ffa strategies

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United States of America Squamiger
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ffa strategies

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Post by Squamiger »

i've really been enjoying playing in / watching SamuraiRevolution's FFA tournament this last month: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8WjIHqMQ4VFncD8syk-zo8SrXKCN3P9r

It's a mix of noob to med players (highest PR is around 25 I think) and it's been a great way to engage with the community outside of the top 20 high-ranked people who usually dominate tournies. I've discovered that I really enjoy FFA because it comes closest to the empire-building aspects that AoE3 promises-- walling, seizing territory, growing a large empire, negotiating alliances, betrayals, and pure luck.

Mostly, games seem to revolve around who can boom the hardest without attracting negative attention to the point where people want to knock you down a peg. 2v1s are common, and it's inherently unfair. This might be unattractive for people interested in pure skill, but for me, it makes the games really fun.

So it's got me thinking, what do people think about FFA, in terms of strategy? What civs are best, what decks are best, and what strategies work best? For me right now, I'm trying to balance a deck that lets me defend pressure early with one that gives the best late game upgrades.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by tedere12 »

final fantacy advance?
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Re: ffa strategies

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Re: ffa strategies

Post by Imperial Noob »

Search for posts by @howlingwolfpaw

As for strategies, anything goes. Situations are so diverse, that very little is universal. You can put 2 unit shipments in age 2 in case of a rush and still lose to a maniac doing an all-in. You can put such safeguards in any age and lose to respective timings, all the while some random lucky dude with China or Russia booms and then kills everybody unless you are also full treaty.

I would say that an FI while scouting around and then either a defense from dangers or safe booming further is your best friend in most situations.
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France P i k i l i c
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by P i k i l i c »

Do what you enjoy to do whatever you win or lose. I personally like to do troll strats and resign after ~25 minutes, but I killed or damaged one or two opponents and I'm happy with that
Other people like hard rushes, other like to play for win at all costs and hide behind 10+ layers of walls
which I personally find facepalmworthy but other than this particular case, even if I dislike late game I don't have problems with people who like it.
Anyway, scout all the time and adapt. See the post before mine
Consider not the one who speaks the truth, but the truth that is said

:hmm: AoE logic :hmm:
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by supahons »

I've only played a few FFA games. Mostly you play 1v2 (and then a third player backstabs you with samurai or dopps) or somebody rushes you early. I don't think it's very enjoyable. It's a game of fake alliances and a lot of crying/flaming in chat. Sometimes 2-3 people play together from the beginning.

Strategies:

Small map: big gamble, look at the deck of the closest opponent, then rush + wall or boom + wall if you have a chance. 4 players in the south / 4 in the north on gp, ideally you can rush through and take half of the map. (you better don't spawn in the middle, no hunts and it's gg)

Big map: Boom to age5. If you can take out a weak player close to you first for xp (ideally they don't spam the chat), or they backstab you at one point later. Have the second/third best score, attack somebody to get a lower score and xp and access to tradeposts. If you have a score lead people don't like it and form alliances against you. (Let that be sb else = -3 players). Ideally you always have one weak opponent for xp/lower score (to send all upgradecards in case sb researches blockade and reduce the perceived threat level) and in the end the remaining two players don't like each other and drain their resources.

Blockade: You only have bad players around you --> Wall, boom until age5 then attack the weakest and closest player to get xp, collect coin, wall more, research blockade if you think you can afford to send it, endure 5 min flaming. If not everybody turns against you or ragequits, because they haven't send the -40% inf+cav cards then you have a good chance of winning, but you still need some luck ...

Water: totally imbalanced, not all players have access to the sea on some maps

Diplomacy: Forget it in FFA or be deceitful like the others. You will hear the most audacious bs. It's definitely the worst part in this gamemode. Losing players will certainly team up with anyone. The population and eco maximum makes some games simply unwinnable. You can have a chance vs 2, but vs 3 or even 4 you certainly fail in late game.

Deck:

Make a deck for small maps and bigmaps (land/water), if you like to play it.
Small maps: villagers, crates, permanent upgrades
Big maps: treaty deck with trickle, + 40% building hp, 1x infinite card

Best Civs: British (VC boom), Russians (Opri lame), Portuguese, Chinese, Germans (on big maps), French, Indians, Otto FI (on small maps), Japanese, Dutch (not the best eco, but fun)
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by Kawapasaka »

Here's the best strat
1. select Germany and find a nice 5 hour long podcast to listen to
2. play large GP (do people even play FFA on other maps?)
3. full treaty deck, no exceptions
4. get lucky and get a tp line start (some people don't like this because the line makes walling awkward but it's actually the best because you only get 1 immediate neighbour)
5. get comache early for upgrade discount, cheyenne later for instacav
6. wall as much as you can, as far as you can without annoying neighbour
7. check neigbours' deck, if he is also full treaty you probably don't have to worry about any early aggro, otherwise prepare accordingly (if he's good and goes early aggro you'll probably die but tbh this doesn't happen much)
8. boom for an hour with 140 vill pop, wall all the way up to (and past if possible) middle trade line TP
9. get spies, but never blockade because everyone will turn against you
10. knock out neighbour quickly or wait for him to be knocked out, appropriate his walled base as a fb and envelop it with more outer wall layers of your own
11. repeat this as much as necessary, deleting vills when necessary
12. eventually you will have majority of TPs behind several wall layers and massive resource stacks
13. delete all vills and start trade monopoly
14. ideally there will only be 2 or 3 weakened players left at this point
15. win

So yeah about 50% of it is pure luck. Still, Germany is by far the best civ because prolonged periods of no fighting = prolonged periods of 140 vill pop. And War Wagons are OP as fuck.
Also, be ruthless. If one guy is fighting and you have the perfect opportunity to run 50 dopps into his factories, do it. Unless of course that guy is helpful as a bulwark against a bigger opponent.
If you find yourself in a 1v2 vs decent players, delete vills and focus on knocking one out as fast as possible.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by supahons »

Kawapasaka wrote:

6. wall as much as you can, as far as you can without annoying neighbour - yes, spend your idle time with walling, bastion walls +40% hp are broken
9. get spies, but never blockade because everyone will turn against you - If you have two really weak neighbours, then you can get away with it, it takes some time to get to you. Probably not all will team up against you, they forget and then they are threatend by their neighbours. -> huge advantage, slower unit production + weak economy for all players, if you send it early
10. knock out neighbour quickly or wait for him to be knocked out - age5 first if possible then you need the xp to send every upgrade. I've always lost, when i was too passive. Somebody can research blockade then your resource stacking is worthless, if the good players are on the other side of the map

yes, this is a good and broken high score/eco strategy. Other civs for a similar eco strategy: Chinese (119 vills), Portuguese, French, Russians, British (with cows)
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Re: ffa strategies

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Post by howlingwolfpaw »

Hello, I am Howlingwolf paw online, leader of the largest longest living FFA clan. I pretty much only play FFA. Thousands of games since 2007. I find it to be the funnest most dynamic way to play the game, that allows for all aspects of the game to be played out. I have fun playing all civs, though some are better suited for FFA. My favorites are India #1, I also love spain, Aztec (though they are hard to actually win with) Every civ has its strengths and weaknesses for different maps and civ matchups.

I think true ffa is played on large maps with at least 6 players. No rules on warships. No blockade. Honorable players do not attack 2v1, unless at the end and its 2 weaker vs a strong.

I love India because even with a boomy deck, the free vills with cards allow for a strong economy and army for army can outmatch and control the battles. Having the ability to build barracks as well allows for a lot of versatility. Also urumi are my favorite unit. Spain was the first civ I really got good with, using unction to shred my opponents economy in straight fights, they were my solution to Japanese players that were seemingly invincible at the time. Some other great civs for FFA are brits, ports, Russia. Funner civs are Aztec, dutch, otto, brits, china, even japan

Though it is a common conception the best way to win is sit back and wait and boom, this is only true if you have not mastered the game play. Waiting too long allows the whole room to boom up too and that can present its own challenges. A pro will take on the biggest threats first, this will allow them to gain map control for natives, trade post, resources and gain XP faster than booming civs. If one can micro to maintain positive kill/ loss rations vs other players higher score matters less than one would think. Age 4 battles are my favorite, as you have all your units and some economy to make big battles without it getting OP

as for decks I tend to use late game decks with 1-2 early cards for extra vills depending on civ, its risky to a full rush civ but if you run you can outlast them.

Downsides are some players abuse walls. And blockade is just lame. and France is beyond OP if someone uses them well.
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Re: ffa strategies

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Post by deleted_user »

FFA is where I go to pike players like you.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by howlingwolfpaw »

if you play ffa like a secret 1v1 then you are not playing FFA. :(

Your just being a douche.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by scarm »

howlingwolfpaw wrote:I think true ffa is played on large maps with at least 6 players. No rules on warships. No blockade. Honorable players do not attack 2v1, unless at the end and its 2 weaker vs a strong.

What even is the point of FFA then LUL. So basically what Callen said.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by qwixs »

FFA is just a stupid and boring game mode...
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by supahons »

scarm wrote:
howlingwolfpaw wrote:I think true ffa is played on large maps with at least 6 players. No rules on warships. No blockade. Honorable players do not attack 2v1, unless at the end and its 2 weaker vs a strong.

What even is the point of FFA then LUL. So basically what Callen said.


yeah, if your rank is too low you can't win, and if you have too much score you play 2v1/3v1.
It's best to rush and resign, enjoy a fully walled map or not to play it at all :lol:
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Re: ffa strategies

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Post by Goodspeed »

FFAs should always turn to late game, treaty-like fights where differences in civ strength and player strength are somewhat mitigated by diplomacy. I don't mind 'em.
What I dislike about them is players like @deleted_user4 who feel the need to join the game just to ruin it by pike rushing people. Leave the game mode to people who actually enjoy it, maybe :huh:
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by scarm »

I mean rushing someone (esp. with cheese) and enjoying their rage and sorrow is part of the fun of a ffa as well, doesn't mean one doesn't enjoy the gamemode.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by amiggo1999 »

shit mode, arguably worse than 3v3 deccan on RE
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Re: ffa strategies

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Post by Goodspeed »

scarm wrote:I mean rushing someone (esp. with cheese) and enjoying their rage and sorrow is part of the fun of a ffa as well, doesn't mean one doesn't enjoy the gamemode.
True, I suppose it just makes you a douche
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by scarm »

I dont understand how. It is a gamemode that encourages ruthless fighting in any direction you want, without any rules whatsoever. Could as well say that rushing in 1v1 or teamgames makes you a douche then, it is just another supremacy gamemode with X 1-player Teams. As a result i don't understand how any legitimate inagme strategy makes you a douche. Treaty is a thing.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by Kawapasaka »

Yeah the "diplomacy" really doesn't amount to much. A surprisingly high percentage of players are actually happy to back off if you get attacked by someone else though, and on some occasions you can even relocate and rebuild on large maps. Winning FFA is really just a game of getting away with a full treaty deck and laying low.
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Netherlands Goodspeed
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by Goodspeed »

Yeah the "diplomacy" really doesn't amount to much.
It should.. Maybe you're playing with the wrong people.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by agrondergermane »

scarm wrote:I dont understand how. It is a gamemode that encourages ruthless fighting in any direction you want, without any rules whatsoever. Could as well say that rushing in 1v1 or teamgames makes you a douche then, it is just another supremacy gamemode with X 1-player Teams. As a result i don't understand how any legitimate inagme strategy makes you a douche. Treaty is a thing.

the goal is to win the ffa. if u just play to piss of people ur not playing for that goal. u can do that, but ur def a douche. if u dont understand that's ok :)
-Deep down I know it's me, and deep down I know you are so jealous :).- Sir_Musket 2018
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Re: ffa strategies

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Post by Goodspeed »

scarm wrote:I dont understand how. It is a gamemode that encourages ruthless fighting in any direction you want, without any rules whatsoever. Could as well say that rushing in 1v1 or teamgames makes you a douche then, it is just another supremacy gamemode with X 1-player Teams. As a result i don't understand how any legitimate inagme strategy makes you a douche. Treaty is a thing.
Have you ever played Risk? Assuming you have: Is sacrificing your own chances to kill someone else's a winning strategy?
It's obviously not, and the assumption when going into any game is that people play to win. Rushing someone in an FFA is like throwing your entire strength onto one player in Risk; it loses you both the game, and while you may be enjoying it the other person probably isn't because odds are they actually wanted to play the game.

Does that explain things?
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by scarm »

The goal is to have fun in an ffa. I am playing the game to have fun, first and foremost. Usually that includes winning, yes. But there are plenty of people out there who have fun not playing competitively, i.e. not trying to win hard. If i play FFA i do that to casually have fun and try some cheese strategies that are not viable in 1v1. There is literally nothing forcing me to tryhard and try to win a 3h treaty FFA by booming and turtling. The salt is just a nice sideeffect of that. If you don't want to be attacked early, why not just play an actual treaty FFA?

edit: also i was originally referring mostly to the "2v1 or 3v1 being frowned upon" thing. Doesn't make sense to me, thats literally the point of the gamemode.
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Re: ffa strategies

Post by amiggo1999 »

you're a douche for being a nazi to ppl having fun
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