STDOUBT

OK, I finally beat Laconia!!!!! The tips you guys gave in this thread were indespensible. I was confused about the hotkey for screenshots, so I failed to get some. By the end, I had taken over the entire West side, had three rings of defensive towers/walls each circling a fortress and civ center. The whole thing took almost 5 hours (lol). I guess that proves I am smarter than AI by just enough heh. There is still obviously a lot I need to learn about the game's mechanics. But what fun the learning! I'm not sure if my victory was legit though; a few observations: At one point I noticed an entire column of invaders being driven back by two pikemen. I noticed the pikemen were not taking damage, and they basically dove that column away. After this point, the enemy seemed only to attack in dribs and drabs. The gods of game glitches smiled on me? It seemed at a certain point the AI just gave up, and focused itself on fortifications. Once I marched into their territory for the final blow, they did put up a good fight, though. I'd like to highight the way these battles/wars seem always to end (for me, anyway, so far): Generally, a tattered remnant of various fighters finds a femle of the opposing society wandering the woods, or tilling a field, and dispatches her to the ether just before the victory flourish. In the last game I played (Arcadia 2), one of the last sounds was the baby crying as a female Gaul put her house up just before being gutted by a Spartan Pikeman. That house was the last Gaul structure standing, and it stood for only a few seconds. I find it interesting how the true horror of war is preserved and presented in this game. Arcadia 2 took me eleven and one half hours (yes, I know I'm probably doing something wrong). At the end, I really felt as though I'd been through a war. It was exciting, difficult, harrowing, grinding, exhausting and painful. I really lke this game! Thanks for reading, all!

To: zoot Hmm. How about Laconia? Next time you fire up 0AD, give that one a try. I think you'll find that by the time you have a reasonable column ready to march the invaders have already attacked a couple times and have at least 4 fortresses standing! I haven't tried trading in this Match, but in the past I've found trading does not work with people with whom you're warring. Thanks for the tip on garrisoning the towers. Spartans start out with 3 in this Match and having them fully occupied really helps! Do let me know if you get a chance to try this map. Thanks! To: alpha123 That's good to know! It seems there are more options than I realized (have not heard of Royal Stoa or Thracian Black Cloaks and never made it to city phase in this Match), though I have begun recalling all soldiers at the very beginning. Thank You!

Hello all! I discovered 0AD about one month ago, and I have to say I'm very very grateful for it! Very beautiful game which I am sure will become legendary one day, and remain a cornerstone in gaming for many years to come. Also, the importance of the GPL even in games cannot be overstated IMO. So, Laconia. I am able to withstand column after column of invaders, but I just can't seem to get my army "fat' enough to properly strike back at the invaders. I understand (vaguely) the historical implications of this Match, and that the Spartans are cornered, and are defeated. I seem to never be able to sustain a big enough food supply, even with a farmstead, "dedicated" hunters and a fishing boat. Eventually (after 2 hours or so), the invaders wear me down and I lack either enough wood or food to build back my sodliers. Any tips for this Match? I have won a few others (very great experience). FWIW, I've only used the default AI (qBot, I think?). I guess my question boils down to: Are some Matches not meant to be winnable? ...or is there some algorythm built into the game which ensures a path to victory? Thanks very much all! Keep up the fantastic work!!!!