OK, so I just got an email that this game was on sale on steam 50% off! Awesome! I'd been wanting this game for a while and my birthday is coming up so I thought perfect timing!
So I start watching some youtube videos to see how the gameplay is before I buy it. I LOVE RTS games I used to play C&C everyday in my youth. First thing I noticed in the video I watches which was that (it was a 6 man FFA) someone started to "bomber rush" and all the players in the chat were like "thats cheating!!" and guilted the guy into stopping otherwise it would have been a very short video. So the guy stopped and the game continued. Later in the game the guy was using aircraft and he makes the comment "it's not cheating because I saw he is using aircraft too!". So then I started googling for bomber rush because I remember in c&c all the noobs thought rushing was OP but if you knew how to play it was easy to counter and actually if they spent all their resources on a risky expensive rush you'd counter push and win for their foolishness. After doing some searching though it seemed pretty unanimous that the bomber rush is OP and therefor "unsportsmanlike" this is so foolish...if it's in the game it should be fair? If it's not fair then the game isn't fair and thats huge for an RTS.
So that's my first concern,
My second concern after finding these forums and also looking on twitch so I could ask these questions there instead of posting on forums is that the community seems very tiny. This is a new game it should be peaked right now! People are complaining they can't find matches? That's really scary. Especially since the video reviews I watched said the single player was basically an expanded tutorial and the real fun is online. Well if the fun is online and it's hard to find an online game....?
Plus even then you've got to apparently not use the best strategies because everyone agrees they are unbalanced so much so that to use them is "cheating".
Also I read a thread about how new forum users are limited on posts they can make? This is crazy.
I'm sorry I was excited about this game but after doing my research it seems I will not be able to join you guys.
I am open to feedback however if anyone thinks my efforts were shortsighted...(if im able to post with the forum restrictions!)
What can i say to you, just buy it, its awsome game and i tell you wy.
Normaly you buy a game and thats it, what you see its what you have.
Ashes of the singularity its diferent ,dont think in what you have or see now because in the next 6/8 years this game will be always diferent to bether.
Worth the money my friend.
And i think Steam forums more active without limited posts http://steamcommunity.com/app/228880#scrollTop=0
Yeah, they got more users...
As for the OP, if you are looking for MP only, then, you are correct in your findings, and Stardock is trying to get new blood in with the new sale. While the sale is a nice idea, IMO, they should have also done a free weekend for MP gaming, so more people can get a taste of what AotS has to offer.
The SP part went through a revamp, and I am still testing the waters with this. Yes, it is better than before, but it needs more cooking to find the elusive bugs.
For comparisons, Grey Goo Definitive edition is now $4 @ humble bundle, look at that MP community, and, you will find it lower than AotS. (Well, unsure now, since this $4 mega deal should bring in loads more people.)
AotS is showing ~175 now http://steamcharts.com/app/228880
Grey Goo is showing ~136 now http://steamcharts.com/app/290790
side by side: http://steamcharts.com/cmp/290790,228880
It is possible you have mistaken bombers for fighters in whatever video your saw. Fighters were accidentally allowed to shoot land units with their air to air weapon and it was very powerful. It was seen as an exploit by some hence the conversation you saw. A patch fixed it.
Perhaps it was really bombers but that would surprise me. I am pretty active playing multiplayer and no one has tried something like that in a long long time. And bombers are not OP.
The MP is a smallish community, hence the sale I'd guess. But you can always find a 1v1 game and for bigger custom games I never have a problem. Easier in the evenings in Europe and USA. May have problems if you are based in NZ or Aus, that part of the world.
Some people have really enjoyed the campaign, others not so much. Very much a person preference kind of thing.
As for the limited posting on the boards, I have come across that many times before so it is not an uncommon thing at all when just starting on a new board.
Great post thank you for addressing most of my concerns!
I don't know I'm still on the edge about the game...I want a fun and balanced RTS which is not all about actions per minute and more about strategy...which is why I was leaning towards this game.
But what I get from your post is that there are no unbalanced strategies that exist right now and that you can always find a game?
That's good news. Let me know if that's what you're indeed saying.
This is exactly what it is. It's a slower paced, macro focused RTS that's more about map control, mix of defenses and good unit composition as well as wise use of global abilities.
Balance has been steadily improving imo. Devs are pretty responsive and it has received numerous updates and patches already. The MP community is smallish but if you are just starting out in climbing the 1v1 ladder you'll have no trouble finding games. Weekends are of course busier than weeknights in terms of player count. For 50% off I think it's well worth it as it will continue to be supported and expanded on for quite some time. A 3rd faction is already in the works for example.
The Ashes community is pretty awesome. The reason we're able to balance things so well/quickly is really because of them. They give us way too much credit.
Check out the forums here and on Steam. If you're an RTS gamer, you probalby know how rough most of those forums are. Ashes, by contrast, has a very positive community. And as others have said, it's definitely not about APM.
Oh hello there! I haven't posted much on these forums, I stalk the steam forums mostly.
So, as to your concerns. This is an amazing game by most accounts. You'll always have those players that don't like it. Your main concern seems to be balance.
Well, it's pretty balanced. Like others have said, the devs are always responding to balance and patches come out every week to address balance further. The game is constantly growing with new content every month, sometimes more often.
The Substrate bomber rush isn't cheating in fact. I use it in ranked games and I haven't once been called a cheater for it. I've lost games because it can be countered, but I've won more than I lost because I've played RTS games for many years now and have my own strategy. So, the bomber rush is a valid strategy and it won't give you a win unless you know how to follow up, while being fairly easy to counter once you know the enemies plans.
The multiplayer community is growing slowly I'm guessing. RTS games aren't the most popular, but Ashes will last many years. And getting the game will only help the community grow more. I personally enjoy skirmish more, and I read that 94% of the game's players don't even try multiplayer. So, the single player aspect is great!
All in all, it's a worthy buy for the price it's asked for.
Sorry, but these are spam protections that are put in place and are common on most forums these days. They go away in a short period of time after first signing up.
This is some really great feedback and I am leaning more and more towards being excited about this game again.
I get paid tomorrow and I'm going to buy the game.
Thanks guys for the good replays and I'll hopefully see you in game!
In my opinion the game has much more potential in gameplay than Sc2 had for me. In Sc2 your speed will mostly decide if you win or not. That is not the case in AOTS and really welcome. I think a lot of Sc2 players would also prefer that kind of gameplay.
Everyone seems to have answered this already Balancing is an on-going thing, especially as we have had some new units and a new building for free with some of the patches. The devs are active on acting on imbalances so no glaring issues last too long.
As mentioned by Das 1v1 are easy to find while custom games are more easily found on weekends and during the evening. For half price it is not much $$$ for a fun experience.
Just bought it, if anyone wants to help me out you can add me on steam: l1lk1ll
I might ^^ but gimme a day or two
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