Changling/Doppleganger

[Sabbaticus]

I played Zatikon for a day or two at release but didn't pay then. I came back about a week ago and really liked how the game had evolved since then, enough to buy.

My major gripe is the changling/doppleganger combo. Don't get me wrong, the combo is smart and I find it very interesting. The problem is that in coop games, it seems like every successful team has to rely on this combo to survive.

A long time player said that, basically, there are only three kinds of decks that work in high level vs. AI games, and they all involve taking over enemy units to exploit their modifiers.

The AI is not going to be able to keep up with human players. In MtG lingo, the "golden" unit modifiers have made relying on "creature" strategies impossible and made only "control" strategies viable.

I would suggest getting rid of the more excessive modifiers that are making other decks noncompetitive. It is more fun that way. The AI "threshold" or "bar" should be the lowest threshold for a competitive deck, not the highest.

[minime]

A long time player said that, basically, there are only three kinds of decks that work in high level vs. AI games, and they all involve taking over enemy units to exploit their modifiers.

I don't think this is true. Even at very high level you can beat it without the AI's own units. But I don't see what's the problem with using the AI's units. Basically I think that coop is too easy again

[Chronic Logic - Josiah]

Single player and co-op both need some work and will get some changes to help solve these problems.

[mongolian]

A-men.

Thanks for quoting me.  I loathe how exchanging or gaining AI units is the major way to beat a high level AI.  This is one of my major gripes why I suspect lack of game balance.  Almost any normal damage dealing units are pointless in AI.  This seems like terrable logic.  Damage dealing units should be the main source of how an AI could/should be being beat.  And more specifically, I don't want to talk about super powerful units like a dragon or a doppleganger.  I want to see high level AI be competitive against a force of pikeman-swordsman-footman-soldiers-knights-axeman,etc, these kind of bland units.  

In summary, Zatikon should be a winable game by normal pieces and not rely on a (A) range game or a (B) special power game.  This would be a very difficult task, but if done right, I think Zatikon could even be converted into a classical board game.

[Kran]

Agree. Expecially with the part of "this would be very hard".