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Usually not, but yesterday I travelled over 900 km by train to vote in my country (my country usually don't accept to vote remotely). Anyway, please vote on this poll. Thanks for your time. https://strawpoll.com/3RnYXRMVWye

In the vast, mythologically inspired world of Odin: Valhalla Rising, progression isn’t just about leveling up or acquiring stronger gear—it’s about mastering the game’s systems and consistently leveraging them to your advantage. Among these systems, Shadow Coins stand out as one of the most important currencies for players aiming to break into the upper tiers of power. Whether you're a competitive PvP player, a PvE grinder, or someone chasing optimal builds, understanding how Shadow Coins work—and how to maximize their value—can dramatically accelerate your journey. This guide breaks down everything you need to know: how to earn them efficiently, how the ranking system affects your rewards, and how to spend them wisely for long-term gains. What Are Shadow Coins and Why Do They Matter? Shadow Coins are a weekly-earned currency tied directly to your performance in Shadow Fortress, one of the game’s core competitive modes. Unlike basic gold or Odin Diamonds, Shadow Coins are performance-gated, meaning they reward skill, consistency, and strategic play rather than simple grinding. This makes them extremely valuable. Why? Because Shadow Coins unlock access to: High-tier equipment upgrades Rare crafting materials Performance-enhancing consumables Exclusive shop items unavailable elsewhere In short, Shadow Coins are a gateway currency to endgame optimization. Understanding Shadow Fortress: The Core System At the heart of Shadow Coin acquisition lies the Shadow Fortress, a recurring competitive system where players are ranked based on performance. How It Works Players participate in Shadow Fortress activities throughout the week Performance is tracked and ranked against other players At the end of each weekly cycle, rewards are distributed Your rank directly determines your Shadow Coin payout This means that Shadow Coins are not just about participation—they are about outperforming others. How to Get Shadow Coins Efficiently To maximize your Shadow Coin income, you need to understand that ranking is everything. Simply showing up isn’t enough—you need to optimize your approach. 1. Prioritize Weekly Performance Your weekly rank dictates your rewards. That means: Every run matters Every improvement counts Consistency across the week is key Instead of playing casually, treat Shadow Fortress like a scheduled competitive event. Tip: Don’t leave your performance to the last day. Spread your efforts across the week to stabilize your ranking. 2. Build for the Mode, Not Just General Play Many players make the mistake of using their standard PvE or PvP builds. Shadow Fortress often rewards: Burst damage for faster clears Survivability for sustained encounters Mobility for repositioning and efficiency If you’re serious about climbing ranks, consider adjusting your build specifically for Shadow Fortress performance. 3. Optimize Gear and Enhancements Since ranking is competitive, even small stat differences matter. Focus on: Upgrading key equipment pieces Enhancing stats that directly impact your performance metrics Using consumables strategically during runs Remember: Shadow Fortress is not just about raw power—it’s about efficient power usage. 4. Learn the Meta and Adapt The meta in Shadow Fortress evolves as players optimize strategies. To stay competitive: Observe top-ranked players Adapt to popular strategies Experiment with alternative approaches Sometimes, a slight shift in strategy can push you several ranks higher—resulting in significantly more Shadow Coins. 5. Consistency Over Spikes It’s tempting to rely on one great performance, but rankings reward consistent results. Aim for: Stable high-level runs Minimizing mistakes Maintaining performance across sessions Consistency ensures you don’t drop in rank due to a single poor run. How Ranking Affects Shadow Coin Rewards The ranking system is straightforward but impactful: Higher rank = More Shadow Coins Lower rank = Reduced rewards This creates a competitive feedback loop: Perform better → earn more coins Spend coins → get stronger Get stronger → perform even better Breaking into higher ranks early can snowball your progression dramatically. Where to Spend Shadow Coins Earning Shadow Coins is only half the equation. Spending them wisely is what separates average players from top-tier competitors. The Shadow Fortress Shop is your primary destination. Best Uses for Shadow Coins 1. High-Tier Equipment One of the most impactful uses of Shadow Coins is acquiring powerful gear upgrades. These items often provide: Significant stat boosts Unique effects Endgame viability If your goal is to increase overall combat effectiveness, this should be your top priority. 2. Rare Enhancement Materials Enhancement materials are often bottlenecks in progression. Using Shadow Coins to acquire them allows you to: Upgrade gear faster Avoid grinding lower-tier content Maintain competitive parity This is especially important for players pushing high-end content or rankings. 3. Performance-Boosting Consumables Consumables can make the difference between: A good run and a top-tier run Surviving vs. failing Securing higher rankings Investing in consumables can be a short-term cost for long-term gain, especially if they help you climb ranks and earn more coins. 4. Exclusive Shop Items Some items in the Shadow Fortress Shop are not available elsewhere, making them highly valuable. These can include: Unique gear pieces Special upgrade items Limited-time offerings Always check the shop rotation to ensure you don’t miss high-value opportunities. Spending Strategy: Short-Term vs Long-Term A common mistake players make is spending Shadow Coins impulsively. Instead, think in terms of strategy. Short-Term Focus Consumables for immediate performance boosts Materials for quick upgrades Temporary power spikes to climb ranks Long-Term Focus High-tier gear investments Rare items with lasting value Building a sustainable power foundation The best approach is balance: use some coins to improve your weekly performance, but save enough for major upgrades. Turning Shadow Coins Into a Weekly Ritual To truly dominate, Shadow Fortress should become part of your weekly routine. Step-by-Step Weekly Plan Start of the Week Evaluate your current build Identify areas for improvement Midweek Optimization Adjust strategies based on performance Refine your runs End of Week Push Secure your rank Use consumables if needed to maximize output Reward Phase Collect Shadow Coins Spend strategically This cycle ensures continuous progression. Common Mistakes to Avoid Even experienced players can mismanage Shadow Coins. Here are some pitfalls: 1. Ignoring Shadow Fortress Skipping this mode means missing out on one of the most valuable currencies in the game. 2. Spending Without a Plan Buying random items without considering long-term value can slow your progression. 3. Neglecting Build Optimization Using a generic build instead of optimizing for Shadow Fortress can limit your ranking potential. 4. Inconsistent Participation Missing runs or playing irregularly can cause your rank to drop significantly. Advanced Tips for Competitive Players If you’re aiming for top-tier ranks, consider these advanced strategies: Min-Max Your Stats Focus on: Damage efficiency Cooldown optimization Survivability thresholds Even minor stat improvements can push you into a higher bracket. Track Your Performance Keep track of: Run times Damage output Mistakes Analyzing your gameplay helps you refine your approach. Adapt Weekly Each weekly cycle is an opportunity to improve. Treat it as a fresh challenge. Final Thoughts: Mastering the Shadow Economy Shadow Coins are more than just a currency—they are a reflection of your skill, consistency, and strategic mindset in Odin: Valhalla Rising. By: Prioritizing Shadow Fortress Optimizing your performance Spending coins strategically —you can create a powerful feedback loop that accelerates your growth and places you firmly among the game’s top players. Make Shadow Fortress a weekly ritual. Treat every run as an opportunity to improve buy Odin Valhalla Rising Diamonds. And most importantly, view Shadow Coins not just as rewards—but as tools for domination. Because in Odin, power isn’t just earned—it’s optimized.

happy for you, nice that you can have a good sleeping schedule (I want to be this punctual for sleeping )

Already done: I think I'll write all steps that I followed. Not now, it's almoast midnight. Anyway, on GIMP I used color curves. The standard curve is y = x, I used y = 32 * nroot(4, x / 32). So for high mountains, behavior is nearly asymptotic. You can see that Himalayan is nearly flat, like a mesa. But, this is not sufficient. In a 512x512 Himalaya is so near to the coast that I can't do a passage between India and South-East of Asia.

I'd try to reduce contrast on the heightmap and try again, to reduce a lot of the extreme height differences.

While experimenting with an Asia map, I decided to push the size up to 1024x1024 — and honestly, it's a game changer. At 512x512, a continent like Asia feels cramped and loses a lot of its geographic character; with 1024x1024 there's actual room to breathe, to place mountain ranges, small seas, like Black and Red ones, and biomes in a way that makes the map feel like a real place rather than a compressed approximation. A map of this scale could support larger teams, longer games, and genuinely epic campaigns across Central Asia, India, or the Silk Road. Would anyone be up for playing something this large? (I don't know how to create a poll, please can any admin do it or maybe answer in this thread)

De acuerdo, pero ¿qué está pasando? ¿Qué versión de 0ad? ¿Hay algún error?

Gracias por la info. Puse el mod pero... No me ejecuta, o eso creo

Battle management/micro isn't your enemy. Spamming meaningless clicks might be. I know a lot of players that love micro with freehand formation for example, which is a excellent feature. I'd love to have more features like this, I hope the selection box targeting will be in this category.

Couldn't units be balanced in a way where sniping is less important? Then you wouldn't have to really worry about any of this

That's an interesting analysis, it makes me think of priorities. That feature in the game is like having a high-end bike but only ever using one gear, while obsessing over automate a fan at higher revolutions to so it blows more air towards your face. Just saying.

Are you sure it's not only a gamer mouse with multi-click macro buttons? Do you have some code or proof about it?

Autosnipe existed but nobody uses it anymore and it probably doesn't work in R28 @ffm2 had some click counter script in python which you might be interested in

I think their size was modeled after AoE3 ships. I agree, they need to be smaller, but that will make them look unrealistic.

I hope the feature would make targeting accessible/interesting enough that it would be a desirable part of the gameplay. That's a bit unfair given the explanations and illustrations provided. --- I think you are imagining that there is a "auto-sniping" thing out there that sort out battles without any user input. Let's assume that it is the case. If a player that would use such "auto-sniping", some of the decisions and improvisations he would be normally be able to do would be removed. Likely resulting in fool-plays, or predictability that other users could take advantage of. On the other hand, trying to make available some features that efficiently translate user inputs into actions, that stay general enough not remove possible plays, would make them very competitive against it. The above isn't the goal of the PR, much more like a QOL feature, that would make micro in battle more interesting. Making targeted volleys of projectiles would be much more rewarding if you can define a area where they are thrown, then if you they just all go on the first closest enemy for example.

Yeah, might be too technic. Maybe this commentary in that PR describes better why I think could help on this: Oh I understand and I think you are right about "Attacking ranged units beyond melee and then running away when ur melee is all gone will remain." The way I see it, targeting ranged units to eliminate them first (given their higher damage) is somewhat part of combat micro skills, just like sniping a Hero, rams, or other high-value units. And this probably wouldn’t be as necessary with a different balance for combat units (e.g. melee units stronger against projectiles). That’s why, from my perspective, when we talk about the sniping problem in 0 A.D., we’re referring to the repetitive action of targeting units with a group or using Alt+click to pick them off first. Which creates that “whoever clicks more wins” dynamic. But I can be wrong.

Needing to add units to ships for firepower meant that investing in water would require many of your land soldiers. This means players would get flotillas full of soldiers and they would hardly ever return to fighting on land. Moving soldiers between ships and land to optimally fight on both land and water was unnecessary tedium, and usually players just didn't do this. Furthermore, with the guessing game about how many soldiers are in your ship versus the enemy ship, it was difficult to strategize (not to mention the random arrows). Lastly, requiring soldiers for ship effectiveness meant you always had to deal with the clumsiness of garrisoning different ships with the right amount of soldiers in order to fight.

That would not make the mechanic obsolete, it would just be an easier way to snipe. Attacking ranged units beyond melee and then running away when ur melee is all gone will remain. Significant balance changes would be needed to actually make it obsolete.

Thanks, @guerringuerrin I may be missing something, but the description there isn't very clear. It doesn't really say the over-all goal of the PR, so I'm a little disoriented. It also doesn't describe how targets are selected within the group. I think it would have to be an extremely clever system to completely eliminate the advantage of auto-sniping.

Unfortunate that adding (ranged) troops, such as archers, does not increase the firepower of ships. In "real" life, archers can easily fire from ships thereby adding firepower. I get a kick of of that. The ships, in a sense are too large for the game. I have ended up with the ships getting tangled up in a knot and have a difficult time untangling them. There have also been a few occurrences where the ships are so "long" that it is difficult to move troops (by ship) from one shore to the next when the shores are too close together.

Hey @RangerK!. You might be interested in taking a look at this PR. Basically, it would allow targeting groups of units using the selection box, which could make sniping as a gameplay mechanic obsolete.

The Attached Screen shot is analysis from a recent TG. You can see a HUGE disparity in the frequency and intensity of concentrated attack commands. This can be evidence of Sniping, as I see @SaidRdz do manually in many of his Youtube videos. Or it can evidence of using some game mod to automatically snipe for you. Tatyana17's 13 attack commands per second isn't necessarily evidence of cheating, as game seconds are longer than real seconds, also, maybe all the commands were given during a pause in the game, though I don't remember having one. Regardless, it's a little sus. Playing with even the possibility of cheaters is very demoralizing. I suggest TWO features: 1) Throttle the # of allowed attacks per second which the game will accept. Either 3 or 4 seems good. And if there are additional attack commands, they are either ignored or processed in the following second. 2) Show statistics exactly like those in the image as part of the post-game data.

Techs from Farmstead are also being researched. This includes all techs that affect resource gathering speed, with the exception of baskets.

In COH1 maybe because of my cpu/gpu being amd and not nvidia, all sfx for example explosion, gunshots would show a pink box outline that glitches, the young me at that time didn't mind lol since I've completed the game on my brother's PC. But a worse case is me trying to play an old game but its unplayable because all of its visual is black and it effects only amd users... I even tried playing my childhood game Empire Earth 3, its very buggy visually, crashes upon completing campaign and is laggy. I guess I could get a refurbished Thinkpad laptop since I heard its like brick that I can throw to someone just like Nokia and its cheap and reliable~

Probably to make you build more ships for naval battles.