Equilibrium

[Nequilich]

Alright, so I've tried the mod. I haven't had time to go through all the units, but the changes on the ones I have gone through, have mostly worked for the better, or if not for the better, for something different. From what I gather many of the things have been tested under controlled scenarios, so it all is somewhat balanced. Now they need to be tested in less controlled scenarios, which is easily done by playing the game, and then letting Ithilis know about things, that seem to imbalanced, so it can be fixed.

Some of the units have gone through some interresting changes:
- The mercy, for example, now deals damage over time on the spot it hit with greater aoe, which leads to more/other uses for it. It deals less damage to moving targets, but is more affective against stationary groups of units. It can be very good combined with the aeon t1 bomber (maybe too good - needs more testing).
- The Scathis is a completely different unit, with less range, less damage, more hp and EMP for a smaller cost of 30000 mass. With the smaller damage (around 1/3rd of the normal) it's less effective as a base bombardment unit, while the EMP makes it better against units. You can now build 2 scathis for the cost of an disruptor, where one gets to shoot when disruptor is half build. This may still be a problem, but I haven't tested enough to say it is.
- The Sky Slammer (t1 maa) now has automatic toggle between aa and ground fire, with priority on air. It has better accurasy on ground fire, making it useful as a tank. I haven't tested this enough to know, how it performs in normal games, if you build it instead of tanks, or if you can "confuse" them with t1 scouts, during a battle.

So overall I find the changes interresting, but I haven't played enough to know, what has become too good, or too bad. Either way it's a change from how FAF is currently, and Ithilis seems to be open for adjustments to his adjustments. Basicly the mod just needs to be played more, and have people send feedback from those games.

[Ithilis_Quo]

De hellou, I finish complete changelog also with purpose of most change that i do, its on first side, and would be also somewhere in external side.. sometime. In plane have also make some kind of videos that better describe how is what balanced, and compare it with normal game. But this will not be so fast. When you have some question, abou why you change this or this.. jast ask

[Ithilis_Quo]

After experience with some higher rated player i make survivale manual, what is basicaly all that you need to know because can negative affect your previous gameplay.

SURVIVALE MANUALE:

1. Air factories costs a lot more energy, but air is cheaper. Dont build first air factory! And make sur to have extra 1 pgens before building it!
2. RAS energy income has been nerfed a lot, so dont reclaim your pgens afterwards, you may still need them!
3. Mass storages now explode on death! You now need to make a choice between more mass income and protecting your mexes, or using the factory adjacency bonus.
4. T4 units take much longer to build, they still drain more but dont expect a bunch of t1 engies to finish it fast.
5. Veterancy doesn't insta healt units anymore, Crtl-K ing t1 units before and experimental is no longer necessary. Also dont expect ACU will heal with promotion.
6. Mercies deal damage over time! Moving targets recieve only a portion of the damage, while stationary ones get a whole 3000! Snipe mexes!

[Ithilis_Quo]

v13
__________________
- T2 artilery are buildable on T3
-- T2/3 artilery range 135 (from 140)

- galaxy main canon 1s reload time (from 4)
-- torpedo 50dps (from 20dps)
-- AA 2x60dps 1,5reload time (from 2x30dps 0,8s reload time)
- summit AA 4x20dps (from 4x14dps)
- Huaathum AA 2x25dmg / 2s = 100dps 1 firing randomness 30 muzzle
- Bulwark shield dome aoe 80 (from 120)
- T1maa muzzle 60 (from 45)
-- cyrban t1 maa muzzle 35 (from 25)

- megalith underwater vision 45 (from 32)
- soul ripper 400AA dps (from 240)

- T3 Pgen 8000hp (from 10000)
- T3 fabricator 10aoe death explosion (from 14)
- mass storage adjustancy on T3 mex +6,25% +25% in total(from +12,5%/50% in total)

- T3 air factory 240s bt 120K energy cost (from 180s bt 180K energy)
- Cybran ED4 buildable on T3 (with same price as every upgrade)

- Salvation 6s reload time (from 5) aoe 4 (from 5) firing randomnes 0,35 (from 0,15)
- Emissar move on T4 (for not mesh up with salvation)

_____________________________________________________________

New version 13. that introduce some suggestion about T2 static arty that was looking be too cancerous where lead for PDcreap, so i decide to take them on T3.

Spoiler: show

Main issue:
- game orginal was made for big map 20x20+
- most of game are 10x10-

that mean, on small map is good T2 artilery wrong, becasue will lead on PD(Arty) creep what is bad for gameplay, it denny all action, make game stationar and boring.
bad T2 arty, is ussles and basicly good only against big and slow units (perci/fatty/mega/tempest)
but seemt that they are too good now, and game have big chance to change for T2 arty creep. First thought was get range back, but it will not change main issue, 10% more range mean that acu need move 4 more second and start build on that place. Basicly its same. I spend time in theorycrafting, what to do with it. And solution that i found will be make them T3 units. (and more accurate of corse)

Why?
- Its no units against is T2 arty suppost to fight, on T2 phase it can be only aginst destroers -> where cruiser will outrange it. And against enemy base - what can make gameplay booring and worse. Most of units that is T2 arty against is on T3 phase.
- because it will come later will not lead on arty creep, because would be more powerfull units online, that an smash some pd creep more easily.

danger:
- players that will not accept T2 artilery (miasma, gunther, klink hammer, zthuuthaam) on T3 for nostalgic reason
- potential problem against T2 navy, where this option will missing.

But hope that you will found better gameplay stronger, as nostalgic reason.

------
Then i make T3 air factory cost less energy, for fix most of energy problem that have air player when want to go for super early strat.. i personaly think that with this i make game worse as was... but whatever. Sometime must make compromise, because i need you - FAF player!
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nerf adjustancy on on storage near t3 mex on half - reason for this is make mass more important on lategame and mainly make real choice betwen link T3 mex on factory, and build storage around. Actual T3mex with 4 storages will give +22,5m/s (from 27)
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T3 pgen have less hp for explode when is linked with t2fabs, and also T3 fab explode on less area, so its less efficient but more safe way.
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Cybran have ED4 shield buildable as T3 units (finaly!)
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some pulling AA on batleships, from total ussles numbers on only ussles.

[Ithilis_Quo]

Yes i do. And have for it lot of good reasons:
-Its samé Canon as on salem that have 1s rok
-each platform have 3cannon where are switch in firing and its loock better When it is faster
-Its more faction diversve and in oposite with summit
-Make torpedo stronger that mean galaxy have 50more dps as others battleships and will beat other bs with same rof, because more rof give additional seconds that unit live where oponenta is death and with low rof and additional 50dps by torpedo its well balanced and not Op

But you will see it in game better as tis explonating, dont worry you will not take Cancer from platný it.

Ps:can have personál question? Why you complain about something that you never plane to play?

[Apofenas]

Galaxy won't become any stronger against other battleships for multiple reasons:
1) it's only 30 more dps than was
2) Battleships mostly shots from maximal range because it's pointless to get in range to other naval units of opponent like destroyers, battle cruisers ect and take extra damage and when closing in to get additional 50 dps for galaxy would mean it sacrifices ability to shoot with back cannon which has 5 times more dps.
3) You seemed to make destroyer torpedoes capable to shoot only underwater units

So, what's the thing? Why do you keep its torpedoes useless? If it would have 100 torp dps it still wouldn't kill mass sufficient amount of t2 subs in current patch. In equilibrium it costs more and completely unable to see subs itself.

Same with aa adjustments for summit and galaxy. They appear at time when there are t3 gunships, strats and t3 torpedoes flying in the air and t2 torps making only suicidal passes. So why not make their aa than something more reasonable than 80 dps? Like 160 for both.

Although I like the idea with rate of fire on galaxy.

I know you made t2 arty creep possible, but that's not a reason to move arty on t3. How do you thing you are going to protect yourself if you lost navy on t2? It's better to just increace power cost of recharging, so you would use whole t2 pgen to constantly fire with 2 t2 arties.

[Ithilis_Quo]

Galaxy have 140range that is about 4s more firing as Sera what is about 1800more dmg only from range advatage, also can kine and do more dmg, but its not so efectív. When is on Long range whiteout kite také draft with Sera. When go on close range then win. Its only 30more dps but in total its 50 more dps, for nothing. Aeon have 60more dps as other bs but 40 less range! Its not ussles it make diferenceses.

Destoyers torpedo also act agaist navy. Only have additional that act only agaist subs

Bs cost 9000m and have 80-120aa dps fateboy cost 28000m and have 320 aa dps. Its fair. Battleships is not aa weapon.

Arilery firing powercost dont help at all still Will Lead to PD creap. And and would Lead on more complain about how player energy crash, or report as how artilery dont fire.

[Apofenas]

When i was testing IceDreamer's balancepreview mod, i specially watched Galaxy weapons. Its 160 dps had almost same impact on air as frigates - miss half of shots and watch how cruisers or aircraft carriers smash air. I remember a good example of how efficient that AA was - 10 galaxies with their 1600 dps vs CZAR. The donat ate them all and got veterancy. The role of this weapon is self defence from t1 bombers, returning fire to torp bombers and little help against other units.

Hathuum is the only BS, which aa can make a good impact, but that's because its AA is flak. But what's the point in having 100 aa dps when for example hover flak has 140 dps? If all BSs would have 160 DPS, than sera one would have advantage (compare to others) in both supporting and protecting itself from groups of lower priority air units, which seem to be very cost efficient in your mod.

Torpedoes on galaxy have same self protecting and supporting role - if it affects BS vs BS balance (which i'm sure it's not), than make torps to fire only underwater targets.

[Nyx]

First of all, thank you for all your work on this.

Unfortunately the main problem I have found with this, which I thought before playing using this mod and was confirmed after playing, is that TOO much changes TOO SUDDENLY, you would have to spend hours studying and learning the changelog or even longer playing the game to adjust to all the changes.

The amount of changes are overwhelming, even after playing it quite a few times.

There are a lot of things that seem good in this and some I am not sure on, regardless of whether the balance issues have been fixed, that is another matter.

This is personally the issue some have found with it, maybe it is not so much of an issue for better players, I don't know.

<3

Nyx.

[Ithilis_Quo]

Hi, thx for interest.
I know about main problem that you rightly underline. But unfortunatly it is something that im not able avoid, when want to make game better. For this reason i make surrvive manual, that describe everything that you need to know and dont need read infinite changelog. The mount of change is giant, i know about that, but change that can negative affect your standard gameplay are little. Basicaly its only that 6 thinks from survive manul,

Spoiler: show

1. Air factories costs a lot more energy, but air is cheaper. Dont build first air factory! And make sur to have extra 2 pgens before building it!
2. RAS energy income has been nerfed a lot, so dont reclaim your pgens afterwards, you may still need them!
3. Mass storages now explode on death! You now need to make a choice between more mass income and protecting your mexes, or using the factory adjacency bonus.
4. T4 units take much longer to build, they still drain more but dont expect a bunch of t1 engies to finish it fast.
5. Veterancy doesn't insta healt units anymore, Crtl-K ing t1 units before and experimental is no longer necessary. Also dont expect ACU will heal with promotion.
6. Mercies deal damage over time! Moving targets recieve only a portion of the damage, while stationary ones get a whole 3000! Snipe mexes!

you dont need know nothing else, play absolute normal as in every other game and you will be fine. And after few games would discover nuances thats are reason why it is not only broken balance fix, but better and more skill based game as is standard game.