Newbie questions/advice

[Toilenator]

Dear FAF community,

I recently (and finally) got into FA with some friends, to play some good old comp stomps and against each other eventually.
The game mechanics are slowly starting to seep in, I dig around a lot in the wiki, YouTube, and forums however I still have some questions to which I could not find and answer. The questions are regarding a couple of things :

-Faction game play
- Equilibrium mod
- certain build setups

Faction Game play
I started with the UEF, since its fits my play-style the best (defensive heavy, fire power, but slow). However I was also interested in the Cybran faction, I know they are mostly a aggressive hit and run faction. The question is : can they be played semi-defensively as well? and how do they perform in late game versus other factions?

Equilibrium mod
I read through the change log and feature list, however I still have a couple of questions regarding this mod.

- How does the mod change faction game play?
- What are the pros and cons vs FAF? (I know opinions might vary for this however it could help me decide on basis of my own preferences)
- What player type is this mod most suited for?

Certain build setups

- what building should I regarding adjacency for the T3 strategic missile launcher?
- what is the optimal ratio of strategic missile launchers vs number of nukes?
- what is the setup for T2 & T3 mass fabricators regarding adjacency?

I think that is all the questions I have for now, any help would be appreciated, and if its written or explained somewhere else could you please link me to that resource? Thank you in advance

Kind Regards,

Toilenator

[JJ173]

First off, welcome to FAF. We're glad to have you here.

Hopefully I can answer some of your questions and offer some tips. Firstly, I'd like to suggest hopping over to our Discord server - we have a dedicated set of channels for newbies and experienced trainers to help answer these kind of questions. You can find the link here: https://discord.gg/tKanww

First off, faction choice is entirely based on player preference. I know a lot of players here main different factions with some good arguments as to why this is the case. What I'd suggest is playing a few games to get a good feel for all of the available factions and see which one you enjoy playing the most. I personally prefer UEF. I'm no expert, so I can't really give good advice as to why you should pick a particular faction. I'd personally say if UEF fits your play-style then stick with it unless you'd like to explore your options.

Equilibrium: This is a new balance direction, created by Exotic_Retard and Ithilis. There are several balance mods out there that take a different spin based on what the creator deems appropriate. Some players prefer these kind of mods, but most seem to stick with the bog-standard balance of our default FAF mode. If you want further details or a sales pitch as to why you should use Equilibrium, speak to Exotic_Retard. I'd also recommend giving BHEdit a try if you're interested in the different balance directions that our mod developers are taking.

Build queues: These are a tricky subject, especially depending on a scenario. If you're looking to better your orders and such, I recommend you try some YouTube videos and see what you think works. Perhaps even launch up a sandbox and practice these to see which one works better for you. We also have some dedicated BO tutorials that you can play with to get a spin on what players recommend. You can find those here: https://github.com/speed2CZ/faf-tutoria ... aster/maps

Hopefully this helps you. Happy Hunting!

[Voodoo]

However I was also interested in the Cybran faction, I know they are mostly a aggressive hit and run faction. The question is : can they be played semi-defensively as well? and how do they perform in late game versus other factions?

It is true that UEF performs better when you have to defend your base. They have good t2 and also t3 point defence. Also the shields are stronger. But you can also play Cybran in my eyes. At first Cybran has better t4 Units as UEF. The Fatboy micro isn't easy and a Megalight should always win vs it. You can also rush a Monkeylord and attack as the other experimentals are expansive and will take longer. So you can play more aggressive. The question is, how defend the base? You can also build t2 point defences. they will do a good job. Futhermore you can use bricks (t3 tanks) to defend your base. The UEF T3 point defence is strong but also expansive and only at one position. It is better to use tanks as defence as you can also use these tanks to help an other team member.

You should try it. An other good point is that you should have played all factions to know their weaknesses.

[Toilenator]

Thank you for the help!

@JJ173
I am already in the discord channel , and could I PM Exotic_Retard for more detailed info on the mod? or should I post in the Equilibrium sub-forum?

@Voodoo
Thanks for the tips, ill try to play around and see what fits me best, and is there somewhere like a concise summary list of the factions with their strengths and weaknesses? I searched how and low however could not find one for FAF specific. I read the Vannilla FA wiki on the factions, however I found those texts a bit unclear.

[Voodoo]

This thread is 6 years old but still right what he wrote:

/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=1896

[Toilenator]

This thread is 6 years old but still right what he wrote:

/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=1896

that was exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

[Farmsletje]

There are a lot of inaccuracies in that list, although i guess the main faction pro's/cons are pointed out.

[Exotic_Retard]

Oh boy a sales pitch?

Well, ofc i think its the best thing ever but the thing with balance is that no two people will agree. Ever. Just look at the balance forums for examples xD

Really you just wanna look at the mod and see if the bits in it annoy you less than the bits in normal balance or whatever other balance mod you might look at.

The changelog is pretty much the mod though. I can explain more on what stuff does and why on request but if youve read it and haven't made up your mind i would just suggest giving it a try.


So anyway, you had questions, here are some answers:
1. The mod doesnt really change gameplay that much, you can just pick whatever faction and do whatever and usually it turns out fine. Some things might be stronger or weaker but if something works normally, it will most likely work in EQ as well. (some might disagree ofc but ill still go and reference that petry vs keyser game where they didnt notice if they had the mod on or not)
Also at the start of the game there will be a mod info button that shows the important bits, everything else you can just wing it, and thats how most people play the mod anyway!
2. Well thats a hard one to say since its a personal preference thing. If you want you can go and turn all the pros into cons and vice-versa.

Spoiler: show

What i like the most in it is some select bugfixes, and a more consistent experience - for example if you compare the vet system and OC in FAF beta vs EQ you will find that EQ has it way simpler and more predictable while still "just working". This is because the balance is all tied together, and EQ ensures it all works, unlike the official balance approach which has an emphasis of changing as little as possible, that leads to things not adding up and then exceptions needed like the vet on the ACU being completely different from every other unit.

3.If you play heavily modded games and the like then it might not be for you, it IS more friendly towards casual players, but its intended for the guys who take their balance seriously, who tend to be higher rated - after all most balance changes are. Mods that add units aren't affected by EQ so that's something to bear in mind - they might be stronger or weaker than intended.


Also now that ive put this here, absolutely prepare for a wave of flame about how terrible/great/weird it is!

[Toilenator]

ahhh thanks for the pitch, indeed from my experience in stalking gaming forums, balance issues are always a hot topic. I always see balancing as a pot of soup, some people prefer different ingredients, spices and herbs then others ^^.

Thanks for all the info and pitch. I think for now Ill keep playing FAF, to familiarize myself more in the game, I have read the EQ changelog, so it is only a matter of time until I either am content with the current balance of FAF or switch to EQ (same thing happened with Company of Heroes once I switched to Blitzkireg mod).

I do have to say though the thing that attracts me most to EQ are the Sub changes :O

PS.
I also want to thank you all for the warm welcome, cheers!

[Lieutenant Lich]

All factions can be played defensively but regardless of what faction you play, you cannot win the game by staying on the defensive. What I am getting at is more of an axiomatic rule of war than a balance question but still worth saying.

Statwise and experiencewise, Cybran are pretty bad on defense. Their t2 PD is more for shredding t1/t2 units than heavy t3s and t4s. Aeon are also pretty bad because their PDs are dodgeable with some micro. Seraphim PDs never miss and they do decent damage, coupled with their strong shields they are as good as UEF on defense in T2. UEF is considered the master of defense or turtling but their offensive capabilities are to be reckoned with, especially in t2 and t3.

As suggested, play all four, then choose.