[Guide] Higher Age Units Guide v2.20

[JDP1845]

Am I understanding it correctly that the PME blocker can be skipped as early as Industrial age, meaning FE troops are possible in industrial if it is planned correctly?

Also: is it necessary to not complete any side quests while keeping the "truth or dare" story quest until you get to the part of the map you want?

 

[UBERhelp1]

Am I understanding it correctly that the PME blocker can be skipped as early as Industrial age, meaning FE troops are possible in industrial if it is planned correctly?

Also: is it necessary to not complete any side quests while keeping the "truth or dare" story quest until you get to the part of the map you want?

Yep. Up to OF troops in InA.

And no, you *can* complete side quests, but it will advance you to the CE story, and if you complete that CE quest before reaching TE or FE, you'll lose the story quest. Most players will panic at that point, and possibly complete Truth or Dare. Basically, if you know what you're doing, you can complete story quests, but if you don't, I'd avoid it. The easiest and most straightforward path is just avoiding completing any until you're on the TE or FE maps.

 

[JDP1845]

Yep. Up to OF troops in InA.

And no, you *can* complete side quests, but it will advance you to the CE story, and if you complete that CE quest before reaching TE or FE, you'll lose the story quest. Most players will panic at that point, and possibly complete Truth or Dare. Basically, if you know what you're doing, you can complete story quests, but if you don't, I'd avoid it. The easiest and most straightforward path is just avoiding completing any until you're on the TE or FE maps.

I think I understand. So if you wanted to, you could jump around through the story by completing side quests but it is risky unless you know exactly what triggers what part of the story.

 

[xivarmy]

I think I understand. So if you wanted to, you could jump around through the story by completing side quests but it is risky unless you know exactly what triggers what part of the story.

The two biggest risks:

1) The CE story is not fully understood - It's known that if you fight the minimum path through in advance that's good enough (and even the last couple provinces of that aren't needed) - so you may not want to allow story to "hop in" during CE. There is a blocker at the end of CE that needs to be skipped that will block everything beyond it should you trigger it (until you're actually in CE). I believe it's triggered by conquering the whole CE map - so what you need to avoid is the quests that make you scout and take the skippable provinces.

2) Managing Truth or Dare - this side quest is the *only* thing stopping you from eating the PME blocker. You *must* not complete or abort it until you're done. And it's an easy quest to complete if you're on autopilot. The most common error anyone makes in trying to get the FE/OF troops is completing truth or dare. And one of the reasons for that is panicking that story's gone and trying to "fix it" by messing with their current quests. How you actually have to fix it is to progress to a state on the map where it can resume and then abort or complete a quest that is *not* truth or dare.

Every other mistake than these 2 has a relatively minor cost (not getting troops that'll make it easier to fight til you get hovers, getting 1 hover instead of 4, needing to research extra techs, etc). These two mean you're done.

 

[JDP1845]

Well this guide worked flawlessly. I have 4 hover tanks and numerous other Future era troops while still in industrial age.

I've been told by someone that turturrets are even better if I plan to stay in industrial age. I unfortunately only have 2 techs left to research. Is there a way for me to make the story quest "jump" again further along in the oceanic questline (i.e. skipping a lot of the arctic future tech research)?

 

[UBERhelp1]

Well this guide worked flawlessly. I have 4 hover tanks and numerous other Future era troops while still in industrial age.

I've been told by someone that turturrets are even better if I plan to stay in industrial age. I unfortunately only have 2 techs left to research. Is there a way for me to make the story quest "jump" again further along in the oceanic questline (i.e. skipping a lot of the arctic future tech research)?

Unfortunately not one that I know of. You can always enjoy the hovers in InA for as long as you want, then when you move up to PE get the remainder of the OF troops.

 

[JDP1845]

Unfortunately not one that I know of. You can always enjoy the hovers in InA for as long as you want, then when you move up to PE get the remainder of the OF troops.

So moving along to oceanic future on the map and then skipping a different side quest that ISNT truth or dare won't make the story quest "jump"

 

[UBERhelp1]

So moving along to oceanic future on the map and then skipping a different side quest that ISNT truth or dare won't make the story quest "jump"

It might, but I doubt it. You can always try it though

 

[xivarmy]

So moving along to oceanic future on the map and then skipping a different side quest that ISNT truth or dare won't make the story quest "jump"

I believe AF can jump a little - though I don't know if any of the tech requirements are amongst the parts that can skip (it is possible to make story vanish near the start of AF1 which means *some* amount of quests are skippable in there; but I don't know if the same holds for AF2-4)

 

[Elwynn the Grovekeeper]

Hello All
I created an account here to share something that you might find relevant to discuss.

I am a long time player and have been using this guide for quite some time , and first I want to say thanks to all the contributors. Back when I tried for hovers myself years ago, I ended up having to go all the way to PME to get them.

Now I have created a new (not so new anymore actually) world to try it from InA. About half a year ago? I came upon the quest "The Peace Conference" and thought, well ok time to move to industrial to get my police stations.

I notice there is a lot of attention in the guide focused on minimizing research requirements to advance in the quest line. So I thought I would be patient and try to get the police stations from another source, besides researching law and order. I saw one poster on this guide say they received them from the fall event. Soooo I waited.

As it turns out I missed the fall event due to some things that came up. But outside that I have completed every GE and event otherwise, AFAIK. Here is the result so far:




I have noticed that since I arrived at industrial, GE has exclusively given out saloons on level 2 and pumping stations on level 4. Furthermore, each event that has a normal buildings option as one of the prizes, it has been pumping station for the cultural building option. So just today I noticed this, and thought it might be a solution:


Thought I would have a chance, however small, with the daily quest. But nope, it's not even an option there. I am wondering if perhaps they have responded to this guide by eliminating the police station as a reward, as a way to minimize exploitation of the questline without actually changing the sequence?

Either way I am poised to just research the darn tech at this point. I am just curious if anyone knows how to figure easily,, what that will cost me in terms of advancement? That is, I need to research 6 techs right now to open police stations (the only InA one I have done is Industrialization). I still have all inessential research from previous ages incomplete. How far will that take me until I need to advance to PE? --- until what quest / unit? It looks as thought I would get blocked before reaching the OF questline. I realize it's all neatly laid out in the table and I should be able to figure but my head hurts.

Thanks to everyone again.

 

[UBERhelp1]

Hello All
I created an account here to share something that you might find relevant to discuss.

I am a long time player and have been using this guide for quite some time , and first I want to say thanks to all the contributors. Back when I tried for hovers myself years ago, I ended up having to go all the way to PME to get them.

Now I have created a new (not so new anymore actually) world to try it from InA. About half a year ago? I came upon the quest "The Peace Conference" and thought, well ok time to move to industrial to get my police stations.

I notice there is a lot of attention in the guide focused on minimizing research requirements to advance in the quest line. So I thought I would be patient and try to get the police stations from another source, besides researching law and order. I saw one poster on this guide say they received them from the fall event. Soooo I waited.

As it turns out I missed the fall event due to some things that came up. But outside that I have completed every GE and event otherwise, AFAIK. Here is the result so far:

View attachment 20040
View attachment 20041

I have noticed that since I arrived at industrial, GE has exclusively given out saloons on level 2 and pumping stations on level 4. Furthermore, each event that has a normal buildings option as one of the prizes, it has been pumping station for the cultural building option. So just today I noticed this, and thought it might be a solution:

View attachment 20042View attachment 20043
Thought I would have a chance, however small, with the daily quest. But nope, it's not even an option there. I am wondering if perhaps they have responded to this guide by eliminating the police station as a reward, as a way to minimize exploitation of the questline without actually changing the sequence?

Either way I am poised to just research the darn tech at this point. I am just curious if anyone knows how to figure easily,, what that will cost me in terms of advancement? That is, I need to research 6 techs right now to open police stations (the only InA one I have done is Industrialization). I still have all inessential research from previous ages incomplete. How far will that take me until I need to advance to PE? --- until what quest / unit? It looks as thought I would get blocked before reaching the OF questline. I realize it's all neatly laid out in the table and I should be able to figure but my head hurts.

Thanks to everyone again.

If you have all nonessential techs before InA unresearched, then you should be good to get basically as far as you want, with some left over.

Thanks for bringing my attention to this! I'm going to be moving up to InA soon on one of my worlds, so I'll keep an eye out for Police Stations and try to make (what seems might be a rather short) list of anywhere they they crop up.

 

[xivarmy]

Hello All
I created an account here to share something that you might find relevant to discuss.

I am a long time player and have been using this guide for quite some time , and first I want to say thanks to all the contributors. Back when I tried for hovers myself years ago, I ended up having to go all the way to PME to get them.

Now I have created a new (not so new anymore actually) world to try it from InA. About half a year ago? I came upon the quest "The Peace Conference" and thought, well ok time to move to industrial to get my police stations.

I notice there is a lot of attention in the guide focused on minimizing research requirements to advance in the quest line. So I thought I would be patient and try to get the police stations from another source, besides researching law and order. I saw one poster on this guide say they received them from the fall event. Soooo I waited.

As it turns out I missed the fall event due to some things that came up. But outside that I have completed every GE and event otherwise, AFAIK. Here is the result so far:

View attachment 20040
View attachment 20041

I have noticed that since I arrived at industrial, GE has exclusively given out saloons on level 2 and pumping stations on level 4. Furthermore, each event that has a normal buildings option as one of the prizes, it has been pumping station for the cultural building option. So just today I noticed this, and thought it might be a solution:

View attachment 20042View attachment 20043
Thought I would have a chance, however small, with the daily quest. But nope, it's not even an option there. I am wondering if perhaps they have responded to this guide by eliminating the police station as a reward, as a way to minimize exploitation of the questline without actually changing the sequence?

Either way I am poised to just research the darn tech at this point. I am just curious if anyone knows how to figure easily,, what that will cost me in terms of advancement? That is, I need to research 6 techs right now to open police stations (the only InA one I have done is Industrialization). I still have all inessential research from previous ages incomplete. How far will that take me until I need to advance to PE? --- until what quest / unit? It looks as thought I would get blocked before reaching the OF questline. I realize it's all neatly laid out in the table and I should be able to figure but my head hurts.

Thanks to everyone again.

I think cultural building rewards in events are usually the best bet for them. But not every event - some events only offer 1 fixed cultural building over the whole event.

Usually ones with a board of random prizes (like the casino wheel or the winter event presents) are the best crack. Winter event is particularly good if you find a day with them, as every reset of the board will contain the same presents that day so you can chase them like you would a daily special

But I have to confess I've never tried to "win" them - my worlds have had enough techs saved to just run to law and order. I have talked to some people who have gone that route, and almost ubiquitously it comes down to 1 convenient event where they won all 3.

 

[JDP1845]

I believe AF can jump a little - though I don't know if any of the tech requirements are amongst the parts that can skip (it is possible to make story vanish near the start of AF1 which means *some* amount of quests are skippable in there; but I don't know if the same holds for AF2-4)

I will report back. My goal is turturrets, so I am hoping to skip ahead in the story to slightly after "Secrets" as I have one tech left, and I would get turturrets from finishing "Thinning fleet". So map goal is to scout "Furious Storm" province and hopefully jump ahead there if I abort an industrial side quest.


It remains to be seen if the game will allow three story quests in quest slots at the same time. I currently have Truth or Dare in one slot, an Arctic Future story quest in another slot, and an abortable industrial age side quest in another slot. Wondering if I am better off completing the arctic future story quest or aborting the industrial side quest to make it jump, but I guess I could just try both.

 

[xivarmy]

I will report back. My goal is turturrets, so I am hoping to skip ahead in the story to slightly after "Secrets" as I have one tech left, and I would get turturrets from finishing "Thinning fleet". So map goal is to scout "Furious Storm" province and hopefully jump ahead there if I abort an industrial side quest.


It remains to be seen if the game will allow three story quests in quest slots at the same time. I currently have Truth or Dare in one slot, an Arctic Future story quest in another slot, and an abortable industrial age side quest in another slot. Wondering if I am better off completing the arctic future story quest or aborting the industrial side quest to make it jump, but I guess I could just try both.

It will not allow 3 story quests It allows Truth or Dare because it flags it as a side quest even though it's functionally part of the story. Other jumps in the story are caused by certain story quests having prereqs you can disqualify yourself from.

The one I know most intimately now is "Meet Miguel Mantos" in TE - which if you've taken his first province before you can get that quest, you won't. And since that quest is a prerequisite for many of the quests to come, you skip a bunch of them too. There is one more "resume point" towards the end of TE story that follows the same sort of rules. This is how you can skip TE story - you disqualify yourself from one quest that has an additional condition; which in turn disqualifies you with the line that follows it. And then at one of the resume points in FE (a quest that does not require you to have done the previous quest, but rather just be in the right spot and have no current story quest), you resume, *never* to see most of those portions of TE you skipped again.

This is what you're hoping for in AF - that by fighting ahead you disqualified yourself from 1 or more quests that are prerequisites for the rest of AF story and then it'll pick up at some point in OF. Note that even if this works, you may need to find a discrete "resume point" that does not have a condition of "did the previous story quest" to be eligible.

 

[WiserOneFineDay]

Currently I'm in Colonial and have the story quest to reach the new continent (INDY) and 2 side quests, research all LMA techs and research all Colonial techs both of which provide diamonds.

As I'm unable to complete the 2 side quests without burning needed techs, I'm not sure how to proceed, will I need to abort one or both of these to continue on with the progress towards higher age units?

 

[xivarmy]

Currently I'm in Colonial and have the story quest to reach the new continent (INDY) and 2 side quests, research all LMA techs and research all Colonial techs both of which provide diamonds.

As I'm unable to complete the 2 side quests without burning needed techs, I'm not sure how to proceed, will I need to abort one or both of these to continue on with the progress towards higher age units?

You'll need to abort or finish at least one of them by PME map (until then, only the story quest matters - when you get truth or dare it takes one of the quest slots, and the story takes another when you can resume it).

 

[pvtbobo]

Thank you for your guides!

 

[Camleon]

I'm sorry if you already answered it but I've checked a few pages and didn't see my question. (Thanks for the insane amount of time you've spent helping us all by the way! )
I just found out about your guide. I'm in Indy and currently completed every quests up to Landing party which requires to scout and acquire 1 sector of this province. Conquered absolutely everything prior and currently scouting for this quest.
Is it too late for me in indy or will I be able to get somewhere with higher troops?

 

[KingJMobile]

I'm sorry if you already answered it but I've checked a few pages and didn't see my question. (Thanks for the insane amount of time you've spent helping us all by the way! )
I just found out about your guide. I'm in Indy and currently completed every quests up to Landing party which requires to scout and acquire 1 sector of this province. Conquered absolutely everything prior and currently scouting for this quest.
Is it too late for me in indy or will I be able to get somewhere with higher troops?

Depends on how many technologies you have yet to research in Indy. Unless you have a lot of them saved, you will have to move to PE to carry on getting higher units.

 

[Camleon]

Depends on how many technologies you have yet to research in Indy. Unless you have a lot of them saved, you will have to move to PE to carry on getting higher units.

Yeah...
Only 3 tech not completed in all the previous eras. 1st in PE only needs to be unlocked already.
This means I won't be able to get much higher era troops isn't it?