New Game - Medium, Hard, 5, Random; so you can have fun and tell me how to git gud

[Mirnaia]

Oh no worries dude. I personally have a tendency to get off track with things a lot, so to see someone do far less than I usually do admonished for it I was thinking back to all the times I might've peeved off thread owners by posting weird things in them lol.

I wasn't try to accuse you of anything, I just don't understand forum (or any internet) etiquette very well. Well, thanks for clearing that up lol, and have a good one. May your Silicoids decide to get their groove on and grow pops faster. (Assuming that Silicoid reproduction takes two to tango and that they aren't asexual and preform binary fission or something?)

Oh, I tend get off-topic all the time before realising I have done so.

I'm team Steven Universe on Silicoid reproduction, they employ rock formation where they crystallise and come out, at least that's my headcanon  

I agree that Klackons are the most relaxing way of playing MOO. My first game on Impossible will in all probability be with them, when I finally dare to try that difficulty.

To anyone reading this thread, I do appreciate feedback, I sometimes have trouble judging how my written tone comes across.

[shallow_thought]

This forum seems to be full of mentally ill people. Judging by your show-off, you are one of those.

Out of line. Both in the most general (don't hassle people anywhere about mental illness unless you have good and urgent reason), in the medium (that's quite a statement about this forum, although I personally have been treated for anxiety and depression), and in the particular: the thread owner gets a chunk of latitude as to how to run their thread.

[WingsofMemory]

One of the problems with written text compared to vocal speech is that at can be very hard to convey emotional context with it, and it can lead to a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunications. There is no font for "sarcastic" for example, sarcasm can often be misunderstood in person without enough emoting behind it.

Mirnaia accidentally mistook what RestorationProject50 was saying, and RestorationProject50 like the rest of us were enjoying the thread and talking about it. Judging by RestorationProject50s response, this isn't the first time he's had this happen to him, so he was probably already on edge a bit regarding things like this.

At the end of the day, we're all here to share our love a 30+ year old computer game and chill out with each other, so let's let bygones be bygones and enjoy the thread! I'm thankful that there are people that still care enough to write up "After Action Reports" for their game all these years later, and I am thankful that there are other people here to comment and query on them. That includes shallow_thought, RestorationProject50, RefSteel, and of course our host Mirnaia.


Related to the game itself, are you planning on bombing the Bulrathi into dust and then recolonizing the world, or are you planning on spending precious Silicoid lives invading them?

[Mirnaia]

Back on the track of rolling with my rocks.
@Wingsof Memory: I prefer to invade rather than destroy and colonise. We're up against Sakkra and Bulrathi, both of whom have a major surface advantage against us. We're in no position to even start thinking about offensive wars for the moment - when push comes to shove, I believe tech and necessity will dictate what needs to be done. Should the Bulrathi declare war right now (and I don't even know their tech apart from the fact that they have Hyper-V's that they were willing to trade) I would probably try and glass one of their unguarded planets ASAP hoping for early peace, or just wait it out - they only have a tiny fleet at the moment!
If I can consolidate, I probably won't have to fear them, and can sit back and get stellar tech if I want to where it won't matter. But save a big gropo advantage or Cloning, it's Emperor Ripper time if I must.
In general I prefer to win before messing with the Bulrathi 
Also, whenever I have the chance to outgrow the opposition, I prefer to build an advantage that way. I generally get into wars because I get attacked, I need to round out a win, or because I must have tech and researching would only get me further behind.
I'm not an experienced warrior, and before you mentioned it (near the very start) I haven't actually given thought to how pre-cloning Silicoid warfare should go. I can see the case for bombs/spores.

- 2377 -

   

Love you too, Max!

- 2378 -

It seems more and more likely that the Alkari transports are on their way to play with the lizards at Stalaz.

I put a tiny amount, 0.5% of my annual product each into spying on the three known races, I think it's finally not a major cut and I'm curious as to what they have, I especially want to keep track of their habitability tech. 8 years estimate for the networks to be built.

I can finally start allocating reserve funds for planetary development. Willow, the regular 10+ planet gets the first instalment, I generally try to help out my weakest first, with rich planets taking priority, so they themselves can start funding the reserve sooner, and poor poors being last because of the virtual penalty they receive if it's for factory building (it's safe if it's for population growing).

To the north, I'll have to feed either R20R Celtsi with 18 (that's a no-brainer, max ultra-rich immediately) in 6 turns, or 15R Toranor with 13? (I like to max tiny planets, otherwise development takes forever) in 5. The obvious core of population will be P Seidon, currently 43/100 population but only 28 factories. I dispatch 10 population (keeps Seidon at 90% growth) towards Anraq.

Esper, R30P, another priority planet, is getting colonised in 7 turns. Seidon should contribute as much as it can.

I do a quick tally - depending on Celtsi, I have 7 or 8 planets open for colonisation. My core, that is, planets that I can set to spare population, are getting unreasonably far away from the potential new ones - I still have warp 1 transports and don't have warp 3 as a research option - I also know as much about propulsion as a Klackon. What my guts would love to do is go for them aggressively, with a few fighter fleets, say, maybe 300 crafts in total squeezed in for small emergencies (able to shoot down colony ships and small wings, not for actual warfighting), stop teching at IRC III, and pour everything into maxing planets (facts -> pop growth -> bases) and then gradually picking back up on research.
This, of course, depends on how long pax galactica lasts. It's still the time of on-and-off alliances (currently Bulrathi-nobody, Meklar-Sakkra and Sakkra-Psilon) and I'm somewhat afraid that the first DoW is going to be strength-based, that is, against me. I'm on very good terms with the three factions I know (I could so easily throw everyone else into wars, but I said in my very first post I'm not doing that), so I can probably count on whoever I'm not at war at to assist me, at least on paper.
The real headache is going to be how to get the new planets up and going. Cryslon is now at the point, 94/110 pop and the corresponding number of facts, that it's just better to leave it alone and max it (with assistance from P Seidon once it has nothing better to do while Cryslon is building colony ships, Cryslon buying pop itself once it's done) - other core planets that can supply population at least to the current fringe will, I believe, stop at 50% max and go on supply duty, and I will go on crying duty over the speed of my transports, and on edge duty over when others decide to liquify my people.
This is around the time RefSteel decided to smash the rocks in the Warming/Burning game, just before they can consolidate. (That reminds me, I really wouldn't mind a Derelict, as it would give me tech in the two fields I spend 0 RP in so far.) That also reminds me, it is about the time events start happening, to add to my anxiety levels.

   

Before I'd start to feel unreasonably good about my position, I take a loot at those green numbers to the left. 
@RefSteel - to check population growth, I started a Silicoid game, just to press End Turn a few times. I used the
Growth = [(1-(current/max))*current/10]*0.5
formula, *0.5 at the end because we rock. I hope I figured out how to write it correctly, it seems to work fine with normal races. Estimate: starting with 40, by doing nothing, Cryslon hits 70 pop in 2325.
…testing…
Result: 69 in 2325, 70 in 2326. 
I also tried how long a new 2/25 pop colony gets to 3/25 (easy, as it's a second colony's numbers, also I thought that would be a good place to catch some bad rounding). The spreadsheet said 10 turns, which turned out to be correct.
This is hardly a thorough scientific investigation   however, the results, if off, are not off by a lot.

I've been meaning to press End Turn in my real game for a while, so

- 2379 -

Cryslon builds a colony ship, ETA 6 turns to the riches of Esper.

Celtsi IS uncolonised! My best guess at reconstructing the event is that the colony ship, which did not have a tundra+ base, was sent there on a scouting mission during the Alkari-Sakkra alliance times. Since the alliance got cancelled in the meanwhile, as soon as I yielded and the ship entered orbit, it was out of supply range and thus got removed from play.
Thus, 2 turns to Tao, then 3 to Celtsi for my colony ship.

IRC III at 38%.

I spot my first Psilon fleet, a lone medium Star Wing, probably headed for the dead planet a scout is orbiting, to the exteme east of the galaxy.

- 2380 -

IRC III finishes, and my only way forward is Improved Space Scanner (4730). I love that scanner to death, but of course I'm worried about only having the basic targeting computer. In any case, research stops completely for the time being.

The Psilon ship was headed elsewhere, and disappeared from the radar.

Paranar completes a colony ship, which is dispatched to Bootis, 30B, east of the galactic core, ETA 7. There are two Sakkra colony ships in the vicinity, one in orbit, one in space, accompanied by 2 Dragons. If they take the planet, I can continue on to Dunatis, the planet the Psilons were NOT headed for. Losing Bootis won't really hurt, I'll have an eastern outpost anyway.

With IRC III in, Tao of course gets maximum reserve support (feed its left hand with its right!) to get to its new max asap. Paranar and Cryslon remain on colony ship duty. Others get on IRC. Once Tao is done, it will take a detour to assemble a northern fleet before going back to reserve building. Getting Celtsi up will take priority should that happen earlier, depending on what Celtsi's scanner picks up, of course.

A Nexus-class Meklar cruiser seems to be on its way to pay a visit to Ajax, a Bulrathi planet that started out as a Sakkra one.

- 2381 -

Tao's maxing on factories this turn   on to building +1 rubies. I don't like taking up another fleet spec space, but I'm not getting tech any time soon either. Now of course they can't LEAVE until Celtsi is colonised, but I figured it's better to start building them up now. Reserves will be needed then, and it's no use for the money to just sit there for 3 turns doing nothing.

Three Sakkra colony ships are buzzing around the Bootis area, and seem to be missing the system so far. I'm not very good at judging this. Again, if they land, not a big deal.

Cryslon is done with yet another colship, it's off to Arietis, only a 10T to the southwest, but unless there's a big reason to do otherwise I'm going in order of habitability. To make things clearer:

   

I then realise I need scouts at Bootis, so Rubies are put off for another turn.

- 2382 -

The Sakkra attack me at Bootis with a single armed colony ship, take the planet, and that gets us to the first council meeting!

---

I run against Bullux.
21 total votes (14 needed to win)
Bulrathi - 5 for themselves
Meklar - abstain with 2
Alkari - 2 for the Bulrathi (alliance since last turn)
Psilons - abstain with 4 (I'm happy to see the number isn't higher)
Sakkras - abstain with 4
Silicoids - 4 for the Bulrathi

Mirnaia 0 - Bullux 11, inclonclusive.

---

   

And with that, the rocks are off to bed.

[WingsofMemory]

Smart move voting for the Bulrathi since they weren't going to have enough to win, should make diplomacy a bit easier!

[Berkobob]

Hi Mirnaia, have been enjoying this report so far, thanks for sharing!

The tone to me has been light hearted and fun, it seems to me like you're enjoying talking about what's happening and the thought processes behind decisions - which I enjoy immensely.

I also agree the 'blown up' galaxy images (where you can see the whole galaxy, like in your last image above) are great for us to get a sense of what's going on.

Your expansion has been really solid, to me you had a good overall plan and adapted on the fly appropriately. No game is played perfectly, unfortunately.

As for some comments on the game, here are some things I would consider:

On the whole growth thing, I'd not claim to be a Silicoid expert, but I like leaving Cryslon at 1/2 pop and slowly seeding other colonies up to 1/3, then using excess production to churn research along to key techs.
Then, you can gradually get them to 1/2, and later, 2/3 full, again, using excess production to fuel research. I will admit, I build a lot less factories than many posters here though.

In this specific game, it seemed a priority to grab those two Terran planets to your north, so this leads us to wanting the first two colony ships out sooner than normal. Without playing the map, it's hard to say what the correct balance of population levels, factories and colony ship building is.

I'm curious if you considered researching ECM1 over Deep Space Scanners, to see whether you had Robotic Controls 3 a few turns earlier, and if you did, unlock the tech sooner?

On your war options, I'm curious how much tech the Meklar have, and if you could snatch Crius, ideally full of factories, from them easily?
The other option seems to be glassing a whole batch of Bulrathi planets - you'll never be able to invade them cost-effectively until the late game.

But that seems far away, you have no weapons or forcefield research, if I read correctly.
So you're probably best to just build up some more and see how the galaxy develops?

Lastly, is spying or trade an option, to try and get more techs?

[Mirnaia]

Hi Mirnaia, have been enjoying this report so far, thanks for sharing!

The tone to me has been light hearted and fun, it seems to me like you're enjoying talking about what's happening and the thought processes behind decisions - which I enjoy immensely.

I also agree the 'blown up' galaxy images (where you can see the whole galaxy, like in your last image above) are great for us to get a sense of what's going on.

Your expansion has been really solid, to me you had a good overall plan and adapted on the fly appropriately. No game is played perfectly, unfortunately.

As for some comments on the game, here are some things I would consider:

On the whole growth thing, I'd not claim to be a Silicoid expert, but I like leaving Cryslon at 1/2 pop and slowly seeding other colonies up to 1/3, then using excess production to churn research along to key techs.
Then, you can gradually get them to 1/2, and later, 2/3 full, again, using excess production to fuel research. I will admit, I build a lot less factories than many posters here though.

In this specific game, it seemed a priority to grab those two Terran planets to your north, so this leads us to wanting the first two colony ships out sooner than normal. Without playing the map, it's hard to say what the correct balance of population levels, factories and colony ship building is.

I'm curious if you considered researching ECM1 over Deep Space Scanners, to see whether you had Robotic Controls 3 a few turns earlier, and if you did, unlock the tech sooner?

On your war options, I'm curious how much tech the Meklar have, and if you could snatch Crius, ideally full of factories, from them easily?
The other option seems to be glassing a whole batch of Bulrathi planets - you'll never be able to invade them cost-effectively until the late game.

But that seems far away, you have no weapons or forcefield research, if I read correctly.
So you're probably best to just build up some more and see how the galaxy develops?

Lastly, is spying or trade an option, to try and get more techs?

You seem to have hit quite a number of nails on the head - I'm currently in the middle of playing/writing my next instalment and a lot of the future stuff you mention are relevant there.

I'm glad you like my documentation of my mind (that's the part I love the most about others' reports), and as you can see, I try to tell it as "real-time" as possible, hence you can see as I keep double-guessing and overruling myself. Silis are the race I'm the least comfortable with.

IMO this galaxy is a very good advanced tutorial one. Not outrageously Sili-friendly or -hostile, but offering just enough opportunity to make some key expansions if the player is fast enough. Note to self again: I SHOULD SAVE THE STARTING STATE OF EVERY GAME and back it up. Unfortunately, as RP50 mentionet, 1oom uses its own save format (you can import MOO saves but I believe not the other way around.)

I find it reassuring that you approve of my thinking of this rather experimental game. As you can see, I still only dare to play on "just" Hard difficulty. I can feel that it's getting too easy for me (I played one where I was with the cats and where I made a ton of serious early mistakes and still won handily.) I just need to gather the courage and not be afraid of losing, and then I should probably be ready for the hardest difficulty.

About growing to 1/3, then 1/2, then 2/3, I agree that those are the milestones you can safely aim for and rest at. I am a factory builder. I try to approach it from the point of view that I need a good reason to be doing anything else.

I did consider ECM1. The reason I decided against it was that 

• I wanted to see more of my surroundings, with a thin empire.
  
• I'm good at computer research, so the cost difference isn't that severe, it's 110 v 440 to get to percentages. On the one hand, it's 4x (2^2 v 4^2), but on the other, 440 is still very cheap.
  

But I see your point, and in different circumstances I might have decided to go for the cheaper option.

You'll see Meklar tech in the next post, not getting anything done in that direction any time soon without causing major destruction. At this point, I'd take a planet for the possible tech, and not for having one more planet. The Meklar would make a fine first target, them having +2 robotics by default and only having 2 planets.

An aside about the Meklar, which I haven't really seen mentioned. They DON'T PAY FOR FACTORY REFITS. They can go straight for more facts whenever they get better robotics. I think that's huge. After the first couple crucial techs they have the option to just spend on Computers and Planetology and basically play a Darlok game (at least that's how I like to roll with the nazguls.) 

Espionage not yet, but trade is very much an option, as you'll see.

[Mirnaia]

I wrote before, in a spoiler tag, about my nerve-calming Klackon game with explosive colony ship production, and realise I'm doing the exact same thing here - with the difference of twice as many planets but way worse (less than half AFAIK) overall production and thus, tech.

If they don't kill me in say, two decades, it's all over. The time for some serious chiseling (I think this is what I'm going to call Silicoid pop purchases) is nigh.

Here's to hoping I get to live in uninteresting times for as long as possible.

- 2382 -

Something I have a tendency to forget - take a thorough look for incoming as I get no warning. Nothing suspicious so far.

I need 3 more colony ships for the time being, that's 1 more from Paranar and Cryslon, both due next year, and then one more from Cryslon.

Tao can produce 10 +1 Rubies per turn. They'll guard Celtsi as it's only a Tundra and also a nebula planet. Anraq will be able to dispatch 18 the moment it's colonised, without ruining employment.

I want the third factories per population on my core planets, but I also don't want to go above 1/2 pop's worth because of feeding. I need to make sure I transport excess off of the planets, then put the excess into IRC then chiseling, forgoing tech for the time being. For now, it's a loss, but since I'll have to stand a lot of colonies up it should be beneficial in the longer run. This does not apply to the tiny planets, those are going max straight.

- 2383 -

   

Not surprised at all, and moderately happy.

   

This screen was long overdue. My seemingly big fleet energy comes from all the colony ships.

Escalon, Darrian and Gion go just over 1/2 pop, and they go chiseling for 2 turns until Esper is established. Just an example of guidelines, I'm sparing you every detail thankfully.

- 2384 -

   

Whew. The newly deployed scanner picks up absolutely nothing, good news. 17 transports are on their way (ETA 11, will have 1 natural growth.) So Tao's putting a tiny amount into reserves to help RR Celtsi, rest into rubies.
The remaining two northern planets, Exis, 60P and Toranor, 15R, will get colonised in 7 and 6 turns, respectively. Anraq can smuggle some IRC in, and send >1/2 towards Tao for later redistribution.

Then I have a thought. Those things are bloody dangerous. Is this all worth it? This is as much an emotional as an economical issue. A half full Silicoid planet can have the most productive power out of any race at this point in the game. My lack of care for the environment is an asset, and I want to use it. Go go go on factories and don't artificially curb growth, just chisel out the population for the new planets, they take forever to reach their destination anyway. It also makes management a lot easier. It also makes taking a turn off to assemble a defensive fleet for a newly founded fawaray planet easier. I'll have so many weak planets soon it won't hurt to have my core as strong as possible shoud attackitude stuff happen. It might be ever so slightly inefficient, but offers more security. I'm more than willing to accept it, screw my population micro at this stage. The rock of all rocks has spoken. It's big factory energy all the way.   Is that a feather or a rod of dynamite in the hat (and thus, is it a cap or a hat in this figurative case?) I'm reminded of Colonel Cathcart of Catch-22 fame, who measured every one of his actions taken as either a feather in his cap or a black eye. He also had a hilariously zero grasp of reality.

I feel so much better now.

With everything rearranged, it's time to move ze on.

- 2385 -

A Sakkra Juggernaut (only large, in spite of the name) and colony ship pay me a visit at Dunatis. I stay long enough to see the Juggernaut launch a missile, and then I'm off. I DO see that they colonised the planet, that clears things up. I lose my chance at a far eastern outpost. Fine, this was their space anyway. Deads aren't safe any longer.

I found R30P Esper, my third rich, good times. I can send 25 transports right now from planets at a "reasonable" distance, take that as 8-10 turns for arrival, quite a stretching of the concept of reasonable.

Anraq has finished its IRC business for the time being and is on to facts.

Settling Esper opens up the rest of the southeast for exploration. I recall it's three more systems, and there are four, before I remember that the westernmost one is Orion. Scouts dispatched, Gion builds 3 more to round things out.
Only the northeast and the extreme north remains unexplored, but most of it has to be Psilon and Alkari space. The only remaining unexplored yellows are Altair and Mentar, Alkari are 1 or 2 PE (they had 2 votes, they have at most 200 pop, 201 is 3 votes) in all probability. Psilons, somewhat more.

The 25 enterprising Alkari transports are due next turn or the turn after at Stalaz.

It's a long time since I checked (spies are inbound in ~3 years), I ask each of the three races I'm in contact with for a tech exchange. Interesting things are Hyper-X (Bulrathi&Mechs, not right now), and the Sakkras' T+30! Since so many of my planets are tiny, it's an interesting and powerful proposition. Predictably, they're asking for IRC III in exchange (tier 3 for a tier 2, how often does that happen!) OK, IRC III is a fantastic computer tech, it hurts to give it away. T+30, say, doubles Tao's current population, gives Celtsi a max of 50 instead of the current 30, gives me increased natural growth, and propels me one tier ahead in Planetology with 0 RP loss, something hugely important for Silicoids. I still won't be researching anything for a good few years, and I was planning to rush this tech before equalising out the six fields.
I think that's a strong argument for going ahead with this (unfortunately, mutually) beneficial trade. Enjoy your two snatched planets and factories, Hissa. And don't worry about our increased crystallisation rate - dragons love precious stones, don't they?
I forgot it also makes terraforming cheaper (4BC/pop instead of 5.) I set the priorities as facts > T-form > IRC, with chiseling as required.

Only way forward is Bio Toxin Antidote, 12640 RP. (Cloning is at the next tier.)

After I realise I checked my planets about 18 times over by now, let's get on with it. On to a gem-eat-dragon world!

- 2386 -

A Meklar Nexus-class that I've been tracking for a while even if I haven't mentioned it, is bound NNW, not sure which planet, but I can't rule out R Tao. We have a non-aggro. Should they attack, it's their fault even if I shoot the ship down, right? It's warp 1. I start a base on Tao, just to be safe.

- 2387 -

Drakka, 50P, to the south gets a colony, which triggers the 12 planets news.

6 Alkari Foxbats (smalls, probably just laser ships) appeared on the radar last turn, and also seem to be headed roughly in the Tao direction.

- 2388 -

Arietis, 10U is colonised. That concludes the southern expansion for now, depending, of course, on what we find in the very SE.

The closest SE system has no planet, two to go. A Psilon medium Star Wing is in the area, and the Sakkra are going for colonising the northernmost of the cluster, one of the two which I haven't explored yet.

   

   

   

Scouting reports are in!

The Nexus is almost definitely going for Tao, due next turn. Tao'll have two bases up, that's 6 nukes per volley, with a Mk I comp in addition to the natural +1 base bonus. The Nexus is maneuver 1. Assuming no ECM, and no shields, that's ~14,5 damage a turn. With shielding, it gets rapidly worse. I don't feel safe. My base has A point of shielding. Hyper-X is double base damage and another +1 to hit, more than double damage if they have shields. The bears want T+30 for it. Their two planets that I have explored are still at the same max size as when I discovered them (ahem, now that I have it I could have just looked at the spy's report to confirm the same.) They're an 8PE. That's a horrible trade. The 'borg are asking for T+30 or Death Spores. I choose the latter. Yes, they're dangerous, but it also gets them less ahead in Planetology, something they're naturally bad at. The other option gives them a Planetology tier and 300 factories. My next step in Planetology is the antidote anyway.

I forgot the threaten option exists, and that I should have tried that first. In any case, I don't think it's a horrible trade, and I'm also at tier 2 weapons without having opened the field.

Since I was asked about Crius, it has 7 bases and the full 85 population, 3 shields, ECM I and Hyper-X rockets.

Once all that ridiculous fighting is over, Tao needs to remax asap, I could use reserves now more than ever.

Rather extreme amounts of chiseling going on to stand up the new planets, but it should be over soon.

Even with the obscene costs, starting with industrial waste elimination immunity really shows its power here. Paranar, with 63 pop is building 17 IRC III facts right now.

- 2389 -

The Nexus just moved past Tao as far as I can tell. That means the only reasonable destination is RR Celtsi. Tao goes full facts even though it's barely past 1/2 pop (transports are incoming) and maxed for the time being, to assist as soon as it can. There's a Sakkra Juggernaut also headed there, something I haven't noticed and might very well pay the price for. 26 +1 rubies in orbit, plus a scout 1. No chance for an emergency base.

I route the colony ship that arrived at Bootis (which the Sakkra snatched) to the last possible planet I could get, the southeasternmost one, which I haven't scouted. The other two colships' ETA is 1 and 2 turns, after which I'll have the option to scrap the class. I hope the Juggernaut spent a lot of design space on shields (nebula fight) - I know it has nukes (and nothing better - they have only researched hand lasers and ion cannon, and the Juggernaut is probably a pre-Ion design).

Should the Jugg manage to get into orbit, the invasion will probably come from Stalaz, with Duralloy transports, and arrive either one turn earlier or at the same time the 17 colonists do, probably the latter, Jugg ETA looks more like 2 than 1 turn.

Other than that, I'm done with my turn, after setting Tao to Ruby production and feeling bad about it. It only has 63 facts of the maximum of 120, so reserve money is still far away, I think shipbuilding is the right choice. If I have to retreat from Celtsi, it's 4 turns to Stalaz and back, enough time to catch transports.

   

[WingsofMemory]

Between the hyper-x rockets, the ion cannons, and the auto-repair system, the Meklar are looking like they can field a really strong ship if they wanted too, I'd be a little worried lol.

The Sakkra having such good fuel cells and controlled radiated planets is not great news for you, but that was going happen sooner or later, and it looks like you made out okay.

Yeah, it's a good idea to use feeder colonies to send population to systems that need them. For other races poor/ultra-poor planets are great for that purpose, for Silicoids every colony is eligible. Since Silicoids still (barely) get natural unstimulated population growth, it's a good idea to skim a little off of the top from most systems to feed into a new one.

Well, good luck with the next installment!

[Mirnaia]

- 2389 -

Tao sets the relocation point to Celtsi, thankfully before I press the End Turn button.

- 2390 -

My scout reaches the SE planet at the same time as the Psilon destroyer. I try and wait it out, no missiles, then try to juke it (asteroids) to no avail, I get shot down during the retreat.

Toranor, 15R is founded. That puts me in contact with the Alkari, who offer a friendly greeting. Ariel is a pacifistic diplomat with 3 planets to their name, and we're green side neutral. I sign them up for 100/year, a middlish option, I don't trust galactic peace to last. They offer Hand lasers or ECM I for trade, this was just checking what they have. Spy's inbound in 8 years.

A Psilon Star Streak (also medium) is inbound to Exis 60P, the last northern planet I haven't colonised. Colony ship ETA 1 turn, I estimate the Psilon's ETA at 2. Celtsi's rubies can get there in 3, but of course need to stay in place now for next turn's Jugg encounter. I believe the correct move here is to NOT establish a colony, wait for the Star Streak to leave, then come back and get the colony up later.

A single new system (along the northern edge) opens up, which I anticipated, and the scout 2 at Toranor moves to investigate, ETA 4 turns.

A Sakkra colony ship and the Meklar main fleet are bound for Arietis 10U, so that's going to get invaded, not a big loss. I'm happy if they spend resources, and more importantly, time, grabbing my worst planet, as opposed to, say messing with my RR.

NOW I send a threat to the Sakkra, with whom I have high Amiable relations.

To Her [my arbitrary decision] Excellency, the most respected, prodigiously breeding, bluest-throated, most graciously slithering Squishiness,

Do not touch the exhibits, or be squished by our shiniest, preciousest, accuratest gems over our shiniest, preciousest, marbleous planet.

Respectfully,

Her [I'm a guy but Mirnaia's a she, ever since her old World of Warcraft days back in 2007-8] shiniest, most prismatic Empress Mirnaia of the perfect covalent configuration, Overseer of the Diamond Council, by the power of her little friend, the omniscient Obsidian's Impeccable Chisel, affectionately called SCALPELLONE CINQUANTA MILLE.

   

I guess that went well  They're only allied to the Meklar and Psilons at the moment  (Should have asked to break them before, obviously.) They recalled their ambassador, but did not declare war.

- 2391 -

The Battle at Celtsi commences.
First batch of rockets hit, destroying 4 rubies (I thought I had it.) The second volley peters out, and the Juggernaut retreats.

The "Battle" at Arietis consists of me retreating from the beam-armed Sakkra colony ship, which now orbits the colony. I have 3 transports inbound, sorry guys! I now hope they send transports from a very big planet for many of them to perish. Not that it matters, they're the Sakkra.

I decline to build a colony at Exis (Psilon ETA next turn), and route the colship to Xendalla (no habitable planets), 2 turns there and 2 turns back. 

I explore the SE planet of Volantis, 10I, that the Sakkra colonised a few years ago.

Tao stops shipbuilding, by the time the Nexus gets to Celtsi it will face 42 +1 rubies, a good number if there ever was one.

I try and re-scout the SEmost planet, hoping the Psilon ship leaves in the meanwhile.

Paranar has caught up with triple factories to its current population. It's on to chiseling instead of tech, I'm now pushing for maxing out unless I MUST get tech on my own.

Still 0 wars, just probing attacks all around. Still stroboscope alliances. This is a politically weird galaxy.

I then reassign Paranar to shipbuilding. I don't want to fall too far behind on statistical fleet strength, and Paranar is at the best part of the growth curve.

- 2392 -

The Star Streak arrives at Exis. Five rockets run out of fuel, but there is a heavy laser installed - my scout retreats. And it gets shot down whilst doing so.

   

No surprises here.

I feel like I'm pushing my luck, if that's even an expression. It's pressing, isn't it? In any case, I'm very exposed until I can have defenses going, but my planets that could build a reasonable amount of defense are not immediately in danger.

That is, until I notice a Meklar colony ship just dispatched from Crius headed in my direction. Again I'm terrible at judging where it's headed, maybe Paranar? That planet can get ~ 1 1/3 bases a turn, and the ship is far away, I really hope that is indeed the destination.

What I did not notice until now are the 6 Alkari Foxbats (small lasers in all probability) due at Anraq next turn. I feel like I'm not very good at this. The closest Alkari world is 12 pc away, but still, it's embarrassing   Now, Anraq can NOT build a base in 1 turn, and could churn out 9 +1 Rubies, and they would LOSE to the Foxbats (estimated 20% v 5% hit chance.) Paranar rerouting would also take 2 turns. So I'll take 2 turns to build a base, and will have 6 turns to deal with the invasion.

   

By now the map is cluttered enough that such slip-ups will inevitably happen.

The Sakkra just got Sub-Light (Warp 3) drives, and sent 65 transports to my max 10 planet from Sssla (figures, half of 130.) Sssla-Arietis is 7 pc, that's 4 turns ETA. The Meklar will get to Arietis before that, or at the same turn, not sure, and therefore, send their own invasion force, so a lot of interesting things are bound to happen at that planet. Meklar-Alkari 0-10 in terms of current gropo. They could still get an alliance until that point, of course.   In any case, I transfer 1 pop of the 2 to R Esper.

- 2393 -

The Foxbats are either moving past Anraq to the uninhabitable system (more likely) or were 1 pixel short of arriving. In any case, Anraq is finishing its base with enough leftover to quickly build a second if necessary.

The Meklar colship might also be headed for the no-planet system.

Now, there's a Bulrathi-Meklar and a Bulrathi-Alkari alliance currently. I'm curious as to what the state of affairs be in 2 turns when both the birds and borg reach Arietis.

Tao's maxing out on facts next turn, which is going to be extremely helpful if it doesn't end up having to produce something else YET AGAIN.

I re-route my colony ship to Exis, which still has the Psilon ship in orbit, but I want to give it a try.

- 2394 -

The Meklar Nexus arrives at RR Celtsi, and is greeted by a scout and 42 +1 Rubies. The epic battle consists of it launching two sets of missiles at the Rubies from too far away and then warping out.

I discover the uncolonised Mobas, 25U, at a red star at the northern fringe. Now, do I make a play for it? Of course. Say goodbye to 395 BC (plus maintenance costs) with no return in all probability, but I hate not even trying. Paranar gets on the job, ETA 11 turns all things considered.

Both Psilon ships I wanted to depart seem to have departed - I'll have a colony up at Exis next turn, and I'll get to scout the southeasternmost system in the galaxy.

Alkari Foxbats are confirmed and Meklar colony ship all but confirmed to be headed for Draconis, the uninhabitable system to the far west. Have fun staring at curiously-shaped asteroids and planetary dust!

The Meklar main fleet has moved past Arietis, in fact - that means they're going for that very SE planet I'm about to discover next turn.

Everywhere else, I'm going for broke to stand my economy up.

- 2395 -

After that Psilon juke, I establish a colony at Exis, 60P - besides my core terrans, that counts as a LARGE planet.

The SE planet is Obaca, RR25P!!!!111! My colony ship that I routed there because there was nowhere else to go and I couldn't yet scrap it is inbound in 1 turn. I can't see, of course, if there is anything else inbound. Other than the Meklar SoD, naturally. They can't land there, and we have a NAP - more interesting times incoming.

The 65 Sakkra transports invade and take Arietis (casualties: 1-1.)

I finally have some (126) money in the reserve, most of which I promptly spend on planetary development. The rest are going to end up spent as my fledgeling colonies start growing.

Crazy alliances still. The networks spans all 5 other races. Bulrathi -> Meklar, Alkari, Sakkra. Meklar -> Bulrathi. Alkari -> Bulrathi. Sakkra -> Bulrathi, Psilons. That probably means losing the council vote if it remains so. I feel like it's pretty please time.
I get the Bulrathi to cancel their alliance with the Sakkra (the most important one.) They refuse to do the other two.
So I get the Bulrathi-Meklar alliance cancelled from the other side.
The rest, I'm not nearly on good enough terms with to even try.
I feel like this is dangerously close to exploiting the diplomacy system, but at least it beats spectator wars.
Now of course they could remake the alliances next turn, but I didn't want to wait until '99.

An I really don't know where my eyes are. The Meklar SoD entered Arietis orbit (I really really thought they were going past it) and 50 transports are inbound, which are going to lose unless they get serious gropo out in something like 2 turns.
Since this happened before I ended their alliance, the Sakkra colony ship is also in orbit - yes, they casually sent all those transports against their ally.

- 2396 -

Mu Delphi, in northern Sakkra space, is a R10R, with no base, hence the info.

My 3 transports bound for Arietis are wiped out by the 10 (now 9) Sakkra defenders. This, of course, means war in Hissa's book. 

I establish the RR Obaca colony, and of course there's a Sakkra colony ship headed there, which I cannot stop.

I check the races screen and the Sakkra have NOT declared war nor have they recalled their ambassador. At this point I'm really tempted to threaten them AGAIN. 

I consider the ethics of it. It's again, one of the game features that works too easily. Their navy is about twice as strong as mine on paper. On the other hand, they just threatened me, and should I fail again, that definitely means war. I'm undecided, and would much appreciate input.