The Other Foot - Discussion

MikeSlugDisco

Community Manager
Staff member
Community Manager
So, what did you think of The Other Foot? It's by far the most complex of the Extra Levels to date - it shows the perspective of the counterpart Formica ereptor colony, the one that's been used to provide feeder ants to the player's colony for slaughter from the very beginning.


Considering the context of this level, we do not recommend you play it until you've completed formicarium challenge 3.

You go through the primary colony's challenges, acting as the feeder colony, until it's time to shine with challenge 3 and show them who's boss. You get to control the units the counterpart uses in challenge 3 - army ants, trap jaws and slave makers. It's also been really fun to see some use of the lesser-heard lines from the scientists in this one.

We're looking for some feedback - did the level live up to your expectations? Think it needs some balance? Would you like to see the level designer strung up by his ankles and covered in army ant majors for his crimes? Please share below!
 

Raptorr575

Worker
I confess I had a lot of fun x) I hope for more levels like this in the future.

But the main colony looks too weak xD
 

HofNerd

Colony
Beta Tester
Extremely Helpful Person
I think some of the second 'survive waves' waves are too strong on insane difficulty. Fighting against a group of stun major ants is almost impossible. Their area stun stuns most of my frontline and there are no ranged ants to dealt with them. The same goes for the adult beetles dropped shortly after them. I think these waves make the mission unbeatable on insane.
 

HofNerd

Colony
Beta Tester
Extremely Helpful Person
I think some of the second 'survive waves' waves are too strong on insane difficulty. Fighting against a group of stun major ants is almost impossible. Their area stun stuns most of my frontline and there are no ranged ants to dealt with them. The same goes for the adult beetles dropped shortly after them. I think these waves make the mission unbeatable on insane.
I think I now understand why relying on the queen abilities does not work against these waves. The royal guard ants do not have any stun or confuse resistance. Meaning having a swarm of ants coming out (royal decree) plus having the royal guards does not prevent the enemy from stunlocking the player's ants during that part of the mission on insane difficulty.
 

Buffalo981

Queen
Extremely Helpful Person
I think I now understand why relying on the queen abilities does not work against these waves. The royal guard ants do not have any stun or confuse resistance. Meaning having a swarm of ants coming out (royal decree) plus having the royal guards does not prevent the enemy from stunlocking the player's ants during that part of the mission on insane difficulty.

Don't you think that therefore giving the queen a second ability (the one that stuns all enemies in underground) would make not only insane but all the difficulties a bit more balanced? Maybe to counter this the enemy queen could be given a second ability as well on insane (assuming she only has one right now).
 

pakitane16

Colony
It's doesn't affect gameplay but I spotted multiple leafcutter's naked-larvae in the opposing nest instead of ereptor's cocoon. It varies each time you play. You can see it in Man of the Antz videos.
 

HofNerd

Colony
Beta Tester
Extremely Helpful Person
Don't you think that therefore giving the queen a second ability (the one that stuns all enemies in underground) would make not only insane but all the difficulties a bit more balanced? Maybe to counter this the enemy queen could be given a second ability as well on insane (assuming she only has one right now).
I am worried that that might tilt it too much to the player's advantage. But then again from what I remember from the dev streams the level is meant to make the player rely on the queen ability on harder difficulties. The current queen abilities triggered in that level do not allow the me to clear out the leafcutter and beetle waves. Almost all my free ants get stunned or confused (including royal guards, rendering them useless) only to do nearly no damage before dieing.
 

HofNerd

Colony
Beta Tester
Extremely Helpful Person
Pethetic, insanely useless ants!
Perhaps THIS colony will prove to be a superior research subject:
(Completing the mission took nearly one and a half hours. So the video file size is a bit big and will take a while to finish uploading.)

But I do think this level can use some more balancing. Being able to get all the way to army ant majors on only army ant media feels a bit odd, especially because in the dev streams it was mentioned the player needs to know their ants to complete the level. To understand the strengths and weaknesses of each ant. Also relying on distracting the enemy player bot to win feels wrong.
 

MikeSlugDisco

Community Manager
Staff member
Community Manager
I think I now understand why relying on the queen abilities does not work against these waves. The royal guard ants do not have any stun or confuse resistance. Meaning having a swarm of ants coming out (royal decree) plus having the royal guards does not prevent the enemy from stunlocking the player's ants during that part of the mission on insane difficulty.

I've brought this up with John. When I'm doing a campaign run I tend to choose Royal Guard over Royal Decree simply because it's cooler, but it is the weaker of the effects in general. I like the idea of making the guards immune to status effects; it'd be a small way of redressing that balance as well as solving an issue on this level.

John's well aware that there are some balance issues in The Other Foot. There was another intended balance pass but the movement code is once again in open-heart surgery to accommodate big changes for the fire ant update, so that'll be delayed a bit.
 

HofNerd

Colony
Beta Tester
Extremely Helpful Person
I've brought this up with John. When I'm doing a campaign run I tend to choose Royal Guard over Royal Decree simply because it's cooler, but it is the weaker of the effects in general. I like the idea of making the guards immune to status effects; it'd be a small way of redressing that balance as well as solving an issue on this level.
You might want to refresh the page and read the post directly above yours. (posted minutes before your post) I... saw, adapted, overcame.
 

Buffalo981

Queen
Extremely Helpful Person
Pethetic, insanely useless ants!
Perhaps THIS colony will prove to be a superior research subject:
(Completing the mission took nearly one and a half hours. So the video file size is a bit big and will take a while to finish uploading.)

But I do think this level can use some more balancing. Being able to get all the way to army ant majors on only army ant media feels a bit odd, especially because in the dev streams it was mentioned the player needs to know their ants to complete the level. To understand the strengths and weaknesses of each ant. Also relying on distracting the enemy player bot to win feels wrong.

There's nothing wrong with fighting dirty! Really nice win.
 

HofNerd

Colony
Beta Tester
Extremely Helpful Person
There's nothing wrong with fighting dirty! Really nice win.
Exploiting a fatal flaw in an AI opponent feels like a bad way to win. You did not do anything to prove yourself superior, you only knew the AI had a weakness and that the AI was unable to respond to you exploiting it.
 

MikeSlugDisco

Community Manager
Staff member
Community Manager
Exploiting a fatal flaw in an AI opponent feels like a bad way to win. You did not do anything to prove yourself superior, you only knew the AI had a weakness and that the AI was unable to respond to you exploiting it.

Vibes of Jade in Mortal Kombat 3.... damn near impossible without cheese
 
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