02. Radar Installation Upgrade Strategies

This is another matter that is obvious - when you think about it - and not so obvious when you don't. And it starts with the questions (a) what is my radar for? and (b) what does it do for me?

The simple answer to (a) is that your radar is the power that extends your ability to act beyond your nose! Seriously - with the Radar at Levels 1 and 2 you can only see - and act - in your relative immediate area around your base.

The more you upgrade it, the farther you can see - and act - and that means the more opportunity you have to make money, XP and advancement.

There are all sorts of brake-issues built into the game. For example you cannot upgrade your HQ to Level 5 until you get your character to Level 9.

The best way to get your character to Level 9 is to have you some combat expeditions - and the best way to do THAT is to be able to SEE the islands where the enemy is dug in so you can attack them! How do you do that? Well that is the answer to (b) what does my radar do for me?

When you look at the map the answer to this question is very obvious - your radar increases the distance by which you can attack and therefore it also increases your abilities to earn, obtain XP, and advance! It is, therefore, among the most important elements in the game.

Beyond that though it also buys you something you likely never considered it to be able to do: Time.

Ordinarily the process of gathering resources is a trade-off of time.

When your character has reached Level 7 and your base has a Level 4 HQ, Level 1 Armory (with Level 2 Rifleman at least), three houses, 2 Sniper Towers, a Machine-gun Nest, Mortar, Level 3 Sawmill, Wood Storage, Level 3 Radar, a Vault and Level 2 Gold Storage, and at a bare minimum your Level 3 Gunboat and a trio (3) of Level 2 Landing Craft, what you have is the basic beginnings of a force to be reckoned with!

But what does all that really mean?

With the above basic elements in place you have capacity and reach. In terms of capacity, you can amass the following:

• Hourly Gold Production: 780 Units*

• Hourly Wood Production: 360 Units

• Gold Capacity: 14,000 Gold (of which 3,721 is fully protected)

• Wood Capacity: 8,000 Wood (of which 2124 is fully protected)

In terms of Reach you have the following capabilities:

Gunboat Energy = 16 Units

Landing Craft Troops = 6 Units each (Total = 18 Level 2 Troop Units)

That is the sum total of your “Iron Fist” at this level. In terms of per-man-unit fighting strength, having created a base that has the ability to defend itself against pretty much any attack you are likely to face at the present state of the game, what does it mean in terms of offensive capabilities?

A Level 2 Rifleman is a trained infantry soldier. About the equal to a US Marine who has completed Boot Camp basically. That gives them - individually - the following characteristics:

Range = Medium

Movement Speed = Moderate

Damage Per-Second = 32

Unit Size = 1

Health = 150

Training Cost = 50 Gold Coin

Training Time = 1m

Now compare those numbers to the stats for a Level 1 Rifleman:

Range = Medium

Movement Speed = Moderate

Damage Per-Second = 30

Unit Size = 1

Health = 140

Training Cost = 20 Gold Coin

Training Time = 1m

Those numbers translate to a simple story: If you lose a unit and need to replace them once you have returned to your base and the landing craft is tied to the docks, you will need to spend 50 Gold Coins to replace ONE unit. It will take 1 full minute in time. That unit will have 150 Hitpoints, and be capable of dealing out 32 points of damage per second in combat.

Each Landing Craft (at the level ours are in the case above) is able to hold a six (6) unit Rifleman Squad. That Squad can deal 192 points of damage per second, and soak up a total of 900 points of damage. Those are not bad numbers, but better would be, well, better.

With each upgrade more of the map becomes available - though it is obscured by the “Fog of War” or, in our case, clouds. To remove the clouds and expose the enemy positions, we must spend money in the form of Gold Coins.

Each block of Gold we spend reveals a set sector on the map. Inside that sector we may find from 1 to 4 enemy units/bases depending on the size of the sector paid to reveal.

Each of those enemy bases / units can potentially reward us - upon their capture or destruction - with Gold, Wood, Stone, Iron, XP, and more. All we have to do is win. Well, win, and try to take as light a casualty list as possible...