PTR Changelog 2016-10-20

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artch — Invalid Date

This post describes changes on the Public Test Realm. The estimated launch date is October 24.

Invaders in Source Keeper rooms are now always spawned in groups of 2-5 creeps and may be boosted with tier-3 boosts including XGHO2.

Tell us what do you think about these upcoming changes in the comments below!

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deadlypineapple — Invalid Date

What's the distribution here? How often will they be boosted?

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artch — Invalid Date

The same ratio as before, approximately 50% chance to get a boosted creep (for each one).

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deadlypineapple — Invalid Date

I think it might be a good idea going forward to discuss the problems you see with the community. It's easy to see that the developers don't like people using the SKs rooms successfully, but I think there may be a better solution than just making them harder to use. No nerfing strategy will address the issue without either making the rooms pointless (or making them completely inaccessible to anyone outside the top 50), as players will always work out the most effective counter.

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artch — Invalid Date

There are no "problems" actually, it's just a small balance enhancement. Many players already handle Source Keeper rooms with heavy killer creeps, and those poor single unboosted invaders become pointless. T3-boosted groups will bring some more challenge to killer creeps logic. Not a big deal, they are still easily killable with proper tactics.

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SteeleR — Invalid Date

Isn't this a bit of a too drastic change - T3 boosted creeps (say 4 healers and an attacker, is something you need a boosted counter to beat) and having 4 days to do such tests is a bit unrealistic.. (even more given that the PTR is almost unusable)

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artch — Invalid Date

Don't forget they only have 10 parts, since Source Keepers rooms are unowned. We've made a test run of such raids on the live realm, and it seems some players already have the required logic to tackle them successfully, so no changes are needed in their case.

The probability to get all 5 boosted creeps is 0.5^5 = ~3%.

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SteeleR — Invalid Date

hmm, yeah.. 10 parts is a bit better.. Then may I ask for the option of boosting the invaders that we can spawn with T3 so we can run some tests on the live server as well

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deadlypineapple — Invalid Date

And let the boosted invaders we spawn create drops like normal

Reply to PTR Changelog 2016-10-20 on Invalid Date

artch — Invalid Date

Then may I ask for the option of boosting the invaders that we can spawn with T3 so we can run some tests on the live server as well

Their behavior will be different in owned rooms, not really a relevant test.

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Dissi — Invalid Date

So if i read this correctly, the change is that they might be boosted with tier 3, and always come in 2-5 creeps?

Will there be a possibility that they spawn with:

tier 1 boosted parts
tier 2 boosted parts

Could you update the http://support.screeps.com/hc/en-us/articles/207729055-NPC-Invaders page to reflect the changes as well?

We already had tier 1 boosted creeps. I'll have to account for the strength of the boost as well, should be fairly easy to counter.

Reply to PTR Changelog 2016-10-20 on Invalid Date

artch — Invalid Date

So if i read this correctly, the change is that they might be boosted with tier 3, and always come in 2-5 creeps?

Right.

Will there be a possibility that they spawn with:

No, either tier-3 boosts or no boosts at all.

Could you update the http://support.screeps.com/hc/en-us/articles/207729055-NPC-Invaders page to reflect the changes as well?

Sure, this page will be updated once the change goes live.

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Dissi — Invalid Date

Awsome! This clears things up a bit.

The change is even easier to handle now since you only have 1 extra case to defend against.

Might even start collecting dead boost parts now from invaders.

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deadlypineapple — Invalid Date

Quick question, is it possible to add a way to prevent invaders from spawning between "controlled" SK rooms?

You could even have it so that when you block off too many SK rooms, occasionally a larger influx will appear on the center room as a "mega wave" and possibly move through the other rooms