Final Assault

I'm pretty fond of this level - is represents "what I did on Machines" in a concise way. I wrote the AI (along with Ceri Stagg) and I also wrote the scripts for this level (I finalised others but this one represents one of mine from scratch) the only other level to fall into that category is Talon Prime - Military Fortress.

This is the main reason that the enemy uses nukes right from the word go...

Arguably this level is the hardest - although the last level is considered by many to hold that distinction.

The level may be played in a number of ways, as the script has been designed so that the right actions at the right times will enable you to win quite(!) easily.

The order is important - this level is susceptible to hard hitting runs at the right time near the beginning.

  1. As soon as the game starts the knights and the administrators should charge east and destroy the large turret before it rips into the base.
  2. As soon as the turret is destroyed the civilian reinforcements arrive - gets the locator going straight away.
  3. Build a level 2 mine on the mineral site just north of the pod.
  4. Use the other two constructors to build a heavy infantry factory - queue up production of Judas Warlords.
  5. Concurrently to step 2, use 1st person mode on one of the knights - continue to the east and destroy the constructor building the large turret - its vital to do this. If you do not destroy the constructor it will go and build another nuclear silo just behind that back wall.
  6. Send the George (gorilla) south with one of the scavengers and a bee - the other scavengers should be sent to collect the debris from that line of SAM turrets.
  7. Using the other two knights destroy the nuclear silo in the bunker.
  8. Destroy the small military complex to the south using the George and the Bee.
  9. Send the other Bee to the far east to destroy the Airborne Factory and the nuclear silo just over the back wall.
  10. About this time your first Judas will be coming online - and just in time as well. The AI will be sending a squad of gorillas / bees and possibly knights from the south.
  11. Assuming you've completed step 8 you don't have to worry about the south attacking (for a while).
  12. Drive the Judas in 1st person to capture as many Gorillas and Bees as you can.
  13. If you've been really quick then the Judas will come online quite some time before the first major AI attack - in which case drive the Judas east then south until you come to the point where the Gorillas and Bees cluster - same deal - capture as many as you can - doesn't matter if they all mutually destruct - you've slowed down the attacks.
  14. At this point you should have done the following:
    1. Destroyed the south base and you now have a George and Bee down there (maybe, maybe not). The bit in bold is the crucial bit.
    2. Stopped the build up of the Georges and Bees to the east. And captured a few of them.
    3. Prevented either nuclear silo from firing (this is so easy to forget about).
  15. Send a constructor (or two) south then east - start capturing enemy buildings such as the POD with that lovely Ion Cannon on it (very handy).
  16. Continue to generate judas warlords to capture the attacks from Bees and Georges.
  17. As soon as you get the opportunity destroy the eastern military complex.

The overall tactic in this level is hit hard at the beginning and try not to let up at all. The level is winnable by creating Judas Warlords and one level two mine! (I normally create a light infantry factory as well and build a few twin plamsa reapers as they are good against bees).

Once you get to step 15 then push east and capture / destroy all the buildings that you can.

Images from this level. Including a map so you can "see" what I mean by the AI staging area.

 

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