2100 Software - Thinking deep into the new Millenium

Report (down to Ash's report)

As it was seen by Sys...

We were playing limited resources, on a fairly big two player map, with me as Zerg of all races. I was definitely out of my element. However, as it turns out, it was an absolutely beautiful battle. A bit short, all things considered, but with some quite impressive little highlights.

My opponent, Ashkente, was Terran (we'd both choosen Random as our race). I was panicing the entire game, knowing Ashkente's reputation and seeing him in action many a time. Just a week before this game I watched him conquer 3 other players outright in a free for all game, then kick my ass about until my computer crashed, then defeat of the last two free players. I don't doubt he would have defeated me, having 3 other players now under him, so a win credit to him on that one, really. I like to think I was holding up pretty well, although I was suffering heavy loses, and couldn't produce a large enough force to counter attack, thus the inevitability of my defeat. But, that's another game, for a write up another time.

I decided to play offensively, being both Zerg and knowing that I wouldn't be able to hole myself up using any sort of bitch tactics. But my opponent decided also to be offensive, as normal, and I had barely a squad of Hydralisks and some zerglings when he first attacked. But he did attack relatively slowly, perhaps a result of the fact that it was 1:00am in the morning when we began the game. Before he attacked, I had enough time to build up what I thought would be a satisfactory defense, and start a second base up on a small plateau not far from my base. The entrance backed onto my main base, so I felt confident I could leave it undefended and concentrate on protecting my main entrances, and of course attacking my opponents forces. However, just moments after starting my new base, my opponent attacked.

He took out all my offensive units with marines, suffering substantial loses, but winning the battle none the less. He then retreated his remaining marines, why I don't really know, and left a pair of cursed firebats in the middle of my base to finish me off. So sure of my doom was I that I started discussing which map we were going to play next. But then by pure luck three hydralisks emerged from their eggs. I had started their morph during the attack, and forgotten about them when my defenses were smashed. I used them to take out his firebats, and in that one breathtaking moment I was thrown back into the game. All in all this initial offensive cost me two sunken colonies, quite a few hydralisks, zerglings and a lot of hit points for various buildings.

After that attack I felt I was back in with a chance, but I knew I had relied on luck so far, and would need much more in future if I stood a chance. I spent a lot of resouces, and as little time as possible, to build up a new defense of hydralisks and zerglings. I upgraded them where I could. Both my bases, the second now fully established as a resource centre and collecting nicely, were building Zerglings and Hydralisks, both set to relay points, one just above my base where the initial attack had come from, and the other on the cliff overlooking my base, as a backup force, hoping to catch him out if he came to close to their high ground. In the end it seemed I didn't need to worry about defending my second base, as I had hoped, as my opponent, even in the end, didn't know of its existance. This could be partially attributed to my loss of hope early on, something I don't usually do, which Ash then believed, it seems.

When I had a dozen units on the plateau as defensive, and a dozen down below, I launched what I thought would be a futile but annoying attack on his base. It was not to be. Just half a screens width from my base I encountered marine gunfire, and the few upgrades zerglings of my force that survived long enough revealed the source - 3 packed bunkers. I didn't notice any seige tanks at this point, but Ash would no doubt have at least been building them by that time. I quickly began to rebuild my offensive force. I felt confident, as much as I could against someone of my opponents reputation and level, and figured that all I needed was a large enough force. I needed specialised units, because I knew an overblown mass attack of any one or two types (Zerglings & Hydralisk, for instance, as my current army was composed) would easily be dealt with by my opponent. To this end I researched lurkers, hoping to improve my defenses, and built a tower so as to gain access to mutalisks. I also built a queen's den, but mainly just so I could upgrade my hatcheries.

I ended up building three lurkers, 9 or so hydralisks and half a dozen Zerglings by the time Ash next attacked. It was a provoked attack. I had some well placed overlords watching his bunkers, observing the turrets he was building. I knew he had seige tanks now, as I occaisionally heard them going to seige mode, and managed to catch glimpse of them with an overlord by sneaking around the back. I didn't however notice the barracks he had built to supply his attack. I assume they were there at that time. Perhaps not. Ash'll have to clarify.

Anyway, Ash spotted one of the overlords watching over his force, and brazenly began construction of a turret right underneath it. Naughty naughty, I scolded, and sent in some hydralisks. I'm not sure exactly how things worked out, as my memory at this point is bit fuzzy, but I lost some hydralisks somewhere in there, and a few minutes later Ash moved in his seige tanks to attack my base. Perhaps not a few minutes. Maybe 30 seconds. The game progressed quite quickly, but as is often the case every second seemed to stretch to 10. Anyway, I sent in my hydralisks to take out his seige tanks. They succeeded. He moved in marines, which wiped out my hydralisks and I believe most of my zerglings, but my lurkers eventually took care of them (tho 2 of them were lost in the process). I felt I was doomed now that I was still without any air forces and had nothing to combat his seige tanks, with a lone lurker protecting my base. I then remembered, or by chance noticed, my force of zerglings and hydralisks up on the plateau. Exactly one squad in total (7 hydra's, 5 zerglings).

I decided that I could at least piss my opponent off before dying. Maybe cause a little bit of a dint. Maybe enough to make him call his forces back to defend his base, and give me some breathing space. I knew the map from the image of it earlier, but sent out some drones to find out where his bases were. I discovered that he had just two, his main one, and another resource collecting one closer to me. I knew I could at least take out the resource collecting one. If his resources were anything like mine (1000+/500+) this wouldn't cause any disruptions in construction, but would at least annoy him, and distract him while he rebuilt it. It should be noted I considered this for some time before I eventually moved my forces in. I can't remember exactly, but I think my attack co-incided with the end of his attack on me. I ripped through his second base, which was completely undefended. Not a single hit point lost by any of my troops. I then attack-moved them up to the crystals of his main base, and went back to focus on my own base, to rebuild and try to break his offensive line nearby. I began building my army once more, and quickly had a nice size force built. It was then that I noticed my own dots still on the map at the top. Scrolling up, I found that I had not yet lost a single unit, and was ripping through his base at a frantic rate. It didn't take long before his command centre lifted off in retreat, and his SCV's were taken out. In the end I guess I didn't get them all, as I encountered them later, but I took out quite a few.

I was stunned by all this. I had survived an attack, lost two buildings so far in the entire game, and had taken out my opponents only two bases, with just 12 units and no friendly loses! The concept was mindboggling. I decided then that an offensive could not go astray, as he had no way to build more units. His buildings that could had lifted off and fled, and I tracked one or two down with my hydralisks while they could, but lost the rest. I dispersed the squad to all the resource spots on the map and burrowed them, to try and spot where he would inevitably try to rebuild.

I attacked his bunkers with as I remember just 6 zerglings, but I suspect there must have been more (I wouldn't attack what I thought were 3 full bunkers with just 6 pathetic zerglings). However, what I thought were 3 full bunkers were in fact 3 *empty* bunkers! My opponent had emptied them to attack me! In the chaos of that battle I had not kept track of my lurkers, and had no idea how many lives they claimed. I had assumed only a few - whatever spare he had - but evidently at least 12 marines and firebats had been involved. I was ecstatic, as you can image. His 3 bunkers and barracks died with barely a muffle.

My opponent was so quiet during all this that I had to ask if he was still actually connected.

However, the battle was not over. Over the next 5 minutes my forces encountered scattered opposition, with I believe included several walker guys (the name escapes me at the moment). I don't know how many units, if any I lost, but overall these scattered remnants of a once proud army were eliminated. I found the last remaining stationary buildings - supply depots - on the map and eliminated them too. The game was mine now, of course. But there was still the task of hunting down the last flying buildings. I built a dozen mutalisks with which to do this, and coupled them with an overlord to protect against the wraiths I had seen earlier on. These must have been destroyed at some point, obviously. I guess by my mutalisks, or hydralisks during the attack on his main base. There were not many of them, and they never ended up being the threat I expected.

Anyway, it took some time, and despite my opponents bluffs that he had a whole other base I didn't know about (which I knew was impossible, since my burrowed zerglings were covering all the resources on the map), I finally found the last building and destroyed it. Game over, and what a game. My first clear victory against Ashkente, other than my first ever vs game against him, which was merely me selecting unally once the computer players were eliminated.

To his credit, and this isn't noted on the stats page, thus the reason I mention it, Ash has effectively defeated me several times. The game previous to this one he had me pinned well and truly, and was just in the process of attacking my 4 carriers with 12 battlecruisers when the line between us died. We never continued that game, and I don't think I could be convinced to in future (although I did have a bit of a secret foot in the door). I give him the credit of that win. I had enough forces to defeat his attack and then counterattack against his undefended bases, but the timing was crucial, and I don't think I could have made it. I would eventually have defeated his battlecruisers, but at great loss to my main base and forces, so a counter-attack would have been out of the question. The battle would have continued, and I guess could have gone either way, but I think Ash deserves a win for that. I was trapped, and tho I had a third base hidden between his two main ones, which he never found out about, it was only a Nexus and some probes at that point, and chance would perhaps have favoured him in discovering it before I could defend it.

Anyway, this was a good game, although we were both rather tired (most people are at 1:30am), sunburnt and otherwise exhausted. Ash claims he wasn't playing seriously. I'm waiting for more details on this, but to be honest I did feel that the victory was too easy. Well, it wasn't really very easy at all, and the game was initially extremely tilted in his favour, but I suspect Ash was playing a bit off form. Hopefully he'll write his own report on this battle, or at least counter mine where I've mistaken the facts, and write his own conclusion as he saw it. Good game Ash, and may I kick your ass many a time more. :P

As it was seen by Ashkente

Simple 2 player squewed bridge map with limited mins. One center base, one friendly expansion for both players. I was playing vs. Sys, a skilled oponent whom I had had mixed results with in the past. It was not destined to be easy for either player.

I set down my initial buildings, barracks and two supply depos, refrinery and academy, and build 4 marines. I scouted, and quickly discovered the previously unknown map. I sent an SCV to the outskirts of his base, and began construction of a bunker. I sent my 4 marines down, and entered them into the bunker. I had a foothold. Another SCV was inbound, and soon I had two bunkers and a baracks. This would be easier fo filling the bunkers. I spent all my money on pumpung out infantry. Within a minuite I had 3 bunkers full of fresh recruits, and a force of medics. I then tempted his forces out to within shot range, and butchered all his offencive units. The time had come. I took everything I had, and charged the offending Zerg base. Sys has constructed two sunken colonies, and has re built some units. I knew if I could not take his base now I would never take it with infantry.

His colonies held me back for an admirable amount of time, but this was a battle of the buldge, and I was a bulgy as they come.

Poor Sys. He never had a chance. I rammed my attack home, and decided not to waste ammo on his lesser buildings. I went in for the prize. Sys had allready conceded and was talking about the next game, he knew, as I did, the hoplessness of his position. As my men were bravley rapeing his hatchery, a feeling welled up inside of me, an emotion I don’t normaly feel. Pity.

I saw what I was doing was no more than a rush, a pathetic tactic. Before the ultimate demise of his hatchery, I ordered my marines to retreat, leaving only two firebats and I think a pair of medics. I had given him a chance, but he would have to inhume my firebats before he could even think of re building.

Realising that bacause of my mecy we were headed towards midgame, I took an SCV and set up shop in middle-base, thinking his forces would not penetrate my bunkers. (I assumed at this point my bukers were Sys’s prime target, therefore cared little for defending either of my bases. I built a factory behind the bunkers, still just outside his base. I noticed with interest he had managed to kill my firebats. Casualies are inavdable in war, but those were two lives that need not have perished on the alter of freedom. Unfortunatly, my remaining troops would not have to wait too long before seeing them once more.

As my building starport hissed and flashed with sparks, the sound could be heard of Arclites (Seige Tanks) rolling off the production line. I hurredly built an engenering bay, to stay one step ahead of my enemy commander, in case he decided to play funny buggers with mutas or queens.

My amased armies now contained 3 full bunkers, 75% marines, 25% firebats, four Arclites, two Longbow air defence turrets, and one more building on a stray overlord. I assumed Sys was crippled. I assumed I was forestalling the inevidable. I was incorrect. For my most worthy opponent had another base, uping his cash flow. This was a factor I had failed to calculate, not knowing of the expansion untill well after the game had ended.

Suddenly, and without warning, insidious zerg troops swarmed over my expansion base, still undefended. Panic. I knew that would only buy me a few precious seconds before the onslaught came to my main base, essentially undefended.

In my panic I did what all desparate players do. I built everything I could from everywhere I had, in the mad hope it might be enough.

At this stage of cours I did not know about Syss expansion, and figured he must have spent all his money on that attack. My main base was doomed, but I was confidant I had the firepower to wipe his base out first. I charged, with everything I had, I emptied bunkers, I un seige-moded my Arclites, but all for naught. The hunter soon became the hunted, as hydras poured out of his base in almost unbelivable numbers. As my infantry surged forward, they met the grim spikey horror that is the lurker. With the zerg hoards ravishing my bases, and my armies no more than red splats on the edge of the creep, I retreated all my major buildings and scattered them all over the map. An SCV escaped, and since my enginering bay was in tact, I bgan construction of missle turrets to slow the oncoming mutas. My brave SCV traveled the corners of the map, spreading my buildings in blind survival instinct. After a few mins, my buildings were all hunted down and eliminated, falling to the insidious onslaught of glauve worms. Death and Defeat followed, leaving me with only regrets and a lesson well learned: Never show mercy. I concede defeat to Sys and congradulate his skill, but he will not be so lucky next time.