Art of Conquest: Game of Phones

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Coq au Nandos: Nov 7, 2006; I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... A shitpost is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.

Art of Conquest is a free to play MMO-ish, Clash of Clans-ish, Heroes of Might and Mana 3-ish, mobile game.

The game has three parts - a base-building mode set in your home town, a world map in which five kingdoms fight over territory, and a battle mode in which you position generals and hoards of troops that is way more fun and satisfying than a free to play mobile game has any right to be.

We're establishing a goon presence in the game. Goons are active on Dunekirk, one of the newer servers. Please note that to play with us on the server, you MUST select the Kingdom of Athaly (the blue one). If you pick a different kingdom, we will have to fight you.

The goon guild is creatively named Art of Goonquest (if you can suggest a better name, let us know). It's currently full, so we may need to create a second goon guild.

--Playing the Game--

Art of Conquest consists of a lot of short term tasks (training troops, expanding your city, killing bosses, winning battles) while working towards longer term goals (total Goon domination of the Dunekirk server).

Here's a few things that you should be doing when you can as a new player:

- Beating dungeons: Areas on the map like mines and ruins are full of reasonably challenging AI armies and reset on a 12 hour timer. It's a good idea to run through as many as you can before your generals run out of stamina (the game doesn't tell you about that limit, but it's there). This will level up your generals, which will make you more powerful.
- Collecting resources: The game will highlight resource nodes within your kingdom's borders when they're ready to give you stuff like gold, wood and potions. Ride to them and you'll be given the option to send home a cart full of stuff. Other players can steal from this cart sometimes, but if you're doing it within your own borders you'll usually be OK.
- Stealing resources: On the other hand, carts sent by players in other kingdoms are absolutely fair game. The game should highlight these as red cart icons on your map, so if you can get them before they reach their destination, you can steal resources. You don't even need to fight!
- Killing world bosses: Dotted around the map are powerful and giant enemies for you to fight and kill. When you're strong enough to beat them, you'll get access to a heap of money, items and maybe even some other cool stuff. Do this!

Here is a video of Touch Arcade trying out the game, to give you an idea of what it's all about :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmIcY3rXNuc

And here are some posts about the game from the iOS Games Thread before we got kicked out for being too cool:

Coq au Nandos posted:

Art of Conquest seems like a better version of Clash of Clans? I'm not super across the PvP elements yet but there's a solid feeling battle mode.

Coq au Nandos posted:

A few more days into Art of Conquest and it's legit great.

Battles are real time with a pause beforehand to set up your troops on a grid. There are active powers you can trigger to cause effects on the field, like healing or AOE attacks or even creating a giant ice wall. In the above shot, I'm setting up a disproportionately large army to fight some dwarves.

There's also a world map layer, where five kingdoms (factions) comprised of a number of guilds (guilds, clans, etc) occupy, attack and defend cities, which in turn control the allegiance of the surrounding territory. The game's so popular already that they've got something like 25 different servers running.

webmeister posted:

Yeah I've been enjoying it as well. It's a note-for-note copy of HoMM3, with microtransactions added, but it's fairly well done so far.

HerStuddMuffin posted:

Art of Conquest is a fun game. We should pick a server and a color and have a goon guild.

HerStuddMuffin posted:

Dunekirk server, kingdom of Athaly (light blue) it is. For those who wish to join, here are some things you should know:
There are three main heroes to choose from, Ice witch, gladiator, or knight.
Ice witch has some very strong AoE spells and can eventually learn to cast them several times per battle, dealing massive damage around her. Unfortunately that means she guzzles down mana like it's water and will routinely run out.
Gladiator is a strong tank with good survivability and an AoE skill that leaves him exposed. His last skill hamstrings him as much as it helps him though, and he's outclassed as a tank by the paladin you'll get later.
Knight can eventually learn to command three troops instead of two, which is a really strong ability.

If you pick witch first you'll recruit gladiator at the very beginning, but never get knight unless you buy it with The other first choices form a circular permutation of this setup, so choose your hero based on which one you do NOT care for. I'd start with knight if I could, which leads me to my next point:
You can't start over. Ever. Your choice of first character is final and applied to every server you decide to join. Choose carefully.
When you choose a server you have to choose a kingdom, that's your faction. You can choose a different one on each server, but you cannot change it. Ever. So if you join Dunekirk, pick Athaly (light blue) to play with goons.

Guilds work like this: there are cities all over the map, which are defended by inactive AI castles until players raze them all. Once a city is empty, anyone who resides in the starting town of their faction can claim that city for themselves, in which case they become the lord of that city and the leader of a new guild. To enter the guild, players have to then move to the city. It's actually the other way around, you join the guild first, then move in. But whatever. Obviously, city lord positions are in high demand, and it often happens that people will try to ninja cities, either from another faction that did the work of sapping the defenses, or even from another guild of their own faction.

I'm gonna stop the wall of text here, this isn't the thread for it, but if someone wants to create one feel free to c/p it and modify to suit your needs.

cage-free egghead posted:

Applied to Art of Goonquest as cagehead

Edit:

Someone in chat posted codes to get a ton of resources.

ty6n98pzgb
tywcbw8mwj
tyuqms9k4n
tyz4p72nw8

In the account settings there is a redeem option

Ludo Friend posted:

tyrsvh2gwe

Is another 2-3k of each material.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 10:11

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 07:36

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

Thanks Coq. :allears:

The stamina system is a little bit meh and leads finally to a casual waiting game.
But it is a fun game, I like the art, sound and the action. Let's Goonquest!

# ? Jun 21, 2017 10:30

HerStuddMuffin: Aug 10, 2014; YOSPOS

A word of advice: Do not hesitate to pick fights within our borders. even people who are up to 5k higher than you will usually run when challenged, and for good reason: on your home turf, your losses go to infirmary (except undead and mechanical stuff, don't field those if you don't want to lose them unless you know what you're doing), while 30% of their losses will be outright killed. That means they have to recruit new ones, and that costs gold and, for silver tier onward, special resources. Even if you lose, unless you lose badly, they will end up paying more in time and resources to get themselves back up than you did.

Build the academy and research silver units. They are more than twice as strong as their bronze counterparts. If you want to specialize in hunting pubbies, and who wouldn't, know that your combat rating includes every unit in your army, even those you couldn't possibly field from lack of heroes / space on the field, those on your walls, the walls themselves, and so on. If you keep your army streamlined you can trick enemies into accepting or even provoking fights they think will be easy and handing out their rear end to them.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you pack your walls and your army inventory you can make yourself look bigger than you are, and then push people around. Careful with that though, have at least a decent setup so you can back up your threats.

Always do the special places on the map, and try to get them without using the garbage heroes you don't want to level because they suck. (I'm looking at you, Vega.) They're worth a lot of XP for the stamina, much more than the one time encounters on the map.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 10:58

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

Attacking enemY pubbies on homeland is great. Even if they flee they lose 1 stamina :bigtran:

# ? Jun 21, 2017 11:25

VelociBacon: Dec 8, 2009

What should I research first? I'm a dwarf.

e: Is there no way to play this on your iPad and iPhone at the same time and have it sync?

VelociBacon fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Jun 21, 2017

# ? Jun 21, 2017 11:56

Coq au Nandos: Nov 7, 2006; I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... A shitpost is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.

VelociBacon posted:

What should I research first? I'm a dwarf.

e: Is there no way to play this on your iPad and iPhone at the same time and have it sync?

The button that I think enables syncing gives you a 'coming soon!' pop up when you hit it. Game's only just come out, so I can accept some minor QOL issues.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 12:41

Piggy Smalls: Jun 21, 2015; BOSS MAKES A DOLLAR,
YOU MAKE A DIME,
I'LL LICK HIS BOOT TILL THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS SHINE.

Guild: Same server as other SA guild but different kingdom

Location:Skarn Dunkirk.
Name: SAGoon Hivemind

Can't move my characters kingdom so will stay on this kingdom.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 14:20

Solkanar512: Dec 28, 2006; by the sex ghost

So what are the relative strengths/weaknesses of each race? I see options for Human, Lich and Dwarf.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 14:27

Piggy Smalls: Jun 21, 2015; BOSS MAKES A DOLLAR,
YOU MAKE A DIME,
I'LL LICK HIS BOOT TILL THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS SHINE.

Solkanar512 posted:

So what are the relative strengths/weaknesses of each race? I see options for Human, Lich and Dwarf.

My understanding is the types of troops. From the description it says that the troops will be converted. Dwarves I think are like guns and tanks etc and lich is low cost troops that can be sent out in massive numbers to over run the enemy

# ? Jun 21, 2017 14:39

VelociBacon: Dec 8, 2009

Solkanar512 posted:

So what are the relative strengths/weaknesses of each race? I see options for Human, Lich and Dwarf.

So my basic understanding right now is that humans are the middle ground, lich use a lot of weak units, dwarves use stronger units that are fewer in number.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 15:08

Slash: Apr 7, 2011

VelociBacon posted:

So my basic understanding right now is that humans are the middle ground, lich use a lot of weak units, dwarves use stronger units that are fewer in number.

Which is the best? There's bound to be one overpowered race which will need nerfing.

Also, Can you post in here when a spot opens up in the first goon guild.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 15:34

remeez: Jan 10, 2007

What is the deal with "Rush", do I only have a certain amount? Where can I see it?

# ? Jun 21, 2017 15:41

Piggy Smalls: Jun 21, 2015; BOSS MAKES A DOLLAR,
YOU MAKE A DIME,
I'LL LICK HIS BOOT TILL THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS SHINE.

remeez posted:

What is the deal with "Rush", do I only have a certain amount? Where can I see it?

The resource Tech Rush allows you to skim off time from your research or building. You can see it from the drop down menu at the top of your screen (little blue flask).

# ? Jun 21, 2017 15:53

Ludo Friend: Aug 2, 2012

Got to say, I've found the swordsman and the cavalry really underwhelming for humans.

Spearman and archers really pull their weight though!

# ? Jun 21, 2017 18:46

Roshambo: Jan 18, 2010

I started a new guild on the main server titled "Goon Squad". Anyone who didn't make it into the first guild is free to join.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 20:02

webmeister: Jan 31, 2007; The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.

Ludo Friend posted:

Got to say, I've found the swordsman and the cavalry really underwhelming for humans.

Spearman and archers really pull their weight though!

Cavalry are great for their charge ability, just don't send them charging at spearmen or towers

# ? Jun 21, 2017 22:01

Ineptitude: Mar 2, 2010; Heed my words and become a master of the Heart _{(of Thorns)}.

Applied to Goon Squad as Inept_SA

# ? Jun 21, 2017 22:05

Ludo Friend: Aug 2, 2012

webmeister posted:

Cavalry are great for their charge ability, just don't send them charging at spearmen or towers

After the original charge they seem to get pretty beaten up by any other units around.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 22:08

studio mujahideen: May 3, 2005

Here's a dwarf secret: the riflemen are nothing compared to the blasters. Those dudes clean house.

# ? Jun 21, 2017 22:08

Coq au Nandos: Nov 7, 2006; I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... A shitpost is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.

So, here's the map as I can see it at Level 9:

Right now it seems like the guild's still building up strength, which is a good thing. I'm worried about the big push Yellow are making into our kingdom - I think if we are going to strike at other players, they're my preference. Sunglade and Brightworth seem like good targets.

For now, keep an eye on Kingdom chat - if they start organising an offence or defence, get on board and ninja a city if you can.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 00:29

TraderStav: May 19, 2006; It feels like I was standing my entire life and I just sat down

Joined Good Squad as mactraderSA because somehow TraderStav is offensive. Is my post history available to them??

# ? Jun 22, 2017 04:26

Coq au Nandos: Nov 7, 2006; I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... A shitpost is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.

TraderStav posted:

Joined Good Squad as mactraderSA because somehow TraderStav is offensive. Is my post history available to them??

I love that your name is offensive while BiggusDickus isn't.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 04:28

Virtue: Jan 7, 2009

Any reason not to switch races asap?

# ? Jun 22, 2017 04:29

Snowmankilla: Dec 6, 2000; True, true

Virtue posted:

Any reason not to switch races asap?

I want to be litch and we can't get a city. :colbert:

# ? Jun 22, 2017 04:36

Coq au Nandos: Nov 7, 2006; I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... A shitpost is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.

Snowmankilla posted:

I want to be litch and we can't get a city.

That's kind of annoying - rank upgrades are gated behind moving city, but to do that you need to join a guild. It kind of discourages new guild formation?

# ? Jun 22, 2017 05:04

Antilles: Feb 22, 2008

Roshambo posted:

I started a new guild on the main server titled "Goon Squad". Anyone who didn't make it into the first guild is free to join.

Applied to Goon Squad, same name in-game

# ? Jun 22, 2017 05:34

Dogo: Sep 24, 2007

Applied to Goon Squad as Dogo

# ? Jun 22, 2017 06:34

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

Coq au Nandos posted:

That's kind of annoying - rank upgrades are gated behind moving city, but to do that you need to join a guild. It kind of discourages new guild formation?

By moving the City I leave AoG ? That's stupid

# ? Jun 22, 2017 07:41

Ineptitude: Mar 2, 2010; Heed my words and become a master of the Heart _{(of Thorns)}.

Isn't the idea that your guild conquers a city, then ya'll move into said city?

Its a bit lame the ranks are limited so early, you cannot even get siege engines without having conquered a city once, quite the catch 22.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 08:41

retro sexual: Mar 14, 2005

applied to Goon Squad as Colm

# ? Jun 22, 2017 09:03

Coq au Nandos: Nov 7, 2006; I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... A shitpost is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.

Ineptitude posted:

Isn't the idea that your guild conquers a city, then ya'll move into said city?

Its a bit lame the ranks are limited so early, you cannot even get siege engines without having conquered a city once, quite the catch 22.

Yup. We're on track to conquer something soonish with the way we're all grinding power but there's no guarantees. You do unlock catapaults without a city when you hit level 9, so there's that.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 09:04

Thinking: Jan 22, 2009

Applied to Goon Squad as sreegs, game is fun

# ? Jun 22, 2017 10:05

Hailfire: Sep 11, 2011

Applied to Goon Squad as Hailfire, going all mechs with my boys the Dwarves.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 11:34

Gentleman Baller: Oct 13, 2013

Applied to Goon Squad as Ytterbite. The in battle segments are nothing like Heroes of Might and Magic, but somehow its scratching that itch hard.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 11:49

Ineptitude: Mar 2, 2010; Heed my words and become a master of the Heart _{(of Thorns)}.

Colm, sreegs, Hailfire and Ytterbite have been merged into the hivemind.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 12:16

Setset: Apr 14, 2012; Grimey Drawer

Few questions:
What is Linari good for? the only thing I see you can do with it is open chests

~~Do we only permanently lose units outside of Athaly? Recently started losing some and that's the only reason I can think of~~ yes

Is there a wiki to tell me what these Hero abilities do at higher levels

It's probably better to focus on tech rather than spread it out?

Setset fucked around with this message at 12:36 on Jun 22, 2017

# ? Jun 22, 2017 12:19

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

Holy poo poo, Catapults are a gamechanger in PVE as well. I did not beat Chromius with 17k overall attack, tried 4 or 5 times and timed out, but with 17k overall and 2 catapults, I beat him and his spawns and had 30 secs left.

# ? Jun 22, 2017 13:03

porktree: Mar 23, 2002; You just fucked with the wrong Mexican.

Applied to Goon Squad, as duh, Porktree.

edit: Oh, hey, changing Realms resets all your resources, and if you spent a buck on the patron pack it's gone as well. I kind of expected my castle to go back to level 1, but thought I'd be able to keep all my gems and potions. Oh well, no big deal.

porktree fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Jun 22, 2017

# ? Jun 22, 2017 17:10

Virtue: Jan 7, 2009

Is there a list somewhere of good units and heros vs those to avoid?

# ? Jun 22, 2017 19:40

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 07:36

Virtue: Jan 7, 2009

Is there a trick to getting my music to play over the game audio?

# ? Jun 22, 2017 19:57

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