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Escalation: General Tips and Tricks


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Feel free to share your Experience here

 

The abilities to choose depends on the number of players.

 

First player should always have Power-Core

Second Player has Heal Beam

Third Player has sentry

Fourth Player has Flak Shield

 

It is essential to talk to each other. Try to stay together in a group. Look for places with walls that can't be overrun. Watch for holes in the ceiling. Always spend your money on doors that lead to the weapon upgrade room.

 

If you are the healer, stay back and support your allies. You're no use to them if you're down or dead.

 

Deploy the Power-Core as often as possible and tell your teammates that you do so.

 

On Downfall and Ancients you can stay in your spawnroom for at least 5 waves without ever need to get out there. it is save as no enemy can come in. as long as you have Power-Core you're good to go. Rack up some points and go directly into the upgrade chamber.

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Good advice.

 

I recommend the best player and/or someone that is at least very skilled in the game be the healer actually as you absolutely NEED the healer in this game opposed to WFC so you need someone who knows how to stay alive and can also get in kills while healing. A player that's not very good will just end up getting killed while trying to heal or fight so someone will have to swallow their warrior pride and be the healer if they want to win.

 

Also, it seems a good idea many do currently is if you have the ammo charge ability to set it up between waves when generally everyone meets up.

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I think they should fix Escalation as following:

 

Don't make it end at Wave 15! There is hardly enough Energon to purchase every upgrade and open every door.

 

Let us choose different Bots for each Abillity-Slot. It get's boring after a while to play with the same characters over and over.

 

When a Level is designed for non flying Transformers, just block open areals that could be flewed in without opening the door first.

 

Maybe a search filter for quick matches, which map or faction and talking or not^^

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  • 4 weeks later...
I think they should fix Escalation as following:

 

Don't make it end at Wave 15! There is hardly enough Energon to purchase every upgrade and open every door.

 

Let us choose different Bots for each Abillity-Slot. It get's boring after a while to play with the same characters over and over.

 

When a Level is designed for non flying Transformers, just block open areals that could be flewed in without opening the door first.

 

Maybe a search filter for quick matches, which map or faction and talking or not^^

 

THANK YOU! Jesus I just started the game today, and everything you listed here are my complaints as well. For f*cks sake, how many times do I have to play the same map before I actually get to play the one I want for the achievement? I only played for 3 hours today and am already at 60,000 energon spent for the 100K achievement, yet I have not played Ancients one time yet.

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I’ve put in a little over 8 days into escalation thus far, so I feel like I can share some of the tactics and strategies that I’ve used to help both me and my team win. Because of the sheer amount of information and post length restraints, I will have to divide this guide into two posts. They will be lengthy, but I’ll try to detail as much as I can. Before going in-depth on each map, I’d like to share some general tips.

 

Using a melee attack on Heavy Gunners and Titans is NOT advised. You’ll probably learn this only AFTER the foe gives you a nasty falcon punch that takes most of your health away…if you are lucky. For Guardians and Leapers, you can sometimes get away with striking them, but this only seems to work when they are going after a teammate. Likewise, if you are the intended target and one of your teammates strikes him, he may not strike back, assuming he still has a clear view (and a clear shot) to you.

 

I’m amazed at just how many people must come into the match thinking, “Yeah, I’m going to beast this”, only to find themselves quickly separated, cornered, and shot to pieces. There is simply no way to overstate one of the most important and (hopefully) obvious facts to escalation: it is TEAM-BASED. Sure, escalation keeps a score for each player, but the point is to survive TOGETHER, not to throw caution to the wind just so that you can get that kill. Look, I know that you want to get the most kills, but when you are so focused on killing enemies that you forget to resupply your teammates with ammo or heal them, you end up making the game harder for everyone while also diminishing the chance for a successful completion.

 

You’ll have to make that potentially game-changing decision of whether or not to revive your teammate at some point in playing escalation. From the matches I’ve played in, the medic will almost always try to revive his teammate-even if he/she fell in the middle of the level. Such heroism is certainly commendable, but often goes awry quickly. On lower waves, the risk of reviving someone is minimal, but on higher waves, there can always be risks, especially if you have to go right into the middle of the level to perform the revive. All too often I have seen the healer get scrapped as well when in the middle of the revive, which leaves you with two bots down and a slim chance for success. If your ally is down and in fairly good cover, then you have a good chance at a successful revive. If he goes down in the main part of the level with enemies crawling all around him? Tell him to enjoy the view, because a revive cannot be justified. If you were on your last try for the level and you died trying to revive a teammate, you are screwed. It’s much better to stay with the rest of your group (and keep hope alive) than to try and perform an impossible revive. Sometimes, a death is all it takes to convince the player that sticking with the team is his best course of action.

 

It’s always a good idea to open up the armory recreators in every level just to see what’s inside. I can’t think of anything more awesome than finding a Scrapmaker or even (rarely) a Dimensional Decimator for 250 power when you would have had to pay 1500 and 2000 (respectively) for them normally.

 

No one likes a thief. Especially one who seems to think that if I open a recreator and continue standing in front of it, then that somehow means I don’t want what’s inside. If I don’t want it, I won’t take it. When you swoop in to steal what I wanted (and paid for), you’re not exactly endearing yourself to me.

 

When upgrading weapons, I usually try to help out as much as I can. I have no qualms about putting in all of my money to upgrade them, but at the same time, it’s nice to be able to keep some back in case you fail a wave. The first two tiers? Definitely worth every investment. However, when we’re working on Tier #3, I’m not going to put in everything at once. Since Tiers #3 and #4 require planet loads of power to upgrade, I’d rather put a little in and still keep an emergency fund for myself. Tier #4 is amazing, but takes way too much power to be worth it (in my opinion). Not only that, in the games I played where we DID fully upgrade the weapons, we only got to use it on wave 15. That’s why I will usually not contribute to Tier #4.

 

 

Ancients:

 

Without a doubt, my favorite escalation level. The tempo is very fast-paced, and the action is unrelenting. It’s best if you make the weapon upgrade room (2nd floor of the Abandoned Bunker) your home base, as it forces the enemies to either jump up onto the platform or to come in through the door you opened to get inside.

One of the biggest threats you will face in this level are actually the Insecticon swarmers, mainly because they can cause a lot of damage when they are in a large group. It’s so easy to get distracted by another enemy on this level, and just a little distraction is all the swarmers need to surround you. Because you can be overwhelmed quickly, I would highly recommend both the E.D.K. Techvolt and the Corrosive Slime Cannon. Both of these weapons can chain through multiple enemies, making them perfectly suited for the level.

If all 4 of you are in the weapon upgrade room as the new wave begins, have someone stand in the back right corner of the platform (when facing the upgrade machine). Sometimes, a Heavy Gunner or Guardian will spawn on the 1st floor, almost directly below this corner, so by having 1 person there to see if they spawn or not, you can take out one of the bigger headaches almost immediately. I can’t tell you just how easier it makes the rest of the wave, especially if it is one of the later waves.

That electric fence trap? Completely useless. It kills allies more than it does enemies. It only lasts for just a few seconds, but even if you do activate it, 99% of the enemies in this level are just too quick to be damaged by it. Only the lumbering Heavy Gunner would take the most damage. Make sure you activate it a few seconds AFTER the wave starts for best results.

So let me get this straight: you picked Jazz just so that you could try to use the camping spot, and the only time you’ll ever activate the ammo beacon is when you’re on top of it? Forget it. I’m not coming up there. You’ll have to find another player who wants the easy way out.

 

 

 

Downfall:

 

Words cannot fully express how much I despise this level. It’s amazing to me just how crucial teamwork is on this one, because if your team gets separated, you will most likely be dominated. Whenever I play this stage with randoms, I’ll always expect the worst to happen (and it usually comes true).

Basically, 3 of the 4 escalation maps have the upgrade rooms situated in the uppermost parts of the levels, and because of this, you’ll have an easier time in trying to defend it. Guess which map is the only one to have the upgrade room on the ground floor? Yep-Downfall. As a previous poster has said, elevation over your opponent is usually a good thing to have. This leads to the main issue with the level-the 2nd floor of the Upgrade Center. By “2nd floor”, I mean the rest of the map, which includes the Autobase, bridge, and Skywalk. Whenever I see some (or all) of my teammates go up there, I know that I’ll be seeing the “Revive Ally” message very soon. On later waves (10-15), the following scenario will usually happen around 90% of the time:

 

“Next wave begins in 5...4...3...2...1...”

*Shotgunner jumps up to 2nd floor* BLAM! BLAM!

“Nice shot, you walking rust bucket!”/”Are you even aiming at me?!”

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

“Your ally is downed. Find and revive your ally.”

 

And all that happens literally seconds into the wave. If they DO get the shotgunners, then the game was being rather merciful to them, because Heavy Gunners will also jump up there (even though it should be physically impossible). Either scenario will leave you with downed allies, which will then swiftly progress to your team being utterly annihilated. Whether it’s the exposed bridge or the tomb that is the Skywalk, the 2nd floor has nothing to offer you save for a quick death. So it doesn’t matter if I’m the healer or the ammo giver, my choice is still the same, and that choice is to not frickin’ go up there at all.

So what can you do to survive? The 1st floor of the Upgrade Center (which has the upgrade console) is the best place to defend. Stick together, work as a team, and make sure to upgrade your weapons. Doing all 3 of these things will almost assure you victory.

There is also 1 more thing you can do to try to give yourselves a fighting chance. If you open the “Alley” door (at the start of the level after breaking out), leave the door (at the end of the Alley) that leads to the Courtyard locked/unopened. The door you leave locked is the one you can see from inside the Upgrade Center (it’s the door that’s behind the support pillar when you put the upgrade console to your back). I can’t guarantee it will work every time, but what happens is that a Titan or Heavy Gunner will get stuck in the large spawning portal and won’t come out of there. I think it happens because the locked door prevents him from advancing further. Regardless, it turns out to be a great relief, especially when you have to take down both a Titan and Heavy Gunners on waves 14 and 15. If you try this approach, you will have to unlock the Courtyard (and later on, the Upgrade Center) via the door at the other end of the Diagnostic Lab (Riot Cannon room).

Edited by Past Gen Hero
Tiny tweaks to improve sentence structure.
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Ignition:

 

One of the easiest levels, in my opinion. Just get to the Upgrade Center as soon as possible and defend it. If everyone stays together and uses their abilities, then this map is easy as pie.

The best way to get to the Upgrade Center is to open either the Eastern Stairwell or the Western Stairwell (they both lead there), and then buy your way in. If you choose to start from either the Traitor’s Entrance or the Gladiator’s Entrance and make your way there, then you’ll just be spending way more power than you need to.

A word of advice: calling in that Gunship Support will be cool, but when you have to use 2500 power just to open up the Airstrike Command Center (and fork over an additional 2000 power just to make it happen…for 1 wave?!), you have already wasted too much power that could have been put toward upgrading your weapons. Oh, and please don’t think that you can defend this small area, because you can’t.

So you want to make camp around the bridge area where the Scrapmaker is? The same bridge where everyone, including Leapers and Guardians, can jump up, surround, and attack you? Fine with me. I won’t be there, because I’ll be with the rest of the team in the Upgrade Center, where there are, you know, walls that can protect us from gunfire.

 

 

 

 

Oblivion:

 

This map can be just as easy as Ignition is… assuming your team is gellin’ like Magellan. Oblivion reminds me of the map “Remnant” from War for Cybertron. The Weapons Upgrade Center is the best place to defend from (surprise, surprise). To get there, you will have to choose between the left and right paths once you unlock the Observation Deck.

The left path (through the West Airlock) contains the Combustion Chamber, while the right path (through the East Airlock) leads to the Repair Bay. One thing to note is that once the Upgrade Center door is unlocked, every single area in the map instantly becomes accessible. However, while you are on your way through the map to unlock the Upgrade Center, I HIGHLY recommend that you take the right path. The reason I don’t like taking the left path is that the enemies pour out of the spawning portals located just beyond the incineration trap, and this can cause you and your team to become quickly overrun. The right path, however, does not seem to do this for some reason. I believe that when you arrive in the room just after the Repair Bay, the game makes the enemies spawn not from the portals in this room, but from one of the portals in the main room where you started from instead (the portal in question is the one right below the ledge that your foes will use to jump up at you).

Once you unlock the Upgrade Center, you will have a nice tactical position overlooking the lower floor, but be cautious, as the enemies will usually spawn from the portals directly underneath you. Of course, they will have to jump up to where you are, so use this advantage to the fullest and literally pound them into oblivion (pun intended).

In addition to the Upgrade Center’s ideal vantage point, you can also use the other two smaller vantage points (1 each in both adjacent rooms) to constantly rain down death upon your foes. The person who is using the vantage point in the Combustion Chamber (upper part) should not stay in there for long if you are on waves 10, 14, or 15, because the Titan will normally spawn from one of the portals in this room. Please note that I say “normally”, but of course there are still times where he will end up in a completely different area of the map.

Waves 14 and 15 can be especially deadly since both Titans and Heavy Gunners will make an appearance. For these two waves, my advice would be to have Soundwave deploy his turret right at the ledge in the Upgrade Center and have Shockwave assist/heal him as he takes out the enemies that will jump up. Another person (Megatron would be a good choice, mainly because of his powerful mega-concussion cannon and his flak shield) can stay to the left of the upgrade console and help out the other two, but his primary focus will be to look for the Titan to spawn in the 2nd floor of the Combustion Chamber. Finally, the remaining player (Starscream) can use the vantage point in the room to the right of the Upgrade Center (when looking at the upgrade console) to soften any enemies before they jump up into the main room. Always remember, though, that it’s not a good idea to be separated from your team when these last two waves go down, so if you see Heavy Gunners or the Titan heading into the Upgrade Center, jet back to help your friends. Also, know that if Starscream starts firing on the Heavy Gunners below, they may turn and start advancing toward him, so be ready to jet out of there at the first sign of trouble.

By now, the Titan will probably have spawned, and the player who was watching for him should be pounding him with every bit of ammo he has. Starscream should drop his ammo beacon around Soundwave and Shockwave to help them with the final push. After dropping the beacon, race over to assist Megatron in taking down the Titan, but constantly check the other direction, as you don‘t want a Heavy Gunner sneaking up on you or your team. Things can get hairy on the last two waves, but if you work as a team, you will emerge victorious.

If you fail on one of the later waves, something else you can do to gain an advantage is to activate the “Sabotage Security Drones” trap located directly beneath the Upgrade Center (right where you first started the level). It takes 1250 power to activate, but it is probably the best trap in the game. It’s perfect for dealing with the regular enemies (Shotgunners, Soldiers, and Scrappers), and it will make life a little easier as you try to take down the tougher enemies. Note that in order to activate the trap, you need to have already opened the Upgrade Center.

 

“I’m going to activate this incineration trap to see what it does. Hm, nothing’s happening. Maybe I-aaahhhhhh!” *Player dies*

Yes, the trap really works, so why did you have to see for yourself? Now I have to go through the rest of the wave without the healer/ammo supplier.

 

 

 

In closing, I would like to point out that while these strategies have worked well for me, they may not work for others. This is perfectly fine, and I would encourage those of you who read this to use it as a means of devising your own strategies. I hope this aids you in all your efforts to succeed and conquer escalation. Best of luck!

Edited by Past Gen Hero
Corrected some misspelled words.
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  • 3 weeks later...
Ignition:

In closing, I would like to point out that while these strategies have worked well for me, they may not work for others. This is perfectly fine, and I would encourage those of you who read this to use it as a means of devising your own strategies. I hope this aids you in all your efforts to succeed and conquer escalation. Best of luck!

 

 

Excellent tips. These helped me a lot and was able to get all of the achievements for Escalation while playing with randoms without mics.

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