Cogmind > Strategies

Combat Strategy Guide: Positioning

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DDarkray:

--- Quote from: zill on October 15, 2017, 04:51:50 PM ---The thing that always messes me up is getting caught out in the open.  Trying to get to a doorway or narrow corridor just gets me shot to bits.  Is it worth it?

--- End quote ---

This sort of question depends on several factors which I would like to talk about in the near future (it's still part of my "Things to Do" list). Although it can be easy to understand how to execute tactics, the hardest part is knowing when to execute. And honestly, the "correct" answer can be very blurry. Here are some factors to consider:


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1) How fast can you eliminate your enemies?
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Suppose you have 2 guns against a group of 4 swarmers in front of you at a range of 10. The nearest door is behind you, 5 tiles away. Should you move and execute the doorway tactic?

Here's my answer: I would think it's a good idea to move. The reasoning is that your accuracy is too low to kill a single swarmer in a volley, so you can estimate that it will take you a lot of turns to finish them. Meanwhile, they have a decent accuracy against you. Therefore, running into a nearby room will most likely let you take less damage in the long run.

On the other hand, if you have a rocket launcher in your inventory, you can easily swap one of your weapons for it. Most likely, a single rocket or two will take out the whole pack. Because you can eliminate them so quickly, doing this way will probably be more beneficial compared to running away.


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2) If you're in Factory level or above, is it worth the time to move to the chokepoint? How dangerous is the programmer squad?
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Starting in Factory level, the central A.I. will start to dispatch programmers against you. Therefore, time becomes another resource you must take into consideration. Here's an example.

Suppose you're on an early Factory level. A group of 3 grunts have detected your presence at 10 tiles away in front of you. The nearest door is behind you, 5 tiles away. Should you move and execute the doorway tactic?

Here's what I think: It can go both ways. The reasoning is that it will take you many turns to start and finish the fight if you decide to run to the doorway, time that counts down the programmer ticking clock. Of course, it will expose you to more damage from enemies, but you can probably replace them quickly from their salvage.

At the same time, an early Factory level doesn't dispatch a lot of programmers, so it's not dangerous yet. Therefore, it's also not a bad idea to simply fight them even if they are somewhat frequent. (However, killing more enemies will raise your alert level, a topic not discussed in this guide.)


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3) How many items do you want to salvage from enemies?
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Suppose you're down to only 3 damaged weapons. You have little to no backup for them. You're facing a group of 3 grunts 10 tiles away in front of you. The door is 5 tiles behind you. Should you move there?

Here are the 2 key advantages for performing defensive tactics in this case: you take less damage so your weapons will break less quickly, and the salvage left behind (propulsions, weapons, etc.) is closer to you. Less damage to your weapons means better chance to finish them. Also, recyclers will be less likely to pick up everything on the floor because you are much more ready to grab them ASAP. Even if you lose all your weapons in the middle of the fight, the grunts you killed will probably leave behind guns adjacent to you (which is way better than grabbing them 10 tiles away from you). Additionally, if you destroy the grunts afar, moving toward to that location may attract even more enemies there.


These are just some of the factors to consider. Some others include your propulsion type, distance between you and the chokepoint, etc. Knowing which is the "correct" answer to a particular situation can be very, very blurry. Even if you try to consider everything, you'll see that there are advantages and disadvantages for each decision you make. At times, the answer may simply be "just go with your guts."  :P

EDIT: I think it's a good idea to just add these points right now.  ;D

EDIT 2: Thanks zxc!

zxc:
The fact that short range combat results in parts being dropped closer to you is a really big deal. Particularly in the caves, and in materials where you might have few spare parts and replacing parts during combat is even more important to protect your low core integrity.

Kyzrati:
This is why as a combat bot if I'm in the caves and have any need of spare parts, I'll always engage point blank. (Unless doing so will put me at some serious disadvantage, of course :P) Definitely an important tactic.

DDarkray:
In cave levels, you also eliminate the threat of programmer food clock, so I would say you should always try to engage in defensive tactics (usually  around the corner of a wall).

DDarkray:
Strategy guide is now live on Steam!

It might be a better idea to prioritize on updating the Steam guide first before updating here. I'm expecting the traffic to be more frequent there so that it will reach a larger audience. The guide also looks more cool there so check it out!  :D

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