I got another update from Herkie on FB to post here:
"I have played TBG (released version)and Reboot again and compared it. And yes it was bloody difficult. I may tweak the AI before releasing it and NOT tested it. I don't know what happen, I think I was playing the wrong untweaked version. I will revert to that untweaked version and I may have to reduce numbers of hostiles drastically. There are also two options I will make. Either I will have Widowmakers available for most missions or tune down the NI fighter's hitpoints. Or maybe do both.
About the "horney" thing. I will take it out. Bad joke. He he he.
By the way, you can post my plans about the difficulty factor. Tell them I am doing an update and considering ALL their comments. Oh yes, please do send me the comments here in MSG, I can't log on to HLP.
Oh yes, regarding the transport race mission. Even if we have easy enemies, you will fail! There are events that will happen that will spell doom if you don't do the correct strategy. Do this:
1. Orders all your fighters to protect Katrina.
2. Destroy the nearest group of NI transports and NOT the farthest group. Do this in exactly 3 minutes because bombers will arrive packing with deadly Hellstorm missiles. I say three minutes because by the time you destroy the NI transports in time, you eill be suitably near the bomber's arrival point.
3. In dealing with the Archanias, destroy Weapon subs on both in exactly 2 minutes, beyond that they will fire! I hope you are packing the Blizzard. You know trebs are actually a misleadind distraction which I intentionally placed, don't ever use them in TBG.
4. After the Archanias, deal with the other group of NI transports. At this point, they are awefully near their goal. One TBG rule: Forget the fighters, don't get distracted by them unless they are the objective. Don't even try to avoid them, your shields can take it. Stick to your priorities.
5. Now, after dispatching the 2 groups of NI transports, survive the chaos! It is time to deal with those pesky fighters Everyhing is scripted at this time. By the way, forget the 3rd group of NI transports, they are dead anyway.
If you do this, you will see that this mission is actually very easy. Things will be VERY difficult if you don't discover the right strategy. If you got the right one, you will find things are ridiculously easy. My designs now require thinking and trial and error, a lot of it. Post these exact words.
I think you guys find it hard because you did not find the secret. Hmmm... maybe my difficulty factor was only just. After all, these mission designs are different from the ones I use to make. Like I said in the release page.
If you haven't notice it yet. There are a lot of "distractions" in all the missions. From hostile crafts and capital ships; fighters are number one distractions and they should be unless they are the target or attacking your objective, events in the missions that will draw you out of the fray; the enemy's strategy, even from your loadouts; there are weapons available that are utterly useless like the Trebuchets, even from the briefings or you CO's instructions in battle; your COs might not know anything in their point of view; it's not a story flaw - read beyond the words. If you are drawn to these distractions then you will fail the mission.This is no longer a typical FS2 universe, things are different now. You may have to rethink the way you fight and see things in The Aftermath world."
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This may be a bit of good news. While it doesn't fix all the issues people have raised with TBG, it looks like there's a chance now that the overall difficulty could be lessened at least a bit (perhaps players could even get Widowmakers more often).
