Best island capture strategy Beta 3

[blueworld 1]

Hello Everyone,

I'm loving Beta3 once I ditched my xbox controller and got used to my trackball/keyboard combination on my laptop.

It definitely brings back happy memories of the original including my strategy failings not the games.

What's the best/quickest way of capturing enemy islands ? At the moment I think the enemy carrier can capture two to three islands for every one I'm messing about (and boy do I mess about) trying to capture.

I've used a manta and walrus with hook but decided it was quicker just to drive the hacking walrus with air cover to hack each console before hacking the command centre. This still seems slow compared to the enemy, so really I'm after game play tips before the full game arrives and I get battered like it's 1988 all over again :)

Thanks in advance.

Between this and DayZ looks like I've turned into a BI fanboy by mistake :)

[Gnrl_Grad 1]

I've used a manta and walrus with hook but decided it was quicker just to drive the hacking walrus with air cover to hack each console before hacking the command centre. This still seems slow compared to the enemy, so really I'm after game play tips before the full game arrives and I get battered like it's 1988 all over again

I think you are doing it right but of course everyone will have their own strategies. The thing is taking islands is supposed to take a while, there's a lot of fun to be had slowly breaking down the islands defences and finally capturing the command centre. As you've noticed though the enemy carrier in beta3 does capture islands quite fast. Best strategy I've found to win beta3? Hunt and kill the enemy carrier as soon as it shows. I know it's cheap and shortens the game dramatically but really I'm waiting now unitl the final release and hopefully they get the balance right for a longer game.

[Scepticer 1]

As you've noticed though the enemy carrier in beta3 does capture islands quite fast. Best strategy I've found to win beta3? Hunt and kill the enemy carrier as soon as it shows.

Been doing this myself also. Once the enemy carrier is out of the picture I can finally enjoy taking the islands at my own pace.

Ok, but the question was really the "best/quickest" island capture technique.

For those needing "on the ground hacking" the quickest is probably what you describe. I usually go in with a Manta to clear the first "hacking point". The send ashore all the walruses and send them around in two-by-two formations (letting the AI drive, erh try to drive...) and support from the air personally. Sometimes I have some AI Mantas supporting also.

Remember that the some like the 'jammer' installations do not need to be hacked but can just be shot down from the air.

Air dropping a Walrus I have tried too. Two main problems with that:

- They are painfully slow to a fly around with.

- I haven't been able to lift them from water. I.e. I need to drive the Walrus to shore anyway - why not continue...

In general I would like to have more challanging, technically different, "surprising obstalces occuring" and larger islands. AND less pressure from the Enemy Carrier.

[Dajunka 10]

I have found that the enemy carrier in Beta 3 is doing it's best to avoid me. Which is a good thing. That's how things were in the original.

First thing I do when attacking a enemy island, is to send my manta's to the 4 corners of the map, hugging the coast to get there. This give's me the details I need for my planned invasion.

Execute the plan from tactical, then dive in the drivers seat for the important stuff.

[anton-korduan 10]

Air dropping a Walrus I have tried too. Two main problems with that:

- They are painfully slow to a fly around with.

- I haven't been able to lift them from water. I.e. I need to drive the Walrus to shore anyway - why not continue...

Sometimes an air-drop is useful because the way / street to the destination is much longer and leads through the middle of enemy territory. So it could be better (sometimes) to lift the walrus over the cliff or an mountain for example.

I use the air-drop also to get some extras from the raffinerie etc. - therefore you have also to drive through long distances or complicated areas...

[maddogx 13]

Not so much a strategy as a set of guidelines, but here goes:

• Before you send anything onto an island, make sure the shore area is covered by the carrier (it will take out anything that comes too close).
  
• Chain your Walruses together with defend commands and send the strongest one ahead with the other following / guarding it.
  
• Cover your Walruses from the air as they move (manual flying).
  
• Take out as many ground installations as possible from the air (rockets / plasma are helpful) before sending in the Walruses.
  
• Destroy all enemy Walrus/Manta production facilities as soon as possible (marked as P and H on the map), otherwise they'll beat you through slow attrition.
  

[anton-korduan 10]

[*]Take out as many ground installations as possible from the air (rockets / plasma are helpful) before sending in the Walruses.

[*]Destroy all enemy Walrus/Manta production facilities as soon as possible (marked as P and H on the map), otherwise they'll beat you through slow attrition.

Limitation: That's Correct - but not always.

Everything you destroy on the island has to be set up from new. So sometimes (often) it could be interesting to work "minimal invasive" like a surgeon: Go in, destroy as less as possible (even don't wake up some Mantas, flying on the horizon) and hack the command-centre. Then you get fully intact island with an strong defense instead of leaving it wrecked, just having done the work for your enemy, who (maybe) will arrive a few minutes later, having an "easy breakfast"... ;-)

Edited September 24, 2012 by anton-korduan

[parmenides 11]

By the way can you sit and watch the repair of destroyed infrastructure?

I know that I can see the completion of the HQ which I like very much babysitting it in the sunset :)

[anton-korduan 10]

By the way can you sit and watch the repair of destroyed infrastructure?

Don't really know... never had the time :-)

But I think (just a "feeling") you will have to leave the island and come back again to see some changes.

[Appogee 1]

- I haven't been able to lift them from water.

I always lift them from the water. Just hover your manta low and wait for the hook symbol to appear, then hit F.

In fact, if the command center is close to the edge of the island, often the fastest way to win it is to take out its air defences with Mantas, then hook and drop a hacking Walrus right next to it.

[Scepticer 1]

Got to tell you, I just had a blast with taking the island Terminus! :)

In the spirit of surgical strike tactics and sparing infrastructure:

- I first used a rocket/laser-equipped Manta, scouted the island and took out three shield boosters.

- Switched to rocket/laser-equipped Manta 2 due to damage on the first and took out the 1 or 2 remaining shield boosters + cleared the Command Center area of turrets & enemy walruses.

--> Tactics used up to here was to sneak in on a complex and from a quite long distance fire three rockets at the shield boosters, enough to take them out, and then move on. Touched nothing else (except around the command center)

--> Turned out the command center had NO walrus garages or Manta silos. Just a couple of walruses and turrets "I removed".

- While finishing off the surgical strike above I also moved the carrier to the north part of the island close to the Command Center.

- Took a Walrus with laser & hack module and snuck up a steep tree-covered hill and ended up right behind the Command Center.

- Drove to the front of it and started hacking and thought I was home safe. I was WRONG. Turned out some new walruses had arrived at the Command Center area and their shots interrupted my hacking.

- Fired back and took out 2 or 3 enemies with my Walrus. Hacked on. More enemy Walruses move in and a couple of enemy Mantas. My hacking seemed to have stirred up a hornets nest! For every hit my hacking got interrupted. I had to fight them off.

- Called on 2 Mantas from my carrier to help dispensing the incoming enemies.

- FINALLY 20 seconds of peace and quiet. I'm able to finish the hacking and witness all installations and enemy vehicles turn lovely blue! :D

---> ONLY Shield boosters, a few turrets and some enemy walruses/mantas destroyed!

Wow, what a thrill I had and what a sweet victory over that island!

I always lift them from the water.

Thanks, good to know. I guess I just need practicing then!

Edited September 24, 2012 by Scepticer