basic help

[threethreethree]

I'm not understanding in a basic way how this game is set up. I've looked a little on yu tube, but see no real help.

I fully understand how to dig, place food and brood tiles, set scent markers, assign groups, etc. But i can't figure out how the heck the total game is configured or what they're trying to do with it versus me just play the thing.

It seems that i just play the formicarium, and that's the story mode (?), and i'm supposed to play all these mini games to get capabilities in my main colony, but in the mini games it's a different colony??

I'm not interested in any story, but more open world. So I did a free play setup, and tried that. But I'm more confused - i don't see anything at the upper left for evolving, and no option for ants except the worker only at lower right yet it tells me at the top i have zero soldier as if i can get them, don't see how i get further in this respect, and there is nothing for territory allotment nor jelly...i guess that means it doesn't apply in freeplay?

And, while doing the setup, what is PC, alt 1, 2, and 3? I thought they were the enemy ants or something, but somehow it looks like i'm choosing my ants, but that still doesn't make sense.

Among many, I tried one game and don't even know what it was...but it was me just stuck with nowhere to dig and no food on the surface and once no way to even get onto surface or see the surface map.

I played some a long time ago, and my page will show i have some play time, but i can't remember what i did, and i also remember that i got to a point where i was just stuck in a limited space with nothing to do but keep hunting spiders and collecting food in this very limited landscape. And i remember there being health bars, but i see none of that now.

Anyway...the above are just some ideas of how i'm confused. I'm lost in a basic way. I don't know what the heck is what enough to even play the game almost. The tutorial doesn't tell me how the total game is set up such that i can understand how to just do a freeplay open world play or what these discrepencies mean per what i mention above.

Can someone please tell me what the heck is going on?

[Hagon Wyvon]

Basically, your nest in freeplay/lab/extra levels (obviously) and in real world are not the same.

Your ant in the lab is Gene stealler (a fictional ant species that can steal other ant species' genes like big boys, acid spitting, stronk soldier, etc), they gather the gene from ant species in the real world, which are your ants in the level selector in the lab, they are REAL ants and you can check them out in google, cool stuffs.

By doing these levels, your ants in the lab get awarded by stuffs, and genes. Evolving your lab nest and then you could take your ant into the freeplay settings to test it in the real world.

[Mike]

It's worth noting that the story mode is the primary game mode - it's the promised campaign that is the premise of the whole project. The framing device is the scientists in the lab working on a genetically modified artifical species, and you earn resources for that colony by completing the documentary-narrated missions.

We are currently working to make some improvements to freeplay, but the basic idea is to play through the campaign and bring a copy of the resultant ereptor colony into freeplay, with all its upgrades and unlocks.

The training happens in the tutorial and popup tips from the campaign.

[threethreethree]

Ok, thanks guys.

This is the part I'm wanting, and so will play for -

Originally posted by Hagon Wyvon 2022 Winter Edition:

and then you could take your ant into the freeplay settings to test it in the real world.

Originally posted by Mike:

and bring a copy of the resultant ereptor colony into freeplay

So, if I'm not seeing something for territory at top of screen, or the option for a soldier ant...it's because I haven't gotten that in some way in the lab and levels, or it just doesn't apply in the case of territory?

And in setup, what is pc, alt 1 and 2 and 3?

[Mike]

Originally posted by threethreethree:

Ok, thanks guys.

This is the part I'm wanting, and so will play for -

Originally posted by Hagon Wyvon 2022 Winter Edition:

and then you could take your ant into the freeplay settings to test it in the real world.

Originally posted by Mike:

and bring a copy of the resultant ereptor colony into freeplay

So, if I'm not seeing something for territory at top of screen, or the option for a soldier ant...it's because I haven't gotten that in some way in the lab and levels, or it just doesn't apply in the case of territory?

And in setup, what is pc, alt 1 and 2 and 3?

Territory and jelly are campaign-only resources, so not relevant to freeplay once you're in it.

In setup, PC is "player-controlled", then it's artificial intelligence 1, 2 and 3.

[threethreethree]

I thought it was alt not art. I was seeing it as A L instead of A i. So it's an antagonist/opponent ant, not some of mine, and the choices of ant type in each line i guess is the enemy's ability.

THANKS AGAIN!!

[threethreethree]

Ok, i'm getting it now. Been doing the levels and challenges. I get stuff there for growing my main colony in the formicarium. And in the future can take these into the other challenges later, right? Is an adjustment always going back to my main colony after building and working with another for each 'mini game'. But this is fun. I'm really liking this. Pretty darned cool.

[threethreethree]

Maaan, The Harvest is whooping me. Haven't cracked that nut yet. But I'm LIKING this!

[Mike]

Originally posted by threethreethree:

Maaan, The Harvest is whooping me. Haven't cracked that nut yet. But I'm LIKING this!

Glad you're enjoying!

[threethreethree]

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by threethreethree:

Maaan, The Harvest is whooping me. Haven't cracked that nut yet. But I'm LIKING this!

Glad you're enjoying!

it's awesome :)

So, the freeplay is the customizable open world form that I was speaking of...and since this has a great story adventure progression also, then EOTU is a 'game with everything'!

(I'm just hoping freeplay is a large landscape, mixed biome option, and indefinite play...or that be something considered for the future.)

post edit - looks like freeplay is just fine, already has enough of what i mentioned above :)

[threethreethree]

Oh...and i really like the choice of musical styles. This is just really fun!

[threethreethree]

The Harvest...I DID IT! HOLY CRAP I DID IT!

Ima celebrate and shout, because this was hard for me. I looked thru the forums about it and some found it easy, but i found it hard. Of course, this is still on easy difficulty though too. Which means i'm gonna have fun pushing up the difficulty.

I didn't want to pay too much attention however to any tricks or the different strategies. I seen some say they didn't like having to know something beforehand, but the idea is to figure it out...it isn't required that you know any 'trick' beforehand. I see that some didn't like that it was a challenge, basically, or didn't like having to 'do' things and hustle to make it happen. But that's the idea of a game like this for me. If it's hard...figure it out. That doesn't take away from it...it makes it.

It also seems in the forums that there are different approaches which work (twas inevitable that i read some of that. i was stuck between wanting some help yet not wanting it and just figuring it out myself, but was still unsure about the mechanics themselves), and since there are different successful approaches, then there isn't really any trick, to some extent. The idea is to learn management and get better at it.

I once again seen that the opposing colony was at twice or three times my progress right at the start. And they stayed that way till the 11th hour. But when they were about 9,500 I was climbing to 9,800, then further for the win.

LOL...this was a game moment for me. Geeking out on it and posting here. I couldn't believe i won. Was hard for me. Of course, now I'm probably better at the game in general. Yay.

A victory is often sweeter when it's hard to achieve and you have to use your brain.

Btw...i used not one single big-head. Just the workers and medias, slightly more workers than medias. Spammed the heck out of them. Didn't bother with having much food storage, as soon as it was full, it was empty again because i was using it as it came in. Lots of broods, and more broods means more food quickly. Had two groups going different places, each a mix of worker and media, lots of workers staying in the nest, and got in the enemy's face at the same time as collecting.

I'll be playing this game for a while.

[egg the 2nd]

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