7 December 2024

Online PC Games - World of Warships

Last night I watched a popular YT streamer and competitive player commentator (King of the Sea and various other community-based events) do something I think was insane - he sought to obtain 1 million steel using doubloons. He did it (obviously) although I lost interest (and not a little envious) after a while. 

I've watched numerous streamers post their opening of varying amounts of Mega containers but this was the first (and only) time I actually witnessed someone spend over USD5000 in order to obtain steel. Mind you he had the doubloons to do so - well over 1 million dubs. Crazy, simply mad! But funny. Makes me feel better about whaling from time to time.  

Wished a Happy Christmas all the same. 

8 December 2024

Finishing grinding the Star Trek collection today. The total collection consists of sixteen collection tokens representing the Star Trek universe in four categories - planets, vessels, figureheads, distinctive hand weapons. To obtain a token you need to complete a set condition which usually consists of accumulating a required number of token POINTS in order to unlock ONE collection token. This can be spent on any missing item from one's collection. 

These sets, however, increment each time you reach the goal set. So, for example, the first goal is to earn five points which equates to completing a fully successful mission (see below for mission conditions). The next goal set means earning ten token points. And it increments by five to the next one, and the next one after that. And so on. 

These points relate specifically to achieving mission goals - primary and secondary - of which there are five such objectives. Therefore five token points are on offer each time you join battle. 

Given this is the last phase of the event, entitled Queen's Rage, it involves the following tasks that need completion: (1) retain control of three key areas (prevent the Borg from capturing them), (2) destroy the three Queen's Minions (single ships designated so) which appear one at a time throughout the mission; be mindful they will be surrounded and protected by swarms of Assimilator vessels and Disruptor vessels; destroying the third Minion triggers the Borg Queen's arrival (3) destroy the East and West guards (three apiece per Gate), which can be done quickly early on which unlocks reinforcements (three new cruiser-type vessels) (4) finally, kill the Borg Queen (in her Yamato-class vessel), and (5) you have a set time in which to kill the Borg Queen. Note: the Borg Queen is hard to kill because she had a very high amount of HP - 200,000 I believe if my memory is correct. By comparison, the T'Pau has somewhere in the 60,000+ range. Big discrepancy. 

Failure to kill the Borg Queen and the demise of your team is a Defeat. No points. Partial completion of some of the mission objectives AND killing the Borg Queen rewards with those points obtained thus far. 

Because I, like everyone else, had not completed the collection, I was forced to grind for the remaining collection tokens which by the time I finished it today was up to forty-five points! You just hope your team mates understand the mission tasks and work together in achieving the full success each time you enter battle.

Completing the collection also rewards you with the Assimilated camo skin as well as four distinct patches - the distinctive Star Trek comms badge, a Klingon emblem, the Federated Planets emblem, and the Enterprise-D patch.

Played the battleship-type T'Pau throughout for the most part, occasionally jumping on the DD-type Deridex and the cruiser-type "Todger" (name escapes me). Never tried the Enterprise-D-type carrier except a couple of times in the second Mission. Played the T'Pau because I got quite comfortable playing it; only problem was steering. Numerous times I steered into these damn islands. Slow to respond and reversing takes forever.

Tips for surviving to the end. Just one: have some form of shielding active when the final planet strike occurs. Once the strike ends all shields will drop entirely no matter what. If you have no shields to begin with, you are dead. If still alive after all that, then you can reactivate your shields (if you have it), otherwise hide to restore some shielding (takes a while) because the Borg Queen has all the weaponry available and they are potent. 

Killing the Borg Queen. Attack from all sides. It confuses her and is the only tactic that effectively works. Charging to ram is not worth it at all (you hardly make a dent on her massive HP pool). Some play the EMP defence and cruise missile assault. I prefer the bomber strike and my pulse torps and attacking from range. All friendly vessel types work well when combining firepower but it requires cooperation from everyone. A hard thing but when it happens, you wonder what all the fuss is about in the first place.

Killing the third Queen's Minion activates the final planet strike and the inevitable Borg Queen appearance. And killing her always means a successful mission (alongside completing any/most/all of the secondary tasks). 

The new Battle Pass event. Completing all the phases enables you to earn 2 Festive certificates for only 50 points. Learned this after completing the first chapter "Li Wei" when I noticed I had time left on my hands. Quietly earned myself two Mega crates (swap five festive certs for one Mega crate) since becoming aware of this "gift horse". Not sure if it was a deliberate ploy by WG gone and left to go unnoticed except by those acutely aware. But I'm exploiting it. Got ten more days. Which means at least another two more Mega crates before the second chapter "Olaf Whathisfacesvenson" kicks off. 

Yep, Mega crates is the way to go if after free ships. Just fourteen more ships left to go. And my goal will be achieved. Over five years now...well, four years (skipped several months after registering back in February 2019 and did not kick off playing religiously - as in every day - until early May of 2020).

Funny incident (well, it was to me). Playing on the Hotspot map. Spawned in the south (bottom middle, right side of the bigger island). I was playing Dunkirk in the Monarch. Nearing the end, I was watching the minimap and noticed an enemy cruiser making for our cap (bottom middle four islands). Guarding it was our CV Independence. Cry went out for assistance from the CV player. I simply told him/her/it to "move". He/She/They/It did so and I/Me/We/Us was able to take out the cruiser. It was funny because people in-game often ask for assistance to which most do not reply. I did on this occasion. My response though was to simply tell the player to get out of Dodge quick. Player complied. Enemy cruiser noticed me thereafter and concentrated any fire my way instead of the CV because my AP shells hit hard. Situation defused. I thought that was funny on reflection.

 

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