Welcome to Thunderdome

For me the sea positions on Supreme are the most fun you can have in BAR right now. You get the most potential resources, team support, objectives, and autonomy while things are going well. You got a whole quarter of the map that's just your ocean to fight for.

The caveat, of course, is that the stakes are super high in the sea. A full sea engagement leaves thousands of metal in wrecks sitting on the sea floor. Game changing stuff. Even if you put up a good fight but still lose, you could have just gifted your sea opp a Flagship in metal, which will quickly reign down your teammates.

Short beach -
pro: first in the water, best chance at the island, help nearby if your geo and air teammates are paying attention
con: Have to play carefully - you have no room for error, your position is not very defensible and others rely on your protection

Long beach:
pro: You get access to 6 mexes and a geo without leaving land, very defensible position, only one front teammate dies if you die early
con: it can be hard to get into the sea, build spots have awkward lab placements - half land half sea.

For either position the island is really important, once established it allows radar to guard from opposing bomber runs, and cover for your own team bombers and raids from your backline guys to theirs.

I knew I was doing a lot of stuff wrong. I knew I should be going for the corner island. When they started giving me units, I knew I should be paying for them. But I was trying to pump out as many units as I could because I had no idea what was going on on the other side. I don't think I had the resources to pay when he sent the con unit to me. I would have after starting to reclaim the first big fight shipwrecks, but didn't think about it then. I was having a hard time getting my reclaimer to reclaim. I was trying to set a reclaim area, like the streamers do, but it wasn't working. I knew I had the metal spot up near mid that I was ignoring, but figured spreading out that far would be bad cause I wouldn't baby sit it. I just tried to spam an economy to keep pushing ships out.

I learned from the first time I did water, don't do the bigger ships early. So I just did the two cheapest in a 5 to 1 ratio, I think. It seemed like the other guy had way more ships and my bigger ships were too slow (moving and dps) to do anything. So I stayed cheap and fast.

I need to learn the ship dps/health numbers. Are the cheap ships not much more than pawns? Is that why my base survived the pack of ships he sent in to it with only my commander lasering and a couple of other ships to defend? SOOO many unknowns!! Main focus was to produce units. Second was good strategy. But for me, good strategy is still guessing cause I have no experience. The fact that what I did worked out was luck because I feel like he was about as good at water as I was. I just guessed better moves than him.

Things I want to learn:

-How to auto assign all units of a certain type to a number hot key. I see streamers using the hot keys a lot, but I have to keep assigning and up dating them as units are built. This allows me to tell my rockets to attack something and the pawns aren't suicide running at it as well.
-I just learned blue prints, so I'll be setting some of those up.
-Other good hot keys like 'S' that you mentioned on discord.
-How to make my brain work faster so I can keep up with everything that's going on. Talk about a good app that can tell you your brain age. . .

I think it's CTR-1 to put units into the 1 control group. Alt 1 auto puts all units of that type into it in the future.. i think. And CTRL-F1 sets camera point 1..etc. I always set camera point pregame and never use it.

It's worth it to launch a solo game on Supreme or Glitters, or whatever, and then hit the controls tab to see commands you want to use, and to play with some of the advanced functions like focus fire, etc.

I have started trying to use the keyboard hot keys for all the things, especially building. I'm not perfect at it, but for the stuff I've mastered like, light laser turret, it's so fast to avoid the menu.

Had a wild geo sea game, against mostly players around my level. Had to win my sea twice! Got ganged up on! Got halfway into a seaplane transition before having to adjust big time! A lot my actions were me thinking I'm about to get my sea filled with torpedo bombers from an enemy air player, who never showed up.

Here is the replay if you want to watch for an idea on a geo build. There are lots of viable ones. You can see it requires asking to buy cons from team-mates, and reminding them, but is effective at getting you in the water fast.

I do bad on E more than a few times, take a few bad engagements, and practically do no later game eco on my part, not great.

https://www.beyondallreason.info/replay ... 30c18ea859

To watch replays download them and put them here: C:\Users\XXXXXX\AppData\Local\Programs\Beyond-All-Reason\data\demos

I really wish I could get to the level you guys are at, but I have always been terrible at the micromanaging aspect of RTS games. I think I'm too patient

I also don't use the hot keys, which I think none of us, except Troy, were based on stats.

Totally fair - I'll still do the PvE versions of this game anytime anyone wants to play.

There are 3 vs AI type of modes. There's a third faction in the works I'd like to try out. I can take a frontline position and let new people do backline eco and less micro heavy stuff like air or whatever.

Leisher wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2025 2:19 pm I really wish I could get to the level you guys are at, but I have always been terrible at the micromanaging aspect of RTS games

Same! after about 10 mins my army gets way too big, ive got units running god knows where and i dont know what to do next.

But i'm not against playing again just to have fun with the boys.

I'm gaming on Friday if anyone is down! Could do a Rust wipe too, but BAR is easier group play, imo.

Meet on the Discord.

Like the late, great Michael Jackson used to say: I'll be there.

Troy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 1:02 am I'm gaming on Friday if anyone is down! Could do a Rust wipe too, but BAR is easier group play, imo.

Meet on the Discord.

I'd say Rust might be easier for me since i'm only responsible for one guy at a time. I'm going to try and be on to play whatever though.

I remember you playing rust for like 5 minutes and calling it enough!

"I have to run around in my underware with a bow and arrow? Ya, no thanks!"

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 12:21 pm "I have to run around in my underware with a bow and arrow? Ya, no thanks!"

Too much clothing for him.

We could pick a server that allows us to turn off underwear.

It's a self censoring toggle. options: junk, underwear, blurry

e: and a bathing suit, mummy wrap

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 12:21 pm I remember you playing rust for like 5 minutes and calling it enough!

"I have to run around in my underware with a bow and arrow? Ya, no thanks!"

If i recall correctly, i was so drunk when i played i passed out at my computer while i was using a storage container. Effectively locking you guys out from using it for the night.

I did really enjoy the last time i played running around naked with an acoustic guitar. Leisher didn't seem to like my sweet soothing music though.

Troy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 1:20 pm It's a self censoring toggle. options: junk, underwear, blurry

e: and a bathing suit, mummy wrap

Yep, but can also be set on server side.

Stranger wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 1:43 pm I did really enjoy the last time i played running around naked with an acoustic guitar. Leisher didn't seem to like my sweet soothing music though.

There are now a dozen or so instruments and you can actually play some music. You can also bring in internet playlists and stations and play them in game.

I will see what I can do about Friday. No idea what the family plans are, but if the three of you are there, I'll do my best to be the comic relief.

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 2:12 pm There are now a dozen or so instruments and you can actually play some music. You can also bring in internet playlists and stations and play them in game.

Thats cool as hell! do you have to find the blueprints for these and then build the instruments? Because i would be totally down with gathering supplies for the sole purpose of making every instrument i can.

Stranger wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 2:49 pm Thats cool as hell! do you have to find the blueprints for these and then build the instruments? Because i would be totally down with gathering supplies for the sole purpose of making every instrument i can.

I think it might be a DLC. I have some recent steam credit (from selling an old skin) if we play Friday Rust and you want to jam. I'll get it for you! I think there are components you have to get to make them, not sure.

Speaking of skins, the prize of my Rust collection is this AK, bought for $70 (2019?) : https://steamcommunity.com/market/listi ... lien%20Red

Only problem is I can't play much the weekend past Friday night if we do a good base/wipe. At least not until Sunday.

I remember that session as well!! Getting locked out of the crate!

I was thinking that same thing about Rust - It's a multi night commitment. First night is spent doing all the work. Nights 2-x are the fun nights.

Wasn't there a point where that skin was listed at like $1500? - Just saw there was a lifetime price tab. No, it was never that high. Peaked at about $200.

And I'm out. Competitive cheer regionals tomorrow morning means I'll be in bed when you peeps are playing.

This is the last meet so I'll be more available going forward.