This is my first attempt at providing an AAR. I'll try my best, let's see if it's good enough!
First of all, I'm playing 1oom V1.11.7 (it's awesome!). I'll try and put the nitty-gritty details in a spoiler below, concerning the differences between it and the original.
(Got it on my second try! My first guess was <spoiler>.)
I play with most of the fixes on.
Important things:
No planetary trampoline. If you retreat, you must go to a different star system. (Can't effectively use an enemy's planet as your expeditionary rally point waiting until the fleet gets strong enough to actually fight!)
AI players set their rally points correctly. This was a major bug in MOO - AI players choose a weighted system to determine their staging point. This was absolutely messed up in MOO, now it works.
Can't use WAIT to reload specials. Not that I would in any case.
No need to design Scout2 - costs are correctly set.
Easier to request breaking an alliance than it is to have them go to war against an ally, the latter is properly calculated.
Quite a few I don't remember right now.
So New Game it is. Galaxy size: medium, difficulty: hard, opponents victims: 5, random race and banner. I spawn as white Silicoids. Every planet is a hostile planet (and not in the Bulrathi way, unfortunately), 40 BC/pop, a scrap heap instead of research, a clusterfuck of miniscule transports everywhere, go feel it, own it, love it!
First order of business after pressing Map and finding out what race I am is to rename "Randomia" to "Cryslon". This is my second game ever with the rocks, let's see how I can handle it. Go crush 'em!
I spawn in a corner, which is actually bad for the rocks. I think you want to be as close to the centre as possible from the get-go. Reason being, the unique way in which Silicoids expand (like a megaoctopus) is bound to bring them onto the borders and even into the heart of other empires. A lot of your colonies are going to end up being on the others' doorstep anyway. Therefore, the more planets available from the start, the better.
Three of the five yellows surrounding me are at least 7 parsecs away -> they can host ZE ENEMY.
Quite a collection of opponents. The Sakkra, being the Planetology specialists, and only growing 4x as fast as I'll be, might actually be trouble. Alkari special can make early brush wars very difficult. 'borgs and bears, ok. Psilons are psilons, and are always dangerous. Hoping for early Psilon contact and then making out with them.
5 planets scoutable initially, and probably 2 more after initial settlement. The two sub-4 distance planets are each 2 pcs away. Yellow and purple, however, I'm going to be sending my colony ship based on which planet (I'm hoping) is later on the planet list, so I'll get to see the other system's planet before having to make the decision to colonise or not. I believe I can afford this both because the two planets are so close and it doesn't take a horrendous amount of time to move between them, and also because we're the best expanders by far, we can afford the (likely) time loss. Unfortunately, that means sending my colship to the purple star (smaller planet likely, although much better chance of being rich), which is why I had to think this through in the first place.
One scout goes to the yellow 2pc, the other to the red to secure our way corewards. The northern middle yellow is closer to the one above it (7 pc) than to me should someone have spawned there.
That was a lot for an initial turn. Cryslon builds 4 scouts, and I, rather anxiously, press Next Turn.
- 2301 -
Cryslon actually builds 5 scouts, they begin spreading out, including the purple my colship is headed towards. The two extras remain in Cryslon orbit, as they'll have to go on very different paths depending on which planet I'll colonise.
Cryslon will produce 1 more scout (for itself), and we're on to factories!
- 2302 -
Seidon, a P90T (Poor) is at the yellow, and Escalon, 35E at the purple. So much for hoping for an UR (and thus, a two-turn gg)
Rerouting colony ship (ETA 4 turns at Seidon), because we're the Silicoids, what we need is population, and because in general I want to grab the planets from least to most hostile for obvious reasons.
Two scouts embark towards the middle northern yellow to save time. Let me tell you right here that I DESPISE scouting, find it an absolute chore, and I'm genuinely not having fun while doing it. I understand it is a very necessary and well-built system, and thus swallow the bitter pill.
I drop a few tears pebbles over Cryslon's growth rate (41/100).
- 2303 -
Press Next Turn.
- 2304 -
Cryslon's now on full factory construction, press Next turn.
- 2305 -
Middle northern yellow is Paranar 100T, red is Darrian 50E, the green to the south is Willow, 10R. Will still have to check the two stars out to the north, but it looks like expansion choices are going to be very straightforward.
- 2306 -
P Seidon founded. My convention is to precede planet names with R, RR, P, PP, and A where applicable. A major advantage of this approach is that those three letters look almost exactly the same in the game's typeset.
Send out two scouts to the stars that have come within range.
P Seidon goes full Eco slider and will remain like that for a long long long time.
And now, it is time for the million BC (1 QC?) question. How many do I send to P Seidon? Relevant question: do I need to max out Cryslon above all else or do I need overall maximum growth? It's the former, we don't need tech to expand right now and won't need any for a reasonable time. We can colonise 3 more planets before needing range.
Therefore, I'm going to send the part of the population above 34 (the least required to be on top of the curve, I always round up in these cases) and THAT'S IT. P planets have no Eco penalty in addition to what I already have, so I think that's fine. 13 transports it is, putting Cryslon at 34p/52f. When factory construction outstrips growth in the Silicoid way, which it soon will, it's just the worst feeling - it's a very vivid memory of my one and only rocks game.
Note to self as I just thought of it: even though we don't NEED tech, I will want to pick up T+10 (guaranteed tech) as soon as reasonably possible.
- 2307 -
Press Next turn. With all available willpower, do not send pop to P Seidon.
- 2308 -
Silicoid growth rate, just the way I like it foam foam kill, exhibit A.
Silicoid growth rate, just the way I like it foam foam kill, exhibit B.
Since Seidon's Eco growth isn't going anywhere for a while, I rethink my decision and will spend this turn and the next researching at Cryslon, and then feeding P Seidon's whopping 6RP into it for fun and profit. Cryslon can spare 22 BC for research this turn after building max facts, for a total of 28.
- Sorry for the perhaps excruciating detail, however, there are so many decision already in the early game that can have serious butterfly effects. I want to outline my train of thought, in the hopes that it can open discussion.
- 2309 -
T+10 costs 170 because we suck at pretty much everything that requires thought. For example, the environment.
Uncolonised! The Paranar-Anraq direction will be fantastic for early expansion. All these yellows, and not a sniff of blood yet.
Cryslon builds the 2 facts after its +1 growth, and can spare 68 RP, for 74 this turn, 106 RP so far for next turn, with interest.
- 2310 -
Cryslon starts spending its spare on a colony ship, RELOCated to Paranar 4pc. P Seidon pours its endless resources (7!!!) into planetology (127 RP for the curious.)
Good luck writing your first AAR. The Silicoids are very hit or miss depending on the galaxy spawn. In favourable circumstances they can be the most powerful race, in unfavourable the weakest.
(November 24th, 2025, 16:10)WingsofMemory Wrote: Good luck writing your first AAR. The Silicoids are very hit or miss depending on the galaxy spawn. In favourable circumstances they can be the most powerful race, in unfavourable the weakest.
I agree. They're the most whimsical of them all. They have so many disadvantages that I plan on playing for maximum greed and getting a winning setup as early as possible.
Looks like fun! Your settings sound good - almost everything from your list is duplicated from the unofficial patch we use for original MoO (the exception, allowing ships to retreat but return to the same system, I've often just followed as a "house rule" anyway, but just as often permitted myself just to avoid tedium).
Those population growth rates look painful. In fact ... I don't know if (this version of) 1oom rounds differently or what, but Silicoids should be growing faster than that naturally. (I just tried a test game in base Orion to confirm, and had two more population on Cryslon by 2306 than you appear to have had.) If it's consistently slower instead of a fluke, that might make the game even more challenging than planned! The Silis have a strong early game regardless though, and if you can leverage that into a strong position on the map, you can overcome even Extreme Growth Penalties.
Thanks for the report, and good luck with the game! It'll be fun to see how it develops!
(November 25th, 2025, 05:31)RefSteel Wrote: Looks like fun! Your settings sound good - almost everything from your list is duplicated from the unofficial patch we use for original MoO (the exception, allowing ships to retreat but return to the same system, I've often just followed as a "house rule" anyway, but just as often permitted myself just to avoid tedium).
Those population growth rates look painful. In fact ... I don't know if (this version of) 1oom rounds differently or what, but Silicoids should be growing faster than that naturally. (I just tried a test game in base Orion to confirm, and had two more population on Cryslon by 2306 than you appear to have had.) If it's consistently slower instead of a fluke, that might make the game even more challenging than planned! The Silis have a strong early game regardless though, and if you can leverage that into a strong position on the map, you can overcome even Extreme Growth Penalties.
Thanks for the report, and good luck with the game! It'll be fun to see how it develops!
Thanks! I would say the Silicoids MUST have a strong early game, as they are by far the worst race in endgame.
Very interesting stuff regarding growth, and thanks for trying to replicate the curve. So I have rocks on valium, apparently And the consolidation phase during/after expansion is the part I'm always terrified of in any game, especially since I tend to err on the side of greed.
The blue star to the west, Draconis, has no planet; scout rerouted to Anraq. P Seidon@8RP (151), percentages the turn after that!
- 2312 -
Planetology at 1%. Don't know what I miscalculated, not that it really matters.
- 2313 -
- 2314-
- 2315 -
- 2316 -
- 2317 -
T+10 at 32%. Only way forward are Death Spores@4370.
P Seidon begins terraforming, since research is off the table for now. Cryslon can build max facts and fully terraform and still get the colony ship done in a year, with some decent surplus.
I shuffle scouts around and towards Anraq, leaving the radiated world at the very south uncovered. I'll have 2 there, and anywhere between 2-4 planets are going to get discoverable soon.
- 2318 -
Colony ship dispatched to Paranar, all available Cryslon resources go to max facts then shipbuilding, ETA (A for assembly?) 6 turns for the next colony ship.
I'm thinking about what I'm going to do with population transfers once Paranar is colonised in 2321. Cryslon needs to single-mindedly focus on industrial development and colonisation efforts. Max factories means no transfers. That leaves P Seidon, currently at 22/92p, three turns from now it'll be doing its last round of terraforming and I expect it to be at 24 pop. The two planets are comparable in size. Even 12-12 splitting would result in ~ 0.52 and 0.53 g/t, and will continue growing overall faster, full pop on one of the planets is slightly below 1, and will grow slower empire-wise. I decide to empty P Seidon. We need a seeding planet because of constant colonisation, which neither of them will be for a good while if I split population, and if I can choose only one, of course I'm choosing the non-poor, so I can actually get facts. Sorry Seidon! I do it, with an aching heart. Seidon will be sending 1/2 pop to Paranar every turn from then on.
- 2319 -
- 2320 -
- 2321 -
It starts. Settling Paranar brings the yellow ENE to it within range, scout dispatched from Anraq. I'll need a round of scout-building once the next colony ship is finished, and P Seidon is obviously useless for that. Paranar will just have received its first 12M population transport, so that leaves Cryslon sacrificing a turn.
--- Then I realise Anraq is only going to get colonised in 2331. By then, Paranar will have been terraformed and had a few turns of factory-building. We'd have to send the scouts toward Anraq in 7 turns, so that means additional incoming population, ~3 turns of factory construction, most likely 5 fact, so I estimate their output at 20-22 (after imagining some upkeep for the colony ship). I'll need 2-4 scouts, have one spare in orbit at Anraq, soI can very well do with the 2 they'll be able to produce by then in a turn, 4 systems opening up is unlikely judging by the Class I eyeball. Maybe planning scouting isn't that dull after all.
--- And then again, I won't start with terraforming at Paranar, as it's a waste of resources right now, build facts until I reach the 1/3 pop limit, then terraform. Eventually build up to 54 factories, 1/3 pop's worth after terraforming.
- 2322 -
- 2323 -
- 2324 -
Colony ship assembled and headed to Anraq, ETA 6. (That means I gave an extra year above reality to the unnecessary calculation above.)
Paranar starts working on facts, the first year this happens outside of Cryslon.
- 2325 -
GNN spies report a major bear infestation somewhere around. Curiously, they are initially on neutral terms with every other race present in this game. Looks like the teddies are looking out for themselves.
P Seidon sends its final colonist shipment, leaving it at 1 pop.
- 2326 -
- 2327 -
The eastern yellow our scout just arrived at is Ajax 2/55J, already settled by the Bulrathi, 6 pc from my closest planet. Ursa could still be in a few places, but I wager it's to the north of Ajax, for lack of scouting contact.
I decide to remain in orbit, in order to distract unarmed fleets by forcing them to rerout to friendly systems. If I get chased away, I'll go to Darrian (red in the east) because that's going to be in the next scouting direction.
Now is the time to build the scouts on Paranar. Their production is 15, a scout's 8, so I think they'll actually produce 2 scouts by next turn. Relocating to Anraq, so they'll arrive together with the colony ship.
- 2328 -
Indeed. I'll build one more scout should it be required, and the rest into factories.
- 2329 -
Colony ship embarks towards Escalon, the 35E, 2 pc to the northeast of Cryslon, where we initially didn't settle - a very good decision in hindsight.
Cryslon is now working on the final colony ship before we need range. Scouting reports from new systems will come in later, we'll need to get started on it.
I realise I need more scouts as I now begin to expand eastwards. Putting 0 into Ship on Cryslon will produce 5 scouts this turn. Bulrathi can't settle dead planets. I decide to skimp a turn and get those scouts out, routing to Escalon.
Now where to put the rest of Cryslon's production? Industry or Research? I could spend just enough on Paranar to keep the interest going, which means slower factory production but faster tech. I'm worried about how I'm going to expand coreward. Depending on where the others are, I might need range 6 or extended range colony ships to continue. I'd also like to see what's available so I can plan with it. Those arguments all point towards starting research now.
If I have an option, what do I choose? 5 is preferable, because I judge that 2 of the planets opening up to the north are going to be 5 pc away from Anraq.
- 2330 -
Anraq 85T is settled. Escalon 35E is settled. Only range 5 (1090RP) is available.
The yellow and blue systems to the southeast are now scoutable, as are the 3 stars (green-yellow-purple) to the north of Paranar, all 5 pc! Escalon's scout is dispatched towards the yellow, as it's closer to the bears. ETA 1 turn for the 5 scouts to arrive at Escalon.
Paranar -> 13M to Anraq, for maximum overall growth this time. After paying for the transports, that leaves Paranar with 1 RP to not waste my previous turn's investment.
What to do with Escalon? I'm really uncertain about whether this is the right decision, but sending 10 from Cryslon to put Escalon at 1/3 still puts the ETA of the colony ship at 5 years, puts Cryslon at 53, best growth compared to soon reaching 67 and declining sharply, and also leaves 18 factories unworked. I decide to do it, because Cryslon will still have decent production and I need to get growing.
Ajax (bears) is still at 2 pop, by the way.
- 2331 -
I spread the rest of the scouts out from Escalon.
Paranar adjusts tech for max interest and puts the rest into factories.
- 2332 -
The 'borg have just researched at least range 5.
Depending on what the white and green to the northeast are, I could be cut off from expansion in that direction.
P Seidon has grown to 2! Sending one off to Cryslon.
The Meklar are aggressive industrialists. We start at Relaxed, which is very good as I'll be spread absolutely razor thin. My only trade option is 25BC, which they agree to. They're 2PE, and look at that production (the lines are on a log scale, 10 pixels in the original (out of a maximum of 100) is double production, I believe.)
- 2333 -
Both Anraq and Escalon are on to factories now.
Cryslon has exactly enough production to get the colony ship done in 1 year.
- 2334 -
The colony ship is done and on its way to Darrian 50E. Cryslon goes to tech, because we need it, instead of growing population. Paranar is relieved of trickle duty. They're still 2PE, and their 1 pixel-wide population has disappeared from the racial stats display. That means they must have sent transports somewhere, right?
- 2335 -
Two unarmed Meklar colony ships retreat from Crius, 2/85T population, so that's where the transports must have gone. To the north, the purple is Tao R10R, the green Helos A60S, the yellow Berel 85T, the latter two Bulrathi colonies! Big bear crescent, Tao is my breakout point northwards.
Hmm, I mean the Bulrathi being at the zenith planets isn't that big of a deal. As Silicoids doing ground invasions on anyone is generally not as well of a strategy as simply bombing every enemy off the planet and recolonizing it when it's convenient. Silicooid pops can be too precious to waste on ground invasions.
If I recall correctly the Meklar has a predisposition to love Silicoids, so attempting to make friends with them is probably a good idea. I guess the mechanically-minded Meklar are fascinated by the mineral-seeming bodies of the silicone based lifeforms or something lol.
Anticipating my next post, agreed that the Bulrathi are not a major power right now, as you'll see, they are last in production value!
I never considered starting with bombing out planets instead of an invasion, getting facts and importantly, tech out of it. But I see the point, if it's cheaper to build it up from scratch than invading while it still has a meaningful amount of factories, then I'll keep it in mind.
Yup, Meklar and Silicoids share a common interest in silicon-based intelligence - even if the Meks' version is based on semiconductor supplementation rather than strictly a carbon alternative.
Looks like a good update, Mirnaia. Since it sounds like you're interested in strategic advice, I'll note that Silicoids love building factories (right up until they run out of people to staff them at least). Building Sili factories on Poor worlds is almost as good as building other factions' factories on regular worlds until the others get eco restoration or waste reduction technology. (Slightly worse because of rounding errors and more latency for each factory, but still good.) That doesn't mean you won't have higher priorities, and population juggling will certainly be a challenge (though that's especially true because your size-90-plus-terraforming poor world can't help grow much pop for you when it's stuck at a population of 1!) but it's something to bear in mind.
We discover Drakka 50P, 6 pc, the blue to our southeast, this is good news, max size for toxic, and a pathway but only after we can reach that far with either a Colony X or tech. Then again, a Large Colony X needs tech to be possible.
I'm wondering if I should shoot for IIT9? Once Range 5 is done, I'll have to go back to colony ship production on Cryslon, and everything else will be busy as well. Not worth it right now, I think.
Cryslon just grew to 63 population and I have 124 factories. Next turn, as Darrian gets settled, I decide to feed it from Escalon (part above 15, 1/3 of the size 45 it will be after terraforming) and Cryslon's part above 62. Special tactics for a "special" race.
The Meklar are allied with the Sakkra.
Scouts withdraw from the two Bulrathi systems to the north to Tao (the R10R also to the north). Crius&Ajax scouts will go and explore the two new systems that will open up next turn. Brace for Bulrathi contact!
- 2338 -
Three more Meklar scouts arrive at Crius and leave.
Darrian 50E is settled!
He's probably telling the objective truth.
My favourite greeting message in the game.
Ursa is the yellow below the one the cursor's pointing at. The unexplored green below Vox, the westernmost Sakkra planet, is 5 pc away, making it another potential escape point from our quadrant at current tech. The scout at Ajax goes to explore it, and I do a bit of shuffling. That's really quite some umbrella around us on the galactic map. Luckily we can sneak by via paths so treacherous that carbobiologicals would get killed dead walking them.
Range 5 is at 9%.
Bullux (love that name) is his usual aggressive ecologist (deep green bears) self, and Hissa's an aggressive technologist. 3/3 aggressive neighbours. We are on Neutral (green side) with both the Bulrathi and the Sakkra. Sakkras are the chart leaders in everything except empire size. Since I cannot request that the lizard ambassador teach us proper sexual culture and conduct, I try trade. Both races agree to 50BC/y.
Cryslon begins the thankless task of feeding Darrian.
- 2339 -
- 2340 -
Deuterium Fuel Cells are discovered. Only choice is Nuclear engines (1570RP), a good one, but it still doesn't open the way through blue Drakka.
The Bulrathi, with their 6 systems are dead last in production (big transport travel time for them.) That means everyone is developing well. Also, Meklar production is sick.
Contact breaks with the lizards as the teddies have taken Vox! I send a scout out to investigate the system, if it can slip through. Shuffle scouts towards Tao.
Cryslon begins manufacturing a colony ship bound for the tiny riches of Tao. ETA 4 turns for the ship, and 11 pc distance.
The teddies and the 'borg are both allied with the lizzies (but not each other). This could turn to be us v. birdbrains. Of course I'd prefer if everyone except me were at WAR, but at least so far they haven't given me any funny looks. I can not afford to alienate anyone for decades to come.
I sugarloaf-talk the Meklar into ripping up the alliance contract with the Sakkra. And I accidentally click past their confirmation message and can't post it. Bulrathi relations are still at Neutral, so I have no chance of asking them to do the same. Intelligence gathering is first of all unnecessary at this point and second of all, very very expensive right now, so nothing spent in that area.
Bulrathi first in population and last in production! I'm happy we're not the least populous.
Incoming bear scout either from Ajax to Anraq or Phyco/Ursa to Paranar.
Everyone facts, Cryslon feeds Darrian and builds the colship.
- 2341 -
I think about it and will relieve Cryslon from feeding duty, it feels unnatural and having at least one strong production base can afford me so much. So this turn I send 4 from Paranar.
- 2342 -
This takes priority over the Rich, unfortunately. Make a bid for it before they get and use controlled barren. I'll need extra scouts headed for Gion as soon as the colony ship finishes, ETA 2 turns (I build just enough facts to keep it at 2.)
- 2343 -
Bear scout is actually headed for the westernmost, planetless system.
Escalon is put on scout production.
I'm considering a NAP with the Meklar. We might still get killed, but we'll be warned about it first. Not before Gion is settled and I've looked around, I decide. Silicoids are the only race where I might consider signing an alliance contract, if the potential expansion benefits and thus creating an exclave outweigh the risk of war.
- 2344 -
ETA for the colony ship that is going to go to Tao is 4 turns if it's a priority, 9 turns if facts are priority. 10 turns transit time then (11 pc minus reloc), we're looking at 14-19 (in reality, less than 19) turns. What's the earliest point I could get nuclear engines? At what imperial cost? Throwing absolutely everything into tech would get me into the percentages after ~5 turns. This is slower, and horribly self-mutilating. Therefore I'm building the warp 1 colony ship, but prioritising factories on Cryslon. Yes, Riches should generally be rushed, like I just rushed the crucial Barren planet, but now Cryslon's well-being takes priority, I'm already 8 facts short of max. Tao's safe because it's Radiated.
The Bulrathi have broken their alliance with the Sakkra on their own. Here's to hoping for infighting. (I try and avoid inciting spectator wars. Maybe if it's either that or Final War. Maybe.)
- 2345 -
Colship ETA already back at 5 turns with factory priority.
- 2346 -
Down to 3.
- 2347 -
Lolwut. It's just a scout, right? Even Psilons can't have controlled Radiated this early. And in fact it is just a scout.
- 2348 -
Gion is about to get settled and I need to think about how to seed it. What to do with 29/100+ Paranar, 25/85+ Anraq, even 13/50+ Darian?
Paranar terraforms as it can now do so in 1 turn, and will become size 110. Growth at 29/100 is 1.03, 29/110 is 1.07, the desired 37/110 yields 1.23. Colship ETA is 4 turns, I begin transferring from Paranar and Anraq to Darrian. Anraq will stopwith 2 turns ETA, at that point transports take 12 v 10 turns by taking the direct route and transferring through Darrian, respectively.
I'm trying to figure out what to do with Paranar. 90% best growth is 37 pop, 80% best is 31. The latter seems more realistic, unfortunately. So once there, Paranar will send its pop above 31. I'll reach 80% on Anraq at 27/95. For now, I'll play for that.
I also have to keep in mind that Tao will need to be seeded, first priority, in 10 turns.
- 2349 -
A colony ship departs for Tao. Cryslon will build its final colony ship for a while, headed south to that sorry 10R planet.
I upgrade the Meklar trade agreement to 75BC (3X).
I just realised that Escalon 19/35+ can transfer its pop above 15 to Darrian, and it promptly does so, because I'm emperor and my word is manifest.
Anraq begins terraforming, will be done in 2 turns.
And the consolidation phase during/after expansion is the part I'm always terrified of in any game, especially since I tend to err on the side of greed.
Sending one off to Cryslon.