Meedoc wrote:
When you play as a Vaulter, you'll have to choose one of the 6 strategic resources as your "holy resource". The choice can't be change once it's done but you can do it at any point of the game, you don't have to choose at the beginning; and it's even better to wait and analyse which resources you'll be able to gather.



then, there are a lots of the Vaulter gameplay that is tied to this holy resources; like the unique city improvement, their affinity...

That sounds really interesting...almost Thursday

I hope cav become more useful when the Charge trait is actually implemented.

Sloul wrote:
I think it is common to all cavalry units.

Yup, the speed comes sadly at a great cost.

I think it is common to all cavalry units.

Sloul wrote:
Never noticed the super high initiative of Dawn Officer, ill try equiping them with swiftness and glasssteel next time I play Vaulters.

Dawn Officer's shit issue is their very poor defense, so they die quick, very very quick.

Never noticed the super high initiative of Dawn Officer, ill try equiping them with swiftness and glasssteel next time I play Vaulters.

It seems Vaulters' advantage is largely on early game and very late game, as early game it gives quick research speed for level 1 tech and also fairly large beginning army, while in the very late game the eternal winter hit Vaulters the least due to Winter Shelter.

The Vaulter science bonus depends on terrain, thus making it less flexible than research using population.

Although Vaulter has science bonus, I don't see how that benefit them after tier 1 technology since Broken Lord can normally shift their population to tech research as they don't need food, results roughly same research speed between two factions after tier 1 technology.

BlueTemplar wrote:
Wait, doesn't the "water" Tier 1 science building only adds a bonus on non-river water tiles (lake, coast)?

That might have changed, recently. At least the text was, when I wrote this, about all water-containing tiles.

Nosferatiel wrote:
Otherwise rivers are your best friends, as they'll get science due to river research centres early on and you'll be able to cash in the bonus. Furthermore they produce food, which you desperately need.

Wait, doesn't the "water" Tier 1 science building only adds a bonus on non-river water tiles (lake, coast)?

Jeor wrote:
This Meritocratic Promotions research... What does it actually do? I researched it, and couldn't really see any effect.

It increases army size limit from 4 to 6 units.

Jeor wrote:
This Meritocratic Promotions research... What does it actually do? I researched it, and couldn't really see any effect.

Your armies can have more units into them ! Very important.

This Meritocratic Promotions research... What does it actually do? I researched it, and couldn't really see any effect.

The vaulters are the heavily armed and well-fortified sophons of EL. They get a +1 science bonus per field with at least 1 science and they start with 3 marines and a ranged hero, so four ranged units. If ever a people was there with a headstart on exploration, it's them...



How to choose where I build my first cit...pardon me, fortified underground laboratory complex?

If you have any anomalies close by that give science, consider settling directly next to them or close enough to reach them with one or two city-extensions. Otherwise rivers are your best friends, as they'll get science due to river research centres early on and you'll be able to cash in the bonus. Furthermore they produce food, which you desperately need. If you got forests on the rivers for additional industry, that's an added bonus.

As a rule, tundrae with rivers and forests are better for the vaulters than plains or grasslands, as the tundrae will always yield some extra science and you'll be able to use your affinity best.



Now I've built my first city and I have the biggest most badass starting army of all factions... Whom to kill?

Research search parties, then negotiation. You'll need the latter for your main quest. Til you get research parties, explore the region a bit. Then start exploring all the ruins. Consider skilling your hero twice in improved ruin searching, then +Xp/round on army and then +accessory and +attacks. This will make you capable of exploring and negotiating with minor factions for a long time without ever losing a single unit.



For the city, put everything to work for food. You need more vaulters to do some real science! Building first the memorial should be your priority (and buying it out, once possible), as you'll need the extra prestige for your first assimilation. Then you can build a nice little library. If you, for some bad luck, get stuck in a region with next to no science as a start, I'd recommend inverting that order, so you can negotiate with tribes, faster. Time is of the essence, as roaming hordes will slowly wear your ranged down, especially if you have to fight two armies at once! So get around and pacify whomever is willing to be easily pacified by negotiation. Destroy the rest. (e.g. if they want a resource from you that you won't have access to for ages, just kill them. Being unreasonable is no way to negotiate with scientists!)



Once you have your monument and library, go for a single marine and a settler to settle the region necessary for your main quest (the one where you need to assimilate that tribe). As rewards, you will mainly get strategic resources, allowing you, sooner than later, a substantial upgrade of your hero and his/her marines, thus making you even more awesome in firepower.



As usual, when you're building settlers, it's winter or your food production cannot cope with the needs for the next pop, sufficiently, move everything to industry and start producing.



Best minor faction to get

Haunts. They will improve your scientific lead even more by giving you a percentage on science.

Second best might be the sisters of mercy, as they will allow you to increase HP regeneration for your units. That will aid you with rapid exploration and pacification.



Empire plan of the day

Science! The idea is to use your innate science abilities to get ahead of the others. Use your lead and your resources to have powerful units that can easily eradicate opposition.



The holy resource - how to choose

The vaulters can choose one strategic resource in their empire screen that will become even more valuable to them. Choose wisely... It will increase the gain of that resource, but you'll also need it for a few special buildings, like the age II deep generator. And 10% on FIDS is nothing to sneeze at... If you are short on strategic resources, consider waiting for age III to choose, as new resource deposits will reveal themselves to you at that time. Otherwise, choosing early gives you a valuable boost, if you already have 2-3 resource deposits to harvest.

Furthermore, your main quest will allow you to build winter shelters with that resource, making a city immune to the food-reduction in winter.



Vaulter Warfare

Keep your units up to date with your scientific progress and resources availaible. The vaulters are scientifically advanced and have some of the strongest starting units in the game, but you can improve on that, a lot. Once you have glasssteel or titan weapons, consider replacing crossbows with bows, then armoring the units up, completely. Even if they loose some initiative, they can now pack a punch and deal even more damage. Should you have good blockers by your minor faction availaible or have titans researched in age II, you can go easy on any armor for the ranged that would decrease initiative. Instead, given meritocrative promotions having been researched to increase your army size, then use a mix out of heavy infantry blockers with as much defense as possible and bow-wielding ranged behind that wall of steel.

Can you explain a little bit about the Dawn Officers' abilities? It appears to have super-high initiative but really low attack. I saw a special animation in one of the videos but wasn't sure what was going on...

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
Does this holy resource add any special bonuses for weapons and armour, or is it just used to build improvements?

There are weapons/armor/trinkets out of any resource, there's no special bonus for using the holy resource for such things, but there is a bonus on harvesting that resource on empire, so it becomes more easily available.

Does this holy resource add any special bonuses for weapons and armour, or is it just used to build improvements?

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
What are these holy resources exactly?

When you play as a Vaulter, you'll have to choose one of the 6 strategic resources as your "holy resource". The choice can't be change once it's done but you can do it at any point of the game, you don't have to choose at the beginning; and it's even better to wait and analyse which resources you'll be able to gather.



then, there are a lots of the Vaulter gameplay that is tied to this holy resources; like the unique city improvement, their affinity...

What are these holy resources exactly?

Propbuddha wrote:
What happens in age 2 that makes the choice more important? Is it because that's where the techs that use the resources are?

You get the deep generator tech that gives a 10% FIDS bonus and you get the winter vault main quest reward that makes a city immune to food-reductions during winter. Both can only be built using the special holy resource. If you do not define any, you cannot build those powerful buildings.

What happens in age 2 that makes the choice more important? Is it because that's where the techs that use the resources are?

Propbuddha wrote:
Yeah I was hoping that you would get an opportunity to figure out what you have access to before deciding...

Before age II there is no use to decide, but getting more of that resource. You can decide at any time, but you cannot change your mind, afterwards.

VieuxChat wrote:
It's a very good idea, as you can adapt to what you get instead of choosing before betting into the game.

Yeah I was hoping that you would get an opportunity to figure out what you have access to before deciding...

And no, once you've made your choice, it cannot be undone, any more.

You select it when you want.

You go into your management empire screen, then you choose what resource will be your "holy" one. It's a very good idea, as you can adapt to what you get instead of choosing before betting into the game.

When do you select the "Holy Resource", can it be changed?