20 tips to improve your skills by Borg-

[borg-]

The purpose of this topic is to show in a simple and basic way how to improve your skills in 0a.d with 20 simple tips.

1- SHIFT button. Extremely important, mainly for order of buildings and micro. for example when picking up some wood collectors to build a house, hold the SHIFT button and right click on the house and then again on the wood, so immediately after finishing the house, they will automatically collect wood again. 

Your enemy is dancing in front of you, and your units missing shots, then select your units, hold SHIFT button, and select the stopped units you want to hit, so after killing the first selected enemy unit, they will fire in the next, avoiding that you shoot the dancer. 

You have selected 40 units, and you need to select more, keep SHIFT Button press, and select the 15 units, so you have 55 units selected.

If you have enough wood and want to build 10 houses, keep SHIFT pressed, select the house and click 10 times in map. SHIFT greatly facilitates the construction of walls (make a test).

2- CTRL button: mainly required to select units. 

Let's imagine that you have 10 archers, 10 lancers and 10 women, you select them all, then in their interface show 3 small squares in the center with 10 archers, 10 lancers and 10 women. If you hold CTRL Buttom and click on the square of the 10 women, then you take the 10 women out of the selection, stay only 10 archers and 10 lancers, its is very important especially when suffering from harassment.

CTRL button is also a shortcut key for storing units in buildings. Select the units, keep CTRL button press, and right click on the building.

3- U buttom. Shortcut button so that the units exit from within the buildings.

4- Two left mouse click. Press two left-clicks on mouse on archers for example, then all archers in your sight will be selected.

5- H button. Your units attacked the nearest unit.

6- Dance: the units automatically attack the nearest units, then select a unit and send it to the front, then click with it from side to side, you can use the SHIFT for this.

7- Storage. Must be made as close just to wood, fruit and hunting as possible. Metal and stone must have a distance that fits the units between the metal/stone to the storage. Doing too close will make your units have to walk a unnecessary distance. If necessary, make two or three.

As your wood is cut make new Storages. When there is enough space for a new storage.

8- Outpost: Vision wins game, simple as that. Have vision so you will not have any more surprises.

9- keep some women close to the men, so that the collect gain 10%.

10- Tips for using with CTRL and U. I'll use an example that I only use at the moment (I did not see anyone else use until then). you are playing with iberians, and you are collecting outside the walls, so your enemy attacks you with some horses, you have no way to defend, and the gates are too far for you to run, what do you do? Select your units, press CTRL and click for units to enter the tower of the walls, then quickly click the U button several times so that the units exit quickly (Do not forget to select for the tower to unload the units inside the city).

The same can be done with several types of constructions, in several occasions, use your imagination.

11- manipulation of animals: some animals can be manipulated in your favor.

If the animal is too far from its storage or CC, hit him, and continues to walk behind it (no more hits), this will take the animal to the desired location.

Walruses are aggressive animals, so if you hit a shot at him, they will go after you. then it is important that you select a unit and walk on the map giving a one hit on each,(preference ranges unit) and then send your unit back to your city, all walruses will follow.

12- Buildings within the radius of attack of the CC. An important tip especially for the beginning of the game, keep your houses and other possible constructions within reach of your CC, if your enemy rush you, he probably could not convert his constructions (If this happens, you probably lost the game).

13- Avoid fighting within range of towers and castles. Just fight if it's in your favor, if that does not happen, fight in another region, or make small attacks in multiple places at once. This is a regular mistake among beginners.

14- Whenever possible, make economic upgrades. Serious error between beginners and good players too, and plsssss, baskets upgrade are very, very important, basically you reduce 50% of walking time (first upgrade).

15- In fights whenever possible have melee/tank units on the front. Has already been proven in several tests that melee + ranged can win fights vs only ranged (Of course this depends on several factors).

16- Use constructs like houses/barracks to reach some resources beyond the edge.

17- keep in mind some basic things about factions / units. You are playing on Mauryans and your enemy is Romans, you do not know what strategy he used, but you should avoid some. Example, If he is a smart player it is likely that he will use spear horses against you for the simple fact that archers can not stop them, so what should you do? Make some lancers instead of archers, this will block it. 

18- Preferably to armor upgrades rather than attack. Armor upgrades are cheaper, and reach more soldiers than attack upgrades. 1350 for +1 armor for melee and ranges units or 1500 for 20% attack only ranges units?

 19- Balance eco. This is the most mistake among all players. Try to keep your economy always balanced and in progress.

If you are collecting fruits, and they are running out, do not expect them to end up for making some farms, make before.

If you are going to attack/defense, do not use all your units of a particular resource, only in special harassment and specific strategies. This will cause your economy to stop, you will have to switch resources, and this will see a snowball.

20 -keep an eye on the time. Minutes are important so you knew how well or how bad it is going. 

For me, for example, I know that if I'm in the minute 14 and I'm still in phase 2 in a game without major problems, I'm late, If I am playing against a good player, I can be in serious trouble. Maybe I even have a larger population, but if it has some rams or elephants, this can complicate me.

I memorized some schedules, this facilitates my games, I know when to attack, pass phase, and i also know when the enemy probably attacked me in a probable rush.

Well there are several other tips, but I hope that in a simple way I can help raise the level of the gameplay.

Tips from other players are very welcome.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Nice little guide, @borg-. Should help a lot of rookie players.  

 

9 hours ago, borg- said:

6- Dance: the units automatically attack the nearest units, then select a unit and send it to the front, then click with it from side to side, you can use the SHIFT for this.

 

This^ kind of thing I would really like the team to look into minimizing in the gameplay. I think these are the kinds of "tips" which are really exploits of poor unit behavior, things @Sundiata has lamented. Not a slam on you, borg, since players play with the game they are given, not what they wish it to be. 

Edited July 12, 2018 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

This^ kind of thing I would really like the team to look into minimizing in the gameplay. I think these are the kinds of "tips" which are really exploits of poor unit behavior, things @Sundiata has lamented. Not a slam on you, borg, since players play with the game they are given, not what they wish it to be. 

A lot of good players already hates them. Most of the team members who plays also hates them . In fact, @bb_ experimented with ways to solve this a while back.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

On 7/12/2018 at 1:54 AM, (-_-) said:

A lot of good players already hates them. Most of the team members who plays also hates them . In fact, @bb_ experimented with ways to solve this a while back.

I'll take this opportunity to make another plug for Battalions, since doing this with a Battalion would be suicide for a whole bunch of soldiers.

Edited July 13, 2018 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[elexis]

So it should be impossible to move a single unit?

[Sundiata]

20 minutes ago, elexis said:

So it should be impossible to move a single unit?

I think the problem is more that a mass of units automatically target the nearest enemy unit, instead of spreading their attack over a "front", targeting not only the nearest enemy unit, but also every other enemy within a certain radius of it. If that were possible, dancing units won't be a viable tactic anymore.   

Automatically reassigning units to the nearest target every couple of seconds could also mitigate the dancing unit tactic, as simply pressing the "halt" button regularly during battle greatly increases the effectiveness of your soldiers as they stop chasing people across the battlefield while taking hits and doing no damage in the process. 

[RolandSC2]

On 7/12/2018 at 5:44 AM, Sundiata said:

I think the problem is more that a mass of units automatically target the nearest enemy unit, instead of spreading their attack over a "front", targeting not only the nearest enemy unit, but also every other enemy within a certain radius of it. If that were possible, dancing units won't be a viable tactic anymore.   

Automatically reassigning units to the nearest target every couple of seconds could also mitigate the dancing unit tactic, as simply pressing the "halt" button regularly during battle greatly increases the effectiveness of your soldiers as they stop chasing people across the battlefield while taking hits and doing no damage in the process. 

It makes sense that a ranged attacker would shoot at the line of still targets shooting back at them, rather than the one target breakdancing out in front. Following Sundiata's proposal, dancing would still cause some arrows to be wasted (rewarding the micro), but it won't completely disable the lesser player's army. 

Is there a thread that explains ranged unit targeting priority?

 

[Obelix]

This listicle should be translated in other languages! I guess this helps beginners from all around the world.

Unfortunately I do not understand every piece of information in this post, so I cannot translate it fully to German.

[vladislavbelov]

6 minutes ago, ffffffff said:

20+1 tip: Alt+F4

I tried, it doesn't work (it does nothing).

[itrelles]

borges, one year has passed, tip list need to be bigger stronger sexier and larger!

[borg-]

1 hour ago, itrelles said:

borges, one year has passed, tip list need to be bigger stronger sexier and larger!

eaeeee lets work

[itrelles]

ON IT SIR!!!!

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

On 7/11/2018 at 11:56 PM, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

I'll take this opportunity to make another plug for Battalions, since doing this with a Battalion would be suicide for a whole bunch of soldiers.

Hahaha I love that .. But unlike @DarcReaver I want free will to form battalions. (optional)

 

10 hours ago, itrelles said:

borges, one year has passed, tip list need to be bigger stronger sexier and larger!

Great writter. 

On 7/12/2018 at 3:44 AM, Sundiata said:

I think the problem is more that a mass of units automatically target the nearest enemy unit, instead of spreading their attack over a "front", targeting not only the nearest enemy unit, but also every other enemy within a certain radius of it. If that were possible, dancing units won't be a viable tactic anymore.   

Automatically reassigning units to the nearest target every couple of seconds could also mitigate the dancing unit tactic, as simply pressing the "halt" button regularly during battle greatly increases the effectiveness of your soldiers as they stop chasing people across the battlefield while taking hits and doing no damage in the process. 

One of many tnings I need to learn to do and practice instead just give defensive behavior.

On 7/16/2018 at 11:59 AM, Obelix said:

This listicle should be translated in other languages! I guess this helps beginners from all around the world.

Unfortunately I do not understand every piece of information in this post, so I cannot translate it fully to German.

95% done wih my lang.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

I think there could be a "max attackers" component in the templates just like there's a max gatherers component for trees and other resources. Gatherers focus on other nearby trees when the max is reached for the target tree. This spreads out the gatherers better and doesn't clump them on any one tree. The same could be done for combat, with one change: units can focus fire if directly tasked to by the player, otherwise they default to max attackers code.

All in favor?

Edited July 12, 2019 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Sundiata]

38 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

All in favor?

Aye

[Issh]

18 hours ago, borg- said:

eaeeee lets work

Come on Mr. Space Man, work work work work work ...

[Lion.Kanzen]

I would add some citizen management with the keys "." With the keys i+ selection box.

Changing the topic how feasible it would be to add the mod keys to the game.

[Lion.Kanzen]

About the technologies especially blacksmith and other not so economical which you suggest in a general way.

Independently of the map, because in AoE I can tell you clearly where to go, but here is always a thin line of ignorance.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Lion.Kanzen

[Feldfeld]

1 hour ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

Changing the topic how feasible it would be to add the mod keys to the game.

I am not sure i understood the question but for example nani made a mod for buildings hotkeys. Not any kind of hotkeys can be added then played in multiplayer with others though.

28 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

About the technologies especially blacksmithing and other not so economical which you suggest in a general way.

Independently of the map, because in AoE I can tell you clearly where to go, but here is always a thin line of ignorance.

I can tell how i use the technologies if requested, otherwise i'll let that to borg

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 hour ago, Feldfeld said:

am not sure i understood the question but for example nani made a mod for buildings hotkeys. Not any kind of hotkeys can be added then played in multiplayer with others thoug

Yes that mod, @nani Mod. You understand me very well.

[Blayalada]

Ty for this very nice tips list !

I need also some advices to counter the brit early and nasty rush without using a corean micro of 250 apm xD