C&C Tiberium Alliances (some of you may squee)

[Ghambit]

It's been a long time since there's been something worthwhile to post in this forum.  So without further adieu, I give you:
"Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances."

JUST went into open beta and it's f2p microtrans just like most browsergames of course.
I've only fidgeted with it for about an hour, but I can tell it's definitely worth some more of my time.  

Anyways, it's an EA/Phenomic project... same guys who did 'Lord of Ultima' (which was pretty good), Spellforce, yada yada.
You'll recognize most of the game mechanics (along with the usual C&C tropes) save for the combat, which is fairly original; they tore a page from 'Gratuitous Space Battles" and allow you some rudimentary 'programming' of your armies.  Basically you position offensive units in waves based on location, terrain, timing, ranges, and unit function.  You also have your own defensive emplacements that do all that in reverse; throw up walls, mg pits, etc.  You then press 'play' and watch the carnage.

A lot of different resource-based elements effect combat of course, and as typical there's an energy (command point) mechanic along with modifiable attack cooldowns... but it seems fairly gentle so far and is built-up using ingame resources as well as /hr gains.  How this will play out in the overall grande strat. of the game I dont know yet.  The same with the microtrans aspects.  It seems typical so far that it's not important early game, but later on it definitely makes a difference as money buys you any resource you want in the game (except command) along with other stuff I'm sure.

The other mechanic I kinda like is the depth of the positional building bonuses.  Most every building gets better around others, so you can really play with how you arrange your bases.  Those bonuses have to be MANUALLY collected though, meaning there's some housekeeping on your part if you want to speed up your gameplay.  It's mindless, but rewards those with the requisite OCD.

Lastly, it's DEFINITELY not a solo pbbg.  Most of the game is built around alliances, so if that's not your thing... move on.  It's a completely territorial resource-gathering game.  Turtling MAY be viable, but again not sure how much.  And much of the game is semi-realtime so those who commit Time will be the most well rewarded, the key being use of every command point you have before logging, which looks to take quite a damned while.

Anyways, an intriguing title with a kickass theme.  Gonna play with this awhile.

[IainC]

I'm a mechanical
I'm a mechanical
I'm a mechanical man.

[Ghambit]

I'm a mechanical
I'm a mechanical
I'm a mechanical man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap6QaDBZJwM

[Ironwood]

A lot of different resource-based elements effect combat of course, and as typical there's an energy (command point) mechanic along with modifiable attack cooldowns... but it seems fairly gentle so far and is built-up using ingame resources as well as /hr gains.  

Gentle, rising enormously quickly into 'brutal'.

[Ghambit]

A lot of different resource-based elements effect combat of course, and as typical there's an energy (command point) mechanic along with modifiable attack cooldowns... but it seems fairly gentle so far and is built-up using ingame resources as well as /hr gains.  

Gentle, rising enormously quickly into 'brutal'.

Likely.  
They had to find a way to curtail alliances from just wiping the map in 1 night.  So energy is the norm. in those regards... it's not even tied to the microtrans.
I shudder to think what'd happen without it (even with protection lasting a week), so I'm not complainin' just yet.

The attk cooldowns are modifiable though based on buildings and research.  However obviously you'll burn through CP quicker.   If you dont have all night to play this is a good thing.

As typical with these pbbg, balance is impossible but I like what they're trying to do here specifically with gameplay speed and combat.  ymmv  

[Ironwood]

You misunderstand.  I like it, but I've now played it to the point of 'brutal' that I described.

Like all games of the type, there comes a point where you play for five minutes and then leave it a day.

[Ghambit]

So it took you 5 mins. to get through 100 CP?  That... sux.

edit:  takes 10hrs to get 100cp back

[IainC]

I've been playing this since late last night and have a level 12 ish base. I can see Ironwood's point, if you're being aggressive (and I imagine that when the protection wears off and PvP happens that this will be the default state), you're going to burn through those command points pretty fast. You're looking at a minimum of 14CPs to attack a neighbour and realistically you're likely to be spending 20-30 per assault. Even if you've added more CP capacity, you're going to be done with all your attacks pretty early on, do the harvesting, upgrading of structures and then leaving it for most of the rest of the day.

My structures are providing bonuses about every 3 hours and it takes about a day's worth of resources to upgrade any of them so there's not a lot of routine maintenance to handle.

[Ironwood]

You'll be on the Eurofag server then ?

Throw me a message.

[IainC]

You'll be on the Eurofag server then ?

Throw me a message.

Ironwood was an invalid recipient so you'll need to either PM me your EA name or send a message to me (I'm IainC there too).

[Ironwood]

Sent you a wee hello, but you're fucking MILES away, so I suspect there's not a lot we can do together.

I'm going to start relocating east to get into bigger fights.  Because I get 5 of them a day.

 

[Ironwood]

Here's a question :

Why does this tiny wee flash game REALLY give the GPU a workout ??

[luckton]

From what I can tell, it's not Flash, it's HTML5.  There's an experimental Open/WebGL option you can enable that unlocks your GPU's potential and put more of the work onto your hardware than the software, but when I turned it on and rekicked Chrome, I got a black screen where the graphics should be.  UI elements were there, so I could reset it, but your mileage may vary.

[Ghambit]

I'm going to have to start over as my protection wears out tomorrow and I've been stuck working the past week.   
Is the EU server region locked?  Maybe I'll re-reroll over there.

[Ironwood]

Dunno, didn't really see anything like that.  Feel free to roll on over.

It turns out the combat (which generates stuff exponentially) offsets the crippling resource problems somewhat and allows you to build my currently fucking awesome base.

Command points are still a premium, but what can you do ?

Also, you can't move your base through other base zones, so I'm pretty much waiting till the protection wears off then I'm fucking up some noobs.

[Ragnoros]

Turns out I am on Filthy Eruo server #6. So I sent a howdy do your direction IainC. Found an Ironwood482, but given his low rank I am guessing that is not you.

And yeah, mowing over level 11-13 outposts has allowed me to continue my base building at an acceptable rate. Just require additional pylons energy.

[Ironwood]

Hey, fuck you.

Yes, that's me.  What do you mean low rank ?  I've only been playing a couple of days, you bastard.

[Ragnoros]

Sorry, our scores are about the same. But I had interpreted your posts to indicate you had made it to the grind of end game, rather than just the bit where it starts to get slower. My mistake.

Anyway, Hi from some random corner of the map as well.

[luckton]

Sorry, our scores are about the same. But I had interpreted your posts to indicate you had made it to the grind of end game, rather than just the bit where it starts to get slower. My mistake.

Yeah, I kinda got that impression too.  You talk a big game, Ironwood 

[Ironwood]

You all clearly have a wildly different interpretation of 'slower' than I do.

4 or 5 fights, maybe a building upgrade.  Per day.  Power Requirement for everything is now larger than I can reasonably supply, since you can't scavenge power.

That's brutal in my mind.

[Ironwood]

Shields coming down all over the shop.  Destroyed two other players, but I'm right next to 9 bases in an alliance and I think they don't like me much.

Afraid to sleep.

[Cadaverine]

Yep, logged in this morning, and something like 60% of the bases that were around me are all gone.  Now I'm just sitting here waiting for the timers on the rest of the bases to drop so I can take some out.

[IainC]

Almost all the bases around me belong to the same alliance apart from a few that have clearly not been played for a few days. I've been invited to join it but they are all scrubs compared to me an my mighty level 14 base. I'm currently ranked around 250 on the server and their best player has less than half of my points. I might join them just to avoid an inevitable pile-on.

[Ragnoros]

If/when you die you do not lose your base, just all your resources. You then replace it in a new location with the buildings all retaining the same levels.  Quite a lax policy really. We should really group up and form BatCountry or the like once we get picked off. My neck of the woods is fairly quiet, and I am allied with my mostly non-English speaking neighbors.

[Ironwood]

Almost all the bases around me belong to the same alliance apart from a few that have clearly not been played for a few days. I've been invited to join it but they are all scrubs compared to me an my mighty level 14 base. I'm currently ranked around 250 on the server and their best player has less than half of my points. I might join them just to avoid an inevitable pile-on.

I'm level 15 and I'm smashing everything in my path.  How on Earth did you get ranked so high ?

[Ghambit]

So funds add CP capacity.   

[Ghambit]

I started a BC alliance on Euro 6 if anyone wants to join.

[IainC]

So funds add CP capacity.   

Supply points are the bottleneck not command points.

[Ironwood]

Which you can also get with Funds.

Bear in mind that 'funds' in this instance is 'Get your Fucking Credit Card out, you Sheeple', which I'm not prepared to do, but it would seem others are.

I'm finding that I'm in a bottleneck of both material and Command Points, but I suspect that I've not upgraded in line with my rise.  The actual gains for resources get larger as you grow them, so you should grow them in line with your actual level.

Hint :  If you're level 15 and any of your supply buildings aren't, save up and get 'em there.

[IainC]

You can't buy Supply points unless that's a feature which is unlocked later than the level I've reached so far (15). You can buy pretty much all the resources but each purchase costs you supply points as well as cash so there comes a point where buying points isn't worth it. I did give them some money for early boosts and I also was pretty aggressive in demolishing the bases around me in the search for loot but I now have a backlog of 11 or so supply crates that I can't redeem due to a chronic lack of supply points.

Beating people up and nicking all their stuff seems to be the fastest way to progress, unfortunately I'm a long way from anyone I can burn to the ground and so most of my command points today have gone into migration rather than conquest meaning that my expansion has been put on hold for a while.

[Ironwood]

Ah, right, you mean the points you use to open the crates.  They'd slipped my mind.

[Ghambit]

Anyone gotten to a Forgotten Base yet?

If/when you die you do not lose your base, just all your resources. You then replace it in a new location with the buildings all retaining the same levels.  Quite a lax policy really. We should really group up and form BatCountry or the like once we get picked off. My neck of the woods is fairly quiet, and I am allied with my mostly non-English speaking neighbors.

I keep seeing these 'let's group up' posts from you (and others), but every time you do you give zero information on server, sn, and location.     As you should learn with these pbbgs, getting situated quick and together is key.  Therefore waiting for someone's arbitrary PM on f13 is generally a waste of time, just sayin.  

Pretty much we're on euro 6 but spread out across 3 allied alliances.  I've got BC up in the eastern part of the map, but I'm by myself though allied with Ian and 'wood's alliances.

Few questions:
If I bring down a construction yard at a camp with a defenseHq crate, do I still get the crate?  Or do I have to bring down the defenseHQ directly?
edit: (self-answered) "Yes. No"

Also, has anyone seen one of these Forgotten Bases yet?

[Ironwood]

I've deliberately moved myself right next to the bases.  I have about five of them next to me.

They're fucking Nails Hard.  I'm currently getting myself tooled up to take one down, but I'm a little worried that I may overextend myself with the amount of fellow players looking to cut my nuts off at the minute.

[Ghambit]

The Devs have stated that moving to the center and dealing with the Forgotten is actually the main mechanic behind the game.  The PvP element right now is actually a distraction designed moreso to weed out "the weak."  Once Nod gets added this may ramp up a bit obviously.

Also, you moving your base is probably why you're always short CP.     (btw, they're gonna patch out needing CP for relocation)

I'm a week behind now so I've got to play around on the outskirts before I can get in there.  But eff me, it's far now.  Probably not even worth it.

[Ironwood]

It was sorta worth it for me though;  what I lost in CP, I more than made up for in resources as I moved 1 square away from a player base and CRUSHED THEM.

Also, it was fun.

But you're not wrong.