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I am 78 years old and started playing 0.ad I can play empire earth 2 ok and Civ 4 but I have real trouble with hotkeys in this game, that I don't have in the other 2 I look at the hotkey chart and I am lost because Ctrl can do 20 different things . It is odvious that you have to click or select something first then apply the hot key but I just wish this first function was put in the hotkey chart . I don't understand some games where you're attacked and your military units just sit there This is not realistic to real life at all . If a printed manual was more complete the game would be more fun for someone my age . Regards Bob Forrest 

Not sure 0ad is having too much of a snowballing problem. The only case where it does feel like being the case this alpha is with fast, strong, cheap, melee units like champ spear cav and fanatics, because they have no counters and counter everything themselves.

The current release (A27) already made some strides towards this, by increasing the melee damage. Units need further diversification with pikemen having more HP but lower damage, spearmen having average HP and average damage, while swordsmen have slightly above average HP and good hack damage. Or we introduce counters to shift the current meta away from mass ranged units with melee meat shields. Needed to be done a long time ago. CS can already build and repair, in addition to fighting. Why do they contribute to the economy more than civilians? Where's the logic here? Some upgrades to specific unit lines can't hurt. For example, in StarCraft, there is a huge difference between an un-upgraded Zergling and a Zergling with both Metabolic Boost and Adrenal Glands upgrades.

Couple thoughts: Other factors contributing to snowballing: Promotion feature--this makes it very hard to fight back even if you have equal numbers. This is especially true if there are healers, which aren't much a factor in this alpha but have been in the past.  Weak defensive building--I think this is the biggest factor in the current alpha. The current alpha has weak defensive buildings. As a result, players have a more difficult time going back to their safe space to regain strength. Cav dominance--cav are the dominate meta for a lot of reasons. But it's difficult to repop with cav because of cost, slow train times, and the likelihood of continued harassment.  I would focus efforts on mitigating the factors that contribute to snowballing.  You're right that it has a snowball effect but I don't find it to be problematic. This seems to be one of things where the advantage is earned. It is also most pronounced in early/mid game, which I am fine with since it is hard to kill a CC before p3.  I don't find this a problem at all. It's relatively low numbers. (I actually think loot should be a bigger part of the game) Agree. Without commenting on the merits of these two, I think these are entirely separate proposals that may or may not have some impact on snowballing. You should also consider that, while these will be available to defending players, they will also be available to attacking players, so the snowball effect may become greater with them too.