Excavate!
September 4, 2015 8:48 AM Subscribe
Excavate! (Flash) Build a team of archaeologists to manage a dig in Poland. Discover ruins, catalog nails and tombstone pieces, deal with local officials and press, earn more research funding and see if you can achieve a master's in archaeology with this half-hour turn-based isometric exploration game.
I am finding neat stuff but the font hurts my eyes. Also I couldn't seem to max out each skill using a women-only team so now I don't have enough smartypantsness to find MORE stuff. where is my funding you bastards
posted by poffin boffin at 9:25 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by poffin boffin at 9:25 AM on September 4, 2015
Where is the game? Doesn't come up on mobile for me.
posted by agregoli at 9:27 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by agregoli at 9:27 AM on September 4, 2015
Few, if any, mobile devices support Flash.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:39 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:39 AM on September 4, 2015
Don't discount having someone with high CHA to deal with the public, the media, and the police.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:02 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:02 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Some starting hints: Just keep click on "Next Character" when selecting your team to find what you want. Put more points towards Strength and Charisma when you can, since that determines your Action Points (Strength) and your Credibility (Charisma) and starting funds, as well as getting more funds later with good communication.
Ideally set something up like this:
Member 1
Str: *****
Per: *
Int: ****
Cha: **
This is your main person to inspect the finds, with 4 stars they can categorize 8 items at once, so let the finds build up and then use them so you don't waste AP.
Member 2
Str: *****
Per: ****
Int: *
Cha: **
This is your main person to search the ruins for sites and then the sites for finds.
Member 3
Str: ***
Per: ***
Int: ***
Cha: ***
This is your back up for everyone else, but they will take more AP to do anything as well as not have enough AP to spare for guarding. Ideally they can just back up searching and inspecting since those don't take as much AP.
Member 4
Str: *****
Per: *
Int: *
Cha: *****
This is your person to deal with the public, etc. And they can also be used to for strength if need to.
posted by numaner at 10:17 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ideally set something up like this:
Member 1
Str: *****
Per: *
Int: ****
Cha: **
This is your main person to inspect the finds, with 4 stars they can categorize 8 items at once, so let the finds build up and then use them so you don't waste AP.
Member 2
Str: *****
Per: ****
Int: *
Cha: **
This is your main person to search the ruins for sites and then the sites for finds.
Member 3
Str: ***
Per: ***
Int: ***
Cha: ***
This is your back up for everyone else, but they will take more AP to do anything as well as not have enough AP to spare for guarding. Ideally they can just back up searching and inspecting since those don't take as much AP.
Member 4
Str: *****
Per: *
Int: *
Cha: *****
This is your person to deal with the public, etc. And they can also be used to for strength if need to.
posted by numaner at 10:17 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
where is my funding you bastards
You have just described very succinctly what it actually feels like to be a working scientist.
posted by shelleycat at 10:31 AM on September 4, 2015 [17 favorites]
You have just described very succinctly what it actually feels like to be a working scientist.
posted by shelleycat at 10:31 AM on September 4, 2015 [17 favorites]
"I am finding neat stuff but the font hurts my eyes. Also I couldn't seem to max out each skill using a women-only team so now I don't have enough smartypantsness to find MORE stuff. where is my funding you bastards"
If you just hit "next" again and again, you'll eventually get a good set. My second time through, I won a couple days early with an all female crew. A couple strength maxes, a perception max and a charisma max. Intelligence is less important — you spend most of your AP on digging and clearing, and then on finding. Cataloging can be maxed through purchases. If you understand minesweeper, you don't really need to spend very much on the map stuff, but shovels and coms equipment pays off pretty quickly.
posted by klangklangston at 10:37 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you just hit "next" again and again, you'll eventually get a good set. My second time through, I won a couple days early with an all female crew. A couple strength maxes, a perception max and a charisma max. Intelligence is less important — you spend most of your AP on digging and clearing, and then on finding. Cataloging can be maxed through purchases. If you understand minesweeper, you don't really need to spend very much on the map stuff, but shovels and coms equipment pays off pretty quickly.
posted by klangklangston at 10:37 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Needs more Tony Robinson, Phil The Dig and Mick Aston's jumpers
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:55 AM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:55 AM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Just finished a game with 608 reputation, and almost everything discovered (missed 2 tiles of the belfry because dumb) and 356 findings. The staff was:
1: STR 4 PER 1 INT 3 CAR 4
2: STR 5 PER 3 INT 1 CAR 3
3: STR 5 PER 2 INT 2 CAR 3
4: STR 1 PER 5 INT 4 CAR 2
1 did PR as well as dig/clear if needed, 2 and 3 were diggers/clearers (with 2 later gaining +1 on PER and doing 1AP exploring after upgrades) and 4 explored and catalogued stuff.
The key is digging as fast as possible. Early on first day, use a scattered search to get a feel on where to look for (helps that you're not being midnight raided on day one). Then, commit to clear completely a ruin to level 5 because there's a 100 bonus on each. Upgrades, first priority should be cutting and digging first, then exploring and guard. I did well with just the basic map.
Also: starting funds seem randomized. You can go back to see if they're good enough for 3 basic upgrades before rolling to get a good team.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:33 AM on September 4, 2015
1: STR 4 PER 1 INT 3 CAR 4
2: STR 5 PER 3 INT 1 CAR 3
3: STR 5 PER 2 INT 2 CAR 3
4: STR 1 PER 5 INT 4 CAR 2
1 did PR as well as dig/clear if needed, 2 and 3 were diggers/clearers (with 2 later gaining +1 on PER and doing 1AP exploring after upgrades) and 4 explored and catalogued stuff.
The key is digging as fast as possible. Early on first day, use a scattered search to get a feel on where to look for (helps that you're not being midnight raided on day one). Then, commit to clear completely a ruin to level 5 because there's a 100 bonus on each. Upgrades, first priority should be cutting and digging first, then exploring and guard. I did well with just the basic map.
Also: starting funds seem randomized. You can go back to see if they're good enough for 3 basic upgrades before rolling to get a good team.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:33 AM on September 4, 2015
Made a 'perfect' run just now.
Team: 1 PR/Cataloger/Guard, 2 Digger/Excavators/Clearers, 1 Identifier/Excavator
*Finding and doing a 1 level dig of the 2 mid-sized places gets 100 bonus for each, which is critical early game. You probably won't find the 1-tile grave early, and the 12-tile you need to dig 3 deep for the bonus, which makes it not worth it til later.
*Upgrade guard equipment ASAP. The first two are key, they save you an immense amount of AP over the days.
*Digging/cutting is the most AP intensive position, each dig is 2 AP minimum. Excavating can be easily gotten down to 1AP, as can guarding, identifying, etc. Prioritize having good Diggers.
*The expensive education upgrades are worth it when you can afford it (after upgrading the guard equipment.) They will probably net additional AP for some of your characters, even if their already at the skill ceiling for their role.
*I never had a problem having the PR person catalog as well as respond to every request. Once I had the guard upgrades they also were my full time guard.
posted by matrixclown at 12:20 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Team: 1 PR/Cataloger/Guard, 2 Digger/Excavators/Clearers, 1 Identifier/Excavator
*Finding and doing a 1 level dig of the 2 mid-sized places gets 100 bonus for each, which is critical early game. You probably won't find the 1-tile grave early, and the 12-tile you need to dig 3 deep for the bonus, which makes it not worth it til later.
*Upgrade guard equipment ASAP. The first two are key, they save you an immense amount of AP over the days.
*Digging/cutting is the most AP intensive position, each dig is 2 AP minimum. Excavating can be easily gotten down to 1AP, as can guarding, identifying, etc. Prioritize having good Diggers.
*The expensive education upgrades are worth it when you can afford it (after upgrading the guard equipment.) They will probably net additional AP for some of your characters, even if their already at the skill ceiling for their role.
*I never had a problem having the PR person catalog as well as respond to every request. Once I had the guard upgrades they also were my full time guard.
posted by matrixclown at 12:20 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Heh. That was very fun for some reason. Thanks for posting. The tips above helped a lot!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 2:10 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 2:10 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well, my uncle at the company that developed the game told me you have to get all achievements in the game, complete it three times in succession, and in the fourth, you dig a swastika in the middle, and you get teleported to a new map with a Nazi Gold Train.
Totally legit guys.
posted by lmfsilva at 10:25 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
Totally legit guys.
posted by lmfsilva at 10:25 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by nubs at 9:12 AM on September 4, 2015