Colony is a Multi-player strategy game made by Krin of Armorgames.
The name of the game as it appear on the start screen of version 6.1.
Story[]
The campaign mode is single player and has a plot. It is intended to teach players the mechanics of gameplay before they head into Multi-player.
The plot took place nearly two centuries into the future (as of 2273 AD on the loading screen). Campaign mode revolves around in a conquest or conquer type of story where there are factions/governments fight for influence and land. By that time being, military based organizations compete each other for political superiority.
Capitalism and Fascism declared war on each other due to the Fascist's uprising and freeing/alliance of the Prisoners of War (POW). Mission 1 sparked the Fascist's uprising due to their hostility towards the Capitalists. Mission 2 is the introduction of the POW joining sides with the Fascists against the Capitalists (hence the player takes control of Jetzul, a freed POW member). Mission 3, 4, and 5 are declared war events between the Capitalists and Fascists. Until in Mission 6, the POW members grew suspicious of the Fascists plans and ultimately decided to break away from the Fascists to build their own government system (Communism).
Playing Colony[]
There are two different types of gameplay: Quick Play and Multiplayer. In the game, players start with 50 resources in Money, Manpower, and Energy each. The player begins with no resources in Influence. The four resources (Money, Manpower, Energy, and Influence) are used to construct buildings/units. There are 4 colored areas, 2 on each side to allow players or CPUs to build. These buildings can either deploy units, in which most can attack enemy units, or produce resources. The game ends when one team's base and health is depleted with no more units left on the battlefield. Players do not share units or resources unless you choose to take up the entire team space during a multiplayer game. You can also determine what game setting you would like to have while you play, with unique restrictions for each.
Buildings[]
Outpost/ Barracks/ Arsenal: Deploys mostly ground units. Generates Manpower.
Forge/ Manufactory/ Mechanics Terminal: Deploys air and ground units. Generates Energy.
Hospital/ Sanctuary: Hybrid structure. Generates Manpower. Deploys medical units.
Bank/ Treasury: Resource building. Gathers Money.
Generator/ Solar Grid: Resource building. Gathers Energy.
Armory: Resource building. Generates Money, Manpower or Energy.
Special Operations: Hybrid structure. Generates Influence. Can fire missiles and deploy special units.
Government[]
There are 4 governments. Each government has different abilities.
Capitalist: All resources are obtained 20% faster.
Fascist: Every 5 seconds, more Energy is generated and some units are deployed faster though you get less manpower.
Communist: Every 5 seconds, more Manpower is generated and kills from your units generate capital or Influence.
Monarchy: Every 5 seconds, more Influence is generated in addition to Influence from your units on the field.
Issues[]
Some websites offer a hacked version of the game, ruining the experience for others.
The main issue that remains is the negative glitch, sometimes caused by double clicking a purchasable unit, building, or ability. When this happens, the game will reset the main resource for that building to 0, and then subtract the price, which ends with you having a negative amount. During this time, you cannot build any units, buildings, or get resources from buildings that produce them, as the game requires you to have at least 0 of a resource to perform an action.
There are a few glitches usable in a non-hacked game which can ruin experience for non-cheating players: The cash glitch, which happens when you're lagging and sell multiple times (by clicking the icon multiple times) a building in construction, giving you back multiple times the money you paid for it. The influence glitch, which happens when you cancel a special unit right before it is constructed -after the building bar passed the end line-; you have back your resources and you get the unit.
Strategies[]
Each government has a strategy which it excels at. The 4 strategies are 'Rush', 'Buildup', 'The Long Game', and 'Cycle'. They will be elaborated on here.
Rush[]
'Rush' favors the Communists. There are two versions of this; in the first and more popular, the player builds up a large force of cheap units early in the game. Once a large force has been built, the player then sends them forward while continuing to build units after them, this time without a rally point. The initial charge will break open the enemy defenses, and the reinforcements and the survivors of the initial attack will then destroy the base.
In the second method, the player sends forth a few troops to the halfway point, to 'sit' or 'pin' the enemy, destroying all newly made troops, before then attacking. This is not advised, however, because if the enemy manages to 'break' the pin/sit, you will have no reserves.
This works excellently against 'The Long Game' (as the 'Rush' will get through the enemy defenses before they can start building) but cannot win against a properly played 'Long Game-Cycle' (As the enemy will simply counter the rush, break the player's defenses, and destroy his/her base) or a well played 'Rush-Cycle'.
Buildup[]
'Buildup' favors the Fascists. In this, players gather a large number of units, typically lower level ones- Sakatas, Phantoms, Gröditzs, Tanks, Scouts, and Hovers are all used here. This strategy works best with the Fascists because of the Fascist high production speed; all these units can be produced in under 5 seconds with this government. Any other government trying this against a Fascist will not be able to build enough troops in time, before the Fascist attacks.
This strategy works excellently against 'Cycle' (as the large number of varied troops cannot be properly countered) but poorly against 'The Long Game' (as its units are not strong enough to break through).
'The Long Game'[]
This strategy favors the Monarchs, and is very similar to 'Buildup', except that unlike 'Buildup' this strategy places heavy influence on Missiles and extremely heavy units, such as the Sphinx, the Black Queen, the Saint, the Hover Tank, and the Modified Sakata (AKA Modaka AKA Mod Kata). This strategy takes time to put into effect, so if the enemy manages to attack early in the game, such as in a 'Rush' or a 'Rush-Cycle', the game can end before the player has a chance to put units on the field; once totally ready, however, nothing can stop this strategy- short, that is, of another player doing the same thing.
This strategy works well against 'Buildup' (as it will destroy the latter's weaker troops) but will lose against an early attack from 'Rush-Cycle' or 'Rush'. It may also fail against 'Long Game-Cycle'.
'Cycle' []
This strategy favors the Capitalists. This strategy can end up as hybrids of any of the three others. This style relies on initially countering the enemies units, all while building more powerful structures.
For instance, the first 4 units introduced- the Tank, Marine, Scout, and Roman- all have counters. If the opponent sends out Tanks, then send out Scouts- the Tanks cannot fire into the air. If the opponent sends out Scouts, send in Marines; a massed group of marines will easily take out a similar group of scouts with ground to air rockets. If the opponent sends out Marines, send out Romans; the Marines have low health and will be ripped apart by the Romans. And if the opponent sends out Romans, send in the Tanks, as the Roman's pulse rifles cannot penetrate the tank's armor.
After the early stages, if played well, the enemy will have no real defense and will then succumb to the late stage of this strategy, which can end up in three ways:
Type 1: The 'Rush-Cycle': In this, the player quickly exhausts the opponent's troops then quickly sends in his own, breaking what is left of the defense and destroying the enemy base. This works against 'Rush and 'The Long Game', especially the latter.
Type 2: The 'Buildup-Cycle': In this the player, having exhausted the enemy defenses, will then build up a large number of troops and attack. This type is NOT recommended as at this point both players have progressed to the point where they can build heavier troops which will then decimate the lighter troops of this strategy.
Type 3: The 'Long Game-Cycle': In this, having kept the opposing troops occupied, the player meanwhile builds an army of extremely heavy units, which then are phased into the attack to destroy the enemy. This too works against 'Rush and 'The Long Game', especially the former.
'Cycle' is in a sense the Jack of All trades; 'Rush-Cycle' will not work against 'The Long Game' as well as 'Rush'.
Armor & Weapons[]
These are the types of armor and weapons listed in Colony. Each armor type has its own benefits and counters, and each weapon type has its strengths and weaknesses.
Armor[]
All units have some type of armor, that can be effective against some weapons, but weak against others.
- Light Armor: This is the weakest form of armor. The units that have this armor are Marines, S-Marines, Snipers, Far snipers, and Meditics. Many weapons can one-shot kill with units possessing this armor type.
- Titanium: This type of armor is common in the Forge. It's typically more effective than light armor, however, missiles still one-hit kill it. Romans, Scouts, Phantoms, and Mod. Phantoms have this armor type. It is resistant to pulse weapons, but weak to positron weapons.
- Chronite: This armor type is common in the Outpost. Missiles can one-hit kill it, though it's effective against light attacks like the Marine's rifle. Chronite tanks, the Gröditz, the Sakata Spider, and the Mod. Spider have this armor type.
- Special: Most of the high-end units have this armor type. It's effective against missiles, ballistics, and pulse weapons. Hover Tanks, Black Queens, Prides, Gladiators, the Sakata MK-II and Saints bear this armor. However, Snipers and Positron cannons can be used to counter it.
- Composite: The only unit with this armor is the Sphinx. It's quite effective against strong firepower, like positron cannons and sniper bullets, but the Roman's pulse rifles and the Marine's rifles do high damage against it.
Weapons[]
Each unit also has a weapon, that does damage to a enemy unit (or healing to a friendly unit for a meditec), depending on the unit's armor.
- Normal: One of the fastest-firing weapons, but it is very weak. Gröditz, Phantoms, and Mod. Phantoms have this type. The Phantom's guns have splash, which makes it extremely more effective against groups of ground units. Composite armor can withstand heavy fire from this weapon. This is the most balanced weapon type.
- Light: Only the Marines and S-Marines have this weapon. It has low DPS but is relatively fast-firing. It is effective in numbers, especially vs. the Spinx's Composite armor. This type is possessed by quite weaker units.
- Pulse: The Romans, Scouts, Gladiators, Prides, and the Base's anti-ground posses this weapon type. Medium-to fast firing, most versions are quite as effective vs. the Sphinx as light weapons. Pulse weapons do less damage to Chronite and Special Armor.
- Explosive: The Chronite tank's shells, and the Black Queens's long range bombs are this weapon type. It's effective against groups of ground units, especially early in the game, where weaker armor types are common.
- Anti-Hadron: The Base's anti-air and the Sakata MK-II have this weapon type. There is no Hadron armor in the game, but it is extremely powerful against any air unit. There is not a ground attacking type of this weapon.
- Electro: The Sakata Spider, The Mod. Sakata, and the Sphinx's anti-ground have this weapon type. A well-rounded weapon, although Special armor is resistant to it(except for the Sphinx, which has special-piercing weapons).
- Positron: Many units have this weapon as follows: Snipers, Far Snipers, the Saint's anti-ground, and the Sphinx's Anti-air. The Hover Tank and the Saint's anti-air has a more powerful cannon version with more effectiveness. It is the ultimate counter to Special armored units like Gladiators and Prides. Basically no unit has armor that can withstand heavy fire from positrons, except the Sphinx. This weapon is very useful in latter game stages.
- Healing: The Meditec is the only unit with this weapon. It does no damage, but it increases the health of any friendly ground unit, not exceeding the unit's full health. It generally does more healing to units with weaker armor.