Part 6: Ara

Chapter 6: Ara


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQJf4StyJjE






Ara begins the second leg of the journey. Amidst the speculation and blather here, we discover that there will be a new toy to play with. Amazing that they know what it does before even acquiring it.




The gloves will start coming off a bit now. Only three emitters, but the Creeper has the high ground and Odin City is on low terrain. We've got blocks to protect us, but they won't last long. As a test, I did nothing and just waited to see how long it would take for our home and hope to be destroyed. As the Creeper began entering the city, a beeping warning sounded annoyingly. Once it had been mostly engulfed, Odin City exploded with large red rings emanating from where it had been. This took 5 minutes and 12 seconds. So we've got time, but it's not unlimited.




Takes a little over a minute to cover the area inside the blocks with collectors. That's a rather obvious thing to do, and the creeper has already begun to attack them. Getting a couple blasters up in case it breaks through takes time, but seems a sensible precaution.




I branch out in both directions, swinging around to gain possession of the ridges, and build a couple of storage cells. Meanwhile, the creeper is beginning to break through. I think those two blasters may need help soon.




The reason these are so important is that Odin City sends out packets when there's a need for it(weapons low on ammo, construction ongoing, etc.). If there's no need, nothing goes out. Distant weapons, for example, can run out of ammo before replacements can reach them. Building a few of these is quite useful, and I do so as soon as they are acquired. Once I've got a couple blasters on the ridges in secure positions, I move the other two forward beyond the blocks, expand the territory for our collectors behind them, and start to work on pushing back against the Creeper.




Much of our fortifications are gone, but I'm able to gradually move forward and central. Here, an equilibrium of sorts has been established. I've got control of about half the map and a sound, spaced-out blaster defense. It's actually a little better than even as I'm pushing the enemy back, but only gradually.

Next, I lose a pair of collectors with an ill-advised push forwards. More firepower is needed.




With six blasters now in position, I add a couple more, having moved forward to the base of the not-really-a-pyramid. Now it gets interesting, as I must fight my way upwards. This kind of thing is easy to screw up, as I demonstrate shortly.




One blaster is destroyed, then a second in this counterrattack in the middle by the Creeper. I seem paralyzed, just sort of staring at the goings-on and not really sure what to do. Some decisive Commander I am. ...

After regaining my bearings, I gradually pushed forward again, taking small bits of space at a time and slowly filling in the territory gained with new blasters. After a while I'm able to start pushing my way up the 'steps'. The rest of the battle would be more of the same; mostly slow progress, some mistakes that result in lost territory temporarily. But eventually I reached the top, and Odin City escaped once again.




As you can see, it took a long time to regain territory from the creeper. A lot of that was the slow push upwards to claim the high ground. Once there, I was finally able to seize control of the situation.