OpaSmash's StartGuide

I've taken the liberty of copying the post from the old forum. It's not feasible to copy the discussion that followed as it is 4 pages long.

Things have moved on since this was originally published with the introduction of Firestorm, Tiberium and Wrath Servers as well as the Veteran and World Championship series.

Finally the addition of morale to the forgotten attack worlds now created changes things a little again. The new worlds are essentially a mix of 'NewEconomy' and Forgotten Attack worlds.

If anyone would like to update the guide or produce their own then I'm sure the community would welcome the effort.

The nVidia Way 2.0 - OpaSmash's Startguide - New Eco / Forgotten Attacks

Guideinformationen:

Title: The nVidia Way 2.0 - OpaSmash's Startguide
Version: 2.0
For which Worlds: New Eco Guide incl. Forgotten Attack

Author and Copyright by OpaSmash
Translation by xXRippiXx (big Thanks!)

ToDo:
- Spellcheck =)
- add more Tipps
- Allianceguide in work

ToDo for Reader:
- feel free to send me a message with spellchecking or other mistakes

Preamble

nVidia was often asked about their gametactic's and about the startguide for the first days.
This guide and the explanations require some know how of the game and so they are surely not easy to play out for beginners.
Some things are perhaps not easy to understand by reading it the first time, so i would propose to read this guide more than once and perhaps, try it step by step in an other world, before executing it on a real world.

The are several gaming strategies included – some more risky and others a bit saver. Which one you choose is your decision. If you are not sure, take the slower, but saver way.

The hole guide works without multiaccounts, playerfarming etc.

Perhaps it is possible, that you are not able to play out this guide – this is just the way how nVidia started their worlds.

I can only give very limited support for this guide, because some mistakes in this strategy are often very deeply hidden in the startup build of a player, so it would take to much time for me to help everyone.

This game strategy was played successful by much more than 100 nVidia players. Even inexperienced players could handle it, with daily support, and were able to reach the top 10 with this guide. But, as already mentioned before, I will not give single support, so i would propose to take this guide just as some kind of orienation or see it as a guide for „advanced-players“.

In case of doubt, trust your own mind, so nothing will go wrong


Index

0. Preamble and Index
1. General Information
1.1 OldEco vs NewEco – Server
1.2 Layout Selection
1.2.1 OldEco Main
1.2.2 NewEco Main
1.2.3 OldEco Creditbase
1.2.4 NewEco Supportbase
1.3 Production
1.3.1 Mainbase Production
1.3.2 Supportbase Production
2. The first 7 days
2.1 What is possible, what's the target
2.2 Day 1 – The hare and the hedgehog
2.3 Day 2 – Let's go
2.4 Day 3 and 4 – Base Nr. 2
2.5 Day 5-7
3. The moving
3.1. Reason
3.2 How to move?
4. Raidingtipps for the first Week
5. Countless possibilities


1. General Information

1.1 OldEco vs. NewEco - Server

Server up to World75 are working with the OldEcoSystem – all other World's after this are working with a NewEcoSystem.

One of the main differences is, that Camps/Outpost/Bases give 75% less credits and up to 50% less ressources/researchpoints. In exchange the ressources of playerbases clearly increased.

The mainbase is not only used as a pure energybase anymore. It also includes harvester and silos. The new founded bases are no credit only bases, they will have a ~50:50 credit : ressources production.

Even if the start seems very slow, the growth of the player will be much more constant and even strong. On oldeco worlds the growing decelerated with every more level you got.

The reason for this is, that the production buildings on neweco worlds are better in the highlevel areas. The differences can go in the millions. NewEco worlds already catch up with oldeco worlds in production and offlevel, although neweco worlds started one year later.


In my opinion the NewEcoSystem are very successfull, just because buildings like harvester and silos make more sense and have because there are much more possibilitys in baseforming than just only energy and creditbases.

A further advantage of the new-eco-System is, that there is no primary ressource like energy. All ressources have a high importance and energy can be produced in abundance.

1.2 Layout Selection

An example of my mainbase form WCS. (neweco)
http://cncopt.com/MYEi

As contrast my Mainbase from world28 (oldeco)
http://cncopt.com/WYEi

Both mainbaseslayouts were chossen „manually“ and were not the startlayouts


1.2.1 OldEco Main

With the oldecosystem (OES) every power plant needs at least one crystal and one accumulator connection. The lesser accu's were used, the better was the outcome – or in the other way , on one accu should be as much power plants as possible. The result can be found in the CnCopt above.

The wish of every player was a cluster of 7 powerplants 1 accumulator or even 8 powerplants 1 accumulator. The accumulator were up to 10 level higher than the power plant for an optimal production.

1.2.2 NewEco Main

With the newecosystem (nes) the connection to cristall's was nearly needless. Here it is solely important to have as many 8 powerplants 1 accumulator cluster as possible – so it doesn't care how many crystals are in the base.

Crystals give only a little boost in the nes so they are unnecessary for the power production. Because of this, powerplants should only be leveled up 12 or 15. After that the accumulator can be about 30(!) level higher above the powerplants.

The more empty the base, the better you can build it. In my CnCopt example you can see 3 connected clusters, which can be raised to 4 if necessary.

Another point is the resources connection to silos and harvester. Here is the target, to get the maximum number of harvester at a silos. In the example above is a layout with 2x5th and 3x4th connections – additional to the great energy connection. Even better would be 6th connection. For example my mainbase layout of world 32 http://cncopt.com/30Ei.

Both are very good layouts – if I had to choose, i would take the wcs – because there the resource output is much higher and the 3x8th connections give enough energy for the hole gametime.

1.2.3 OldEco Creditbase

At the OldEco you choosed a base according to the creditproduction – so for example http://cncopt.com/K1Ei. The ambition was to get as much credits as possible, to get the next credit base and so on.

1.2.4 NewEco Supportbase

The supportbases at the NewEco had the sense, to support the mainbase. They supply themselves with credits, the mainbase with crystal and the player with credits.

Based on the small raidearnings, the produced crystal was transfered primary in the mainbase to get the off stronger. With adding the forgotton attacks, the crystal is more and more needed in the supportbases themselves, so you have to evaluate, weather you want to get the off stronger or you get more deff in the supportbases, so that it will not destroyed by the forgotton.

But even with this easy „formula“ there are significant differences.

So if you choose layouts with a high tiberium production, the credits and crystals will be less – or if you choose a to high crystal and credit production, the upgrowth of the base will be in danger.

Example:

Pro: faster upgrowth of the base
Contra: lesser crystal for off and deff

http://cncopt.com/81Ei

60% Tiberium, 12% Crystal , 12% Credits, 16% Energy

Or a layout with equal tiberium/crystal:

http://cncopt.com/c2Ei

50% Tiberium, 25% Crystal, 15% Credits, 10% Energy

Pro: higher Off growing
Contra: lesser Base growing

You have to look while choosing a layout, weather you want to have a layout which helps you now, with a higher crystal production- or if you choose a layout, which i have to build up days/month. The advantage in the second case is that you have the same crystal production later, but a 2-4 times higher tiberium production. So you have the possibility to grow fast then the others.

We had players who tried both. The ones with the higher crystal production were the main POI hunters at first, and the Tiberium-Players were not usefull for a long time.


Later (we talk about weeks later) the tiberium-players could catch up and were more useful – up to the point when they left the crystal players behind. Both tactics have advantages and disadvantages. My choosing depends on the game situation. So if it is necessary to get crystal or weather i have time to grow.

Layouts which can switch the focus of the production from crystal to tiberium for example in a war, would be a good solution for this problem. But these kind of layouts are very rare, so they are hard to get.

If you have a very high tiberium production, you will need 2 x 7/8 accu cluster. If you choose a balanced production and move the crystal to your main from the support bases, 1 x8 cluster will be enough.

Depending on how risky you play and how far you are in the forgotten attacks, you have to adapt your production and if necessary provide some energy for the defense. But more than 2 accu cluster of 8 won't be needed.


1.3 Production

1.3.1 Mainbase Production

The mainbase should be primary focused on energy. Here you have to foresight, to have not to little energy, but never to much, too. The optimum would be, having 0:0:0:0 everytime when you log out, and to spread your resources as efficent as possible.
Missing energy? Level your accus. To much energy? Level your harvester and so on.

3 accucluster of 8 should be enough for the hole gametime. Keep your accus high and if needed save the resources a night, to buy an accu upgrade.


1.3.2 Supportbase Production

As rule of thumb, we often took the tiberium crystal rate 2 to 1 minimum and 4 to 1 maximum. Everything between is your own decision.

The creditbuildings should be circa 25 to 50% of the base. In my example they were less, because I rebuilded my bases in no further supportbase research. On normal worlds you will need more credits. The more credits you have the faster you get new bases and the faster your off will grow and so you will do, too.

2. The first 7 days

2.1 What is possible, what's the target

The fastest thing which I have seen on the nes were vertigos after ~26 h and the second base after ~60h. But this is not the measure of quality. Having vertigos after 36h and the second base in the first 72-96h will be the aim. With this you are still in the front and you will not disclaim to much on a good production and a healthy account.

2.2 Day 1 – The hare and the hedgehog

For the first 24h there are 2 variants of playing. The hare and the hedgehog style.

The hare will sprint as fast as possible after the start of a world, shoot camps, complete the quests and play at the CP-Limit. The hedgehog in contrast waits. He waits the first 12-24h that everybody else grows up and the camps grow to. He will not be inactive, he will complete his quests in the same way and builds up his base, but he will never spent CP's.
Not till the first high camps will exist. Then the hedgehog will start building his off and will directly start with the highlevel camps of the other players.
Both variants will work, but the second will be interesting for players, which do not have the time to play all the day. Nevertheless I personaly prefer the hare style, but this is purely a matter of taste.

Generally you should do all normal quests at start , build up your base and farm. If your CP's are on 0, you will take down the repair buildings and build resource buildings instead. The lost of tiberium will be equalized after a few minutes, and up to level 8/9 the buildingcosts are very low.

Right from the start, you should have a look, weather there is a forgottenbase next to you, which you can farm. The point is, to do as much damage as possible in such a base, but never destroy it. After one attack, you let the base repair and than attack again.

For nod bases with much infantry against air and buildings would be great. GDI have a bigger variety, because with paladins you can kill scooper, bowler and scrap busses easy.

So a level 7 to 9 camp give ca. 3-5k RP, and a farmattack on a forgottenbase gives around 30k FP.

Watch here

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The attack for it looks like:

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That's just the start and just a average farmbase. GDI could get easily up to 40k fp at the start and while farming for the second base, we could find bases up to 70k++ RP with each attack.

The important point is, to be as close as possible at the farmbase, to spend maximum 16CP with each attack. So vertigos in more or less a day will be no problem.

The basefarming can be started with an offlevel of 8-9.

To minimalize the waste of reptime, I propose to sell units up to level 7/8 after each attack and reibuild them. The miss of resources is nearly not exist, and the safed reptime is enormous.

At this poinst you should produce ca. 10-15k credits and otherwise normal resources, so that you have 0:0:0:0 befor you quit at the end of the day. So play foresighted- you know what you want to build in the next 6h and therefore you know which amount of resources you need. Take a calculator and turn on your brain.


2.3 Day 2 – Let's go

After you have vertigos you could hunt VP/Bases or you go directly to the second rp farm. The first alternativ is the teamplayer style, because you can capture more POI's and room for your alliance.
A combination of both would be the best way.

The offlevel is ca level 10-11.
The new off of NOD looks like this:
http://cncopt.com/h7Ei

For GDI I propose 4 hawks and a good mix of infantry, vehicles and paladins.
In the night you should furthermore change your repairbuildings with resourcebuildings, especially reffinerys. Your timer should show not more than 48h left for the second base at the end of day two.

Farm your RP's that way, that you have matched with the credits a new base at the end of day 3 and that you have not to much of both kind.

Meanwhile your base looks more like a refinery city than a production city. That means, your credit production should be 30k. The risky way would be to have a credit production of ca 40-50k and only a energy production of 10-20k. Risky in the way that you have no own resource production and so you have to farm very efficient. In return, you get the 3rd base faster.

2.4 Day 3 and 4 – Base Nr. 2

Hopefully you have already searched your layout. Your second base will be a supportbase.

Here you can choose between to types again. The risky way is, to move the crystal of the supportbase to the mainbase, to improve your off clearly. The disadvantage is, that you loose the start defense in the supportbase. That could be dangerous on ForgottenAttacks Worlds.

If you choose to take the crystal for the off , you should have 300k energy in the mainbase, before building the second base. In addition the trick is, to overlevel the comand center. That means, you move every tiberium in the mainbase, sell all buildings and than level the comand center up to level 16-17. Now build the army you wish and sell the comand center again. After that move your tiberium back and build up both bases normally.

With this trick, you have much more units than normally and so not only your offlevel will raise enormous , you will also have a mass of units to choose. That helps you to kill forgotten bases much easier.

So you have more than 80-90 unit slots available.

A overview, which off I builded and how my second base looks like you can see here:

MainBase
http://cncopt.com/W8Ei

Support Base
http://cncopt.com/S8Ei

The costs for leveling the command center are:

13 to 14 - 334 and 83k
14 to 15 - 441k and 110k
15 to 16 - 582k and 145k
16 to 17 - 769k and 192k
17 to 18 - 1015k and 253k
18 to 19 - 1,3m and 335k

With this mass of infantry units a nod player can weaken the base hard in the first wave, before the other army attacks. As GDI I would propose to research predators and the proceed in a similar way.

As you can see in the baselayouts, I have both bases rebuilt as a resource base and produce in the normal way.

Consider, that you do not sell any unit, because you cannot buy them again, if your command center is only level ~13 again.


2.5 Day 5-7

As a NOD player the only thing you have to do is farm, farm, conquer pois, farm, level and so on. Your next target should be scorpions. If you have researched them, the Command center overleveling starts again and you can level your comand center up to 20-22. Now you can add 3-4 scorpions at your off.

The same overleveling strategy works by the way with deff units to, so on forgotton attack worlds, you have the possibility, to get additional deff units. After 7 days the newbieshield falls, so you have to be prepared with a good defense.

Now you made the foundation for nearly every base and your next target will be the third base combined with the removel. The third base is available after 10-15 days easily.

3. The moving

3.1. Reason

Only 1 of 100000 startlayouts are good enough for efficent gaming, so you have to remove your off with the third base.

For that you are looking for a layout with minimum 3x8 accumulator/powerplant cluster or better with the option of a 4th one.

In addition you should have a layout with good resource connections so that you can get at least one silos with 5 connections.

Example: http://cncopt.com/MYEi

Here I could make 2x5 Silo connection, as well as 3x4 Silo connection and in addition 3x8 accu connections. This base alone did 30% of my production (with 7 bases). A good layout is the most important thing!

The production of a good layout, pushes your account very enormous an is therefor in my opinion essential.

Consider, that with this layout and this single offbase you have to play until the end of the server. In my opinion the only possibility for a good off is a good resource production. Energy is much easier to get as on Old Eco worlds, so it is no problem anymore.

That means, you will only have one offbase and every other base will be a supportbase.


3.2 How to move?

As soon as you have your 3 base, you will push it for a week and primary expand the energy production. In this time a nodler researches cobras. For that you should need ca 2-4 days.

I have pushed the energy of my main to ca. 250k/h and when I have enough energy for my remove,I changed my mainbase.

„How much energy will be needed?“ If you move over your old units in your mainbase, you can add the costs of energie and crystal, which you need for your new main. I propose not to remove before you have enough resource, to switch the hole mainbase.

Until than you research the cobras and push your reptime store to ~6 days maximum. After that you can start killing bases with a new army with cobras and 6 days reptime.
The tactic with overleveling the comand center can be repeated. Some players leave the comand center after the leveling and do not remove it. It a possibility, too.

After the cobras I prefer to research cobrasshields.


4. Raidingtipps for the first Week

These tipps are of the old guide, which was for Old Eco worlds.
(http://forum.alliances.commandandconquer...id=21504).

Raidingtipps and frequent mistakes:

- not every camp or outpost ist the same – some lvl 13 outpost give for example 250k resources at all and some others only 180k. Sometimes you get much research points and sometimes nearly nothing. So don't take every camp/outpost which is next to you.


exactly there we come to the next point

- you have time!! It can happen, that you dont have any onehit outpost/camps in range, but 50 Cps left. Than just wait!! Don't start wasteting CP's just to get some ranks better. That helps nothing. Just relax on the couch and wait a hour. In most castes the outpost situation looks completely different after that and you can do 5 outposts onehit again.

- Outposts in two runs: Thats a hard topic. If it is a outpost, wich is really woth to do 2 runs, than you can do it. But avoide destroying the defense facility. If you do 2 runs through an empty outpost, you will get no research points and these are the essential points in the first 24-48h!

Just let the defence facility alive, so you can take research points again.

- Research Points: In Bases are more Units than in outposts. In outposts are more units than in camps. That means, if you need research points, kill more bases. That is very helpful especially at the starts for vertigo/hawks.


- Sneaky! Sneaky!
As soon as you have 4 Hawks or Vertigos, you have simply pull the units away, to get the bomber through the base. The targets are not the enemies units, but the construction yard!


- Bob the builder:
It is profitable, to sell some parts of the army for an outpost, if you can do it onehit.
In the first 48h i rebuild my army 10 times for sure, so that I don't need to go in an outpost a second time. The won resources by saving cps balance this easily.


- Outpost Hopping: Everything next to you is over farmed? There are not enough tunnels or outposts next to you? Jump forward!
Right in the start time your baselevel is between 7 and 10 and so you have only 1h to 1h 20 min base transfer time. The package loosing is not very much at start. If you are raiding for example lvl 11 outposts, you can rank the waste in the dimension of a lvl 7 camp. So it is minimal. However a position change, can work like a wonder and gives you new possibilities.

- don’t jump to the front to fast - At the start we will spawn at lvl 13 to 15 tunnelcamps. But we want to kill outposts as fast as possible... So what can we do? Just jump back to lvl 11 to 12 tunnel and activate them with a lvl 7 army. Now farm as much as you can.

- Funds: If you use funds, than everytime for cp's or Tib.


5. Countless possibilities

After the first 3 weeks of a world you have countless possibilities.

Which units should be researched?
Which deffunits do I need?
When do I build the 4th base?
How should my army look like?
How should my deff look like?

On this questions, there are many different opinions and non of them are the truly right or wrong answer. I prefer, to have a look at your teammate. Which setup to they prefer? How do they farm? And so on.
„Learning by doing“ is the point to understand this game. I saw a many different tactics and a lot of them worked.
Some of them have much of additional work, but they save much reptime. Other variants we lovely call the crowbar – because they kill 90% of the outpost with their standard lineup, but they need more reptime, so only the daily time is saved.

Which tactic you choose, whats your game style? Thats something you have to find out. There is no one and only way, for that CnC:TA is to complicated. Just try it and some day it could work to play in a ranked one alliance or ranked 1 endgame or perhaps even ranked 1 world champion.

Good luck!
OpaSmash