A Short Story by Thea

He sat upon the road, blocking it with his scaly body and overly-large head. My army ground to a halt in front of him, the columns trailing fifty miles behind me. Swifts croaked overhead, avoiding impatient swipes from the greater battle dragons, and the repulsive reek of fresh lava jaw shit made our nostrils sting.

“We’re sorry, but something went wrong,” the baby dragon said, and turned his round yellow eyes up towards me as if his sweet expression would stay my hand from smiting him into a thousand bits.

“We’ve been notified about this issue,” he continued in the same pathetic, melancholy voice, “and we’ll take a look at it shortly.”

“You said that yesterday,” I replied.

“Hmmm? Yes. Yes, I believe I did,” he countered, and then proceeded to chew on his left wing.

“You said that the day before as well,” I reminded him.

“Uh huh.  We’ll take a look at this shortly.”

“Take a look at what?” I asked.

“This. The issue.”

“What exactly IS the issue, dragon?”

“What issue?”

“THIS issue! The issue that caused something to go wrong,” I said, and none too gently. How could any creature be so dense?

“Something is wrong?” he asked.

“Obviously. You’re standing here. I’m suffocating from lava jaw stench and you’re sitting here and telling me that there’s an issue that won’t allow me to pass. How long are you going to keep me waiting? I have cities to plunder, enemies to destroy, armies to build, and an entire alliance to run!”

The dragon examined his left wing with bored expression. “Hmmm. You said the same to me yesterday. I’m sorry, but we’ll take a look at this shortly.”

“TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT?” I shouted. “What the bloody hell are you looking at? Server overload? A new damned outpost that nobody really needs? A troop build contest that only idiots can afford to spend money on over the course of a weekend? Kabam web site-only troops? What? WHAT?”

“Did you fill out a ticket?” he asked.

“What ticket? For WHAT?”

“For your issue. If you go to –“

“Now look here, you silly shit. My issue is that you’re standing here and blocking me from Atlantis!”

“Hmmmm. Am I? That sounds like an issue, doesn’t it. Thanks for notifying--“

“Oh no, we’re not doing this again. Fix your damn issue or so help me, I’ll—“

“What? You’ll what?” he asked. “You’ll quit? Hardly. You keep returning to the realm. Day after day, no matter how much Kabam mistreats you. Hourly slaving away, wasting time you could be spending with living human beings in a park, or at a club, or even in the back yard. Got kids? Anyway…” he scratched his jaw and shrugged.

“Anyway, what?” I asked tentatively.

 “Anyway, you have an issue. It’s not with me, by the way. It’s with yourself. Why do you keep returning and, much worse, spending money on an inferior product? You do know that you’re paying for their new headquarters with your hard-earned cash, right?”

“Um…”

He offered a toothy grin. “How’s that lava jaw shit smelling now? Are you really going to continue to stand there like a hapless pawn of the gaming industry? It says something about a character when it lets itself be manipulated into actions that are contrary to its wellbeing…  some poor WoW creation trotting along in cyber space, beholden to the will of its human master. It’s quite another thing to be the human and trotting along with a credit card, beholden to the will of a game company.”

I looked at my generals. My vast army sprawled behind me, a sweltering hot mess of ogres, jaws, fangs, banshee and reapers. The newer troops clustered at the rear, and my drafthorse brood of raiding dragons swarmed in the skies above. Somewhere beyond the little dragon was my city, and all of my outposts, and my spectral ruins crammed with resources that my hands would never touch if the little dragon didn’t get out of the way. I pondered his words, and the time wasted in building my armies. I considered his sage opinion of just who I was beholden to. I considered all the money spent thus far on something so completely intangible. And then, with a shrug bereft of all apology, I shot him and continued on to my city…

KABAM Vital Data

If you need to contact Kabam direction, here is some vital data:

KABAM CONTACT DATA

Website	kabam.com
Category	Games, Video and Entertainment
Phone	650-450-9660
Email	corp@kabam.com
Employees	200
Founded	11/06
Description	Social Gaming

OFFICES

 HQ

101 Redwood Shores Pkwy
Suite 250
Redwood City, CA, 94065
USA

See nearby companies

San Francisco office

405 Howard Str
5th floor
San Francisco, CA
USA

Beijing office

Beijing, CHN

PEOPLE

Kevin Chou

CEO

Chris Carvelho

COO

Chris Carvalho

COO

Mike Li

CTO - Asia

Jonathan Xu

VP Engineering

Ted Simon

VP Brand Marketing & Communications

Andrew Sheppard

President - Kabam Game Studios

Ronnie Lott

Advisor

Amit Renade

President - Kabam Game Distribution

Kent Wakeford

General Counsel

Andy Lee

Managing Director, Asia

Lawrence Koh

VP Studio Operations

Holly Liu

General Manager

Data supplied by http://www.crunchbase.com/company/kabam

The Angry Lemming sez:
He who pays money
should get moneys worth!

URGENT COMMUNICATION: Outpost and City Danger

10 Mar 2012 1242 EST

THIS IS AN URGENT COMMUNICATION.

This message is multi-realm.

      

           *** CITY AND OUTPOST DANGER DUE TO LEADER BOARDS ***

DO NOT PARK TROOPS IN YOUR OUTPOSTS. 

Kabam has released the new Leader Boards; 

other alliances are hunting for troops to kill

in order to maintain their rank on those boards.

Be very GUARDED when manning walls.

They are sending small attacks and then swooping in with massive troops. 

Their GOAL is the KILL and YOUR LOSS in power, NOT your RSS.

  

Basic Guide: How to Combine Troops

by Andrea Patáková, one of our LoS war lords.

_______________________________________________________________________

We have 3 types of troops - speed, melee and ranged 

• Speed troops are Swift Strike Dragons, Battle Dragons, Banshees, Pack dragons (+ Wind Dragon)
• Melee troops are Porters, Conscripts, Halberdsmen, Armored Transports, Minotaurs, Giants, Ogres, Soul reapers
• Ranged troops are Longbowmen, Fire Mirrors, Lava Jaws (+Great, water, stone, fire and frost dragon)
• Hybrid: Fangtooths (work well with all troops, only bad combination is with GD/ED against camps)
• Uniquiue: spies (they are not considered combat troop, good only for spying)

 How to combine troops

Short rules:

• good: range+range, melee+melee, speed+speed, range+melee, speed+melee, hybrid+anything
• bad: speed+range, hybrid+big dragons (when sent against A.camps)

Exception to all rules: "rainbow attack" that combines all sort of troops on purpose and accepts small losses for bigger gains

(rainbow attack has: Fire dragon + heavy ranged (LJ, FM) + strong melee (ogres, giants) + (optionally hybrids- Fangooths) + speed bumps (1 of each other troops) = this setup is VERY strong and can overcome far greater defending force so beware!

Long Rules for attacking: -

• do not mix speed troops with ranged troops, becauce ranged troops stretch battlefield making fast troops loose the advantage of first strike and instead make them vulnerable to defending range because they spend their first turn to cross battlefield instead of attacking
• for this reason when attacking with Great or Elemental Dragon (ranged) support them only with other ranged troops (lbm,lj,fm) and slow melee (at,mino,giants,ogres)
• since wind dragon is very fast and has shortest range of all big dragons, instead of ranged he is considered as speed troop! He works well only with other speed troops and will probably get hurt a lot otherwise.
• it is ok to mix fast troops and slow melee types (AT is best example to carry loot), but basically your fast troops need to be strong enough to win battle by themselves (as they run ahead and decide outcome before slow troops catch up to them)
• fangtooth are hybrid, they are sort of fast (but not fast as speed troops), they have strong ranged attack (but only short range) and very strong melee attack,  they can be used with any other troop type (they serve as good ranged backup that can become even stronger melee if enemies close in)

Strenght of troops

 (this gives only overall idea - with mixed armies, it becomes a lot more complex)

1. attacking: Lavajaw>Fire Mirror>fangs>banshee>bd>ssd>lbm>mino>rest
2. defending: ogres>soul reapers>giants>fangs>banshee>bd>Lavajaw>AT>rest

• simplified in both cases: elite (outpost troops) > BD > SSD > non-elite troops

When you are the ATTACKER: you either need strong enough attack to smite DEFENDER before he can retaliate (rangers or speed troops), or support your attack troops with good defending troops to soak damage (or use mediocre troops that are good at both attack and defense, like BD or fangs)

When you are the DEFENDER: you need lot of strong defending troops to withstand initial attack and then strong attacking troops (range, speed) to kill attackers before they kill you. You are at DISADVANTAGE.

For this reason I do not recommend to defend unless you are well experienced and have large quantity of good defending troops AND good attacking troops AND can minimize risk of wipe by wraith dragon (put up Cease fire)

Rule of thumb for newbies:

• ATTACKING:

1. crush non-elite troops by dragons (bd, ssd or bd+ssd)
2. crush BDs by LOT MORE BDs or ellite troops
3. Crush elite troops by Wraith dragon.
4. BEWARE, always support your attack with spying (last spy report should be ideally 30-45 sec before your army arrives, so you have time to recall)

• DEFENDING:

1. NEVER DEFEND UNLESS YOU ARE EXPERIENCED (then you don't need this guide) - resources are too easy to replace, but dead troops takes tens of millions of resources and weeks of real time to replace! You may always get hit by stronger force that arrives instantly (speeded up)

Examples of attacks:

• fast farming attack: ssd, bd, bd+ssd, banshees  - good for farming food from camps, or attacking lower power enemies (or not defending ones) with little RSS, add Pack dragons if you want to carry more loot, add Wind dragon if you want to make your attack more powerfull
• slow attack (adding AT to carry loot): lbm + AT +gd/ed, FM+ giants, BD+AT, fangs+lbm, BD+fangs, LJ+ogres+fangs...etc.
• to gain talismans from camps or egg/armor from wilds: lbm+AT+GD, LJ+GD/ED, WindDrag+banshee

To see stats of all the troops read this: http://dragonsofatlantis.wikia.com/wiki/Troops

How Do I Post a Screen Shot/Screen Capture?

Posting Screen Shots

IF YOU ARE ATTACKED::

For ALL attacks, please immediately post the battle report to the group wall.

This document explains how to take screenshots for the group wall using Windows XP, Vista or 7, and Mac OS X.

Make sure your image file-type is a .JPG or .PNG file (e.g "battlereport.jpg") to ensure it's compatibility with Facebook's photo uploader. It is possible to change the file-type upon saving your file.

Windows XP

1. On your keybpard, press ctrl+"Prt Sc" (you might need to use Fn key as well, if your Prt Sc button is colored blue on your notebook keyboard), which will send an image of your current active window to the clipboard (like copy & pasting text, but with images instead).
2. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint, go to the Edit menu and click Paste, or you can use the keyboard shortcut ctrl+V. 
3. You may crop the image so only useful information is included (first Select rectangle of usefull area then click on Edit > Crop), or use any tool to obsure your coords if you wish.
4. Click File > Save As. In the box that pops up, change the "Save As Type" to .PNG or .JPG, and name your image. Save the file in a place of your choice (e.g Desktop).
5. Upload the image on the group wall as you would any other photo.

Windows Vista or 7

1. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Snipping Tool, click New, and make rectangle around area you wish to capture.
2. Save the image as .JPG or .PNG, in a place of your choice (e.g Desktop).
3. Upload the image on the group wall as you would any other photo.

Mac OS X

1. On your keyboard, press Command+Shift+4, then select an area (e.g your Battle Report or a message from another player) to take a screenshot of that area. 
2. Save the image as .JPG or .PNG, in a place of your choice (e.g Desktop).
3. Upload the image on the group wall as you would any other photo.

LoS requires all members to post a copy of a battle report when members are attacked - or NO retaliation will take place.

Serpent Eggs and Upgrades

Angry Lemming Alert:  KABAM updates; it's a love/hate relationship.


To be sure, you will have difficulties logging in while they are updating. You can expect game errors and weird glitches. The wilderness surrounding your city may all show as un-owned. Never fear! Kabam will fix it. (Really. Eventually. We suggest keeping this link handy when you need to put in a ticket: http://kabam.custhelp.com/app/ask)

The most recent fuss is over the Serpent Egg. It isn't found in the wilds yet but you can purchase it in the shop.

Meanwhile, we are left with the usual upgrade woes. Let's use common sense, please:

1. If someone steals your wilds, assume that the wild was showing as vacant. Message them.
2. If someone claims that you stole their wilds, assure them that those wilds showed as vacant (unless you're an asshole and took advantage of the usual upgrade woes - more power to you!)

How Do I Protect/Defend My City - UPDATED

by Thane MacPherson LoS/GotS

You're minding your own business, looking for your dragon egg, pondering all the stuff you're gonna build next... and it happens: your Sentinel gives you a warning. Your city is about to be hit. Oh crap!

RULE #1: stay calm. It's a war game. Eventually, someone is gonna come along and kick your ass. But hey, you joined LoS, right? We got your back, so don't panic. Go to the chat room and tell someone you are about to be hit. 

RULE #2: READ your Sentinel report. What does it say?

• "Based upon the makeup of their forces, they will attempt to spy upon..." This means that spies will come your way. Could be 1 spy. Could be 1000! All they are doing is looking. Your foe may not bother to attack you if he doesn't see anything of interest. Let 'em look. If someone gets their fur up and mans their walls when I spy on them, I figure they have something to protect, so I hit them hard.
• "Based upon the makeup of their forces, they will attempt to pillage and plunder..." This means that your foe has sent out his forces. They will hit your city within a specific period of time. This is where you have to decide if you will fight or hide. See Rule #3.

 RULE #3: don't leave troops on your wall while you're away from the game. EVER. Resources are easy to rebuild, especially if you ask members to help you or have smaller cities you can plunder. If you choose to defend an attack, do it only if you know you can win. It's tempting to leave a batch of spies or a small defensive force using the troop defense selection tool - don't do it. Every troop killed is power lost for you and your alliance.

Rule #4: if the attack happened while you were away, you should still go to the chat room to inform someone. You will need to post a copy of the battle report (screen shot) on the wall. 

How do I defend my City?

The best way to defend and prevent your city from being attacked is by having a powerful city and outnumbering any opponent. In most cases this means more of everything is better.

Here are some tips to help protect your city and win your battles:

• IF YOU CAN WIN: Make sure your troops are set to defend your city by clicking on your wall and make sure your troops are ordered to defend the city
• UPGRADE YOUR WALL to the highest level you possibly can. Higher level walls have higher defense resistance to protect your city
• TRAIN as many skilled and powerful troops as possible
• UPGRADE YOUR DRAGONS KEEP. The higher the level of your Dragons Keep, the stronger your dragon will be to defend your city
• USE A CEASE FIRE TREATY which provides 12 hours of protection. Cease Fire Treaties can purchased from the Shop or won in Fortuna’s Chance
• GAIN as much power for your city and reach higher levels
• BUILD ATs. I can't stress this one enough. You can ship gold and resources to alliance members before an attack hits, and then recall the ATs after the attack is done. Pick an active member that lives far, far away from you.
• BUILD UP YOUR VAULT. Many players feel the vault is pointless. I like having 2M of each resource after an attack. My dragon may look pathetic, but I can continue to function and build/grow. Plus, I get a power bonus for having a high level building.
• BUILD UP YOUR SENTINEL. 'Nuf said on that.
• Send your Great Dragon away to claim a new wild. She will be safe from the incoming attack. I send 1k bd with her to a level 1 wild (the 1k bd are there in case a weak player decides to send 100 mino to claim it. Overkill on my part, but I like brutality).

You get a new (better) title for each level you gain. Your level is based on the highest amount of Power you have ever had, and cannot go down. Power is based on the number and level of buildings you have, and the number and type and number of your troops. High-level buildings and expensive units are worth more Power.

See http://kabam3.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/58/related/1 for more information.

Contact your Lords and Leaders... help is always a click away. Visit the Lord of the Siege chat if you are in dire need. You're a member of our family, and you got some powerful big brothers and sisters.

INTELLIGENT TROOP DESIGN updated

ANGRY LEMMING ALERT: this updated document offers a wee bit of overkill. We have had a lot of people using minimum numbers, or LBM where they should be losing BD, and they have lost power as troops die. Please, always send more than you need rather than less!

By Thane Padraig MacPherson, Adam Robson 

GUIDE TO INTELLIGENT TROOP COMPOSITION 

I've seen a lot of people asking what they need to take on a wilderness or an anthropus camp. "Should I use 5k BD on this lvl 6 lake?" or "Can I send 500 bd with my minos?"  Here's an easy guide for minimum troops, based off info Adam Robson posted earlier plus some insight from blogger Black Rabbit.

You need to have the following research at level 5: med, met, wep cal.  Dragonry needs to be at level 5 if you are using dragons. lbm = longbowmen; at = armored transport; ssd = swift strike dragons; bd = battle dragons

ANTHRO CAMPS

Level 1        100 lbm     +          30 at

Level 2        200 lbm     +          50 at

Level 3      1,000 lbm    +        100 at

Level 4      1,500 lbm    +        100 at

Level 5      5,500 lbm    +        100 at

Level 6    15,000 lbm    +        100 at

Level 7    20,000 bd      +     5,000 ssd  

ALL WILDERNESS (mountains, forests, hills, lakes, plains, savannahs)

Level 1         100 lbms

Level 2         150 lbms

Level 3         200 lbms

Level 4         500 lbms

Level 5      1,500 lbms

Level 6      2,500 lbms

Level 7      4,000 lbms

Level 8      6,500 lbms

Level 9     10,500 lbms

Level 10   40,000 lbms

THIS NEXT INFO IS FOR MEMS WITH 8MEDS 8MET AND 8 DRAGONRY

PLEASE NOTE THAT WEP CAL IS ONLY FOR GROUND TROOPS AND GIVES NO BOOST TO DRAGONS AT ALL TO MAKE YOUR DRAGONS STRONGER YOU NEED DRAGONRY THIS IS IMPORTANT TRY NO TO FORGET

level  7    20,000 bds     +   10,000 ssd   

Level 8    35,000 bds     +   20,000 ssd  

Level 9    65,000 bds     +   20,000 ssd  

Level 10  120,000 bds   +   20,000 ssd  

ATTACKING:

DO NOT send ground forces with dragons. DO NOT send dragons with ground forces. Either way, you look at it, it's going to be bad for the dragons.

Dragons move at a faster speed, especially your SSD. If you send them with ground troops, these expensive critters are nothing but damage shields. They take a long time to make. They are effective on their own. Battle dragons are your BEST form of troop, and Swifts serve as nice shields for them. Unless you don't mind making Swifts after every major battle (i.e. you're powerful enough to be comfortable losing several thousand dragons), stay with ground forces while you gain power. And yes, build dragons as you go... increasing your army increases your power level.

Minos are heavy shields for Longbowmen. Make them, use them, make more. I don't use Minos for waves on camps and raw  wilderness... if you stick to my guide above, you won't lose troops! I save them for when I need to take down a city or a player-occupied wilderness.

Giants are great replacements for Minos once you are at a level when you can make them in large batches. Beginners, stick with Minos for a while.

Only build enough conscripts and hals to complete the quest, they are a useless troop, mino, while not as good as giants are a good shield for support troops (like lbm & lava) they also serve as a good buffer for your giants later.

Porters are good when starting out, but work hard to get your research and building done so you can churn out armored transports. These are key when raiding anything, shipping rss (resources) and gold to fellow alliance members, or feeding your massive army by attacking camps.

Spies are a primary tool. I also use them on occasion to test a city's defenses. Attack with a spy, let him die, and you'll know the state of the city. Reinforce with spies.

Fangs and Mirrors... well, this is a guide for beginners!

More info at http://blackrabbit2999.blogspot.com/2011/01/facebook-dragons-of-atlantis-troop.html 

Please add comments and suggestions to improve the info this thread!

Happy hunting!   

Thane