Hey everybody,

Since we have received only a handful of submissions so far, and it's only a few weeks until the release of Together We Rule, we have decided to extend the submission deadline until then to give anybody who may still be trying to optimize their strategy a chance to submit their scores.

However, we will most likely still post a new scenario shortly after the original submission deadline.

Hi,

I just want to add some feedback, since I don't want you guys getting the idea that challenges on HK difficulty won't be played. I personally only play on HK difficulty and I made some challenges for myself (one city challenge, winning before 100 turns on standard speed...) that were a lot of fun to figure out. Still, I didn't enjoy this scenario, and I think it's because of the main strategy just not being very appealing. I don't think anyone likes playing as someone else's vassal.

I tried being independent, but as other players pointed out, it requires a lot of grinding through save-scumming, which is also not fun. 

Anyway, I hope you guys don't discard difficult challenges in the future, just discard the concept of players having to look for a liege, it's just not very interesting.

I personally see nothing wrong playing as someone's vassal, i had planned to be vassaled, but the ai was being so ineffective at attacking me i decided to see how far i could stretch it as a personal goal, and wound up beating it without being vassaled

Little bit More feedback,  it's Actually not to hard to win without being vassaled, but it's less you being good and more abusing Dumb ai. The ai Refuses to attack your troops on land/cities using transports, even though it can clearly win cause the boats it has can help make landfall. Secondly they also refuse to take the long route, landing in green's territory, then marching north to attack land to land. 

The problem with it is it clearly slower than becoming a vassal, so there's no reason to do it. Becoming a vassal of black though,  makes the challenge a cake walk. The other ai won't touch you,  and you get to 100% choose when to break free and start conquering.  so it's only a matter of finding the correct time.  

The other problem with the challenge is the combat systems flaws are in full force.  cause the ai has a tech advantage, not only is quantity the recommended tool to win combats,  its now also mandatory. Moving 80 mortars slowly across the map is slow,  tedious,  boring,  and No challenge,  cause The ai will not put out enough troops to sufficiently defend against it. And god, trying to Make landfall without naval superiority is Dday all over

It Does make me kind of wish for a challenge of the complete opposite. You have tech advantage and they have numbers advantage

I take no issue with the vassalization mechanic. I tried early vassalization perhaps a few months ago, and my liege traded away my land in the next war, so that soured me on it. It is quite possible for Black to not militarize to the same degree and instead leave you languishing during invasions from Green and Red. There is risk even with vassalage.

Ironically, while alliances often breakdown, the starting arrangement actually makes static international relations more likely for a good deal of the game. Most of my experience playing Humankind has been with more dynamic relations requiring active defense spending.

Nightmare_Dusk wrote:

It Does make me kind of wish for a challenge of the complete opposite. You have tech advantage and they have numbers advantage

Left to my own devices, this is generally where I end up!