12. Always Remember You Also Face Human Opponents!

It is easy to forget - or you may not have even known this - but the way that the game is structured is actually loosely based on MMO principals. What that means is that the actions of OTHER players can make themselves felt in YOUR game!

The first time you will get a clue to this is when you go to the map and you see a new island target on your map - it may say something like “Recnef” or “Germano” and it may have a higher number than you are expecting - the computer controlled spots all have 4, 5, or 6 but these odd ones say 8 and 9.

When you arrive at the location to Scout it you discover what looks very much like how YOUR base looks - even down to the building types and layout. The reason? You are looking at the base for some other player - some other real-world player!

The game includes sampled bases from other players as part of the mix - and the result of this is that you can attack and take that base, and then have them or another player do the same, with that contested island changing hands several times in a single day!

That is not to say that you can not hold it - the first player with a higher tech level and willingness to properly fortify the base is the one that will end up holding it, so you should always remember that you are also facing real-world players in the game, not just computer-controlled ones!

One thing you should always bear in mind is that human-placed defenses are always going to be harder to defeat and better planned than the ones that the game creates for NPC controlled bases. The reason for that is simple - humans are a LOT more clever!

In the case of trying to take out a well-defended, well-covered human player created base you have to rely upon superior tech levels to give you an edge.

That means you want to be sure you have upgraded your Rifleman Squads, upgraded your Gunboat, and done as much as you can to carve out at least some level of advantage - or you will end up losing.