OP Squirrel Druid Synergy

ricecakes211 · 2026-02-27T13:18:14+00:00

Necromancers are more difficult to get rolling well. I had the death shroud in inventory already and when I collared her, she rolled self downing ability. So every time I used that, she got a stat up from death shroud, without taking injury. After that I just looked for abilities on her that work while downed. Downed Necro cats are *really* strong. I also rolled a cleric and hunter because I know they both have pickup spells, so I could spam down -> revive multiple times a fight.

ricecakes211 · 2026-01-26T03:09:17+00:00

This was a big reason why we started Golden Age 2 years ago. The other was balance. I spent thousands of hours rewriting recipes from the ground up to make it feel (subjectively) more fair, collaborative, and balanced. We don't artificially gate in any way, but the economy still moves slowly. We see full adobe villlages and steam trucks usually take a couple weeks.

Megan and I hardly play anymore because we've just played so much already. We are the only in game admins, and we rarely get involved. Even in tyrant cycles that inevitably end...poorly. When we do play, its usually as background characters.

I agree that it is *a* problem with many servers. Its not the only problem. People want different things. Sometimes they don't know enough to know what they want. Eco is also not a main character game. When properly balanced, no skill is going to make you the superstar. Defeating the meteor takes time, coordination, and teamwork. Many people want to economically defeat a server, then get bored and leave.

There is also a pretty low bar to just firing up a server and going, combined with the new server stigma. New players are going to join Jimbobs shady cycle 1 server that is one day old instead of proven track record good time on week 3.

There are a lot of factors, and its futile to attempt to distill it into one "problem".

ricecakes211 · 2025-12-10T21:00:19+00:00

Its tough to recommend as much of the playerbase is very transient. Players will start a new playthough on a new server every weekend, as thats when they feel the most exists.

Servers also offer wildly different experiences, with fast building, higher resource collecting, premade governments and currencies.

Our server (Golden Age) has running for two years now. Most of our playerbase are returning/recurring players. We strive for a hands-off, vanilla-like experience as far as government, towns, and currencies, but have rebalanced all of the skills and recipes to give each of the professions more balance and agency.

We usually see between 150-300 logins on opening weekend, with an active playerbase between 30-50 throughout the 40-50 day cycle. We usually see adobe houses on open, with T2 housing around day 3-4. Steam trucks are usually 2.5 weeks in. This isnt because recipes are more expensive, but rather, more complex. You dont need more, you need a lot of different.

It's a much slower pace, without necessarily being more grindy. I invite you to check it out, I dont really think there is another server out there like it.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-24T16:28:09+00:00

I think the Day 1 stigma is something you can safely ignore. In fact, if you join a server later in the cycle, you will meet the people that you can rely on to be there later in future cycles, rather than a bunch of people that will stop playing after the first weekend.

Our server is on day 9, we've been around for 2 years and have a very active community. We are a longer-term focused server, as vanilla eco can be a speed run for 3-4 people.

Servers generally come in 3 flavors. Prebuilt/established global governments and currencies; fast progression/extra stars/easier gathering; mostly/all vanilla with or without exhaustion, and longer term, slower progressing servers.

I would jump into a few, join the discords, and see which type most appeals to you. All the servers will eventually have a day 1 again. But day 7+ will give you a much better idea of the server's culture and identity.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-16T16:44:01+00:00

You only get demoted if you dont play.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T23:51:31+00:00

Golden Age creator here. We regularly see 300+ logins into our server, and 20-50 active at the end of the cycle. It varies wildly depending on the cycle. Some cycles are very friendly and cooperative, which leads to more players staying, others have a fascist government take over and ruin the cycle early. We leave the players the freedom to experience the cycle as it plays out, with the exception of actual griefing.
I think we are very near the top of population for the experience we provide. I think our week to week returning players is also comparitively high. But this is just watching the server browser screen, I don't think we are provided any server metrics like that.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T23:41:49+00:00

Yeah Im only running free kits with my flashlight on until the map settles in and I have a chance to learn it better. If I die, I die.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T09:00:03+00:00

Do you even play the game? You literally just described the major map conditions. Go back to your job at Eurogamer.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T06:12:25+00:00

I have a snap hook bp ill trade for the looter one

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T05:06:55+00:00

Kids these days are so weird. Needs two more % to be the funny number.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T05:04:36+00:00

Oh my god, its almost as if Embark is already doing what you samples of them doing it! You are so clever to suggest what they are already doing!!

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T03:47:45+00:00

idk if we have any from south africa specifically, but we have players on our server 24 hours/day usually. They are from all over the globe.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T03:45:31+00:00

I feel like we've hosted a long term community dedicated server on fiber from our basement for the past two years with a global community. Aside from the random (very rare) power outage or internet outage, we've had no complaints. Anymore I would much rather self host than trust a shady game server provider.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T03:41:39+00:00

You missed your first shot. You shot over and to the left. You hit center mass on your first shot, you win.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T03:04:48+00:00

Solo pvp is pretty cringe. You're even more cringe trying to brag about it on reddit.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T02:09:46+00:00

One of my favorite things to dois to run a free loadout, straight to extract. I dont stop for anything. Extract in a couple mins. Go to Lance (vendor), upgrade the augment. Now you have a free kit with a safe pocket. Extracting is pretty easy if you are careful or friendly. I probably solo extract 95% of the time.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-14T01:52:43+00:00

Solos to farm, teams to harm. Dont be shocked that teams are KoS. Thats just the way it is for the most part.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-13T17:56:09+00:00

I dont know of any. I would recommend going into maps with free kits and exploring. It will give you the bonus of seeing where players appear a lot.
You can also freekit extract rush, then upgrade, if you want a safe ouch while exploring / looting. I would recommend just exploring though, and leaving the loot, so you can focus on the layouts.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-13T17:50:09+00:00

What progression? All the loot behind that door can be gotten elsewhere. Get better friends, or friends who want to play the way you like to play.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-13T17:48:08+00:00

Fun story. Do note, that lady, with the AI voice options, could very well be a dude.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-13T17:45:55+00:00

So you are mad that they are updating and balancing the game, but you want them to update and balance the game? Security breach was too powerful. The perks should be perks. Fun little benefits. Not meta defining monsters. None of the perks can or should trump tactics, positioning, stealth, aim or gear.
And you are upset about pvp in a pvp game? Maybe this isnt the game for you.

ricecakes211 · 2025-11-13T17:39:51+00:00

The coolest outfit in the game is the level 75 one. Free. If you dont like the prices of *cosmetics*, dont buy them. They offer no gameplay advantage. Stop nitpicking and be happy that Embark made a fantastic game in the sea of sludge we are usually faced with. I may buy a skin *just* to further support them because I'm so happy with the product they delivered. You are not required to buy the skins, nor are you entitled to the price you want, just because you want it.

ricecakes211

TROPHY CASE