Archipelago region, almost impossible to level up

#1

Ive started levelling up all my regions, the goal is to have the reaper appear at least once in every region.

But the Archipelago region is a nightmare to level up.
The standard approach of killing robots will take somewhere between 1 and 9 billion years or so, since there´s usually about 10 scouts, 15 proto runners and 4 proto hunters available in this region.
And they´re scattered around the whole region, demanding at least half an hour of roaming to clear them out.

The optional approach, to lure robots to follow the player across region boarders works only for smaller enemies since the “Camp” safehouse on the farmlands/archipelago boarder blocks all larger enemies from crossing.

Ive been working this region for 3-4 days now, probably spent about 8 hours in the region and bumped the region from 4 to 12.

I would propose that the enemy density gets increased DRASTICALLY for all players above a certain level (lvl 20 perhaps?) to alleviate the issue, preferably with some free-roaming harvesters and tanks too.

Alternatively, open up the “Camp” blockade a bit, to allow large bots to cross the border.

Where has all the tanks and harvesters gone?
#2

Besides mainly proto machines in Archipelago, there are military and FNIX runners in there as well, that help you to bump up the region score. Also, 2x proto havs and 1x proto tank spawn in Achipelago but other than that, there are no better machines in there. Reason for that is because Archipelago region is one big tutorial and having more or tougher machines in there would ruin any new player experience.

Or if you want to cheese the game, kill both harvs, one tank, get total of 256 region score; exit to Main Menu, Continue the game and kill the three again.

#3

I’ve been around Saltholmen Church at least 3 times after Nov. 5 patch and it was very, very quiet. No Tank or Harvester to be seen :cry:

#4

I have this in general after ending the last mission, sir…
Not even 1/3rd the machines around when last mission has been done…

#5

Unfortunately, my region only has 1 harvester, witch went rival as soon as i found him… No tank at all… :frowning:

I WOULD cheese the game in this region, if it was possible, but there arent any bots around most safehouses for me, theyre mostly a good walk away, making it easier to just walk about, killing whatever i find.

#6

I’m currently hanging around in Mountains, Marshlands and North Coast and in there, it is also very quiet. Only occasional runner or hunter patrol can be seen. Though, it’s rare to find harvester and i haven’t seen any tanks. Even the hotspots are empty: Anl 118, Garphammar, Stenmyra, Norrmyra.

This void of machines remembers me the launch day, when there wasn’t many machines around either. But i remember there being a bit more machines back then than current situation.

Looks like all machines are in the Farmlands for some reason…

#7

literally everyone been curious about that new crater…

Back on topic: I second option about populating Archipelago region with better quantity and quality bots.
Like after certain quest it unlock additional spawns for at least army family of bots - there’s Tank carcasses scattered, of all things. Besides, Archipelago has quite a few awesome “combat environmets”, mixing and matching pieces from other regions (small scale urban, valley, crop fields with debris, Masskar no-mans-land, hill-sides, castle ruins - latter were exceptionally memorable at first hours)

#8

Sir, you seem to forget, there is a reason for this: new players.
These would very likely struggle with more machines.

Archipelago is virtually more of a tutorial than a real map place…

#9

I do consider that area being “noob herding greenland”. Hence, “after certain quest”.
But still, that’s a great land getting wasted.

May be we’ll have “off-line” robots “wander” south from Farmlands into Archipelago, with “evening out population density across all reagions”?

#10

With all due respect sir, I do not think, when you left Archi, that you were meant to return there…
Much like one does not return to a tutorial field in other games?

#11

I do return there, if there’s good enough reason (certain loot, merchant, mob etc).

#12

I’m not saying that is forbidden, sir, I merely said, I do not believe that is the intention of Archi…

#13

Besides most open-world games limit tutorial area within short “dungeon” or small town district, that will have second use. In this case making Archi the “greenland” is fine design choise, that low-level unprepared players could have cozy start into serious situations starting from Farmlands (my first time entering farmlands with friends and it was infested with harvies and tanks did great impact on us).

I talk about that “it would be nice to be more active in that region” in late game.

#14

They did this to get you right into the feel and experience to the game, I think, sir.

I’d love to see about 20 times the current machine population everywhere…
Probably not going to happen…
But for Archi…
Sir, I think it’s not quite a good idea.

But… that’s me…

#15

I respect that opinion, good sir.

#16

For me currently GZ is more like COTW :wink:

As for Archipelago - perhaps finishing the final main non DLC mission could trigger some sort of repopulation of this region with additional machines and machine types.

#17

As I certainly respect yours, good sir!!!

In the end, we can want whatever we want, but we will therefore not get it. :slight_smile:
That, sir, I think we can agree on, it’s the Dev’s choice in the end…
:wink:

Agree sir.
There the targets do not try to kill either. :stuck_out_tongue:

What I would like to see, sir, is that when you begin FR (or even at the end of AU), all machines in “Sweden” become at least FNIX.
Coming from Hjimfall… Sweden is… beyond weak, opponent wise.
The extreme lack of threat is depressing.

Now, let’s say, once you ended the AU main quest, all machines, including Archi, will increase in both Class, as well as amount.

Story logic would be: FNIX, in our absence, called the machines back for upgrade.
It already should’ve been that way, seen from a logical perspective.
FNIX surely knew, that Hjimfall posed higher threat.
And it surely would understand, Proto and Military class… just won’t cut it.

Thoughts?

#18

As far as I’ve been observing, Apocs are still “human” project, based on Military pattern robots, which are also follow “practical” armament, albeit CBRN element made series “too brutal” to be conventional. But there’s in supplemental material (forgot sources) that Apoc, while based on “army” series can’t be just upgraded due to difference in materials used. Not that mass-produced, but there’s means to assemble them (FOA 4).

“Army” series are intented for mass produce and there’s sure as hell a lot of facilities and resources to keep “army” line running, besides “army” series while weaked than FNIX, they posess practical military approach in combat (especially Hunters). Seems to be most numerous series.

FNIX series were deep rework of “army” and “prot” lines with added original “too high” tech toys from AI.
Robots of this line become sturdier than “army”, but high-tech armament made some 'em impractical.
Prime example: hunters - army carry MG and gas launcher, tactics - gas meatbags out of cover and brutalize with thick bullet barrage, for added annoyance - anti-material rifle for sniping and tick pods; FNIX carry tickpods, sometimes AMR for range and stotguns with slow-velocity high-tech flechette. Second in terms of quantity and growing.

Prots being made as proof of concept and carry basic, low-tech, practical stuff. Didn’t made to last, so basically can be made of recycled scrap metal. Roaming harvesters probably gather defeated smaller robots and carry them to recycling facilities, where bot refurbished into “prot” class, due to low cost and low material quality. I’d keep “prot” line if I can have more numbers even made of waste material.

#19

Question, sir.
In Hjimfall, we erase the opponent forces, correct?
These are APOC and FNIX, correct?
FNIX is a “highly intellectual” AI (or is supposed to be), correct?
Would FNIX then have machines in function, knowing these are beyond absolete, sir?
Not even worth anymore as cannonfodder?

That is tactical suicide, good sir, isn’t it?

#20

1st: quantity over quality, even if means recycling junk and scraps into ticks and hounds;
2nd: Himfjall has apoc production facility, “mainland” (remind me how it properly named) has many other facilities;
3rd: high-tech stuff is picky about materials, after cataclysm and large scale of production, a lot of “fat” been used up. “Army” line was designed by military humans - that means “relatively cheap and easy to produce/maintain” with “sturdy/reliable design” seasoning. Cheap and plentiful steel for chassis and internals still good alternative to aluminium, titanium and tungsten metals and alloys.
4th: “military approach” means “they used practical and efficient way” - force target out of cover in the open and gun down it with accurate (read hard to dodge) machinegun. Other series? Prots has just mg but they are very soft, FNIX has oh so high tech armament, but it’s limited to close quarters and rather easy to dodge, apocs are good urban fighter, but very weak agains mobile targets in the open. Army are good all-rounders with MG, Gas GL/AMR and ticks. I fear most army harvester for it can send wave after wave of these area-denying bullet-hell freaks.
5th: “army” series production was launched long before cataclysm and already had quite a number. So for AI it was far more simple just to activate every single unit it can reach. Do you know how much of hastle is for your average army to adopt something new that intented to replace something widely used, say assault rifle? FNIX had a couple of month with all that hindrance to operations from players. Well, in RL Sweden, despite being obsolette rifle from sixties, army (primarily home guard) keep G3 around and even issued upgrade kits and new ammo, while having decades younger and easier to use FNC (which also has own “ikea” kits).