I wouldn't say that. If you aren't getting 1EE each day from each Chosen, that's quite bad. It's certainly possible to min-max more than that in some circumstances, like using an item to break an early Vulnerability or a 3-turn Commander to get the +2EE Tier 0 core break, but while you're still getting a handle on things this is a reasonable goal to aim for. It's just hard to explain when you can do that and when you can't until you have a better feel for the systems of the game.
If you want to maximize more than that, try to build up a 3 turn surround (DISG, PAIN, SHAM) on one Chosen and unleash it on the last turn before Extermination finishes. New Chosen arrive based on how many turns are spent in combat, and the sooner they arrive, the sooner you can get that 1EE from the new Chosen.
Breaking Vulnerabilities:
When a Vulnerability is unbroken it shows up like:
Code:
CON (core) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
This means that CON (constitution) is a Core Vulnerability for that Chosen, and is currently unbroken. Core Vulnerabilities show up with 5 levels of breaks:
The first level of break, +2, you get just for getting the Circumstance damage to level 2 (so 1000 HATE, PLEA, INJU, or EXPO damage). In this forum we might call that a Tier 0 break or +2EE break. Only Core Circumstances on Chosen show up with 5 boxes so this break is not available for Significant or Minor Vulnerabilities. It gets you a bonus +2EE but doesn't give you anything else.
Once you have broken this level, it'll show up like this instead:
Code:
CON (core) [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
The next level of break, T1, is when the Chosen start using tactics. They have 4 tactics that each reduce damage in two Circumstances. For example, Hiding reduces damage from the Grind and Humiliate actions, so it reduces HATE and EXPO damage when available. They use these tactics, basically, when damage in one of those two Circumstances would otherwise bring them to level 3 (10,000) or higher, and you start one of the actions that the tactic can defend against (this is a simplification of what happens, but true enough for beginner purposes). This level of break makes the Chosen slightly weaker to this form of damage.
Once this is broken, it shows on the Chosen like this:
Code:
CON (core) [X] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ]
The next level of break after this, T2, is when you bring the Chosen to Level 3 Circumstance damage and use the associated Defiler action. So, to break T2 CON, the chosen needs to be Surrounded and over 10,000 INJU damage, and then you can initiate the Sodomize action on that Chosen. Once you have done that, it shows on the Chosen like this:
Code:
CON (core) [X] [X] [X] [ ] [ ]
This level of break makes the chosen quite a bit weaker to this type of damage.
There are T3 breaks and T4 breaks as well, and at each level the INFO button will show you what needs to be done next.
What the game leaves up to you is figuring out how to get these levels of damage, and this is where new players have trouble. Basic attacks do 0 Circumstance damage, so they can never get you there. You have to surround the Chosen, generally multiple Chosen, and use the fact that some Circumstances build multipliers on other Circumstances to get anywhere near Level 2 damage generally. Here are your available
Circumstance multipliers:
Each level of HATE multiplies all Circumstance damage on that chosen by x2.
Each level of INJU multiplies all Circumstance damage on that chosen by x3.
Each level of EXPO on the other Chosen with the highest EXPO level multiplies Circumstance damage on all other Chosen by x2.
Some combination of these multipliers will allow you to get these breaks. My suggestions are back in
this post.
Generally you can achieve a 4-turn 2-capture commander by day 11 or 12 (faster with items), and you should be able to at that point immediately break at least a T1 vulnerability or two. Once you have done so, that Chosen will be permanently weaker to that type of damage, enabling you to get their levels even higher, and you will begin gaining more EE per turn, enablling you to send out stronger Commanders that capture for longer and deal more damage. By day 20 you should have most of your T2 breaks complete if you're on track and it's very possible to be quite a bit further along than this.
If you sent out a Commander and didn't get at least one new break, retry that day--you wasted the EE spent.
If you sent out a Commander that didn't stay for at least 4 turns and have 2 captures, load an earlier save--it's possible to do something with these, but until you recognize those kinds of situations, stick with this kind of Commander that costs 5.
Here are some thoughts you may be having that are getting you stuck on the wrong things:
"Since I want to break her MOR, I should only be doing HATE/FEAR damage to only this Chosen every turn"--no, no, no, you need to build up the Circumstance Multipliers to get anywhere in this game, read the bolded section above.
"I spent all my EE on a Commander but didn't get very far, but it got almost to level 2, so maybe if I try it again when I have another 5 EE"--no, you messed up somehow, retry that day and focus on the multipliers, or try and break a different Vulnerability.
"I only have 4EE, but that Commander should be almost as strong as one that costs 5EE, so I'll see what I can do with it"--no, 4 turns allows you to hit every Circumstance at least once, it's so much better than 3 turns. 5 turns is similarly a whole lot better than 4 turns because you hit every Circumstance at least twice.
Hope this helps in your enjoyment of CS.
