So yeah, it was about a month ago when I arrived in town. I was one of the first OGs, getting here only a week or so after it was opened, but by that time others had already been here, building up a good amount of infrastructure, and even armies. Some even got a taste of battles, before it was turned off. So I set out to follow their example, building up my production as long as peace lasted, to be ready for war once it was unleashed upon us.
Listening to the Neighbors
I was told I should not try to make friends, since eventually everyone would start stealing from me. But what would you expect, in a world consisting of drugs, weapons, and alcohol? They also told me this was a ponzi-scheeme, so I should be prepared for the collapse from the get-go. Okay, I thought. After all, this corresponds with the cruel world anyway, so let me embrace it and make the most out of it.
I immediately bought some big facilities to produce a good quantity of the stuff everyone needs. Then I used that to build more, and expand the ones I had. Pretty soon I had everything: crack houses, meth labs, weapon factories, bars, breweries, and even a 3D metal print shop. The production went so well that I invested my excess drugs in some bank heists, making a nice profit. I actually got all my initial investment back by the time all hell broke loose. Now that marauding gangs were roaming the streets, looking to score whatever they could, from anyone who had anything, it was time to protect my assets.
Fighting the Drug War
Of course I didn't have any troops when battles were opened. I wasn't ready to spend my resources on any of the three types of units that were available at the time, not while I saw what else I might get. As it turns out, however, when battles started, the cheap units suddenly were not that cheap any more. And true enough, some sweet new units were made available, while others, such as the Bomber or the Tactical Expert disappeared. Never mind!
After analyzing their statistics, I decided to get some Big Mamas first. Her formidable rolling-pin equalled 110 defense points, even if her attack was merely 12. The other unit I immediately liked was the Ninja, who could get to her destination in only 5 minutes, no matter how far away it was. To get a fierce attack going I would need Bazookas, as well as Mercenaries, who seem to be strong attackers while not lacking in defense either. But I never got to see them in action. One fateful night they were all wiped out...
The Receiving End, and How to Avoid it
They came in the early morning hours, seeing that I had left some drugs in the unprotected area of my storage unit (see, the safe are was full already, as I was saving up for a new Meth Lab), and they killed my entire army for it: ten Big Mamas and more. That's when I learned that a big army is no guarantee for safety. There is always a bigger one out there. I had to expand my storage facilities before I could improve anything. Even the shield, previously a day-long protection, was reduced to six hours. Not that it really mattered, because once it was gone, you were fully exposed. But who would waste their units on attacking you if you had nothing to loot? So I concentrated on my storages.
Carrying Capacity and the Usefulness of Cannon-fodder
Having looked down on Bouncers, Knifers, and even Gunmen, I was not much impressed at seeing a newly introduced unit that was even cheaper and weaker: the Rowdie, a common street thug, armed with nothing more than a steel pipe or baseball bat. Sure, it only cost me a few guns to train one, but I'd need a whole multitude of them to be effective. That's when carrying capacity became an issue. Seeing that each unit could only take so much loot, I realized the advantage of large numbers. Eventually I settled for a combination of Bouncers and Rowdies. Now I could go out and start plundering myself.
Looking for Targets
Battling sounded easier than it was! Looking through the recommended target list, most of them turned out to be unsuitable. Either they were smart enough to keep their resources within their safety limits, so there was nothing to be gotten, or their forces far exceeded mine, making an attack equally pointless. Those few who were unarmed, yet had unprotected loot were also quite difficult to attack, as some other attacker would always be faster than me. And once they were done, the victim would be protected by a shield for the next six hours.
Under these conditions it was not surprising that people would get fed up and leave, without coming back. The production they left behind would keep on pumping out more resources, so savvy gangsters cold visit them regularly and take what they could. In time I would have a list of potential farms, such as the famous INTERFECTO1-99 accounts. (We're talking about 99 distinct accounts here!) Even though their production was relatively low, there were so many of them that you could always find a few unfarmed ones.
New Rules to the Game
Now, it seems like things are changing again. Inactive farms will soon be gone, the shield will only be given to recent arrivals, and most interestingly, we can't see our target's stats any more. So are we supposed to attack blindly, leading our troops into a possible attack? Not necessarily. Instead, we can send one unit (our trial-tested Rowdie) on a suicide reconnaissance mission. They are not likely to make it, but the intelligence thus gathered will also be hidden from anyone else, unless you wanna share it with your gang, of course. Then you know whether it's worth leading an attack, if so how massive it needs to be, and how much resources can be plundered. On the other hand, your victim may also know that they have been spied on (provided they are not asleep at the time), and they can meet necessary precautions.
What's to be Expected?
With so many changes it's hard to know what we can expect. Many people may leave, which means those who stay will get a larger share of the production, once they are put on holiday mode. Until then, they can still be looted of course. On the other hand, the hustle is becoming more dynamic, attracting possible new folks into the drug business. Once again, great for us: so much fresh meat!
Should you have gotten interested in joining, please use my referral link. In exchange I offer you guidance, promise not to attack you, and could even introduce you to powerful individuals or lucrative targets. Hope to see you on our side soon!
Please check out these great communities I'm contributing to:
#ecotrain | What is EcoTrain | Discord Community
#cyclefeed | Introducing CycleFeed | Discord Community