Devolution - Basics

Introduction

Devolution is very different from other mods- do not look to Devolution just for more units and flashiness, but instead expect top quality work that blends into Cavedog's original style, and keeps the game simple. Units all have clearly defined roles- when faced with a new mod, most players have to spend some time figuring out which units are worth building, which units are underpowered, and which units are simply the best of their niche. Devolution aims to never overcrowd a niche, and to keep every unit useful- you won't find ten different units that essentially do the same thing, one overshadowing all of the others.

So, Devolution has fewer units than other mods, and even fewer units than OTA, but you will find new tactics, new strategy, and new dynamics between some familiar units, and some new units. Devolution is not meant to be an expansion, or a compilation mod, but something totally different- bare-bones, with some great new features.

What's Missing?

Devolution has fewer units than OTA, as entire tech trees have been cut out. Arm no longer has vehicles, and Core no longer has Kbots (other than the Commander and Captains). This has been done for two reasons- it frees up a lot of the overcrowded niches, and it makes the sides truly different. Some may miss their Flash tanks, but they will quickly find that Peewees cover the exact same role- in other mods there are subtle differences between these units that may take a while to figure out; in Devolution, you can figure out immediately what units are best for any given situation.

In certain situations, units have been converted rather than being entirely cut. For instance, Arm now has a Minelayer Kbot, and Core retains the Sumo in vehicle form.

Another major removal is of Arm submarines and Core hovercraft. To encourage different strategies for different sides, Arm hovercraft have been filled out with a few extra units, and Core submarines have been separated into their own underwater factory with a few new build options. This really changes the dynamics of Arm vs. Core water matches, but both sides have the tools they need to handle their opponent's strengths.

As you look over Devolution, you will find that Core Kbots and Arm Vehicles aren't all that have been cut. Before you complain that you don't know what to do without your Can, or your Gatt-Gun, or your Flash, look around a bit, and see that you still have options that will handle the job you need to do.

What's New?

There are a bunch of new units in Devolution- including the Captains (which you can find out more about below), the Dreadnought (Arm Super-Hovercraft), Poseidon (Core Super-Sub), Crawler (Arm Artillery Kbot), and many more. More important than the new units are how old units have been changed with new abilities. The Infiltrator (Arm Spy) now has the ability to shut down nearby enemy defenses, while the Parasite (Core Spy) has the ability to detect and reveal enemy spies. The Warrior now carries a powerful shotgun. The Immolator and Core LLT now pop-up, as most of Core's defenses now have armored states. The Annihilator, Big Bertha, Vulcan, and Arm Fusion now have shields that provide them with temporary invincibility. Below are the build pictures for a handful of the new units, but there are many others that are unique to Devolution to try out.

Get more details on the new units in Devolution in the Unit Guide section.

Commanders

One of the coolest things about Total Annihilation has always been the Commander and its D-Gun. Everyone loves their Commander, and in Devolution, I aimed to make him a more important part of the game. The challenge with improving the Commander is that if he is too powerful, he can become an offensive weapon and throw off the game by being used too aggressively. So I wanted to ensure that the Commander was powerful, but remained a defensive unit. Here is the new Commander system:

The Command Beacon: The Commander can no longer D-Gun at the start of the game. Don't worry- the primary weapon has been improved, and it can easily handle any initial rush. In order to D-Gun, you must build a Command Beacon, and keep your Commander near it. The Commander is the only unit that can build Command Beacons, so as you take on new territory, you must be comfortable with protecting your Commander until he finishes another Beacon. Once finished, the Beacon also serves as a teleportation device for the Commander. As long as your Commander is in range of a Beacon, he can instantly be teleported to any other Beacon. Beacons also have an invincibility shield up as long as the Commander is in range- meaning that you can't just destroy the Beacon and take on a vulnerable enemy Commander.

This change makes your Commander the ultimate defensive unit. As long as your are diligently building Beacons at any trouble spot, and as long as you keep an eye on your radar to see when an attack is coming- your Commander can be teleported to exactly where you need him, and he can D-Gun the hell out of any enemies. On the other hand, your Commander cannot be used offensively, at least not early on, because his D-Gun won't work in areas that you don't control.

The Commanders also receive veterancy upgrades- as they get kills they will improve significantly. After 20 kills, Commanders get a 50% armor boost, and an upgrade to their primary weapon. After 50 kills, they get an additional primary weapon boost, and a new secondary weapon. The Core Commander gets mini-Neutron rockets, that deal damage at a distance to mobile units, and the Arm Commander gets a close-range EMP blast that stops units in their tracks so you can easily D-Gun them. With these upgrades, the Commander can effectively be used offensively to a certain degree- just with no D-Gun, but they can't do it until well into the game.

Captains

Captains are Devolution's Tech 3. I have found that many other mods put a lot of work into making very cool units available at Tech 3, but that very few games actually make it there, and that the units themselves are sometimes poorly balanced, and only show up when a player is toying with a weaker opponent. The OTA Krogoth is a good example of this- no one really builds these in a competitive game because they are prohibitively expensive, and they just aren't that great for the price.

This is not the case in Devolution. Each side has three different Captains at their disposal, and they are relatively cheap for what they do. They each cost 3,000 Metal (except for the Krogoth which costs quite a bit more), and provide quite a bang for the buck. While they are extremely powerful, they absolutely do not overshadow the other Tech levels. This is because you can only build one at a time- meaning that in most games, both players should be able to afford one (and it is almost always strategically advantageous to build one if you can afford it), but they can't be spammed to take advantage of their relatively low cost. This puts a lot of emphasis on that single unit, and each one has a lot of personality.

Like Commanders, Captains also get veterancy upgrades as they get kills. Each one recieves different bonuses, but at level 3 they get a new ultimate ability. The Demon gets a Tactical Nuke Launcher, the Wraith gets a powerful Energy Pulse, the Nova can discharge its gun and fire many shots at the same time, the Maverick gets an Invulnerability Shield, the Juggernaut gets a Nuclear Riot Cannon, and the Krogoth... well it finally turns into what you expect from a Krogoth.

Captains also provide upgrades to nearby ground units! This means that Captains should always be a part of major attacks, as units around them get a mix of armor and firepower upgrades that make them roughly twice as powerful.

In my opinion, Captains are Devolution's biggest success- guaranteeing that Tech 3 is accessible while not overshadowing the other levels. It also allows for a few units with personality- single units playing a big role in the battle.

A.I.

Devolution is really meant as a multiplayer mod, but I recognize that not everyone plays online, so I put together what I think is a solid AI. Computer players do cheat a bit- they get a bit of a resource boost that the player does not get, and because they can't take advantage of Command Beacons, they also are not required to build them to power the Commander D-Gun.

For a new player, the AI could be a challenge, though it really isn't that tough- better than the Cavedog AI to be sure, but definitely not a challenge to an experienced player. When I play vs the AI, I increase the difficulty just by adding more AI opponents. Experiment- play with more and more allied computer opponents until you reach a level challenging for you.

Strategy Tips

A few strategy tips for players new to Devolution:

Build Command Beacons: If you aren't building Command Beacons, you are really not taking advantage of your Commander. You can effectively fight off any major early attack by taking advantage of Beacons, so don't be caught without them. Don't let your Commander wander too far out of the range of a Command Beacon, as it will leave both units vulnerable- and as long as your Commander is near one Command Beacon, he can instantly be at any other one with the click of a button.
Spread Out Your Resources: In Devolution, many resource collectors will chain-react when built closely together. This is especially dangerous for Tidal Generators and Wind Generators that have low armor- so if you are building tons and tons of these to provide your energy income, be sure to spread them out- or they will all go up in an instant. Better yet, build Fusions when you get the chance, as the Core one can cloak, and the Arm one has a shield for protection.
Use Captains Wisely: It is important to build Captains when you get a chance- but once you build them, be sure to protect them as long as you can so that your nearby troops will retain their proximity bonus. As powerful as they are, Captains are often the first target in a battle, as all of the other units will be weaker without them. Be careful of Sumos and Sharpshooters, as these units are the most dangerous for Captains to be up against.
Take Advantage of Paralyzation: Spiders, Stunners, and Stases are all great units- capable of stopping your opponents in their tracks. I like to use the paralyzation units in conjunction with Captains, as it means the Captains will get all of the kills, and it will level them up quickly. Beware- certain units are immune to paralyzation, including Captains, Commanders, Dreadnoughts, and Aircraft.
Scout Your Opponent: Don't get taken by surprise- if your opponent commits to some expensive units early on, it can be the perfect time to attack- but if you let him finish those units, you will pay the price. Be ready to bomb or raid high priority targets- Captain Gantries, Stunners, Neutrons, Big Berthas, Intimidators- and especially Silencers and Vulcans. As Core, you must build spies so that you can keep track of your opponent, but also to detect your enemies spies and protect yourself from their ability to shut down your key defenses.