Ota2xta

This page is currently being updated.

This page is an introduction for OTA players to the XTA mod for the first time.

But does work as well for new and regulars from other mods.

The Energy build tree

- Arm energy build*tree

- Core energy build-tree

In few words, for OTA players, Do not start with the Heavy Fusion Reactor, use the Light Fusion -> Cloakable Fusions ->Heavy Fusion building path instead.

The XTA Energy tree differs from the OTA one in a few ways.

In short, several buildings and mobile units have been added "in between" the basic energy sources like solarpanels/windgenerators, and the more advanced Fusion power plant.

---

Energy producing buildings and mobile units

The early Energy structures

The three basic Energy supplies have remained the same; Wind, Tidal and Solar power. However there are some differences:

The Solar Collector

• This no longer requires Energy to be constructed

Advantages:

• Is heavily armoured compared to its Wind counterpart
• Produces a stable economy giving +20 Energy no matter the map
• Does not chain explode meaning many can be placed safely in close proximity

Disadvantages:

• It is rather expensive in metal, 3x times the cost of a Wind Generator

Tips:

• Offers a quick solution for energy stall at mid Metal cost (145 Metal)
• Can be used as a barricade to protect Metal Extractors etc. from raids

Wind Generator

Advantages:

• Due to low metal cost, can be easily spammed
• Can be highly efficent depending on map

Disadvantages:

• Costs Energy meaning at times of Energy shortage difficult to build
• Is not stable meaning on some maps, at times make produce miminal Energy
• Easily killed and chain explodes if made near other Wind Generators

Tips:

• Best kept as far from front line as possible
• Use spacing when placing Wind Generators to avoid chain explosions

Tidal Generators

• There is an Underwater version available from a Construction Sub.

Advantages:

• Stable economy similar to Solar Collector however is map dependant.
• Underwater possibility allows for unknown Energy bases.
• Can be hard to destroy due to sea nature
• Only early water Energy source
• Does not cost a lot of Metal or Energy meaning it can be efficent

Disadvantages:

• Only available in Sea
• Some maps give low Tidal
• Chain explodes to an extent, but not as much as Wind Generators
• Not heavily armoured

Tips:

• Similar to Wind Generators, avoid conflict
• If Tidal is high and map has water, can be constructed and safe

Energy storage

• The cost has been increased, but the Storage capacity is now 30k and 32k for Underwater Storage
• This allows for easier economy management

Tips:

• Combine with Wind Generator farms in windy maps for better results
• If you intend on using your Commander it is heavily advised you build one
• Self Destruct is powerful and can be used in case of raid

---

Advanced Energy structures

At Tech Two, XTA introduces the major changes and advantages compared to OTA.

To start with, there is a "midway" Fusion energy plant.

The Light Fusions

• Both Core and Arm have their own versions of the lightest Fusion
• They provide the start up for an Advanced Economy
• Good for powering one Moho Metal Extractor

Core Light Fusion Power Plant

Advantages:

• Can be built by any Land or Air Advanced Construction unit
• Produces a stable Energy output for early Tech

Disadvantages:

• It is not as efficent as its later counterparts
• Is not mobile

Tips:

• Use when you are constructing your first or second Moho Metal Extractor
• Like all Fusions, has high Self Destuct radius and can be used as bomb

Arm Light Mobile Fusion

• Arm do not get a structure but rather a unit
• This is built in the Advanced Vehicle Factory
• Gives roughly enough to power a Moho Metal Extractor

Advantages:

• Costs half of the energy cost of a core Lightfusion.
• Costs around half of the build*time cost of a core Lightfusion.
• It can be moved away from danager
• Is more efficent than Core counterpart

Disadvantages:

• Gives less energy (260) than Core counterpart
• Cannot be built with Kbots or Air
• Uses Vehicle Factory preventing its use during that time for combat units

Tips:

• Use when you are constructing your first or second Moho Metal Extractor
• Like all Fusions, has high Self Destuct radius and can be used as bomb, however due to mobilty can be directed at enemy
• Best to get a small combat force out before using

Light Carriers

• Both factions have these
• Only available in Advanced Shipyards
• Mobile like Arm's Mobile Fusion
• Gives roughly enough for Moho Extractor
• Also gives Advanced Radar and repairs planes
• Costs around 2,000 Metal and gives 370 Energy
• Takes 45 Energy to use Radar

Here is a reference for stats delta between Arm and Core minis.

Another interesting historical comparative view both light fusions.

Cloakable Fusions

• The Cloakable Fusions are best comparable to the OTA Heavy Fusions
• They have the possibility to both Cloak and Stealth (radar and LoS):

   * Arm takes 125 Energy to Cloak
   * Core takes 150 Energy to Cloak
   * Arm takes 500 Energy to Stealth (625 for Cloak and Stealth)
   * Core takes 550 Energy to Stealth (725 for Cloak and Stealth) 

• They give 800 Energy allowing for multiple Moho Extractors to run
• You should always Cloak to avoid detection
• Can be used as "suprise bomb" with Cloaking and Self Destruct

Heavy Fusion

• This is the last Fusion available and gives 3500 Energy
• Is the most efficent Energy source
• Is more expensive than OTA Fusions
• Creates huge explosion, potentially base crippling if destroyed
• Is a target for Bombers due to being unable to Cloak

Here is a comparative view of the Cloakable and Heavy fusions.

Underwater Fusion

• This is built only by Underwater Construction Submarines
• Gives slightly more Energy than Cloakable Fusion but costs more
• Only static Advanced Energy supply

---

Note

This is an attempt to explain:

• You must not build a Heavy Fusion power plant in XTA, like you used in OTA. Use a Cloakable Fusion for that purpose.

• There are several new power sources that fill the gap between 20 and 1000 E output OTA had.

• The Moho Metal extractors take 300 energy to work (extract metal) so don't build them if you don't have the energy, or will stall your hole production.

Power consumption/costs

The first thing you need to know, is, Moho Metal Extractors use 300 of energy to work.

This can be justified, because of metal is a quantitative scarce resource, and a moho metal extractor, effectively quintuples the extraction rate, such marvel must come at a cost. In this case the cost, apart of the unit and tech level itself, is the need of much more power to function.

The increase in the energy use is slightly higher than x^5, with x = energy drain of level 1 metal extractor.

Units that need lots of energy to fire

Units in this list demand you keep an eye on your energy tab for using. Its recommended to get an energy storage with them, but most of them are t2, so you probably have storage by that point, if you are not rushing.

• Commanders

Disintegration gun, requires 350 in storage for using it.

• Arm Sniper

Taking down laser towers and sniping important units costs 1000 energy per shot.

2260 damage per shot. Build an energy storage.

• Arm Raven

900 energy per shot. This means you need storage for sieging properly, as its not usual you have 80% of the energy tank full.

This unit does around 2400 dps, but scattered/random non focusable damage.

At times it seems its not worth its cost (half a golliat).

Used properly, and covered, it will demolish any base, specially if you have 2.

• Arm Millenium

The arm flagship, is now described as an "artillery" battle ship. 1000 e per shot.

• Arm Annihilator

4000 energy per shot for this massive laser weapon.

• Core artillery

High damage per shot, bertha class shell, 750 energy per shot. Slow moving unit.

• Core Warlord

The core flagship, needs 1200 energy to fire its main gun (400 energy per second). The secondary lasers drains 200 energy per shot(200 energy per second).

• Core Goliath

High damage shell, uses 800 energy per shot.

• Core Krogoth

Needs 2000 energy to fire its blue laser from the head.

Other units with high energy drain

In general, many other units need a good ammount of energy to work continiously. Even when they dont require lots of energy to fire one shot, these units have high energy consumption, many times more than those big burst weapons.

• Core Sumo

The heavy laser that it bears uses 192 energy per shot (274 per second).

• Arm Luger

It used to cost nothing to fire this beautiful unit. Now with tweaked numbers, maintaining this thing firing costs MORE energy than a core artillery does, core arty uses 112 energy per second, luger uses 143 energy per second.

Basic xta description for ota players

All level 1 units are worth building:

• Stumpies and Hammers are decent anti*MT choices.
• Jeffies are very dangerous, but they do cost nearly 200 metal.
• There is a level 1 gunship now.
• Freedom Fighters and Avengers have been given their sorely needed boost.

All level 2 units are worth building:

• Sumos have tons of armor, huge range, rapid fire rate and move at medium speed.
• Their 2.1k metal cost is well worth the unit you get in exchange.
• Goliaths are horrifying weapons: 23k armor (66% as much as an OTA Krogoth), missile*alike range, BB*class shell.
• But they don't quite come for free: 2.8k metal.
• Mavericks build much faster.
• Flakkers fire at ground targets, and their antiair potential has been improved.
• Warlords and Leviathans were massively boosted in terms of armor and firepower.
• Krogoths are totally krazy, man.

Nearly all defenses were revamped:

• MTs are nearly unchanged, except they are smaller so that you can fit more of them into the same space.
• LLTs have the range and power to be worth building.
• HLTs are a bit costly, but they can reach further than missiles.
• An excellent early creep weapon.
• Ambusher/Toaster are now buidable by level 1 Construction units and fulfill the same role as Guardian/Punisher in OTA.
• Guardian/Punisher are level 2 structures with much longer range, firepower and armor.
• Annihilators and Doomsday Machines have far higher range, more armor, and they don't blow up half your base when they die.
• With all the armor available in level 2 units, you will need them.
• BB has lost some accuracy, Intim lost some range. Both lost firepower but gained armor and area of effect.
• EMP/Neutron silos are short ranged, very fast building budget nukes.
• Antinuke silos build their missiles faster to accomodate for EMP/Neutron change.

Resource structures have changed less than other parts of the mod but the gameplay impact is very big:

• Metal Extractors self destruct instantly and without damaging anything around them.
• This makes upgrading to Moho Extractors less tedious.
• ARM has a Mobile Fusion, CORE has a stationary Light Fusion.
• Both cost 1500 metal and make about 300 energy: ideal to fuel your Moho economy.
• Moho Extractors are quite cheap (750 metal) and make lots of metal, but they drain 300 energy.
• You want to have at least a Geo or Mobile/Light Fusion before you build a Moho.

Cloakable Fusions have taken the place of OTA's regular ones.

• Regular Fusions now cost 10k metal. Their armor and energy production have been increased appropriately.
• This reduces the need for Fusion farms in very late game.

• Mine layers have several types of mines that are worth building and move faster.
• Energy and Metal Storage stores a lot more.
• Missile frigates have got firepower and hitpoints suitable for their cost.
• Mobile artillery and lugers are not inaccurate.
• Decoy commanders build as fast as real commanders.
• The build range on all con units has been increased.