Story Time!
I just played a 2v2 match on a 20x20 map, Setton's Clutch, Annihilation. Me (Cybran), Ally (UEF), Center Opponent (UEF), Back Opponent (Aeon)
I scouted a bit and immediately charged down the middle and went for a quick rush since my Center Opponent wasn't expanding down the middle. Taking the entire land bridge was a coup and I quickly teched up to T2 while maintaining cheap T1 pressure (entirely purposed to waste the Center Opponent's time building defenses, I didn't expect it to succeed)
Unfortunately, they were used to playing +4 speed while I'm used to Normal speed (I'd say that there's more than enough to do clicking non-stop at Normal Speed, much less +4). We had compromised on +3. My T1 and then T2 units were doing a little damage to his initial base which has since been buttressed by units from his ally, Back Opponent, who had all the time in the world to sit back and build up. He also had an auto-rebuild thing set up. I didn't care much since T1 units were super cheap and the point was to waste his resources and time building said defenses. He got the better deal in terms of resources wasted, but I had greater expansion as a result and came out ahead.
I've made a severe mistake at this point which almost cost me the game. I had my T1 LandFabs in my core base and the T2/T3 LandFabs in the land bridge. The reasoning was that I'd get units up the front line quicker. The flaw in the idea was that this was a 2v2 match.
I had a T2 navy already and was teching up my AirFabs. But the unharrassed guy in the back had been building a T3 artillery... which started raining shells on the land bridge (later I found that since he didn't scout properly, he didn't fire into my main base because his Omni Radar's range was short, lucky me). At the same time, the opponent I've been hounding had built up a mess of T2 gunships. Not good, this is what I get for neglecting to scout properly and now I could REALLY use some backup. How did he manage to build so many even while I was harrassing him? (he had a secondary base and didn't build naval)
My Ally came through... sort of. He had a mess of T2 units marching up the land bridge, but they were being torn up by the gunships (why was there not AA?). He also had a Fatboy and T3 Battleship (is this what you've been wasting your time on?). Luckily Center Opponent decided to waste time blowing these guys up instead of rushing my core base. Meanwhile, ever since I've glimpsed the gunships, I've started rushing building T1 AA units and as well as moving my fleet of T2 ship back from bombardment to defense. It turned out to be just barely enough to hold back the gunships. Back Opponent also sent a group of T3 units at this point. It was the combined effort of the single Battleship, my swarm of Walking Cruisers, and my rushed T1 units (to slow them down), that staved them off.
It was at this point where the final mistake was made and the results of the game was decided. Having learned my lesson, I resumed scouting and finally had the time to build an Omni. No time to properly set up T3 reactors and mass fabricators with shields; I sprinkle them around to avoid a chain explosion with T3 AA and hope for the best. I've also set up a Quantum Gate in the meantime just in case
I've been upgrading my ACU after noticing the minimal number of Omni Radars being constructed. Also starting to mass produce T3 Engineers and T3 Bombers
And thus stealth wins the day
I blitzed Center Opponent's base with a small squadron of Revenant and found his ACU =). He almost got away (must've been stealthed) but nope, Boom. What I didn't know is that he had built another huge mass of T2 gunships and that he had just sent them against my Ally (hence his relatively undefended base). My Ally was pretty much overrun. I start moving my army of AA ground units back into my core base in anticipation. While the gunships were blowing up my Ally's base (BOOM goes his ACU), I desperately sent my T3 bombers stealthed... as AA. Fortunately for my bombers, my Ally had a single cluster of T3 AA (which was bypassed earlier conveniently like the Maginot Line). The Gunships were destroyed and Center Opponent is pretty much finished. Too bad the core of my Ally was also wiped. He won't have time to rebuild since the game was going to last only 5 more minutes.
Only ones left are the Back Opponent and I. I didn't have a chance to build up, but I've been spamming as quickly as possible; I even had 4 SCUs in case something BAD happens
Scouts reveal a base set up with shields, artillery and AA. He was building T4 and had three T3 Artillery. WTF, I had been wondering what he was doing; he screwed over his ally by not supporting him. Too bad his ACU was sitting beside his Omni Radar. What he didn't know was that I had my ACU cloaked, stealth and with a Microwave Laser, sitting JUST outside his Omni Range. Again, not scouting is not smart. Then again, it's entirely possible that even then he'd miss my ACU. Gotta love the invisibility.
Oh sh**
--Back Opponent as 20 T3 bombers mop up his ally's base
Boom goes his ACU and Omni, then I wipe the rest of his base with my ACU. Turns out he didn't even know what it was (yay for Cloak)
Twas fun. I wonder what will happen once they gain more experience and learn how to play
I wasted mega time and resources because of the +3 speed. Total Gametime: ~1:05
