Base Melees

This article covers the BaseMelees scenario folder for OpenClonk. Base melees are scenarios in which players or teams battle each other and try to destroy enemy bases. This type of scenario combines the game play elements of settlement and combat and is therefore considered a different from regular melees. Usually base melees start with a short phase of building up a settlement to produce weaponry and improve defensive strongholds. In contrast to regular settlement scenarios this is sped up by allowing team leaders to create a small start up settlement. Then teams usually deploy aggressive strategies to weaken opponents and their bases, in order to oppress their production. The game ends for a team when all base buildings are lost. This goal is called domination and a team has won when all enemy bases are destroyed.

Downloads

The stable version can be found on Lorry and should be compatible with the latest release of OpenClonk. A development version can be found on GitHub and this is always kept up to date with the OpenClonk master branch.

Medals

All the base melees in the BaseMelees folder have the medal rule activated, which means that players can achieve medals for original or courageous actions.

Scenarios

The folder contains different scenarios based in different landscapes and suited for various team sizes. A list of the scenarios is provided here.

Scenario	Nr. Teams	Description
Cliff Fight	2	Two teams have their bases on opposing cliffs, where in between there is a large body of water, providing an initial obstacle for attacks.
Skylands	4	Teams have a base on large sky islands with various smaller islands around for mining resources or expanding the base.
Labyrinth	4	A underground labyrinth constructed out of small caves and narrow paths. Teams have bases in larger caves and may find wealth in a large central gem reserve.

Strategy

In contrast to regular melees, skill in controlling you clonks may not be playing the decisive role in which player wins a base melee round. Deploying the correct strategy tailored for the scenario and situation is more important. You need to find the right balance between gathering resources and production, building up defenses and attacking the opponent's base. In this section we discuss some general concepts regarding strategy. Advanced strategies per scenario can be found in the respective scenario articles and there is also an article on advanced strategies for base melees.

During the start of the round the team leader is able to place a small base consisting of a few production buildings and some materials. Be sure to use these materials immediately to construct items or defensive structures. Also dig out patches of material to allow the team leader to place the structures more strategically, for example a foundry underground near some ore. Always aim to build a few defensive measures to prevent enemies from directly walking into your base. Usually the terrain already provides obstacles which can be made harder by digging or placing defense towers, walls or basements. Also make sure the opponent has no direct access to any explosives in or near the base, most importantly dig out patches of firestone material nearby.

Gold management is the next important item to watch. Since crew members respawn at base structures when sufficient clunkers are available, it is essential to have at least enough clunkers to support 2-3 respawns. Also be sure to expand your base beyond two flagpoles in case one or two get destroyed. If a team looses all its base structures is eliminated! Excess clunkers can be used to buy equipment, resources or food at the base buildings, be sure to spend them and use these items.

Development

Development of the BaseMelees scenario folder is done on GitHub. You can browse the source there, report bugs, or submit patches and contribute.