Stratos Defense Relay

[Vae Victus]

Stratos Defense Relay
on Normal

I just got my squad out. Lost one scout due to miscalculating turret range, but managed to get out with the Captain, Soldier, Soldier, Engineer, Hydra, and one tact point.

SPOILERS may follow.

I like the idea of the map.

One question though, and maybe the higher difficulties would make it necessary to go on detours to the deactivating buttons at the top right and the bottom left, but as matters currently stand... is there any reason to go for them? I ignored those two buttons and finished in 20 turns of the 20 turn goal (I may have been able to finish in 17 if I had not permitted one templar to lag far behind and had been slightly more efficient with moving). To get to the bottom left, players apparently must past a tact point and a turret (though the turret possibly can be avoided, but if you want to capture the tact point, you probably need to go through it). The top right button is even farther away. It is about as far as one can get from the map's exit; and it has a turret and an enemy tact point guarding access to it.

I only needed to destroy a total of one turret manually.

Thus, the suggestion is...assuming the ease with which I beat the map without disabling these turrets is not merely due to the Normal level... maybe move these turret deactivating points closer? Or re-think parts of the map to make it more worthwhile to go to the far extent of the map to disable these turret buttons? It seems like these deactivation points are supposed to be a distraction--it seems unlikely that one could finish in 20 turns if one went to disable them-thus there appears to be little reason to take the risk to disable them. Even if they are just meant to be distractions, maybe there could be a reason to be distracted by them...perhaps mention of secondary objectives in their vicinity? Existence of new secondary objectives may not even unbalance the game, since no one who goes for them would be likely to reach the turn 20 or less bonus percentage. (Admittedly, since I did not go in those directions- there could already BE secondary objectives there--but if so, it would be valuable to mention their presence).

[Cory Trese]

Thanks for the feedback!

[fallen]

Vae Victus - if you've only played through the level once, I can see that it sounds like you got a lucky draw. The turret that is disabled by the switch is not the same in each playthrough. Therefore, in some plays, you may end up with a better setup ... just the right turrets for your approach are disabled ... and in attempts, you may want to alternate your strategy. If your first two switches disabled the turrets at the top of the map, you'd be thinking about heading up that way I think.

Also, if you use a few high move Scout, you can reach the disabling points very quickly.

[Vae Victus]

Great that you've been able to implement randomization!

Also, thank you for the tip.

[capthawk]

Vae Victus

Something to keep in mind:
Some of the levels like Stratos Relay I've found can be used for training purposes.
I.e., instead of turn bonuses, I'll just go for maximum knights deployed and get everyone who I feel could use it some extra XP.
I pay attention to the turn counter in mission objectives. If I'm close to goal, then sure, I'll go for turn bonus.
But if I'm not going to make it without risking Templar loss, I'll regroup and start requisitioning more knights.

Tip: be creative with supply boosts!
It has saved my butt more than a few times. Any level where I know it's worth it, e.g., high turn goal, I'll throw even the supply one on my first TP ASAP.
Those extra SP add up quickly, an extra Reactor Jolt, Meditech, or Knight can be had a turn or two earlier many times.
Then I'm sure you can see the progression, next TP might get SP boost two... etc.

[Cory Trese]

Yeah, the SP boosts are definitely worth it mathematically on the longer levels.

[Vae Victus]

May 3, 2016 8:16:46 GMT -5 capthawk said:

Vae Victus

Something to keep in mind:
Some of the levels like Stratos Relay I've found can be used for training purposes.
I.e., instead of turn bonuses, I'll just go for maximum knights deployed and get everyone who I feel could use it some extra XP.
I pay attention to the turn counter in mission objectives. If I'm close to goal, then sure, I'll go for turn bonus.
But if I'm not going to make it without risking Templar loss, I'll regroup and start requisitioning more knights.

Tip: be creative with supply boosts!
It has saved my butt more than a few times. Any level where I know it's worth it, e.g., high turn goal, I'll throw even the supply one on my first TP ASAP.
Those extra SP add up quickly, an extra Reactor Jolt, Meditech, or Knight can be had a turn or two earlier many times.
Then I'm sure you can see the progression, next TP might get SP boost two... etc.

Thank you.
-On normal at least, I have no trouble getting maximum deployment every turn... although with the tips about speeding up Templars, that may be more difficult- so it is possible that I will need more supply points.

-I have been cautious about using the supply boosts. The lowest one costs 200 and nets +20. A simple calculation would state that after 10 turns with the boost, a player would be even on the investment, so you need 11 turns with the Tact Point to make back your investment.
---However, the calculation of utility is more than that bare calculation-- by spending 200 SP, you cannot spend that 200 on deploying a new Templar or acquiring medical supplies. Since deploying more firepower fast is usually a good policy, on most maps (except a few where there are tactical reason to do otherwise), it seems that the lowest Tact Supply Point boost (the one costing 200), should not be deployed unless a player plans to spend at least 11+(3 to 5) more turns on the map after taking the Tact Point.

[capthawk]

Vae Victus

You're thinking about supply boosts like I did at first. It's helpful to think of it more like a percentage boost, that +20 is really a thirty three percent boost.
So, despite the 200 lost, you're actually far ahead of the recoup of those points in four turns. 80x4=320, where 60x4 is only 240.
Even saving our 200 and adding that is 320 boosted v. 440 not boosted, no SP spent, and in two more turns we're even and pulling ahead.
So it only takes six turns, really.

And I agreed in my post this is for longer levels, but that's in general. Some of the shorter missions give you the option to take TP you don't have to; so if your goal is maximum deployment, not turn goal, you can adapt some of these levels.
I find I also use supply boosts on shorter missions where I am forced to fall back; e.g. many near dead knights.
It's so slow watching 60 turn count toward a Paladin or Meditech. I prefer booost one, defend the TP an extra turn or two, but move out fully healed, and a lot of times able to score other Ordnance while I regroup.