Cut units in stream?

[mr_stibbons]

I can't help but notice that the tech trees in the version of the game given to streamers are missing some units that were previewed in dev diaries: to be specific, the Vanguard valkyrie, kir'ko abyssian, and dvar sapper are all no longer present in the tech tree.

Are these units still planned to be in the final game, even if in a more temporary form, or are they gone for good?

 

[DireDave]

Hey, mr_stibbons.

These units are definitely not gone! They have been changed to tactical combat summons! I've also seen some of the streamers summon the Vanguard Valkyrie in combat.

Hope that answers your question!

 

[Dragonwizard]

All hail our Penguin Overlord DireDave who enlightened us with his wisdom

 

[Destrada]

Penguin of Doom!

 

[The Masked Man]

I also didn’t see Abyssians or Emergent at all.

Hmst.

 

[Gyor]

I'm curious why this choice was made?

 

[BloodyBattleBrain]

I'm curious why this choice was made?

I'm theorising they probably felt those units didn't add much utility, or simply felt better as a combat summon. Maybe there was overlap with other units in the racial line up? Maybe the tech tree was getting too long and bloated, and they felt there was a risk of players rushing through 2 or 3 unit techs to get to one they would actually use (similar to how in AoW3, sometimes players would just skip warbreeds because Manticore Riders were right around the corner)


Maybe the units in their original form just weren't fun?

 

[Cadfan]

I’m not a designer and I haven’t followed the game well enough to identify all of those units.

But some of them are units themed around mobility tricks.

One way to do certain kinds of mobility tricks in a tactical game is via alternative deployment mechanics.

For example, in Infinity (a miniature war game) some units have an airborne deployment skill that lets them, thematically, drop out of drop ships or space or whatever with braking jet packs that work like sci fi low altitude parachutes. Mechanically these units deploy in later rounds after the first, outside the original deployment zone, potentially with dispersion. But once they deploy they behave like regular troops. This creates a tactically interesting unit that can flank or deploy on unusual angles, but let’s them remain distinct from regular deploying units with the ability to jet pack over buildings or whatnot.

So... I’m not a dev, but that might be the design space they’re pursuing.

 

[Damkac]

I don't like this change. Especially Vanguard losing their only melee unit (and one of their few units that aren't just boring sci-fi soldiers).

 

[Natasha-lynn]

I don't like this change. Especially Vanguard losing their only melee unit (and one of their few units that aren't just boring sci-fi soldiers).

Totally agree! I was hoping to level up a valkyire and let her fly like a raptor, she is so much fun. I wish they'd shown in the stream as well, what units get for leveling up.

And besides, I've seen the paragon soldiers, and they're way overpowered, potatomcchonsky could wipe out an entire gold landmark with two of them, they're tier 1 and they got aoe and arc damage, that means you can have hundreds of them and their range and damage is absurd.

 

[HousePet]

I'm sure it won't take modders very long to add them back as buildable units, for people that want them.

 

[Picrasso]

Totally agree! I was hoping to level up a valkyire and let her fly like a raptor, she is so much fun. I wish they'd shown in the stream as well, what units get for leveling up.

And besides, I've seen the paragon soldiers, and they're way overpowered, potatomcchonsky could wipe out an entire gold landmark with two of them, they're tier 1 and they got aoe and arc damage, that means you can have hundreds of them and their range and damage is absurd.

Those were upgraded units with mods. His initial Paragon units were rather squishy.

But perhaps some balancing is in order. People always complain about T3/T4 units being the best in AOW3. This time around a T1 unit with mods can stand up to T3/T4 units.

 

[Booo]

Totally agree! I was hoping to level up a valkyire and let her fly like a raptor, she is so much fun. I wish they'd shown in the stream as well, what units get for leveling up.

And besides, I've seen the paragon soldiers, and they're way overpowered, potatomcchonsky could wipe out an entire gold landmark with two of them, they're tier 1 and they got aoe and arc damage, that means you can have hundreds of them and their range and damage is absurd.

That seems promising in general since the basic paragon soldiers we saw in the stream are close to identical to vanguard soldiers. The things you do with them should be as doable with the Vanguard ones.

 

[Picrasso]

That seems promising in general since the basic paragon soldiers we saw in the stream are close to identical to vanguard soldiers. The things you do with them should be as doable with the Vanguard ones.

I haven't watched all of Potato's vids, but he was playing with Synthesis (?) secret tech, so he got buffs for cyborg units. The difference is they are cyborg undead units.

 

[BloodyBattleBrain]

that means you can have hundreds of them and their range and damage is absurd

You acquire those with influence so no, you can not have hundreds of them


probably not even dozens until well into the late game.

And then throw in the costs of upgrading them.


The hyperbole in this thread is strong.

 

[Tropical Sunset]

I haven't watched all of Potato's vids, but he was playing with Synthesis (?) secret tech, so he got buffs for cyborg units. The difference is they are cyborg undead units.

So far I haven´t noticed an Undead keyword in their unit description. Only Cyborg. Maybe that´s a bug that still needs to be fixed.

 

[mr_stibbons]

So far I haven´t noticed an Undead keyword in their unit description. Only Cyborg. Maybe that´s a bug that still needs to be fixed

Paragon troopers have the Mindless ability, which is what makes them "undead": the original trooper is braindead but his preserved corpse is being walked around by a machine.