Harmony: Why build anything other than Xeno Calvary?

[efurstie]

Once I get late game, I find myself building Xeno Calvary until I'm out of xenomass, then Vipers. A few Minotaurs to soften cities, some Shrikes and Tritons, but I see no need for Swarms, those lumbering Titans (7 xenomass?!), or limited Rocktopi.

Am I missing something, or is a round of balancing needed? Penalize Calvary on city attack...make an upgrade for Titans to have 3 movement or ignore terrain (and cut the cost to 4 xenomass at most). More range for Rocktopi or something. Swarms city attack buffs?

In my experience with Purity and Supremacy, the problems are similar...late game unique units aren't worth the expense.

 

[FaceUnderMask]

Scratch xenocavalry, write CARVR and you get the general idea about situation in supremacy. SABRs are especially absurd, they'll make Roctopus look like an extremely versatile unit.

 

[Pietato]

The Xeno-titan is completely worth it. They just get upgraded 50 turns after the game has ended...

The Xeno-swarm is rubbish. Not sure why it sucks so much.

 

[Manannan]

I enjoyed playing with a rampaging horde of (admittedly unupgraded) xenotitans until I tried to use one to kill a lone brawler on a hill, and realized it had almost the same strength as my xenotitan thanks to it's upgrades. Yea, not impressed by that.

The game has balance issues all over with this kind of thing. Battlesuits for purity, CARVRs/CNDRs for supremacy, xenocavalry for harmony. Combined arms still refuses to be a thing in civ.

 

[Forbiddentwo]

But but SABRs are so cool!

 

[stealth_nsk]

But but SABRs are so cool!

Yep. Actually I build SABRs only if I play Supremacy. Other units could be replaced, but these are just too great.

 

[Roxlimn]

The units upgrade on different Affinity levels, so there's a point at which CNDRs are stronger and cheaper on Firaxite than CARVRs. Xenoswarms, too. I don't think the devs did a balance pass on the units at Affinity 18 - you're supposed to have won the game by that point.

Not that I think that's not a worthwhile thing to do. I think the units can use some more stuff to them. However, thinking of a Xenoswarm as just its ultimate incarnation is a limited way of thinking of the unit. It's not just that. Moreover, it can't be too complex of a unit if we expect the AI to actually use it well (and the AI would have be retooled for each unit change).

 

[FaceUnderMask]

Roxlimn, I agree. Actually, my army's backbone is typically CNDRs/xenoswarms/battlesuits covered by rangers, simply because they come early and can be upgraded before victory event horizon, at 10/2. CARVRs and Xcavalry is good only if I don't plan to pwn early.
And later in the game basically all affinity unique units are outshined by lev artillery with 3 range and no setup, available at lvl14. Except if you are into supremacy, which does' t have 3 range artillery upgrade.

 

[Minor Annoyance]

SABRs aren't bad if you are attacking a neighbor and have roads to them or use a teleporter.
Xeno Swarm is a little bland considering it is a team of alien creatures. Since it contains a manticore, a ranged alien, it should have the Impi's first strike ability and since it contains a raptor bug, a fast alien, it should be able to move after attacking. Won't that be fun?

 

[heat]

Except if you are into supremacy, which does' t have 3 range artillery upgrade.

I'll take a 4-range SABR every day of the week.