With Space Marines, I often cap tech at like 6, very hard mode, since mostly doing their earlier game infantry/heroes is tons of fun. I've been doing 12-14 factions against each other, except for 2 aeldari scum allied to each other cause they suck, along with 2 unallied drukhari, 1 Necrons, 1 Chaos Space Marines, 4 unallied Tyranids, 1 "rebel" Astra Militarum, 1 Orkz, and 1 Tau.

They definitely remain competitive and you can certainly win, but you can't just be super reckless with no strategy or tactics. It was doable before the primaris pack, and it's easier now.

Originally posted by BlissDefiler:

With Space Marines, I often cap tech at like 6, very hard mode, since mostly doing their earlier game infantry/heroes is tons of fun. I've been doing 12-14 factions against each other, except for 2 aeldari scum allied to each other cause they suck, along with 2 unallied drukhari, 1 Necrons, 1 Chaos Space Marines, 4 unallied Tyranids, 1 "rebel" Astra Militarum, 1 Orkz, and 1 Tau.

They definitely remain competitive and you can certainly win, but you can't just be super reckless with no strategy or tactics. It was doable before the primaris pack, and it's easier now.

Hmm, tech 6 seems like awfully low ceiling; in particular, I want to use the Primaris tank and Dreadought, after all! ;) But 12-14 faction games with Space Marines? What size were the maps?

you sound like you want to say big maps are a drawback for SM, when they make winning for them easyer. the enemy must come to you, you must only find his city, and instantkill it in the turn you found it.
never seen a struggle with SM, only enemys instantdeath by Death from Above.

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by BlissDefiler:

With Space Marines, I often cap tech at like 6, very hard mode, since mostly doing their earlier game infantry/heroes is tons of fun. I've been doing 12-14 factions against each other, except for 2 aeldari scum allied to each other cause they suck, along with 2 unallied drukhari, 1 Necrons, 1 Chaos Space Marines, 4 unallied Tyranids, 1 "rebel" Astra Militarum, 1 Orkz, and 1 Tau.

They definitely remain competitive and you can certainly win, but you can't just be super reckless with no strategy or tactics. It was doable before the primaris pack, and it's easier now.

Hmm, tech 6 seems like awfully low ceiling; in particular, I want to use the Primaris tank and Dreadought, after all! ;) But 12-14 faction games with Space Marines? What size were the maps?

Large or huge, depending on what I feel like playing. You can obviously adjust the tech tier to your liking, but they're definitely competitive.

Originally posted by BlissDefiler:

Originally posted by Lampros:

Hmm, tech 6 seems like awfully low ceiling; in particular, I want to use the Primaris tank and Dreadought, after all! ;) But 12-14 faction games with Space Marines? What size were the maps?

Large or huge, depending on what I feel like playing. You can obviously adjust the tech tier to your liking, but they're definitely competitive.

You are a better player than I am, friend! ;)

Do you play with the default 2 technology researches required before the next tier or do you customize it? I like playing with 5 technologies required at each tier, but if you play with 2 or 3 you'll probably want to rush through recruiting as many higher tier troops/armor as possible and avoid things like Tactical Space Marines and Scouts.

Against AI, at least, you can hold off an enemy army with the Captain and the Chaplain for quite a while in early/mid game if you get them set in a choke point. Buy the plus 2 armor and the plus 3 health/health regeneration items as soon as you recruit either of them, and the blade of lazaraek once you can afford it. Also, get 2-3 Devastator Space Marines as soon as you can, since early on, and even later, they'll be instrumental in destroying enemy armor and cities.

Originally posted by BlissDefiler:

Do you play with the default 2 technology researches required before the next tier or do you customize it? I like playing with 5 technologies required at each tier, but if you play with 2 or 3 you'll probably want to rush through recruiting as many higher tier troops/armor as possible and avoid things like Tactical Space Marines and Scouts.

Against AI, at least, you can hold off an enemy army with the Captain and the Chaplain for quite a while in early/mid game if you get them set in a choke point. Buy the plus 2 armor and the plus 3 health/health regeneration items as soon as you recruit either of them, and the blade of lazaraek once you can afford it. Also, get 2-3 Devastator Space Marines as soon as you can, since early on, and even later, they'll be instrumental in destroying enemy armor and cities.

I play with the default 2. Is playing with 5 per tier better? I do buy the two defensive items you mentioned, but not the blade. I will do so the next run!

It's all based on preference. If you enjoy the earlier/mid game rather than rushing for the high tier stuff (which the AI does, too) then I think it's a lot better with 5 technologies per tier. With 2 you've gotta rush, since the AI will start pumping out more and more advanced stuff pretty quickly.

For the Captain and Chaplain I usually end up with the plus 2 armor item, zoathide jerkin (plus 3hp/hp reg), blade of lazaraek, power fist, lightning gauntlet, and the item that gives 25% to attacks for the Captain (concealed something) and the plus 20% lifeleech blade for the Chaplain. They become superrrr hard to kill for most stuff with all of that.

Originally posted by BlissDefiler:

It's all based on preference. If you enjoy the earlier/mid game rather than rushing for the high tier stuff (which the AI does, too) then I think it's a lot better with 5 technologies per tier. With 2 you've gotta rush, since the AI will start pumping out more and more advanced stuff pretty quickly.

For the Captain and Chaplain I usually end up with the plus 2 armor item, zoathide jerkin (plus 3hp/hp reg), blade of lazaraek, power fist, lightning gauntlet, and the item that gives 25% to attacks for the Captain (concealed something) and the plus 20% lifeleech blade for the Chaplain. They become superrrr hard to kill for most stuff with all of that.

The concern with having something like a 5 tech threshold for me is that the AI churn out advanced units even more quickly - relative to you - because the AI can research faster, and you compensate usually by researching smarter. So I am surprised you feel otherwise. Hmm. Maybe I should experiment?

i cranked up needed researches to 3, becasue 2 sometimes is to fast. 3 seems to help the AI doing more smart Unit build planing, read: they build units earlier, yeah sounds strange, but when you look at the stunts tyranid do early game with 2 research needed when AI controlled as example, you see them sometimes getting wiped out by wildlife superearly, first the gants die, than you see zero new units, while in the meantime the city does its best to piss of the wildlife as well, and than getting raised.
with 3 tech research i constantly see now early units like hormas and gargs.

5 researches sounds like an anoying chore depending on the race, you have problems finding 3 good things at some races in some tiers, when needing 5 its just grinding for nothing.

Originally posted by Stardustfire:

i cranked up needed researches to 3, becasue 2 sometimes is to fast. 3 seems to help the AI doing more smart Unit build planing, read: they build units earlier, yeah sounds strange, but when you look at the stunts tyranid do early game with 2 research needed when AI controlled as example, you see them sometimes getting wiped out by wildlife superearly, first the gants die, than you see zero new units, while in the meantime the city does its best to piss of the wildlife as well, and than getting raised.
with 3 tech research i constantly see now early units like hormas and gargs.

5 researches sounds like an anoying chore depending on the race, you have problems finding 3 good things at some races in some tiers, when needing 5 its just grinding for nothing.

Yeah, that sounds like a good compromise. What game speed do you run?

all untouched at normal speeds.
only fiddled with the map generation:
small areas
many areas
max wildlife
tropical upped from normal to one higher (seems they mean grassland with that like i hoped) . its ever a big problem for food based races when you only see several screens of ice/vulcanic/desert with no incling of green. and even with many areas setting the rng tends to make big areas of the same the sice of half a screen at best. with the higher tropical i seen now more often green spots in that monotonus areas.

biggest mapsice 12 players, ffa when im alone, double teams when playing with my friend

SM do not run out of steam late game. Only idiots think this.

I have never run into problems with SM late game - on the contrary. I like it how even late game You get techs to T1 units. What they don't get in T10 units they sure get in mobility and versality. And You can really change the tide of battle with well placed / dropped Aquila + Fortress