Ark Nova | Why Release Projects Are OP

[@ratpongkraiwiwat5988]

I like this format a lot. straight to the point, informative, right duration.

[@cropsini]

I had an Australia release and i couldnt release my australian opponent, what do i do wrong?

[@NoWondersTV]

stay away from breeding programs if that's how you think they work

[@StevenNorton-qj9fg]

I think there is another reason. Release projects convert appeal points into conservation points. This makes it more likely that you will lag behind your opponent on appeal (and be way ahead on conservation points). This gives you protection from most attacks (e.g. pilfering) which typically target the player who is ahead on appeal.

[@NoWondersTV]

Yes, this is a great point that I forgot to add. It is so obnoxious being "ahead" in the game but still being able to target your opponents with basically all interactive abilities.

[@markvanderwerf8592]

Plus you get to play the Max 25 tickets sponsors for longer which are 6 out of the 54 sponsors. And all of them tend to be good if you are further into the game but don't have 25 tickets yet with the exception of free range new world monkeys

[@riptorius-d2y]

I've started speculatively keeping release projects (and breeding programs too) and really good release animals in my opening hand even without a match for them. You hit from the display or deck more than you would think!

[@NoWondersTV]

Yep! The projects or large animals can be great keeps if you don't have much else.

[@JDSecretPolice]

Mr determination even in solo mode, must be nice. Heavily agree with argument 1, which I would say is the main OP-contributor. It would also be interesting to see you compare release programs to breeding programs!

[@NoWondersTV]

We are agreeing a lot lately. Either I've gotten better or you've gotten worse 😅

[@davidm4103]

can it be both?

[@MostVictoryPoints]

I like how snappy the video is! Perhaps I’ve been slightly undervaluing release projects. I might try hedging a bit more on them, especially if there’s more important bonuses on the CP track.

[@BBoss27]

Great content, thanks for this. Maybe another top player stat overview soon?

[@NoWondersTV]

I collected the stats in August 2024, but not much had changed, so I didn't bother with another video about it. You can see the stats here - thanks to crops for prettying them up docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dd47yB8R4aNa8M-116Ox1LES5igCD3KC5E-MFzjvW9o/edit?usp=sharing

[@NoWondersTV]

My reply got deleted because I added a link, oops. I collected the stats in August, but not much had changed, so I didn't bother making a video about it. Sponsors upgrade continued to trend up, snapping up, Assoc down. It felt like the same conclusions as the last video.

[@MudroZvon]

Do you know that DireWolf studio is making Ark Nova's digital version?

[@NoWondersTV]

Yep! Will try it out once it's released for sure

[@rookierookierookie]

Is it only worth it with 4+ animals? Like if I have a 3-size 6 appeal animal but no other early project options, worth it to release early?

[@NoWondersTV]

For sure, any project is a good project. Release big, release small!

[@the_propaganda_panda]

Most importantly, freeing up valuable enclosures with a release makes it easier to pass on the worthless build upgrade!

[@mikezulu6720]

i am still afraid not upgrading build, but winning without upgrading build feels more satisfying 😊

[@markvanderwerf8592]

Skipping build upgrade and getting 2 CP from worker track is really powerful.

[@jrhawk0032]

What do you think about releasing an animal before the first break?

[@NoWondersTV]

If your action order lines up, sure, it can be very strong. It's important not to force it. e.g. if your build starts on 2 and you need to build a 5-size then it can probably wait until after the first break. But there is a lot of benefit to doing an early project. Getting snapping reward, upgrading sponsors and breaking for 10 money is incredibly powerful.

[@mikezulu6720]

yeah and with migration recording it could get absolutely crazy 🤪

[@NoWondersTV]

Hell yea

[@johnm86136]

I played a game on the new Observation Tower map with Migration Recording. I won building just two enclosures the entire game, a 5- and 2-size, and cycling through the same release projects at different animal sizes, over and over. Maybe "broken" is the right word here.

[@JG-jc8dm]

New sub from me. Thanks for the content sir! Can you please clarify what you meant by your very last point about the Badger and the Wolf? You said to be careful releasing the Badger if the Wolf is in play and I don't understand why. I'm quite new to the game.

[@NoWondersTV]

Sure! If you release the Badger with the European Release Project (Bavarian Forest) then you put the project above the Association board and place your cube on the slot for small size release (+3 shields). If your opponent has already played a Wolf then next time they look to support a project they would be able to "leech" off your project by placing a cube on the large size release (+5 shields). They will get +5 shields -4 tickets which is ~11 points, while you get +3 shields -3 tickets which is ~6 points. The Wolf is a "better" release, so you're giving them a very nice project to do at a later date!

[@JG-jc8dm]

@@NoWondersTV Nice, thanks for the explanation.

[@kaikulimu]

After playing more and more Ark Nova, I now consider release projects the most broken cards in the game. More broken than Eagles and Side Entrance/Archaeologist/Explorer.

[@NoWondersTV]

Haha, Archaeologist on some maps can definitely give them a run for their money...