It's pretty easy to admit we're no longer in the age of a manifest destiny mindset. For the battle hungry colonizer in you this has to be depressing information... but don't fret! While it's not land based warfare, Colonial Wars provides you with a great opportunity to flex your naval military muscles. This real-time strategy game created by Eugene Markeev and Olexiy Starodumov starts with you as a red colored island looking to expand your colony. To send your little soldiers off to battle, click and hold on your island, then drag towards the island you want to invade and release, or drag to another island under your control first to send multiple armies to the same destination. Doing so sends over half the number of troops displayed at your island, and you need to send over a larger number than the one displayed on the enemy's forces... which is exactly what they'll also be trying to do. Luckily, the islands regenerate fighters and there are upgrades available that will help you out and hinder your foes.
Off the bat the game might seem too simple for the seasoned strategy gamer but the difficulty picks up as you plow through the levels. Part of the difficulty comes not only from island positions on the map but also from more than one enemy to contend with. Upgrades provide a helping hand though the price for them becomes quite steep when compared to the rate of obtaining the gold. While the boats and planes will seem rather sluggish the speed boost comes in handy to cast away that frustration. You won't need to be a master tactician to beat the game but you will have to keep your wits about you and that's what makes this game all the better. It's a familiar concept, but it's fun, well presented, and fits perfectly into your day.
The game is incredibly easy for the first 23 levels. But level 24 just seems impossible. You start with 18 ships vs 130 ships of your three opponents, no capturable islands nearby and only 2 ship gained per second vs 4-7 ships gained per second by your opponents. If I send my ships out in any direction, green captures my starting island immediately with a superior force. Seems like Kobayashi Maru. :)
The levels don't start until you make the first move, which sucks. I agree that level 24 seems impossible, since you basically are forced to throw away half of your stating population, and then instantly have 70 ships coming at you.
I managed to pass level 24. I sent my troops on a suicide mission to one of the neutral islands, then I just sat on my one island for a long time while everyone else ignored me. When I had a large force built up, I started attacking blue while ignoring the others. Blue was beating them pretty badly by that point. I got zero points.
terrible, terrible example of its kind. No innovation - slapping in a half-hearted and incomprehensible number-fiddling system doesn't even slightly count - and as of level 10 it seems that sometimes aritificial stupidity is the only way of winning.
24 is broken, broken, broken. If I had one more island, or enough ships to fend off that first attack, it might be doable, but I just can't get past it.
I liked the music, and I enjoyed the game, but ten tries later and it just isn't fun.
The addition of a 'START' button would be an idea, too. Moving first, or hitting the start button, would start the level.
24 Was very difficult.
I took the top of the two untaken islands. Then let the other two players fight for my base (it has no regen points so who cares).
Then I waited until a player sent off some troops, and I took their island.
Level 25, though, seems rigged as well. I had an island with over 700 units! Oh well.
Cool game overall.
Half the levels were obvious copies of Tentacle Wars. Not very good game IMO.
@dimzi That strategy doesn't seem to work for me. I can take one of the two untaken islands. Have to send two groups of units to it. The first group gets the island down to 1, the second group captures it. However, when the opponents see the island going down to 1, all of them send a superior fleet towards it. :(
So. i send out an attack force of 55% of my islands 18 toons. They take an island. Which instantly gets taken by green, and simultaneously my main island gets captured by 138 purples.
138.
Methinks that last level needs some work.
Here's what I did for the last two levels;
Level 24, started by taking enemy island next to island. Waited for starting island pop to drop, then retook, then took remaining islands one by one in S formation.
Level 25, took over empty island with one troop batch, waited to regain pop while no one attacked, then took over remaining bottom islands, top two islands and 0 pop island last to be taken.
Level 24 is actually very easy.
1. Send planes as fast as you can to the island on your left. You have to conquer it before a large ship attacks your initial base.
2. The big ship will capture your initial island. Wait for other teams to attack it. When the count is low, attack your initial island. You'll have automatically 100 troups.
From there, it's pretty easy. Conquer the chain if islands on your left, then use them to attack the larger islands.
I've done it 4 times in a row, and won each time.
Jonathan's strategy works for 24, but I still have a problem with it: that's the only strategy that works for 24. I don't like strategy games that require you to find a certain trick. Strategy games should be about outwitting your opponent, not the level, IMO.
Well, I suppose the solution for level 24 could be considered a strategic one. It's just that there's nothing in the levels before it that prepare you for it. Levels 1 through 23 are so casual, I figured I was just a bit older than the intended audience.
Also, some of the game mechanics that you need to exploit to win level 24 go unexplained. The island that you leave has 0 income for other players, but 4 income for yourself. Huh?
I barely managed to beat 24. I had to buy the income boost from the shop to beat it. The only way to beat it otherwise is luck.
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