Advent have recieved an in-culture buff that reduces the chance for phase missiles to bypass shields. 20% chance reduction, I believe?

This may be what you're experiencing.

They don't always bypass shields, it's a chance thing.

Well... I did find something awhile back before the Vasari were introduced (even before the Advent were as well), though I am not sure if it anything... I am speculating on the off chance that what I did find was a hint.

We know that the Vasari Loyalists have a separate "Returning Armada" research tech; the Vasari Loyalists have "Dark Fleet Beacon" while the Vasari Rebels have the normal "Returning Armada." The funny thing is that, during development, the Vasari Loyalists had something different - "Vorastra Dark Fleet." Back then, once this ability was researched, free ships warped into the gravity well that held your Vorastra Titan. Big deal, right? Here is the funny thing (and I hope that I can explain this properly, as it deals with the string file) - the IDS for "Returning Armada" is "IDS_ABILITY_FLEETBEACON_NAME." For Dark Fleet, it is "IDS_RESEARCHSUBJECT_ABILITYACCESS_DARKFLEET_NAME." Now, what is the IDS of the now scrapped "Vorastra Dark Fleet" tech? It is IDS_RESEARCHSUBJECT_CHARYBDIS_DARK_FLEET_NAME.

Charybdis comes from Greek Mythology. It refers to a whirlpool that was thought to be a monster. If this "Charybdis" does deal with what is chasing the Vasari, then I have an idea as to what is happening. Whirlpools are natural phenomena that can have devastating results on (smaller) ships. Mayhaps a catastrophic natural disaster started to appear in the middle of Vasari space?

What I do find funny is that the developers never bothered to remove this from the string file. Maybe they left it there for us to find, but I figure that they either forgot about it or were too lazy.

If you want to check this out, simply copy the English.str file, paste, and call it "fileName.txt." You can then open it with notepad and search for IDS_RESEARCHSUBJECT_CHARYBDIS_DARK_FLEET_NAME .

Interstellar whirlpool that swallows galaxies? Damn. You can't kill that with a gun.

There goes my "all three races ally to fight off whatever it is that's after the Vasari" theory.

I could be wrong but I think Charybdis is the original name of the new Vasari Capitalship.

Like I said, I am not saying that I found "the" hint - I just found something curious. It is rather interesting that the developers would identify a tech with such a unique name, which is what this entire "Charybdis" business probably is - just a curious name, nothing more.

If it was, then why put the name Charybdis into the tech that deals with getting ships from the Dark Armada?

You can get capital ships from Dark Armada as a Vasari Loyalist.

Didn't think about it before but doesn't that nullify the whole "they're dependant on their capital ships" that you used to justify their capital ships giving them more income than trade ports as well as acting as labs?

Lost some cap ships? Just darkfleet yourself some right back in. Oh, sure, they won't be high level, but they'll still give you the full income the destroyed one did and keep your techtree going.

Charybdis was the original name for the Vorastra.  The research was probably just never changed from it's codename.

When the Vasari Loyalists were still in development, the Vorastra Dark Fleet tech only gave you frigates and cruisers - no capital ships. Like I said, what I found is probably nothing other than a curious name.

Was it? Well, now I just feel foolish.

how do you make the Vasari Loyalist titan your homeworld?

There´s an upgrade for that in the civic tree, just after the one who makes ur capital ships give income taxes.

You upgrade it in the empire tree.

Yes it was.

Speaking of the Enemy of the Vasari, take a look at the Vasari research victory tech.

So, i've tried out the two Vasari subfactions and have to say... wow!
Maybe it's the anticipation after the long wait, but at the moment they excite me more than TEC and Advent did in beta 2, and i consider myself a devout Advent player.

The new cap is quite versatile and a viable replacement for the carrier if you don't want to get too strike craft heavy in the beginning but would miss the heal otherwise.

Loyalist planet eating is crazy fun, coupled with the eco bonus from capital ships i suddenly sat on a heap of ressources that sped up my titan construction considerably, and that after om nom'ing only two volcanic planets of the enemy.

The Rebels in contrast felt a bit lackluster at start, all the good techs seemed to be in the diplomacy tree and in an 1vs1 or 1vsX locked teams they naturally don't do anything at all...... but their titan is very strong as well and then .... the starbase jumping....


...i have to confess i had the most fun with that ability in a game quite in a while !

Even if that may turn out too strong, PLEASE don't nerf it into oblivion (but reasonably), it should really remain a "waitWHAT?" ability in friend's or foe's opinion.


My impressions may have to sink in a bit, but atm i'm almost a bit sad, that my beloved advent lack some of the jaw-dropping things the Vasari can muster right now.
Superpowered culture spread that miserably fails at enemy borders regardless or a few ships resurrected once in a while appear to be quite tame in comparison.

But i have to stop naggging, thanks Ironclad, great changes!

Yes i know that but should it say the the titan is the capital just like the planet, cause mine doesn't say anything.

It says your leaders relocate to your Titan so you cannot be eliminated from the game as long as you have planets or a Titan alive.

is it supposed to say it on the titan's info card?

Does victory tech actually do anything or does it just win you the game, does it do anything special?

Charybdis is a massive whirlpool that sucks everything up into its maw.

It makes all of your ships invincible and do ∞ damage. Of course, you immediately win the game the moment you research it, so you dont get to see it.

Not quite true, the legend states Charybdis swallowed water along with anything in the area three times a day and spat it back out. 

The Vasari "Charybdis" experiment created a whirlpool that sucked in ships and structures and spat it back out and those who survived the process went mad.  The Dark fleet fought the crazed Vasari and Charybdis only to get sucked in and joined the mad fleet in chasing the Vasari survivors and also bringing Charybdis with them.

Ahahaha, you did what?! 

Charybdis is original codename for Vorastra Titan, Yottsu. If you check the concept art on the Ignus Dei´s Deviant Art page, you can clearly see it there. The original research/ability, which summoned the ships to the Titan for free, was called Vorastra Dark Fleet, its actually still listed in the game, as one of those 6 subfaction specific techs on the race selection screen...

EDIT: Too late, nevermind