Resources

On its most basic level, TASpring revolves around two fundamental interactions: Strategy, or macromanaging, wherein global or large-scale decisions are made, and Tactics, or micromanaging, wherein localized or small-scale decisions are made. This Tutorial will address Resource Strategy in some depth under the headings of its basic components.

A Note on Efficiency

From the start of a match until the end, it is incumbent upon every player to expand, both in terms of territory controlled, and in terms of resources, which often go hand in hand. Most players begin with several Windmills or Solar Generators, expand with their first few mexs (metal extractors), and then build their first factory. Some never expand very far beyond this point, which is to say that if they don't lose directly, they damage their teams' capacities to compete. Do this, and people will call you "n00b" and poop in your lunch box.

Resource versus Military Spending

Expansion, which begins with a Commander, quickly spreads to include mobiles (units which move) and statics (units which don't move) of many types. Key to victory is knowing which units to build and in what order. Creating builder units, which in turn can create resources, is an exponential process (one that rapidly grows in size), and should remain so until the match ends. Each military unit built is a one time deduction from the exponential pool. For example, say that you build your first factory, and that the first unit produced is a military unit - a Flash tank. Not only does this action consume resources that could be spent on resource generating structures, it delays the construction of units that could build resource generating structures - you lose time, metal and energy.

For a comparative analogy, assume that the world's population is 1,000,000 people. Also assume that the growth rate (rate at which the size expands) of the population is 0.5%. This will represent 100% economic spending - aka resource expansion. As such, not only does the population of the world increase by 0.5% a year off of the base of 1,000,000 people; it also increases by 0.5% of the 0.5% of the year before. Debts, such as credit card bills, expand the same way, only to an individual's detriment, explaining why I'm no fan of credit. =P

Now, our world growth rate would look something like the following:

2006 - 1,000,000

2007 - 1,005,000

2008 - 1,010,025

2009 - 1,015,075

In 2010, there's a war. The death rate increases, and population growth becomes 0.0% (Military unit spending becomes 100%).

2010 - 1,015,075

2011 - 1,015,075

2012 - 1,015,075

We still have our fixed population (resource income), but it ceases to increase in size. By producing military units in Spring, we damage our capacity to expand resources. If these units have no near-immediate impact upon an enemy's capacity to build resources, then we lose ground.

Now, presume that through superior military strategy and tactics, we put our increased military spending to good use - not merely for defense, which would be futile as we're no longer growing, but to attack.

The population of Australia (with which the world has gone to war).

2010 - 1,015,072

2011 - 1,012,023

2012 - 1,003,910

Through superior military strategy and tactics, our military spending has led to a comparative population gain over that of our enemies - not only stopping their population growth, but also leading to a loss. Then again, you haven't read Strategy, part 2 or Tactics yet, so this will never happen. It's much more likely that you'll find some stupid, n00b way to lose the units that you've built, and Autralia will continue its happy rise to world domination. For the present, keep in mind that resource spending is almost never 100% on economy or 100% on military. The ratio varies in accordance with need, but a generally healthy ratio is 60% Economic Spending / 40% Military Spending. Every rule has its exceptions, but, all other things being equal, the stronger economy wins the match.

The Relative Efficiency of Resource Types

So, should you build mexs or metal makers? Windmills or Solars? How many, and in what order? The answer to these questions will vary from map to map, and from mod to mod, but can generally be predicted thusly: A Solar Collector costs roughly three times as much metal as a Windmill, and universally produces 20 Energy. Wind, which is variable, has both highs and lows, but can be translated into a fixed value by adding the two extremes and dividing by two.

Map: EvergreenHaven v3; Wind: 1-30. Fixed wind:~15.5. As you can build roughly three Windmills per Solar Collector, metal for metal, your Wind/Solar Ratio (Wind's calculated value/Solar's fixed 20) would be 15.5*3/20 >> 46.5/20 >> 2.325/1. On this map, Wind is optimal. Worth noting is that Wind's variable nature can lead to unused excesses and unpredictable stalls, and that build times for the two structures are similar (Windmills taking roughly 2/3 as long to build as Solars). While these deficiencies can be addressed to a degree by building a minimal number of Solars for insured income, and/or additional energy storage units (which consume resources, making these generally inefficient for small-scale use), in the case of a Wind/Solar ratio of 1/1, Solar would be the preferred choice. For an arbitrary rule, say that with a ratio of 1.2/1 (24/20) or less, build Solar. For 1.21/1 or more, build Wind.

In almost all cases, Mexs (Metal Extractors) are more efficient than Metal Makers, so, while a mix is usually optimal, the general rule is to always claim all Mex spots available to you as a greater priority than producing Metal Makers. Please note that "mex spots available to you" does not refer to the initial three or four near your Start Position, but to all unclaimed mexs. All other things being equal, all players will claim mexs in territory covering (map size/number of players). If your enemy doesn't claim all that're within their suggested territory, they're yours to claim as well. As you defeat enemies, it is of extreme importance to move forward and claim mex spots to enhance your own economy as you disable your opponent's, thereby making yourself look good.

A Note on Stalling

Don't. You should never try spending much more metal than you make at any given time unless you've stockpiled in advance, and it's dangerous to run low on Energy, as both laser weapons and D-gun require it. If you want to build two things at once, prioritize - that way, one of the things will be finished in less time. Having many builders idleing is a sign of poor planning. Having every builder building very, very slowly from a stall is boderline insulting. Given the flexible and necessary nature of Energy (which can mean the difference between a Comm killing a Krogoth and 4 Flash Tanks killing a Comm), it is highly advised to always have an excess available. In all cases with Metal Makers, use the Metal Maker AI. (Click the metal maker in question, then Click the "select AI" button then scroll down and select the "metal maker AI")

Teching Up to Expand Resource Production

One of the simplest, yet most horrifically ignored, principles of TASpring is that of knowing when to build Tech 2 factories and what to do with them once they're built. Building a level 2 facility 5 minutes after everyone else has one is a better alternative than getting one 90% of the way built with no means to defend it and losing it to an AK. Alternatively, falling badly behind in the Tech 2 race will hurt your economy in the long run, so it's important to know precisely when you're safe to build.

There are a great many variables involved in determining when it's best to tech up, most of which involve common sense, and if you're dumb enough to build a level 2 aircraft facility with no LLTs or Comms around and lose it to a Flash rush, then you're too dumb to benefit from this tutorial to begin with. As a generalized, arbitrary rule, don't start to build a level 2 facility until you have +25 Metal incoming and 800 metal in storage. Trying any earlier will hinder rather than help. Trying much later will waste time that could be spent with Moho Mexs.

Unless you have enemies knocking down your front door, the first and second units built from your tech 2 factory should be advanced builders - Ctrl group these immediately and get them moving. If enemies have knocked down your front door, make the advanced builders the third and fourth units produced. Do not apply common sense in this. If you were any good at that, you wouldn't be here to begin with, now would you?

In the case of XTA, ample level 1 energy (+300) spare (over and above what you're using) should be pre-built by this stage (Moho Mexs in XTA require 300 Energy to function). For AA and other mods, excess energy is less necessary, although in almost all maps, auto-spaced, huge box build orders for Windmills should be given to one or two level 1 builders early on. In all cases, the first item built with your advanced construction units should either be 1) a Moho Mex, followed by Moho Mexs on all other metal spots available to you, or everywhere in general on a metal map, or 2) A Radar Jammer, followed by Moho Mexs everywhere. Don't argue - just do it!

Little is more frustrating than seeing an ally actually get to level 2 and then try to build an Annihilator or Doomsday Machine without a single bloody Moho Mex to ever let the project finish. Tech level 3, save in mods such as Final Frontier, where level 3 Builders with level 3 Mexs exist, can come at any time after Moho Mexs are built, and will be further discussed in Strategy, part 2 - Military Policy.

When It's OK to Stop Expanding Your Resources

Never. It is never acceptable to stop your exponential resource growth. You're beating your enemies with what you have and victory seems certain? Keep expanding, and pound them into the ground - let up, and they might surprise you. You reach the unit limit? Self-destruct level 1 or unused units and replace them all with stronger models - 20 useless Windmills can turn into 20 Cloakable Fusion plants. It all seems like too much to handle? Use what the game offers you:

-10 Ctrl groups - use all 10; commonly, the first 4 can be reserved for advanced builder units.

-Guard to give prime builders assistants, creating a Builder Group - 4 Farks on an advanced builder more than quintuple its output while remaining easy to handle by Ctrl grouping the one advanced builder.

-Shift to queue orders.

-Alt to build on boxes.

-Mouse 4 and 5 to adjust spacing between line or box build orders, making units much harder to chain destroy.

You have now completed Strategy, part 1 - Resources.

Don't let me ever catch you building 30 Flash Tanks and a Krogoth gantry on a +20 metal, +300 Energy income again! I will pwn joo! I will pwn joo so hard that your grandma's mad chick3n soop skillz won't HoT your a$$! That is all.