How do I Seraphim?

[Col_Walter_Kurtz]

So I understand that you are an old Supcom player? I don't know how much you've been getting into FAF, but there are also some non faction related changes to consider. I suppose you know about engy mod / support factories. You will need to learn a couple of ARAS strategies. For team games especially, cause people will yell if you don't finish it in time. Large 1v1 maps with reclaim also allow rushing ARAS and T3 air. In general, I feel the average level of skill is higher now.

[Kalavinka]

So I understand that you are an old Supcom player?

Correct.

I don't know how much you've been getting into FAF, but there are also some non faction related changes to consider. I suppose you know about engy mod / support factories.

Gesundheit.

I've noticed HQ T2/T3 factories, which seem to let me build upgraded factories elsewhere from scratch once I have the upgrade. What is this engy mod you speak of? And support factories?

You will need to learn a couple of ARAS strategies. For team games especially, cause people will yell if you don't finish it in time. Large 1v1 maps with reclaim also allow rushing ARAS and T3 air. In general, I feel the average level of skill is higher now.

Sorry, but what's ARAS?

[JenZor]

Sorry, but what's ARAS?

(Advanced) Resource Allocation System - It's an upgrade your ACU is able to get. It increases the M/E Generation of you ACU. While UEF and Cybran only have a single RAS upgrade Aeon and Seraphim even have a second Level Upgrade which allows even more eco Generation by the ACU. With ~4-6 T2 Mexes and 2-3 T2 PGens you will be able to upgrade (A)RAS pretty quick. After getting RAS done you even can reclaim your T1 and T2 pgens since the ACU with ARAS is more efficent and will provide you with over 5K E and iirc ~30 M Generation.

At Seton games it is usally used by at least navy and air player so that the air player takes advantage of the resulting E overflow of his team mates allowing him to produce ASFs without an early T3 PGen.

Gesundheit.

I've noticed HQ T2/T3 factories, which seem to let me build upgraded factories elsewhere from scratch once I have the upgrade. What is this engy mod you speak of? And support factories?

A Support Factory is a way cheaper upgrade than the HQ Upgrade allowing the factory to produce T2/T3 Units as long as there is atleast one HQ Factory of the same faction and the corresponding Tech Level under you control.
If the HQ is destroyed the Support factory is only able to build T1 Units until you managed to upgrade a T1 factory to atleast the same Tech Level again.

The availability of support factories allows the following: instead of building a bunch of Engis supporting a T2/T3 factory you can build more T1 factories, upgrade them to T2/T3 support factories, and produce units there.
Assisting with Engis or Upgrading T1 factories to Support factories should be cost the same afairc. It also allows you to get up a fast T2/T3 production facility behind the enemy's lines after a succesful Engi drop.

so far
J.

[Kalavinka]

Thank you very much! I looked into the ARAS before and I definitely want to incorporate that into my strategies. I'll need some practice to get the hang of the whole support factory thing, it sounds relatively complex at least at first.

I appreciate the advice, this helps me out a lot.

[Col_Walter_Kurtz]

It's a simple concept actually. You invest in a HQ. After that you can upgrade your other factories to the same tech level for a fraction of the price. This allows you to spam units and higher tech without massively assisting one or more factories with engineers. You can still use engineers if you prefer, and in some cases you will want to do that, but it gives you the option to expand rather quickly with your production. In current FA you see clusters of support T3 air factories mixed with T3 power a lot, and also groups of 4 support land factories against a mex for example.

http://content.faforever.com/faf/unitsDB/

[Kalavinka]

It's a simple concept actually. You invest in a HQ. After that you can upgrade your other factories to the same tech level for a fraction of the price. This allows you to spam units and higher tech without massively assisting one or more factories with engineers. You can still use engineers if you prefer, and in some cases you will want to do that, but it gives you the option to expand rather quickly with your production. In current FA you see clusters of support T3 air factories mixed with T3 power a lot, and also groups of 4 support land factories against a mex for example.

http://content.faforever.com/faf/unitsDB/

That's absolutely game-changing. Thanks for explaining it to me, I get it now.

[theeggroll]

Just watch LuXy, Zock, and Gyle casts. LuXy and Zock for the insanely good game analysis, and Gyle for seeing what pros / people do early late and mid game. His analysis is often slightly inaccurate (love the man and his casts but he is still kinda noob) but getting to see pro players playing is helpful. If you watch brnk casts, stuff he says about units is often accurate but his game analysis is very often wrong (again I like his casts but he doesn't fully know what he's talking about IMO) but you still get to see what pros do

[Epson]

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8199

[JaggedAppliance]

MadMozart(current name ImperialCrusader) has been playing sera very often recently so check out his replays.

[Kalavinka]

Thanks, y'all. I only knew about Gyle and thought he was the main/pretty much only decent caster.

Time to bury myself in vidya!