, until then you should stay close to the ground to reduce packet distance.

theherkman · September 20, 2011, 01:38:50 AM

Quote from: Kithros on September 19, 2011, 04:11:41 PM
Quote from: theherkman on September 19, 2011, 03:46:59 PM
Kithros, I have tried this. I can't get the dig packet out until about 4:15. By this time you have already shielded the dark beam. How are you doing this? :'(

It's all about balancing building reactors etc. at the right times - you don't want to dig too much too early, ideally you want to have just enough energy to keep building beacons and digging constantly towards the gateway - since the energy cost of digging decreases as the packets need to travel more distance, you'll probably have energy to build an extra microrift (which both lets you dig faster and lets the gateway reach the block faster) - and it's worth mentioning that I built several reactors above ground right at the beginning of the map, but I made no attempt to defend them once the creeper started to threaten them. Also you shouldn't move to the top of the map until both microrifts are finished, until then you should stay close to the ground to reduce packet distance.

I think I have fairly good energy management. I always micromanage to keep the energy as low as possible to be efficient. I am keeping the ship low to the ground until the rifts are finished and I am building 2 rifts on the bottom dig line. I will try again, building a few reactors up top.

theherkman · September 20, 2011, 02:00:13 AM

I still can't do it...

Here are screenshots. What am I doing wrong? I have played this level at least 50 times...

http://photobucket.com/CW2Day21

Kithros · September 20, 2011, 06:48:19 AM

Quote from: theherkman on September 20, 2011, 02:00:13 AM
I still can't do it...

Here are screenshots. What am I doing wrong? I have played this level at least 50 times...

http://photobucket.com/CW2Day21

I noticed for a significant part of it you had a lot of extra energy where I saw 19/20 or 20/20 energy - this probably means you didn't start digging early enough, and also I noticed that you built your beacons late - you should usually build your beacons when there are around 3 spaces still in beacon sight - this way the beacon will usually finish at around the same time as the 3rd block is finished being dug through, and you can keep digging constantly instead of needing to wait for beacons to finish. Your first beacon could have also been moved farther to the left before flying the LS up - and I believe I built 7 or 8 reactors right at the beginning of the map (reactors only take about 30 seconds to pay for themselves, so if you ever have energy that isn't immediately needed it's a pretty safe bet to build more reactors). On a very minor note you can also deactivate/destroy some of the unnecessary beacons to save 0.06 energy/second - once you've built 3 beacons for instance the beacon in the middle is no longer doing anything useful (note that I didn't bother doing this either).

It's pretty much a lot of small things that add up over time - I think I might have built some tech domes fairly early on and gotten a packet speed upgrade, but I don't remember exactly when I built them.

J · September 20, 2011, 10:37:32 AM

There's one other place you can build from start, I'll show you later today. If you can't finish it try cleaning the top part first.

EDIT: added images

Grauniad · September 20, 2011, 10:52:23 AM

OK, this map completely confuses me.

I think one has to dig open the gateway to release enemy dig packets to dig through the stone wall to release the good creeper. On top of that, the only safe place for the LS is near the top. There is zero chance of building on any terrain above the layers of undiggable terrain. Then there are the 100 strength drones that just wipe out everything I've built, and of course, the LS. Shields...? ha ha. :(

To get the Experimental weapons, it would seem one has to build beacons, but of course, they also wet wiped out by the drones.

Kithros · September 20, 2011, 11:03:57 AM

Quote from: Grauniad on September 20, 2011, 10:52:23 AM
OK, this map completely confuses me.

I think one has to dig open the gateway to release enemy dig packets to dig through the stone wall to release the good creeper. On top of that, the only safe place for the LS is near the top. There is zero chance of building on any terrain above the layers of undiggable terrain. Then there are the 100 strength drones that just wipe out everything I've built, and of course, the LS. Shields...? ha ha. :(

To get the Experimental weapons, it would seem one has to build beacons, but of course, they also wet wiped out by the drones.

It should be possible to defend the reactors above ground - it's just slower. The terrain to the left would be hard to defend initially so you would probably only take that terrain later, but it's extremely easy to defend the right side of the map early on. I think you were intended to build above ground, and then kill off everything on the top before moving down to the bottom with *a lot* of fully upgraded blasters ready - but that is much much slower than the strategy I used.

Grauniad · September 20, 2011, 11:22:21 AM

Well, whatever. I've spent enough time there.

theherkman · September 20, 2011, 01:39:09 PM

I figured it out... I am 20 seconds through and I have dug 18 tiles. I could have hit a few more, but I need to make sure I get that rift/beacon at the bottom.

theherkman · September 20, 2011, 01:46:04 PM

Okay, I spoke too soon. But I think that digging before the creeper stream covers up the dig line is the key.

EDIT: Got through at 3:26. =D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
EDIT #2: Make that 3:17. ;D ;D ;D ;D
EDIT #3: 3:12 ;D ;D ;D ;D

theherkman · September 21, 2011, 01:30:52 PM

I finished this at 26min with just under 11000 points. Screw you. Feel free to replace 'screw' with an expletive.

Grauniad · September 21, 2011, 01:39:38 PM

Quote from: theherkman on September 21, 2011, 01:30:52 PM
I finished this at 26min with just under 11000 points. Screw you. Feel free to replace 'screw' with an expletive.

Are you sure you are at the latest 0337 version of the game?

From the screenie, it seems that there is an exploding nexus and there was a bug with that. In fact the game performance dropped abysmally and it appeared if it was locked up, but it might have recovered.

If you get the 0337 version, the bug is fixed and you can use your saved game with no problems.

theherkman · September 21, 2011, 04:33:06 PM

I guess I was using 0327...

I only saved at about 3:15 in...

At least I will have a chance to refine my strategy...

Thanks for the heads up.