14 DAY TRIAL // Qvadriga might become one of my most played titles in the coming months, mainly because I like the long-term goal of the game and how I can only reach the Circus Maximus by basically eliminating the competition mob style.
But as I play, I suspect that one major question that will remain unresolved is: is it better to be faster than the opposition or to be tougher and more brutal than the other chariot crews?
I initially tried to be the fastest guy on the track at all times, picking drivers that were good when maneuvering, fast horses and light chariot bodies for my teams.
My strategy was to never touch the reins at first and constantly accelerate towards the first turn, almost without paying attention to what my rivals were doing, and then just cut in front of the chariot that is closest to me.
I then tended to use the reins to gain speed liberally while trying to stay in one of the middle lanes, mainly in order to make sure that the structural integrity of my chariot was not affected by tight turns.
This is a good strategy, although it does take a few races and some failures to implement well, for the initial races, but I then hit a moment when I was unable to reliably gain first or second place using it and went to the other extreme.
I bought drivers with more stamina, larger chariot bodies and then decided that a racer does not need to be fast as long as no other competitor can actually reach the finish line intact.
Lashing at the other chariots and smashing into them requires good timing of orders and can often backfire, but it’s incredibly satisfying to take out other teams with abandon, secure in the knowledge that an event raced alone means certain victory.
But as I am trying to get to the Circus Maximus in Rome and win the most important race in the Ancient world, I am puzzled at which approach makes most sense to deploy.
Qvadriga never tells the player exactly how to approach an event but always gives them options so I think that the best approach is to simply grind out a little, try to take out as many good racers from the other teams as possible.
If no one else has a chance to actually compete with me, my victory and triumph are basically a self-fulfilling prophecy.