Campaign is still horrible

[Ketamarine]

Did they ever say they were going to fix the campaign?
I just played one of the early mission (hunter something) where it just starts you in a wide open field with 4 units to cover 360 degrees of attacks from random biters. I had them on 2 patrol groups, I had a military building up and building archers then a single ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ biter gets through a gap in the patrol and mission over.

After a couple tries I am not even going to bother trying again. What a joke...

[SilverShaman]

This is one of the easiest missions. No waves, no special zombies. Even at 800%, it goes through quite quickly. In fact, it teaches the player the basic principle of the game. Danger is EVERYWHERE. Divide the entire border of the camp into 4 parts - and put the archers on the patrol. You set up hunting lodges so as not to interfere with each other. If they are too close to the border of influence, put up walls. If everything is in order with the microcontrol, one of the archers can run for treasure - there seem to be 3 of them.

[QWEEDDY2]

It is WORSE mission in campaign.
And it is really un-balanced worse. Bugged maybe (800% is easier than 500%?). When devs reduce mission goals they should reduce it even more for that mission. it *impossible* to hire soldiers in that mission even if it have iron source.
Just few of them make too much noise and didnt do the job. And there is no time for eough soldiers army.

Because it very limited to 48 days and no food. It is impossible to clear the map with just rangers on 500% in time. And it barely possible with soldiers. it is too much. Especially for newcomers. When they see that mission - they drop campaign and put reviews that campaign is umplayable borings pixel-hunting\tent-space-hunting.

Btw, before technology, first missions is harder. But ok. And only this one is TERRIBLE.

In fact, ofc, i do that mission on both 500%\800%. Both time with pause, and highly decrease of food amount. And on pre-last Train arrive (last colonists).

48 days limit for f*ng SECOND mission in campaign is too much (same limit for 500/800%).

[QWEEDDY2]

Originally posted by SilverShaman:

This is one of the easiest missions. No waves, no special zombies. Even at 800%, it goes through quite quickly. In fact, it teaches the player the basic principle of the game. Danger is EVERYWHERE. Divide the entire border of the camp into 4 parts - and put the archers on the patrol. You set up hunting lodges so as not to interfere with each other. If they are too close to the border of influence, put up walls. If everything is in order with the microcontrol, one of the archers can run for treasure - there seem to be 3 of them.

This is only on 50%. SilverShaman didnt play it on harder, or he shouldnt say something like that.

Also, this map random micro-waves is f*ng not a "micro-"! On both 500/800% (and for me on 500% they harder, try after try - i dont know why).

Im even decide to kill 2 rangers who go for food collectibles. But even sending two rangers for collectibles and die make too much noise for such small map. it is NOT ENOUGH to build Barraks and train two rangers. You already should have huge army of rangers. On ANY difficulty. Because they will come immediately - and from all side.
And moreover on higher ones.

It is too much of them on such small map. it is easy only first few days. Whn it just about patrolling. Expanding with just rangers = too much noise. You should have a lot of them = a lot of food = a lot of expanding. And a lot of days.

Of course, on higher difficulties it is impossible to just go and get food at two corners just "for free". If it be possible to avoid fight - there is so much less noise...

[Lost Latios]

I find issue with the campaign, but not for the same reasons. This is normal game play for TAB. You let one of them through, you're toast.

[QWEEDDY2]

Originally posted by Lost Latios:

I find issue with the campaign, but not for the same reasons. This is normal game play for TAB. You let one of them through, you're toast.

This is the mission which about all whiners write negative reviews. Even after reducing difficulty (goals) (36 days limit!!!), it still worse mission in campaign.

[Lost Latios]

Originally posted by QWEEDDY2:

Originally posted by Lost Latios:

I find issue with the campaign, but not for the same reasons. This is normal game play for TAB. You let one of them through, you're toast.

This is the mission which about all whiners write negative reviews. Even after reducing difficulty (goals) (36 days limit!!!), it still worse mission in campaign.

I doubt that 'all' the whiners complain about it.

I personally dislike it because it's boring. It isn't much other then a test of careful expansion and honestly teaches some bad habits in some cases. There are several maps like this too, which doesn't help it stand out.

[nwnc710]

What really kills me is the hero missions. The dude one shots most zombies and does splash damage. The chick needs 3 shots and has a shorter range so it is just nonstop kiting.

And I hate the tech tree mechanic.

[QWEEDDY2]

There is a similar maps, yes. But they a larger or little bit larger, have much more food, been in middle of campaign with much more tech.

This is ridiculous map for 1-level difficulty. It just unbalanced and buggy (well, noise\argo in whole game is bugged).

In fact, it just about days limit. It is ok in defending, expanding. But on such small maps with such huge amount of enemies (500/800) and with so low food its too much difficulty to do that in... 40 days when you be ready to safely complete colony. Earlier completing is too dangerous cause of map size and a lot of them just next to you at the corners\sides of the map.

Also this map require dismis rangers back to workers. When you build Barrack (it not so hard to do that on first days, problem later in tents\hunters)(also it easy to get wood+stone down of the HQ), you cant produce soldiers. First Iron is a bit harder to obtain. Second, you should be ready to produce at least 20 of them. Better from two Barracks (where to get workers on such small map?).

So... How many rangers should be before start to dismis them and train soldiers instead? 40 i guess. Problem is - they lost EXPERIENCE! And you need 40 workers for work that can be done by 20 workers-soldiers.
There is RTS game - Warzone 1999 - released back in 2100, where unit veterancy saved for next battle unit not matter type (non-combat units ones do not share veterancy).
If only They Are Billions have it...

Or... You know... This is another reason to cheat in the game. There is always a reasons to do that in strategy games (any TBS\RTS). This is one of them. One-hit veterancy - nothing else.

[Ketamarine]

Originally posted by Lost Latios:

Originally posted by QWEEDDY2:

This is the mission which about all whiners write negative reviews. Even after reducing difficulty (goals) (36 days limit!!!), it still worse mission in campaign.

I doubt that 'all' the whiners complain about it.

I personally dislike it because it's boring. It isn't much other then a test of careful expansion and honestly teaches some bad habits in some cases. There are several maps like this too, which doesn't help it stand out.

This is what upset me about the map. I have maybe 20 hours in game pre release and it is all about choke points and conquering new territory. But there are zero choke points in the map and you can't conquer anything as random one off zombie will keep coming in from every direction. It's just ♥♥♥♥♥♥ game design.
And the tech tree seems like a horrible idea. You can absolutely make the game unwinnable if you get the wrong tech...

[Triple G]

You don´t need soldiers for this mission. You don´t need to expand much in this mission - and there is a buff for every food-source available. You don´t need second barracks. You just need to get a colony size of 600 - which is possible with a few farms, hunter cottages and housing cottages - some towers for those rangers (perhaps 2 per tower) and wood walls in between them - so no one can slip through. Before that - build random two pieces walls as "scratching posts" - and to have a place for Your rangers to stay relatively save without patrol. Out of boredom one could build more rangers or soldiers to clear the map - but it´s not needed and usually You will have 600 colonists before the map is cleared anyway, but You´ll also have more spare workers, because You just need them for mills after You build Your one quarry and a few sawmills. Stone for the barracks is basically directly next to the command post - You could also destroy it after building the barracks for more energy and workers. Ignore the iron or soldiers for the first three missions. The space between those crosses which mark "dangerous terrain" is enough for those 600 people. Let 4 single rangers patrol on 4 different paths - which are rather long for three of them (south-west, south-east and north-east - north-west is ok) - so reinforce (shorten the way) those first - and then build towers for overlapping range and have some spare rangers to support for some random wave - or let them patrol behind walls. Mission won. The forest to the north is Your northern border. To the east it´s just behind the iron and between those forests (shortly in front of it, because You´ll perhaps pull too much if expanding to far), to the west just behind the stone and to the south You need a bit of space for farms on the southern side of the forest - so that´s the longest wall. Basically everything You see without much expansion, but You need some tesla towers. :o) Go for the resources in the south first for a bit of stone and wood - for faster barracks. And soldiers need food - so 40 soldiers basically means that You have 80 colonists less or need additional space for farms. You can play this map with a pure defensive setup and the random waves aren´t that big that You can´t beat them without them - on 800%.

Lowlands is comparable - but without food buff, with less space in the beginning, but more choke points - and with waves - which pulls everything when You fight them - and with a colony size of 1200 people as a goal. But in both maps day limit doesn´t really matter, because You can finish them before that day.

For the tech tree: Farms are needed. Train makes early game easier (e.g. lowlands) Shock towers are really strong on most maps - it´s basically playing in easy mode except for perhaps two or three maps in the game. But yes - having to unlock everything is a bit tedious sometimes - but else it would just be like playing any map as a survival game - except that there are no random maps and mayors. Don´t know if that would be better. The thing about the campaign is the train - which makes me wait for sometimes 24h - to get my workers or the additional money. That delays everything more than the tech tree.

[Ketamarine]

Originally posted by B-B-Boomer Gaming:

You don´t need soldiers for this mission. You don´t need to expand much in this mission - and there is a buff for every food-source available. You don´t need second barracks. You just need to get a colony size of 600 - which is possible with a few farms, hunter cottages and housing cottages - some towers for those rangers (perhaps 2 per tower) and wood walls in between them - so no one can slip through. Before that - build random two pieces walls as "scratching posts" - and to have a place for Your rangers to stay relatively save without patrol. Out of boredom one could build more rangers or soldiers to clear the map - but it´s not needed and usually You will have 600 colonists before the map is cleared anyway, but You´ll also have more spare workers, because You just need them for mills after You build Your one quarry and a few sawmills. Stone for the barracks is basically directly next to the command post - You could also destroy it after building the barracks for more energy and workers. Ignore the iron or soldiers for the first three missions. The space between those crosses which mark "dangerous terrain" is enough for those 600 people. Let 4 single rangers patrol on 4 different paths - which are rather long for three of them (south-west, south-east and north-east - north-west is ok) - so reinforce (shorten the way) those first - and then build towers for overlapping range and have some spare rangers to support for some random wave - or let them patrol behind walls. Mission won. The forest to the north is Your northern border. To the east it´s just behind the iron and between those forests (shortly in front of it, because You´ll perhaps pull too much if expanding to far), to the west just behind the stone and to the south You need a bit of space for farms on the southern side of the forest - so that´s the longest wall. Basically everything You see without much expansion, but You need some tesla towers. :o) Go for the resources in the south first for a bit of stone and wood - for faster barracks. And soldiers need food - so 40 soldiers basically means that You have 80 colonists less or need additional space for farms. You can play this map with a pure defensive setup and the random waves aren´t that big that You can´t beat them without them - on 800%.

Lowlands is comparable - but without food buff, with less space in the beginning, but more choke points - and with waves - which pulls everything when You fight them - and with a colony size of 1200 people as a goal. But in both maps day limit doesn´t really matter, because You can finish them before that day.

For the tech tree: Farms are needed. Train makes early game easier (e.g. lowlands) Shock towers are really strong on most maps - it´s basically playing in easy mode except for perhaps two or three maps in the game. But yes - having to unlock everything is a bit tedious sometimes - but else it would just be like playing any map as a survival game - except that there are no random maps and mayors. Don´t know if that would be better. The thing about the campaign is the train - which makes me wait for sometimes 24h - to get my workers or the additional money. That delays everything more than the tech tree.

I could absolutely cheese the map with 'scratching posts' and optimize my patrols routes and what have you. I just don't think I should have to. It just seems like a terribly designed level and campaign overall and I think the devs should have taken more of the feedback they received when they released the campaign to improve it.

I've uninstalled it at this point and will likely never go back to it...

[Triple G]

Originally posted by Ketamarine:

I could absolutely cheese the map with 'scratching posts' and optimize my patrols routes and what have you. I just don't think I should have to. It just seems like a terribly designed level and campaign overall and I think the devs should have taken more of the feedback they received when they released the campaign to improve it.

I've uninstalled it at this point and will likely never go back to it...

If You´re calling that cheesing the map - and at the same time complain that You can´t defend at 360 degrees without walls - that´s Your thing. Imho the campaign missions are somehow ok - except for the hero missions - and worst are the infected swarm missions - because in both You basically have nothing to do - except for watching. And if You increase the difficulty - You´re watching longer. The game is probably all about the survival mode - with the campaign as addition. At least it feels like it. But anyway: have a good time with another game. ;o)

[Andrewbh2003]

Originally posted by Ketamarine:

Originally posted by B-B-Boomer Gaming:

You don´t need soldiers for this mission. You don´t need to expand much in this mission - and there is a buff for every food-source available. You don´t need second barracks. You just need to get a colony size of 600 - which is possible with a few farms, hunter cottages and housing cottages - some towers for those rangers (perhaps 2 per tower) and wood walls in between them - so no one can slip through. Before that - build random two pieces walls as "scratching posts" - and to have a place for Your rangers to stay relatively save without patrol. Out of boredom one could build more rangers or soldiers to clear the map - but it´s not needed and usually You will have 600 colonists before the map is cleared anyway, but You´ll also have more spare workers, because You just need them for mills after You build Your one quarry and a few sawmills. Stone for the barracks is basically directly next to the command post - You could also destroy it after building the barracks for more energy and workers. Ignore the iron or soldiers for the first three missions. The space between those crosses which mark "dangerous terrain" is enough for those 600 people. Let 4 single rangers patrol on 4 different paths - which are rather long for three of them (south-west, south-east and north-east - north-west is ok) - so reinforce (shorten the way) those first - and then build towers for overlapping range and have some spare rangers to support for some random wave - or let them patrol behind walls. Mission won. The forest to the north is Your northern border. To the east it´s just behind the iron and between those forests (shortly in front of it, because You´ll perhaps pull too much if expanding to far), to the west just behind the stone and to the south You need a bit of space for farms on the southern side of the forest - so that´s the longest wall. Basically everything You see without much expansion, but You need some tesla towers. :o) Go for the resources in the south first for a bit of stone and wood - for faster barracks. And soldiers need food - so 40 soldiers basically means that You have 80 colonists less or need additional space for farms. You can play this map with a pure defensive setup and the random waves aren´t that big that You can´t beat them without them - on 800%.

Lowlands is comparable - but without food buff, with less space in the beginning, but more choke points - and with waves - which pulls everything when You fight them - and with a colony size of 1200 people as a goal. But in both maps day limit doesn´t really matter, because You can finish them before that day.

For the tech tree: Farms are needed. Train makes early game easier (e.g. lowlands) Shock towers are really strong on most maps - it´s basically playing in easy mode except for perhaps two or three maps in the game. But yes - having to unlock everything is a bit tedious sometimes - but else it would just be like playing any map as a survival game - except that there are no random maps and mayors. Don´t know if that would be better. The thing about the campaign is the train - which makes me wait for sometimes 24h - to get my workers or the additional money. That delays everything more than the tech tree.

I could absolutely cheese the map with 'scratching posts' and optimize my patrols routes and what have you. I just don't think I should have to. It just seems like a terribly designed level and campaign overall and I think the devs should have taken more of the feedback they received when they released the campaign to improve it.

I've uninstalled it at this point and will likely never go back to it...

scratch posts are not cheese

it is a difficulty spike "especially since its like third or 4th mission in the campaign" but its not that hard "just a bit lame" and you definitely do not require "cheese"

[Myth Alric]

If you die because some random guy sneaked by you and hit a house and became an unstoppable wave, that isn't really a difficulty issue. That is you set up your base wrong and or you are not paying attention properly. Or you just pushed your luck, hoping there wasn't any zombies there and got unlucky.

I know that happens to me on every new map I play, for the last reason. I want to expand as fast as possible so I push my luck and some random guy sneaks by. It is inevitably solved by just being more cautious.

[QWEEDDY2]

There is no points to have everything B-b-bomer saying above.
Problem on this mission is many things. It not just about patrolling. This is less problem
There is no food enough. You talk you have many - but than you say something about Farm that is NOT available at this time. Because, you know, this is - as devs think - should be EASIEST map.

+30% for hunter cottages is nothing. Absolutely. You forced to put it on grass. And that forced you to expand. Half of them later be useless cause of Tents spamming.

Free food resources is not obtainable. Even if you decide to sacrifice rangers.

Of course you SHOULD expand. There is no so much space on map, so it not so far to expand. But it is. And small map =/= few infected.

This map is winnable. That not the point. It is TERRIBLE unbalanced for 1-level map category. Main problem is 48 days limit for such hard map (36 before *balancing* campaign update!).
You always end this mission by spamming tent - that what everyone negative reviews describe. Spamming tents exactly on this mission.

Devs means you should use soldiers, as you have iron source. As always. they secure map far more faster than anyone else, but you can get enough of them too mush late and better keep them far from enemies as long as you get dozens of soldiers.
-----------------
Again, we talk about 2-3 mission The Hunter's Meadow:
http://theyarebillions-archive.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hunter_Meadow
http://static.wikia.nocookie.net/they-are-billions/images/f/f7/02_-_The_Hunter%27s_Meadow.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iqMxTD8.jpeg

This is only one main type (RTS) mission that is horrible. Any else campaign horrible for heroes and heroes missions.