Gentlemen, been a while since I've done one of these. Today's topic: Gates.
Everyone knows they're super useful. From regular gameplay (see Tim), to just in time quick walls and other wiseassery (see Viper).
So, what can there possibly be about gates in AoC that warrant a post about them? Three things, believe it or not!
Thing 1: Gate Price Efficiency
If you lay a wall, and then slap a gate over it, you pay for the gate and do NOT get refunded for the unbuilt tiles of the wall. Small detail, but at certain points in the game, every piece of stone (and wood) matters.
Thing 2: Gate Placement
Ever been in a situation where there's 20 crossbows, or 40 palas, or something nasty of the sort, racing to your economy, and you're trying to slap the damn gate down, but no matter what you do, it just won't position the correct way? Instead of getting placed to block the enemy, as your gate freaking should, it decides to work for the enemy and go perpendicular, welcoming all of them in. Or better yet, gets slapped down sideways. So then you have to delete the damn thing, (as you now know about Thing 1, and are cheap), build 1 stone tile, then slap the gate to touch it, and then finish the wall off tile by tile to completion. Only to at the last millisecond have the enemy get in anyway.
So here's the solution (for which I honestly expect you to thank me later lol): Use your mouse scroll wheel. That's it. Serious. The mouse scroll wheel allows you to cycle through all the gate positions, and slap the damn thing down the way you want.
Thing 3: Sideways Gates
Aside from being ambushed by wolves, sideways gates are the ultimate "F U" that this wonderful game has in store for us. So you find yourself in the unfortunate position where a diagonal wall is the only thing you've got. You fight with the placement, correct it three times, finally it's glowing diagonal so you slap it down. You quick wall, making sure to hit every one of those confusing tiles. And then you have the brilliant idea of slapping a gate down. Guess what. Until it's built, you're no longer walled (without adding a few key wall tiles, to be covered later).
Bottom line: Sideways gates are a bad idea unless you're safe, and you've got no other alternative.
Happy Gate-ing guys!
Everyone knows they're super useful. From regular gameplay (see Tim), to just in time quick walls and other wiseassery (see Viper).
So, what can there possibly be about gates in AoC that warrant a post about them? Three things, believe it or not!
Thing 1: Gate Price Efficiency
If you lay a wall, and then slap a gate over it, you pay for the gate and do NOT get refunded for the unbuilt tiles of the wall. Small detail, but at certain points in the game, every piece of stone (and wood) matters.
Thing 2: Gate Placement
Ever been in a situation where there's 20 crossbows, or 40 palas, or something nasty of the sort, racing to your economy, and you're trying to slap the damn gate down, but no matter what you do, it just won't position the correct way? Instead of getting placed to block the enemy, as your gate freaking should, it decides to work for the enemy and go perpendicular, welcoming all of them in. Or better yet, gets slapped down sideways. So then you have to delete the damn thing, (as you now know about Thing 1, and are cheap), build 1 stone tile, then slap the gate to touch it, and then finish the wall off tile by tile to completion. Only to at the last millisecond have the enemy get in anyway.
So here's the solution (for which I honestly expect you to thank me later lol): Use your mouse scroll wheel. That's it. Serious. The mouse scroll wheel allows you to cycle through all the gate positions, and slap the damn thing down the way you want.
Thing 3: Sideways Gates
Aside from being ambushed by wolves, sideways gates are the ultimate "F U" that this wonderful game has in store for us. So you find yourself in the unfortunate position where a diagonal wall is the only thing you've got. You fight with the placement, correct it three times, finally it's glowing diagonal so you slap it down. You quick wall, making sure to hit every one of those confusing tiles. And then you have the brilliant idea of slapping a gate down. Guess what. Until it's built, you're no longer walled (without adding a few key wall tiles, to be covered later).
Bottom line: Sideways gates are a bad idea unless you're safe, and you've got no other alternative.
Happy Gate-ing guys!