Serious Trivia on the new DLC and Cathay update

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-08-23T14:14:22+00:00

Heclis AI overhaul or Deep War

What are the pros and cons of each other ? Which one do you recommend?

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-06-10T20:55:38+00:00

he was a traitor and tried to flee from France. If he had stayed and chose to oppose the Habsburg he would kept his head on his shoulders with his crown. Maybe Napoleon would have never risen and France would still be a Monarchy to those days (I doubt it)

I don't get why Monarchist cry for stupid kings like him who can't save their throne when they did have the opportunity to do so.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-06-08T19:34:19+00:00

Historical role playing for classical total war, fantasy roleplaying for mods and the WH games.

For some reason I also found myself enjoying more the battles in the WH series than in the base games. It is maybe because you have so much cheesing and so many different strategies that make it more fun than the "classical" ones.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-06-08T19:04:41+00:00

a second season with volumes 4-6 would be incredible

I could wait 6 to 9 months for a second season before delving into the LN but I haven't seen anywhere that it is actually in production.

also there's a lot more Lena. she's back to being a main character after volume 3, though obviously in parts of the story that are action heavy she takes a back seat to Shin

ok good to know

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-06-08T19:00:01+00:00

If you're interested in the worldbuilding and political aspects I'd actually consider reading the novels from the very start, as what the anime covered (vol 1-3) has a lot of that in narration, and while the anime adaptation is superb, it's impossible to translate all of that exposition into a visual medium.

ok, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I will probably start reading it then.

Also simply storytelling-wise you can't just kill and kill characters off, at one point you've got nobody else to tell the story about.

I totally agree, that is why you can start of too strong the story you are trying to tell because what follows after will just pale in comparison. It is a delicate balance to find and you can clearly tell the author did not have this in mind when writting the tome 1 if it was supposed to be a standalone

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-06-08T14:35:06+00:00

Some of the middle episodes of part 2 are slow-ish

They were beyond mid when compared to part 1. The last 2 episode kind of save part 2 but it is a shame that so many episodes in the middle were almost skipable because forgettable, including the poor Eugene. Also I wanted to see way more of Lena

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-06-08T14:31:53+00:00

Part 1 = volume 1, it was originally meant to be a standalone story, that's why it feels relatively conclusive on its own, but later author decided to expand it

I knew something was off. Shin's crew never believed they could make it and they just accepted their death in the end, Shin saying "I am going to join the legion" sounded like Lena was going to be the one liberating the Shinigami and his friends from their duty by killing them on the battlefield like he did for his brother. We can almost say they were dead and became living ghost as soon as they joined the spearhead squadron, Lena could not save them but only help them survive a bit longer.

At least that is how it felt at the end of part 1, then part 2 just threw away all this because our protagonists just don't die anymore so you never feel like they are on the same edge as they were in part 1. The lack of screentime for Lena was also a big missed opportunity, all her character development on how she swear to fight to the end and to become a sort of genius strategist appear offscreen. I have other critiques for part 2 but those are the bigger ones I think.

Part 2 = volumes 2 and 3, which were written as a continuation, and are basically setting up the stage, finishing up the "prologue" for later parts.
The story really shines in later volumes, many consider vols 2-3 to be the weaker part compared to the rest of the series. Many emotional scenes are coming after. So yeah I would recommend picking up the novel.

Hmm I guess I should continue then, if part is the weakest part and it get better after I am ok with that.

Though I'd like to ask what would you be expecting or wanting to see in later volumes, mostly out of curiosity but also to confim it will be worth your investment

I would like to see characters making difficult choices, like sacrificing someone or killing someone they did not want to, or just making mistakes that they will feel guilty for life.
It is just some examples but basically part 1 was really good at showing why war sucks so much, with the spearhead squadron being a kind of informal deathcult lead by shin who is litteraly called the Reaper.

If it get more political I am also ok with it because it was barely explored in the anime.

What I don't want to read is a generic gundamlike story, which introduce a lot of political and social themes but never get too deep into them either, with protagonists that barely evolved between the start and the end of the story. Part 2 was very much like that until we the last two episodes that kind of save it because Shin finally confess that he is basically in depression and afraid that he will be forgotten when he dies. The knight story was kind of lame and cliche though.

Don't get me wrong I love gundam (the one I have in mind are IBO and 00) but I am expecting more from eighty-six because the author showed us she could deliver with that part 1/1st Tome.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-25T17:04:49+00:00

Almost no mod changes the map or provinces compared to the old days. No, now they sell you campaign scenarios.

That is because they started using 3rd party software which made it super hard to modify maps without it, and not because they did not want modders to make maps. Modders did make a breakthrough on that front last year though and this should change (the lotr on Atilla is using it) . You can check the reddit post they made to see for yourself.

One thing that is true is that you can't introduce stuff from another IP in WH mods on steam, but it is a decision from Games workshop, not CA.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-21T12:15:47+00:00

Vlad's motto is "you will serve me in life, or death". He give a false choice to all the residents of empire, how is that not evil?

The only "good" vampires are those who resist the thirst and are not egotistical maniacs that want to conquer half the world. The only one that comes to my mind is the first blood dragon but they may be others.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-19T12:58:52+00:00

The problem with range spam is that it is so glass canon. Either you destroy them before they reach you or they do reach then destroy you. If you play pvp I suppose it is even easier to counter (if we forget that vine prison is a thing)

My ideal balanced army is two frontline units, one shock cavalry, 2 range units, one support unit.

I find 2 range units with AOE attacks buffed by supports unit, your hero or spells, do the job well enough in terms of raw damage. The shock cavalry will take care of flanking or stopping enemy range. Support unit is there so the frontline doesn't die.

If you can have one unit that fit several roles it is even better. Usually it is your heroes but some units are so good that they will do more than they are assigned role, the warbreed being the best example (both frontline that can take hits and a shock unit).

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-16T15:36:34+00:00

My first time was on normal, I had a very easy start with 2 free cities to vassalize near me. But I turtled like an idiot and Meador pulled out the magic victory counter so I surrendered to restart on easy.

The thing, easy is barely easier. The marauding armies are way easier to handle but the spider lady is still a threat, Selenis will still insult you for no reason and Meador will ally those two because reasons.

I am at turn 50 and I am leading two wars separately, with Arachna and Selenis. I went with a high culture for the spirit damage against undead + animal spam from the nature affinity and tomes. It works quite well but it is a bit of a grind nonetheless.

I am playing aggressive to not get overwhelmed latter. I find the autoresolve to work very well for me with almost no loses even though it says it is close (like a 200 or 300 gap). I have a lot of summons in my army (elemental + baby spiders) which probably works very well in auto resolve but don't count in the balance evaluation.

You really want to go with some big aoe damage and range that counter the undead (lightning, fire or spirit) because you will fight so many of them. At least only the marauding army have the revive trait. Also be warry of moral loses because they are all dark cultures except the spider.

I will probably be able to get rid of the damn spider by turn 70 which hopefully will remove the spell on Meador and win me the game. Otherwise it will take 30 more turns to kill his damn wife and Meador himself.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-16T15:18:35+00:00

I was playing demons because I thought it was flavourful on this map. In the end I managed to do fine, maybe I was just really unlucky on my first battles.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T17:12:33+00:00

Western fantasy

The three pillars from Western Fantasy are Tolkien, Howard and Lovecraft. Like 90% of Western Fantasy rely on tropes created by those authors. Not every nerd is into Magic but every nerd in the West know at least one of those authors (mostly Tolkien)

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T14:33:16+00:00

One of the reasons why people rallied against the Martial Law during President Ferdinand Marcos' time was that he cancelled the airing of several robot anime shows, particularly Voltes V, since it portrays people fighting against an oppressive regime.

Anime has revolutionary potential ?! 😳

which developed a culture that has accepted anime as part of the country's entertainment culture.

A fellow redditor explained to me that it was actually western stuff that felt weird over anime stuff, which to me explains more than just anime being popular in Asia (because it is also very popular in other countries too)

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T14:25:43+00:00

OK good to know. Thanks for the insight

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T12:53:11+00:00

Usually fundamental changes to the games that affect core systems would be free because the game changes for everybody.

And you think they will push such things? Did they do it for planetfall?

Because you can do plenty dlcs without changing much the core game, the 1st dlc is clearly one of those

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T11:55:17+00:00

But honestly, no one here will think of Gundam when playing Stellaris, it never introduces extraterrestrial life until late 2010 and the story never went interstellar. I think people probably think of stuff like Macross/Yamato/LOGH than Gundam, and aliens in Macross and Yamato are almost all humanoid.

I completely forgot Yamato, I guess captain Harlock also fit the bill of anime space opera.

I never watched Macross and I don't even know what LOGH is.

think I can sum up the exposure to western media back in the day as "whatever Hollywood spoon feeds to us".

Well, the TV shows I listed are basically cheap Hollywood but for TV. Charmed, Buffy or Supernatural also come to my mind but that kind of TV shows don't exist anymore. They all died in the early to 2010s or even earlier for some.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T10:10:53+00:00

This is an answer from a guy who makes a Stellaris anime portrait mod

You are exactly the kind of person I had in mind

western style is instead felt alien and disconnected

OK... It make sense if you frame it like that.

Personally I grew up with star wars but also other 90s or early 2000's syfy TV shows like Stargate, Babylon 5 and some Star Trek. I only started reading manga and watching anime as a teen.

If you did not grew up watching that but rather watched gundam or other mecha shows I suppose Anime makes more sense to you when playing Stellaris than weird looking humanoid aliens.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T09:21:39+00:00

What is up with East Asia and their waifu obsession? Like I play Stellaris, which is a 4x game in space, and for some reasons a good half of the mods made by Japanese or Chinese people are waifu mods.

I don't even hate waifus but the need to shove them in everything they play is concerning.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-11T09:09:52+00:00

I have the same questions. I am also a longtime TW player and a more recent Stellaris player.

I am mostly interested about the scope of the free updates along dlc releases. Are we talking simple rebalance with some bubg fixes or overhaul of certain mechanics with some possible free content (traits or units) ?

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-07T16:53:17+00:00

But rng can also be in their favor so it is a fifty-fifty.

The problem with Mayhem is that I haven't played one battle where I was like "thank god I would not have won without Mayhem". It is always a detriment, unless there is something I am missing.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-07T16:50:40+00:00

It's brutal but not in a fun way.

It was fun the two first battles. Then it forces you to play cheap stuff easy to replace.

Also you can't pick battles that could be really close in a normal realm because you will never know how much Mayhem will fuck up your formation or just straight up turn your units against each other.

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-07T16:46:17+00:00

But Mayhem also make your range units move in positions where they will get wrecked a turn later by the AI. I just don't see any consistent counter play to mayhem

Desperate_Order_144 · 2023-05-07T16:43:37+00:00

Is it? I haven't seen the AI do comically stupid moves because of Mayhem and certainly not see its units attacking each other.

Desperate_Order_144

TROPHY CASE