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Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

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cmowla

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Knight

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Post 03 Jun 2015, 05:18

Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

It's been about a year and a half since I first beat zombie apocalypse (now called invasion, for those who are new) in SP (without reloading saves). I am wondering if someone else beat it in SP (with or without reloading saves) and/or if a team of players in MP beat it together.

I didn't even think to start a topic asking about this before (I didn't want it to be taken like I'm "rubbing it in" or "showing off", but I'm figuring it might not now be taken that way since people on this forum now know me better), but since the forums haven't been that active lately, this might start a good discussion.

I'm just curious because I do believe many have tried to beat it (i.e., many liked it/were interested at one time), and it has been about two years since this map was invented. Does anyone here know people on other forums or TS who beat it, if no one a part of this forum has?

I would like to see replays if someone (or a team) beat it. :D
Invasion won: with 0 losses and without save reloads|TSK 20 in 4.47 minutes|Border of Life Co-op Won in 1h33m55s|The Official KaM Speedrun Page
What makes me an Expert isn't my skill in of itself but my desire to win big.
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zombie01

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Pikeman

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Post 03 Jun 2015, 12:54

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

It's been about a year and a half since I first beat zombie apocalypse (now called invasion, for those who are new) in SP (without reloading saves). I am wondering if someone else beat it in SP (with or without reloading saves) and/or if a team of players in MP beat it together.

I didn't even think to start a topic asking about this before (I didn't want it to be taken like I'm "rubbing it in" or "showing off", but I'm figuring it might not now be taken that way since people on this forum now know me better), but since the forums haven't been that active lately, this might start a good discussion.

I'm just curious because I do believe many have tried to beat it (i.e., many liked it/were interested at one time), and it has been about two years since this map was invented. Does anyone here know people on other forums or TS who beat it, if no one a part of this forum has?

I would like to see replays if someone (or a team) beat it. :D
I haven't, but the map also has never beaten me.
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equalizer

Vagabond

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Joined: 02 Apr 2015, 14:34

KaM Skill Level: Average

Post 26 Oct 2015, 12:16

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

Hi, I have beaten it in last version! (having your replay as a strategy guide and with a few saves) :)

I wonder how many times you tried it without reloading saves and figuring out the right tactic.
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Nibo The Destroyer

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Barbarian

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Post 26 Oct 2015, 22:33

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

this one time.. i was playing the map for like 2.5 hours and eventually i fucked up and forgot to save for over 45 min.. since then i never played it again just so much work in playing the map..
Et ego vici
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cmowla

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Knight

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Post 26 Oct 2015, 23:11

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

Hi, I have beaten it in last version! (having your replay as a strategy guide and with a few saves) :)

I wonder how many times you tried it without reloading saves and figuring out the right tactic.
First of all, congratulations. Even knowing "how" to beat it and "executing that how" is still quite difficult! I am still hoping that someone beats it in a different manner than I did (well, I did beat it a second way, and I'm surprised that only one person downloaded/has ever seen that modification!)

Second of all, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but I recently posted a live game recording of me beating a more intense AI (also in r5503) without pausing or reloading saves.
Knights and Merchants (KaM) Remake: Let's Play Invasion. I just noticed that someone very recently downvoted the video. Whatever. :rolleyes:
...Just in case you were "guessing" what I pay attention to in my replay and wish to know for sure.

When I Started
I first found out about the map when Skypper told me about it here. (August 7, 2013)

I'm sure you noticed that there is an autofeed feature (you don't have to feed your troops: they get fed every 10 minutes or so). Well, this first 60 wave version of the map is the one I studied and the one I "trained for" to beat. It didn't have an autofeed feature, and it gave you fewer recruits and weapons and it made you fight against a more intense AI than Invasion's (from wave 43 onward).

Knowing that it would take "forever" to figure it out if I just played it "blindly", I started to do some analysis and first started posting my thoughts here in Skypper's thread.

What I did to start playing "smartly" was edit the script I removed all created groups coming from all directions except one, played against the armies coming in that one direction for all 60 waves, and optimized my setups by using trial and error to see which formations of ranged units (and how many) would result in the fewest casualties. It's not an exact science (because it's random, and definitely since reloading saves was not an option if I wanted to show everyone how to win), but I found patterns. You will see my latest/most successful setups in the video I linked to above.

Further along my journey, when I started to play all of the AI simultaneously, I posted my thoughts, and my winning setups were starting to develop.

When I First Beat the Autofeed Version
Andreus implemented the autofeed feature when he was trying to beat it, and the first time I played it, I beat it (no joke) on November 20, 2013, whereas my peak points with the non-autofeed version without saves was about 29,000. So if you want to know what my first actual win "looked like", feel free to watch that replay, because it is one I will never (well not soon, anyway) forget. Especially the ending.

Since Andreus' Autofeed version was so much easier that I beat it without saves (and have always beat without saves it except for one loss) since I've played it, we can never tell how long it would have taken me to beat the current version of Invasion from start to finish because I was training for something A LOT harder, but we can clearly see that it was a maximum of 105 days. I didn't play every day (I even took a few NEEDED two week breaks in between, but I'm guessing it was about 100 total games)!

However, I strived to beat the original 60 wave version (in r5503, of course) which:
  • Gave you fewer recruits
  • Sent an extra group of swordfighters (from wave 43 onward)
  • Did not have autofeed.
When I Beat the Non-Autofeed Original (Hardest Version) in r5503 without saves
Then on December 1, 2013, I beat it.

I'm a fan of movie scores, and this particular track is the one I was listening to around the time of this breathtaking accomplishment!

Although I didn't beat it in the manner that I beat the autofeed version (which is equivalent to the current version of "Invasion") with a few days later (this is the replay that KaMRemakefan used for his video which I have a link to in my signature (Invasion)), I finally beat the "unbeatable" map without reloading saves, in r5503!

My Goal Now
My aim now is to beat that "black demon" (the color of the AI in the original version was black)(from the map I beat on December 1, 2013) in r5503 without reloading saves. I have been improving my game, but still no success. (I only play it once or twice a month now, as I don't have the time I used to.)

Should I finally beat it in r5503 without relying on the buildup of pikes and crossbowmen, I might request KaMRemakefan to make a video about it. Such a game requires about "double" the attention, work, mouse clicks, and energy of beating it when compared to beating the Autofeed version. And of course, beating it in r5503 is about 1.5 times more difficult than in the current release.
Invasion won: with 0 losses and without save reloads|TSK 20 in 4.47 minutes|Border of Life Co-op Won in 1h33m55s|The Official KaM Speedrun Page
What makes me an Expert isn't my skill in of itself but my desire to win big.
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ruudkam

Peasant

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Joined: 20 May 2016, 16:18

Post 24 May 2016, 18:27

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

I play in version r6720, is that easier than version r5503?

Btw, just to check, barbarians/warriors are strong versus axes/swords/pikemen/spears, en bad versus knights, right? (also weak versus bows)

Also, when choosing between bowman or crossbowman, Xbow have double the damage compared to bows, but, arrows are approximately two times faster? Is it like this?

What is a next challenge for me to do if i finished wave 60 in version 6720? I have read on the forums, but many posts are from quite some time ago, so not sure what is what today.. Hope somebody can help me with my questions. Thanks in advance.

Im addicted :D
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equalizer

Vagabond

Posts: 99

Joined: 02 Apr 2015, 14:34

KaM Skill Level: Average

Post 24 May 2016, 22:59

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

I play in version r6720, is that easier than version r5503?

Btw, just to check, barbarians/warriors are strong versus axes/swords/pikemen/spears, en bad versus knights, right? (also weak versus bows)

Also, when choosing between bowman or crossbowman, Xbow have double the damage compared to bows, but, arrows are approximately two times faster? Is it like this?

What is a next challenge for me to do if i finished wave 60 in version 6720? I have read on the forums, but many posts are from quite some time ago, so not sure what is what today.. Hope somebody can help me with my questions. Thanks in advance.

Im addicted :D
Barbs imba, strong vs everything. And xbows are indeed stronger as bows and think 33% slower, I know there are posts about this somewhere.

For a next challenge you should try coop map Northern Islands (2p) and The Maze(2-4p)

Good Luck!
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cmowla

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Knight

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Post 25 May 2016, 01:46

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

I play in version r6720, is that easier than version r5503?
For the map, Invasion, most definitely. So if you would like a directly related and harder challenge, play it in r5503. Once you win it in that version, also beat the version without Autofeed. (You can download the original version in the first post of the minigames thread. It was called "zombie apocalypse solo". In that version, you get fewer troops, have to fight a LARGER army, AND you have to feed your troops. In addition, playing it in r5503 makes the arrows of crossbowmen less effective.)

For a next challenge you should try coop map Northern Islands (2p) and The Maze(2-4p)

Good Luck!
Those are excellent suggestions. (I think Northern Islands is harder, especially if you play it by yourself, but...).

I also recommend "Two Sides".

Important Note: Play all of these maps in r6720, not r5503, as r5503 is easier for these maps. Invasion is one of the few exceptions for being easier in r6720.
Invasion won: with 0 losses and without save reloads|TSK 20 in 4.47 minutes|Border of Life Co-op Won in 1h33m55s|The Official KaM Speedrun Page
What makes me an Expert isn't my skill in of itself but my desire to win big.
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equalizer

Vagabond

Posts: 99

Joined: 02 Apr 2015, 14:34

KaM Skill Level: Average

Post 30 May 2016, 10:48

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

I also recommend "Two Sides".
I tried, think that besides the ridiculous distance you have to make to get to iron/gold the difficulty is that your unable to make goldsmith! Have I missed some messages, or overlooked something? Trade only maybe ?
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cmowla

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Knight

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Location: United States

Post 30 May 2016, 14:53

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

I also recommend "Two Sides".
I tried, think that besides the ridiculous distance you have to make to get to iron/gold the difficulty is that your unable to make goldsmith! Have I missed some messages, or overlooked something? Trade only maybe ?
It is trade only. You must trade for iron (if you don't choose to go all leather) and gold.
Invasion won: with 0 losses and without save reloads|TSK 20 in 4.47 minutes|Border of Life Co-op Won in 1h33m55s|The Official KaM Speedrun Page
What makes me an Expert isn't my skill in of itself but my desire to win big.
<<

equalizer

Vagabond

Posts: 99

Joined: 02 Apr 2015, 14:34

KaM Skill Level: Average

Post 30 May 2016, 17:24

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

In that case it is strange that all iron buildings except the mine, are disabled. Even in school the smith and metallurgist is disabled.:/
However, got to the point where the enemy attacked, and judging from that the map looks kinda ez. Especially when I know to trade gold from start :D
Maybe more surprises to come
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cmowla

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Knight

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Joined: 04 Aug 2013, 19:59

KaM Skill Level: Expert

Location: United States

Post 30 May 2016, 17:26

Re: Has Anyone Beaten the Map "Invasion" Yet?

In that case it is strange that all iron buildings except the mine, are disabled. Even in school the smith and metallurgist is disabled.:/
However, got to the point where the enemy attacked, and judging from that the map looks kinda ez. Especially when I know to trade gold from start :D
Maybe more surprises to come
The challenge isn't the building situation or defending (well, the attacks gets more intense about 2.5 hours through), trust me.
Invasion won: with 0 losses and without save reloads|TSK 20 in 4.47 minutes|Border of Life Co-op Won in 1h33m55s|The Official KaM Speedrun Page
What makes me an Expert isn't my skill in of itself but my desire to win big.

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