Imperium Four - Veteran's Challenge

[Sirian]

Closing Day already? OK, let's discuss our results.

- Sirian

[Factoid]

Imperium 4 - Factoid's report

Meklar/Impossible/Medium galaxy/5 opponents

I win by extermination in 2815 (yes, 2815). I had all but lost the game by 2434, I was at war with the Darloks, Sakkras, Mrrshans and Psilons (Silicoids not yet in contact), the Psilons had just glassed half my planets.

The last pathetic tech level 99 Psilon planet I invaded in 2815 was Meklon, which the Psilons had held continuously since 2442. This is a LONG story...


Veteran's challenge - Preamble

I'm certainly no veteran, I have been steadily playing my first (mainly small Meklar) Impossible games for about two weeks in practice for Imperium 4. I have won about a third of the games, the ones where I don't get stuck in a corner and don't get dogpiled. I now fear Erratic personalities a lot more than I used to! Sooner or later they WILL come for me, so I have to be ready. I am still coming to grips with making do when at both a tech and fleet strength disadvantage. I have particular trouble with enemy missile bases when I don't have decent bombs.

Aims for this game - don't get stuck in a corner, don't get dogpiled. Meklars are kind of nice in that I could be third in population but still doing OK in production, so "turtling up" is sometimes possible (it may not be wise). Don't defer RC3 as factory upgrade costs don't apply. Full employment comes much later for Meklars so possibly push more population to new planets than I normally would.


2300-2341 Early expansion, looking good

Start: I look at the galaxy map to get opponents - Psilon, Sakkra, Mrrshan, Silicoid and Darlok. I hope the Sakkra aren't erratic next-door neighbours! The local neighbourhood looks clear of close opponents, lots of red stars for non-hostile planets (quick settlement at range 3, less hostiles for Silicoids to grab, NICE gap to south beyond that), so SEEMS fairly good. Time will tell...

I immediately send Colony ship to Mobas, more strategic location than Crius, turns out better planet too. Scouts head out, I build more scouts at a trickle (as Zed-F mentioned doing in Imperium 3). Red stars turn out to be all non-hostile, nice to keep Silicoids out.

I start researching (exclusively) range 4 in 2310, start other research fields in 2321 when range 4 is at 20%. Range 4 comes in the following year, only choice is Inertial stabilizer, useless toy and far more expensive to research than Nuclear engines too. I leave research evened out, rather than biting the bullet and researching Stabilizer fast to get to Sub-Light (I hope!. This has far-reaching consequences.

Meklon is working on compromise goals, mainly colony ships, some factory building, some research. First colony ship produced in 2329, settles Incedius in 2334.


2342-2443 Hubris, Nemesis: How to gain a planet and lose the game

Scouts head further out, and I get greedy when I see rich nebula planet Obaca. I know Darloks are close, and have seen Mrrshans scouts over there too... I'll settle Beta Ceti (with no real intention of holding it) to get to Obaca. If any determined race wants they can have Obaca and Beta Ceti, I can't complain.

Cygni settled in 2338, Reticuli 2344, Beta Ceti 2353, still no diplo contact? Darloks must be as bad as me at research. Another Meklar colony ship is already on way to Beta Ceti, will head on to Obaca.

Psilons open diplo in 2356, have four planets to south. I *must* settle Crius next, and do so in 2359. Did anyone else wait this late to settle Crius?

Settle Obaca in 2362, transport population at painful speed. Diplomatic contact with the Darloks who seem overjoyed to see me, offering to destroy me on sight. Darloks are only on Nazin, but have fleet coming into Primodius next year. Darlok take Primodius in 2364, which discovers neutronium deposits and turns rich the following year. A Darlok medium and colony ship are heading north from Nazin, must be to Obaca. I transport more population from Beta Ceti to Obaca and from Incedius to Obaca. Obaca may be a close run thing, but given Darlok lack of firepower stuffing Obaca full of population may suffice.

Darlok colony ship arrives at Obaca in 2366, is fitted with heavy lasers, too much for popgun fighters I have there. Medium seems to be nuclear missile boat. Now the Darloks will get grand ideas. How fast can I build a missile base or (large?) ship to drive off that colony ship?

First council in 2366, 21 votes, Psilons vs Meklars, Psilons have 5 votes, Meklars 4, everyone else abstains so I vote for Braniac. Psilons look to be the danger, they have the largest population, production *and* that research bonus.



Darlok transports spotted heading for Primodius in 2367 (have been on way for couple of years). What have they been doing on their only other planet Nazin that they only sent 37 transports? Don't they always send half?

I settle Pollus in 2368, Meklar set to finishing off factories and much more research as no point in building pathetic low-tech ships that can't get to Obaca for many many years. In hindsight another mistake? This is the high-water mark of the Meklar empire, nine planets and I have the largest population according to GNN.



No, Darloks DIDN'T send half Nazin's population to Primodius, 42 transports are headed for Obaca. I set Obaca to half terraform/half factories, then missile base when terra+10 done. A bizarre race to Obaca ensues between Darlok and Meklar transports where they all slow down to warp 0.5 when they enter the nebula. Meklar transports arrive first, putting population up to maximum 75, then Darloks with slightly better gropo tech arrive and take population back down to 28. I transport lots more to Obaca from Beta Ceti and Incedius. Mobas sends lots of pop to Beta Ceti. This is painful at warp 1. Obaca is working hard building a missile base to scare off the Darlok ships.

A couple of years later Darloks send 25 more transports from Primodius to Obaca - they have inside running as that much closer than Beta Ceti. I turn up planetary reserve slider (can't remember when I last did that) to get a missile base built to scare off Darlok ships before Darlok transports arrive. Meklon is still a few years away from full industry.

2374 Council points out that gropo scuffles with Darloks have dropped me to third place in population. Psilons vs Sakkras, I vote for Psilons as I have no contact with Sakkras and they may be erratic anyway (I'm a bit sour on that as you can tell).

Obaca missile base built in 2375, kills Darlok colony ship and missile medium easily. Who will win the ground transport race? The ETAs are meaningless, hopelessly optimistic.

Arrgh! In 2376 25 Darloks with a net +5 gropo advantage beat 39 Meklars, one Darlok left. My incoming transports are stalled one turn out. This means a hot war, AND that the missile base is gone. I shoulda shifted to Eco on Obaca, grow more pop just in case I got a poorish (but not outrageous) break like I did. Arrgh!

I turn off the planetary reserve slider, and start producing popgun fighters mark two, with BC 1 fitted (I don't see point of fitting Shield 1 when I want them at Obaca). Incedius and Mobas relocate to Beta Ceti.

In 2377 15 transports arrive at Obaca, take it back. Darloks are outraged, declare war, send large ship and colony ship from Primodius to Obaca. AFTER I take back Obaca, I get a message saying my popgun fighter at Vega is out of range and lost (I had it there to discourage Silicoid scouts).

Darloks send other ships from Primodius to Incedius, which will have two missile bases up by the time they arrive. I am grateful they aren't concentrating on Obaca.

Transports arriving at Obaca are slaughtered by the Darlok large. What is it armed with? I have no hope of co-ordinating transport arrivals at Obaca to minimise the losses.

Another Darlok fleet of 20 mediums heads to Beta Ceti. No hope there, Beta Ceti has no missile bases, it is a basket case being poor and shovelling all its population at Obaca. Popgun fighter are trickling into Beta Ceti, I'll send them on to Obaca which I care about rather than fight a forlorn cause.

Darloks arrive at Incedius in 2384 and I get to scan their ships. Tarantula has 150 HP, shield 2, and 8 heavy lasers. That sure makes a mess of my transports! My two nuclear missile bases gradually whittle down Darloks, the whole process is so painfully slow that it ends in a tie with one missile base left and one Darlok colony ship retreating. Two further Tarantulas arrive at Incedius before it has rebuilt the second missile base, so destroy lone base without loss (lost about two-thirds of hitpoints of one ship, so two bases might have won without loss).

47 Darlok transports are headed from Nazin to Beta Ceti, good enough to do the job. I give up Beta Ceti as lost, transport 12 population to Reticuli and set rest to research (no waste cleanup, leave that for new tenants).

Obaca and Incedius are growing population faster than bombing takes it down (though Incedius is losing factories). I have been building up popguns at Obaca, fleeing and relocating there each turn (I don't feel guilty doing this with beam weapon-only ships). 30 popguns handily see off the Tarantula and Colony ship. Well... 6 popguns are left, and it is only possible because the shield 2 on the Tarantula doesn't work in the nebula. A close run thing. Obaca fights off ground transport wave in 2391, 9 Meklars left standing.

In 2397 my second popgun fleet along with a just-built missile base (timed to complete as popguns arrive) see off Darloks at Incedius. Now there are just the incoming transports.

Psilons ask for NAP in 2397. I decline, have ambitions on Dead worlds Zhardan and maybe Jinga. Mrrshans want war. I would like to decline but can't. Ahh, Darloks are allied to Mrrshans. Can two play at that game? Bah, Psilons aren't interested in declaring war on Darloks or Mrrshans.

Incoming Darlok transports beaten off at Incedius, I think I am making progress here.

2399 Council is between Psilons and Silicoids. Mrrshans and Darloks vote for Psilons, so they are rather friendly, not good news for me. I can't afford to vote for Psilons so abstain. In fact Mrrshans are allied to Psilons, very bad news for me. In 2402 I get Psilons to declare war on the Darloks, which should put the question to the Mrrshans, allied to both Darloks and Psilons.

In 2406 Darloks ask for a peace treaty. I accept. Checking I see that Mrrshans and Sakkras have declared war on them, serves them right. Mrrshans are allied with Silicoids, so Darloks may have trouble there too. A Psilon fleet is heading towards Beta Ceti, which the Darloks can't hope to defend. Psilons have range 10 technology, wow. I am SO far behind for this stupid little war with the Darloks.

Psilons declare war on me in 2411. Oh dear. I needed to drive a wedge between Psilons and Mrrshans (or Mrrshans and Darloks before Mrrshans declared on me). I haven't handled this well. I should have buddied up to the Psilons much earlier, taken an NAP and let them have Zhardan and Jinga if they wanted them.

I am so annoyed with myself I stop playing for a couple of days to cool down. The Psilons are just SO strong compared to me on all fronts, especially fleet strength and technology. They can crush me at will. Ah well, if I can't win, try to lose with style (winning with style is out of the question).

Time for a complete rethink. Defense defense defense. I put most of my research into Propulsion and Weapons, will up Force Fields if Planetary Shield 5 comes available. Scatter Pack 5 (which I am currently researching) will be fairly useless against Psilons (except at Obaca). Inertial stabilizer will be fairly essential on all ships I build for a while, sad but true.

I drop my planetary reserve into Obaca. Redo planetary production everywhere. Finish off terra+10 on a couple of the newer planets. Obaca is now only planet building ships (medium with Hyper-X x2), and that only at a trickle.

In 2417 wealthy merchant gives Meklars 1100 BC out of pity, I'll sink most of it into Obaca.

Real Psilon fleet is heading in, I think from Escalon to Cygni? One huge, 18 mediums, 2 colony ships. Cygni and Crius step up missile base production.

I may try a gambit where Psilons take a world off me and I launch a kamikaze ground pounder attack and take it back if Psilons leave that world undefended, hopefully stealing lots of juicy techs. Psilons come back again and retake it, but I may be better off all in all.

Sakkras declare war in 2420. I think the Darloks have been framing me, Sakkras haven't complained previously but cited "acts of insufferable terrorism" as reason for war. I have sent ONE unarmed scout to one of their worlds before I knew it was theirs.



There is a Psilon-Sakkra-Mrrshan-Silicoid grouping at war with Darloks and Meklars, and Darloks aren't exactly friends of mine. It is the Darloks doing that the others are peeved at me, they keep framing me. Silicoids haven't made contact yet but I am sure they will declare war when they can.

Psilon fleet is headed almost due north with a bit east (nose to right) either Meklon or Pollus, probably Pollus. Remaining reserve dropped into Pollus, base building stepped up at both Pollus and Meklon. Another Psilon huge is trailing a year behind the first, destination looks more like Meklon than Pollus. Scatter Pack 5 at miraculously low chance might be a good thing...

Controlled dead environ done in 2423, enhanced eco restore missing. This really sucks, I can hardly trade for it in the middle of a war and my pitiful tech will make spying hard (and prolong bad feelings against me) for little return. I turn on espionage against Sakkras, they are lowest tech opponents that know improved eco restore.

I note with interest that Psilons only have improved space scanner, how are they picking their targets? They can crush ANY of my planets, no more than 10 missile bases built anywhere, not that that matters with only Hyper-X missiles, even Stingers would be marginal. I wonder if Psilons took Beta Ceti? I send some popguns to look.

Psilons were attacking Meklon after all. Their huge (auto repair, shield 4, lots of heavy fusion beams) easily shrugs off Hyper-X missile bases, all I can do is destroy the medium ships which were carrying three fusion bombs each. Bases destroyed, bombing kills 37 and destroys 114 factories. Meklon concentrates on regrowing population. A single Psilon huge is heading to Incedius. More than enough.

Silicoids arrive at Jinga and Vox, with a fairly impressive fleet at Jinga.

2424 Council vote pits Silicoids against Psilons. Sakkras, Mrrshans and *Darloks* vote for Psilons, who end up with 20/34 votes. I can't afford to cast my votes for the Psilons.

Silicoids are Xenophobic Expansionists. They are at war with Psilons, Sakkras, Mrrshans, must be at war with Darloks too, for Darloks to vote for Psilons. Much better news than I hoped for. Silicoids are relaxed, I open 325 BC trade (medium-size option), they decline a non-aggression pact.

Looking at galaxy map, Silicoids have started in the southwest, and grabbed a lot of hostile further out, eleven planets in total counting the two they have just settled. Psilons lack hostile planet techs, and Meklars are a far easier target, shame. Psilons may well acquire controlled dead by invading Meklars...

Meklon bombed, 38 killed, 140-odd factories destroyed. Meklon set to Eco alone, to regrow population. 55 Psilons transports incoming, second huge about to orbit Meklon as well. Huge about to reach Incedius.

Silicoids settle Zhardan, go for it. They reach 12-planet milestone.

Psilon huge ignores bases at Incedius, happily destroys them and then bombs. Incedius didn't have that many factories rebuilt and they are all destroyed. Incedius set to research only, 19 of remaining population transported to Meklon, will arrive in six years. Time for the gambit...

Psilons bomb Meklon with two huges, would have destroyed colony completely if I hadn't grown population. That may have been better, I wouldn't then have 50-odd Psilons on Meklon immediately. 56 factories left, maybe I can still hope to steal some tech back... Meklon set to research only.

Silicoids agree to NAP in 2427. They aren't interesting in exchanging for my pathetic tech.

Psilons capture Meklon and its 50-odd remaining factories, don't even bother learning any techs.

I transport more from Incedius to Meklon. Pollus transports half its population to coincide with first wave from Incedius. If all my other planets (apart from Obaca) join in, that will be a wave of 185 arriving in five years time, to be slaughtered if any decent Psilon ships are in orbit. Fun! This looks like lose with style time!

Psilons take Incedius with 50 transports in 2428. One of these huge ships can incapacitate any planet of mine, and there are four or five flying around...

Contact with Mrrshans broken, looks like Silicoids are being useful.

Psilon fleet leaves Meklon orbit in 2429, heading back to Willow. Meklon kamikaze gropo gambit is go! Reticuli and Cygni launch half their populations, Reticuli set to 100% eco, may as well grow population as no point in grinding out pathetic missile bases. Two more Psilon huges are heading for Mobas by the look of things. Ho-hum. Mobas glassed in 2431.



Meklon snatched back from Psilons in 2432, and I manage to steal one tech - Improved eco restore, as good as I hoped! Meklon immediately transports 43 to Reticuli, only planet I have reduced well below half population. The two Psilon huges that glassed Mobas are heading to Meklon. Meklon set to research with absolutely no waste cleanup, should be nicely dirty in a couple of years if it isn't glass. Meklar racial advantage is nice when you transport off-world but can still fully use all the factories built.

I try exchanging tech with the Silicoids again, they may well overrate improved eco, but they aren't interested. I try offering technology tribute and they aren't even interested in that!

Psilons are coming for Crius. Sakkras have taken Beta Ceti, have a fleet there I can't possibly cope with. Sakkra large ship is scary - combat speed 4. I retreat ships to Festung Obaca, which looks to be my final bunker after all else is glass.

Evacuate 26 more from Meklon to Cygni. Meklon is nicely "wasted", not that that really matters. The worst that happens for invaders is that they have to spend a couple of years exclusively cleaning up waste. I have more hopes that Psilons will glass Meklon, I build a laser popgun there to encourage Psilon aggression (IBT bombing).

Psilons glass Meklon and Crius in 2434. Err, slow down a bit guys... I am down to four planets, only two-planet Darloks are weaker. Reticuli is only planet doing research (and is 100% doing research, futile to build more missile bases or factories here), Pollus and Cygni build bases, Festung Obaca bases and defensive "nebula special" laser popguns. Scatter Pack 5 sits at 12%, as it has for years.

This game is lost, Psilons will probably glass all my planets in another four or five years.

Scatter pack 5 comes in (2435), Stingers are available but 12000-odd RP is well out of my league, hundreds of years at my current research rate!

Silicoids drop out of contact, mainly because Crius was glassed. Psilon-Sakkra-Mrrshan alliance is crushing all before it, Psilons have far superior tech and the strongest fleet, Silicoids have more planets and population, production is about equal. But Sakkra and Mrrshan fleets and technology rival Silicoids. This summary from memory of how the Silicoids rated before contact was lost.

Meklar and Darloks stand at equal last. What the hey, why don't I threaten to attack the Darloks and try and extort some tech? They can only laugh in my face, and probably will. They immediately declare war, so didn't consider the matter funny enough to laugh about. I turn on espionage against Darloks, and Psilons/Sakkras/Mrrshans too. Diplomatic relations are so poor nothing will hurt.

Mrrshans offer peace treaty in 2437, I gratefully accept. I turn off espionage against them, and offer tribute as they suggest, personal deflector shield. I hold back Inertial stabilizer, seems to be highly rated by all. I open a minimal trade agreement, try for NAP but no. I trade Inertial stabilizer for Neutron blaster. Design medium ship with 2xNeutron blaster, inertial stabilizer, BC 2, start building at Festung Obaca.

Psilons, Sakkras, Mrrshans and even Darloks are all converging on Mobas, currently just colonised by Mrrshans, population 2. Sakkras have glassed Beta Ceti. My former planets have turned into hot potatoes, poor smallish Beta Ceti is getting repeatedly glassed, settled by Darloks, Sakkras, Darloks, Psilons, Darloks, Mrrshans.

Reticuli is in trouble - Sakkras sabotage the sole, hopeless missile base that I bothered building there and a Darlok large is inbound, amusing timing. Switch Reticuli to missile base building, must have almost completed before I went to 100% research, one missile base may be enough to stop Darloks! Cygni puts a single tick to research to stop current research projects evaporating. Darloks only have range 6, so can't hang around at Reticuli with Beta Ceti glassed from under them. One missile base at Reticuli is easily enough to beat off one Darlok large (and armed colony ship). Clash of titans!

I keep giving pathetic tech tribute to the Mrrshans, I am gaining (they are "relaxed"). I turn off espionage against everyone, I am too far behind in computer tech except the Darloks who have their racial bonus. Psilons are not allied to either Mrrshans or Sakkras this year (2440), a hopeful sign?

Sakkras have Meklon colony, looks like Psilons are bombing and invading Meklon. Good, good. I didn't think I would ever regard my homeworld being repeatedly invaded and glassed as a good thing!

Silicoids retake Jinga in 2441, I open a minimal trade agreement. Mrrshans agree to an NAP, citing my tech tribute grovelling. I ask them to declare war on the Psilons, they decline but things must be getting a bit tense between Psilons and their erstwhile allies. Mrrshans and Sakkras still allied, Psilons standing alone at present and doing *very* nicely, thank you.

I offer Sakkras Robotic controls 3 (ouch! and get a peace treaty, open minimal trade. I hope Sakkras and Mrrshans won't encourage each other to declare war on me now, but Darloks are probably still framing me all the time...

I ask Psilons for a peace treaty, they agree. I have *no* tech tribute they are interested in, they have obtained controlled dead environment from somewhere. If I can just get Mrrshans (and hence Sakkras) to declare war on the Psilons things may even out, stopping (a slow) Psilon runaway. But the shell of my empire isn't really enough. I'll risk slowing down missile base production, get some research going again.

In 2442 Psilons take Meklon from Sakkras, Mobas from Mrrshans. Psilons are now allied with Mrrshans - how come *they* don't get stuck in a stupid hot war with each other??? Bah humbug.

Three Psilon huges incoming at Cygni, I may have been better to grovel just a few years ago and avoid this... I'm doomed.

I knew that Obaca was a strategic overreach (for *my* abilities), but went ahead and made a thorough botch of the tactical and diplomatic complications. As a result I have lost Meklon, Mobas, Incedius, Crius and Beta Ceti. Reticuli is indefensible and Cygni is doomed. I deserve to lose this game, I have played even more stupidly than the AI.


2444-2636 If I hide in the corner, maybe they won't see me?

Psilon huges *turn around without fighting* at Cygni, I am amazed and gratified. Our relationship is still tense, and I have never been able to offer tech tribute or even get a trade agreement going.

Contact is lost with the Mrrshans, Silicoids have taken Mobas. I want to work on the Mrrshans, grovel up to them a bit more, and now the trade is down the drain. Darloks take back Beta Ceti, Sakkra Ceramics and Glassmakers Inc. due there next year. Beta Ceti is glassed again, there should be some real long-term environmental effects after the fifth or sixth time...

Reticuli's sole missile base sabotaged. This time I'm sure it is the Darloks, another large and colony ship are inbound again. It is going to be a struggle to build another base in time, Obaca set to produce more reserves. I have been producing 25 BC reserves a year from Obaca, enough to do a minimal tribute every year to the Mrrshans. I have no idea if this is cost effective.

Reticuli squeezes out a missile base in time, at the cost of some waste buildup. Reticuli easily fends off Darloks, then gets hit by an earthquake. Half the pitifully few factories I had there are demolished. What a basket case. A hundred years after I settled there Reticuli has one missile base, fifteen factories and forty-four population, and it has never even been bombed. It has however done most of my research for long periods as I gave up building infrastructure expecting the Psilons to visit any year.

2449 Council, Mrrshans and Sakkras vote for Psilons, Darloks for Silicoids. I am able to vote for Psilons, and they *say* they appreciate it. Huh. Mobas taken by Sakkras, contact with Silicoids lost.

Festung Obaca sends the remaining 33 Hyper-X mediums to Reticuli, it will take nine years, maybe? Hardly a rapid reaction force. I can't believe the stupid Darloks are overreaching themselves to attack Reticuli, they aren't even in range except for brief moments when they resettle Beta Ceti between glassings. Darloks must have reached the (absolutely correct) conclusion that the only race they can hope to pick on are the Meklars. I turn on espionage against the Darloks again, it is pointless but Darloks aren't going to stop attacking me so why not?

Mrrshans take Mobas in 2455, back in contact. I check their alliances, none this year. I offer 50 BC (whoopee) and ask them to declare war on Psilons, no. How about Sakkras? They happily agree. Err, this may have been a mistake, I really wanted Mrrshans and Sakkras against Psilons, not Mrrshans against Sakkras and Psilons. Sakkras and Psilons could easily tear up Mrrshans, Silicoids, Darloks and Meklars combined. Now, if Psilons and Mrrshans ended up united against Sakkras, that wouldn't be too bad...

Psilons, who were allied with Sakkras last year (and not Mrrshans), are allied with Mrrshans this year and at war with Sakkras. Oh, what fun!

Primodius has been glassed by Sakkras, it had about 30 bases and Scatter Pack 5, Darloks may well have stolen scatter from dumb-as-the-Tin-Man Meklars. Remember in this game Primodius turned rich the year after the Darloks settled it. Darloks are down to Nazin, they have to be hurting having pushed population at Beta Ceti year after year.

Mrrshans are *really* hurting for population, I wonder if Silicoids are death sporing Fierias, Bootis, Ukko down south. Psilons, Sakkras and Silicoids are the big three. Which way will Silicoids jump in Sakkra-Psilon fight? Mrrshans will probably annoy the Silicoids into fighting against the Psilons.

Darloks resettle Primodius. I send all ships at Obaca to Primodius, good for a laugh. Meklar ships arrive at Darlok Primodius the same year as a Psilon huge, retreat immediately. Primodius glassed. Psilons have colony ship on the way.



In 2459 I up trade with Psilons to 300 BC, looks like peace is going to hold.

Duralloy research completed in 2460. My, that IS slow, isn't it? Battle suits next.

I sign 300 BC trade deal with Sakkras in 2465, finally get an NAP. Peace with Darloks. Psilons are really starting to blow away Sakkra fleets near Meklon/Crius/Mobas. Sakkra ground invasions have failed dismally, the ONLY gropo bonus they have is +5 for Duralloy. Psilons don't have much specialised gropo either but they have Andrium armor.

In 2470 Sakkras match Psilons in production, population and planets, trail slightly on fleet strength and by a long way in tech. Meklar production equal to Mrrshan, better than Darlok. Darloks have somehow managed to take Jinga and Zhardan, I am amazed they have managed to hold...

I up trade with Mrrshans to 325 BC, they have range 10 now so won't drop out of contact easily. I have maximum size deals with Psilons, Sakkras and Mrrshans, will have a huge effect when they mature (since my production is smaller than theirs). Trade loss would be the least of my worries if any of those guys declare war, even Mrrshans have comparatively huge fleet.

2474 Council, Psilons vs Silicoids. They each have 9/33 votes, Sakkras have 8 and vote for Silicoids, so I can cast my 3 votes for Psilons for Brownie points. Psilons happily sign NAP after this. I'm not going to worry about the out-of-contact Xenophobic Silicoids while the Psilons are entrenched on Meklon.



Diplomatic relations look much better than 2422.

In 2483 Sakkras aren't at war with Silicoids or Darloks, so it is Psilons vs Sakkras and Silicoids, with Mrrshans, Darloks and Meklars as (not-so-)innocent bystanders, Mrrshans on Psilon side, Darloks on Sakkra/Silicoid side.

I trade Personal deflector to Sakkras for Ion Cannon, I am surprised Sakkras weren't interested in gropo before now. That should help Sakkras even up the fight with the Psilons. I like Ion cannons rather more than Neutron blasters, it is so much easier to fit a heavy ion cannon in small or medium ships (compared to heavy blast cannon).

Sub-light drives done in 2487, warp dissipator next. No choices yet for Propulsion. A very *gradual* transition of my current fleet is due. Hyper-X ships defending at Reticuli are the oldest ships left, but I won't trash them for a while, would like PS 5 and a few more bases there first (currently two bases, PS 5 being built).

Pirates at Rha in 2488. That is a Sakkra world only four parsecs from Sssla, so I hope for quick relief. Does trade mature while Pirates are around? I expect that it is suspended (when restored resumes exactly where it left off).

Darloks declare war on me in 2491. They aren't allied to Sakkra and Silicoids, but they can't be far off. Can I get amiable Sakkras to declare on Darloks? Yes! Hahaha, I got in first diplo backstab this time. :P Everyone except maybe Silicoids are at war with Darloks, Silicoids are closely allied to Sakkras now so will end up at war with Darloks too.

Trade Sakkras Hand Lasers for Hyper-V rockets. Every little gropo helps, I think the Sakkras are losing ground to the Psilons still. If Sakkras or Psilons declare war on me I'm toast anyway, so I don't mind trading Sakkras gropo.

2499 Council very much the same as the 2474 Council, more Brownie points voting for Psilons.

In 2506 Darloks posing as Sakkras blow up one of two missile bases at Reticuli. You'll get yours, but not from me at present. I have no hope of touching Nazin, I don't even have range 5! If I did, scatter pack 5 is more than enough to make a big mess. At combat speed three I would need oh, a thousand or more small fusion bombers to make any impression at all. I trade Psilons ECM 3 for range 5, so now I can at least reach Nazin.

Sakkras aren't doing anything to reduce piracy at Rha, what a pain. Rha is 12 parsecs from Obaca, so I'm not volunteering to fix things even if I did want to start a war with the Sakkras.

Psilons get warning but let Willow go supernova. God knows how much research they were asked to do!

Looking at the map in 2515, Silicoids have 11 planets, Psilons 11, Sakkras 9 (losing ground?), Mrrshans 6 (including Beta Ceti, cough), Meklars 4 and Darloks 1. 5 systems not settled, Orion, two no planets, the rich radiated by Obaca, and an unknown red star to the west of Obaca. I build a warp 3 scout to take a look (now I have range 5 so can scout range 8), probably no planet, maybe radiated, no-one except Silicoids can settle radiated planets. Red star to west is Nordia, radiated.

Psilons are getting aggressive, they have broken alliance with Mrrshans and are invading Mrrshan-held Beta Ceti. I stand in the corner trying to look invisible or at least inoffensive. Psilon tech is all in 40s, teleporter, shield 11, hellfire torpedoes, bio-terminator, I can't cope with any of it. I'm working on Stingers, but not to beat Psilons off, a truly forlorn hope.

Where am I going in this game? I don't know, but it is interesting sitting on the sidelines watching the carnage.

Space Crystal joins the game in 2523, happily far from me in SW corner of map, Silicoid territory. Crystal know better than to mess with Psilons. What would happen if the Crystal made it to Rha, would it officially wipe out the pirates?

2524 Council, Sakkras vs Silicoids. EVERYONE votes for Silicoids who get 22/36 votes, Sakkra have 11 votes for themselves and I abstain with 3 votes. Silicoids are back in contact and not terribly happy with me, just warm side of neutral, at least I have NAP with them still.

A large Sakkra fleet is converging on Primodius, a HUGE Psilon fleet on Beta Ceti. 200 large Psilon ships, presumably TL 25+ for even the older ships. There are another 300 Psilon larges at Meklon.

Uh, maybe I was watching the Space Crystal a bit much. Silicoids destroy it, isn't the Space Crystal some sort of relative of theirs? And Godzilla is related to the Sakkras.

Psilons glass Primodius in 2527. My range 5 scanners can't cope with tracking warp 4 ships at extreme range - Psilon ships went from Mobas to Primodius. I don't know where the 200 Psilon ships at Beta Ceti went. What's a few hundred ships between friends? *One* of those ships could destroy all the missile bases at any of my planets given current Psilon tech deflector 9 or 11 fitted. Obaca in the nebula would shoot that ship up, but lose missile bases too.

Darloks want peace, like they haven't been turning down my peace treaty requests for the last decade. I accept.

Silicoids settle Nordia in 2537 then Vega. That only leaves Orion and pre-owned planets now... don't look my way, please! Silicoids are really close now, too close for comfort. I don't think I should vote against them for a while. I open trade deal for 325 BC. My trade income has climbed from zero (where it has been for 50 years) to 12 BC. Is something finally happening at Rha?

Psilons form alliance with Darloks, are now at war with Sakkras, Silicoids and Mrrshans. Mrrshans have been out of touch for decades, must be getting slaughtered. I hope the stupid Darloks don't declare war on me again, I'd have to do some consummate grovelling to avoid Psilons declaring on me too. Darloks settle Primodius in 2537 under the umbrella of the Psilon death fleet. I hope those Darloks aren't going to get greedy ideas about Reticuli again... Psilons take Primodius the following year, Darloks dare not argue.

2549 Council is between Silicoids and Psilons, I abstain, voting for Silicoids would give them two-thirds.

Pirate activity in the Rha system is eliminated in 2554, they have been pensioned off 66 years after opening up for business there. Trade is 143 BC this year (2555), and climbs 24 BC in the coming year.

Stinger missiles done in 2556, I never thought I'd live to see the day, started researching them at a low rate in 2435. I go for Ion rifle next, may as well keep a tiny hope of pointy stick research alive, and Sakkras are keen buyers of gropo too. Remarkably no-one else has missiles better than Merculite, very surprising. Time to build some Stinger medium ships, may finally give me a credible threat against Nazin.

Sakkras and Silicoids are at war with each other. Psilons are still at war with both, but this can only help Psilons.

Darloks are trying to take Primodius from the Psilons. This isn't a wise idea. Darloks declare war on me in 2559, and they are allied with Psilons this year. I ask the Psilons to declare war on the Darloks, Psilons very happy to oblige. I ask the Sakkras to declare war on both Psilons and Darloks, and they are delighted too.

In 2563 I spot a Psilon death fleet, headed to Nazin? Say goodbye... Darloks genocided next year. No loss to the galaxy, it was all YOUR fault I got dragged into war with Psilons. Well, it was my fault too...

I slip a colony ship in at recently glassed Primodius in 2567, I have NAPs with everyone. I won't send any ships to defend, just wait and see what happens. I won't even send colonists for a few years, wouldn't want to offend anyone who took Primodius off me. Primodius has been death spored (or bio-terminated), max planet size is 20. Psilons correct my mistake by taking Primodius, no hard feelings. I keep trying sending unarmed colony ships to close glassed planets every few years for the next century. Beta Ceti I leave alone, more benefit to me to have glassings there continue. Nazin is a hot potato, competed for by Psilons, Silicoids and Sakkras.

2574 Council, Sakkras vs Silicoids with Psilons supporting Sakkras.

Beta Ceti turns into a really hot potato in 2595, industrial accident. So now it is a small poor, if it gets glassed before atmospheric terraforming only the Silicoids will settle there and it will stay small and poor (but might finally avoid further glassing). That was no industrial accident, that was all the previous glassing coming back to haunt tenants-of-this-year Sakkras. Expect Godzilla to strike any moment.

2599 Council vote Silicoid vs Sakkra, Psilons and Mrrshans vote for Sakkra, I abstain, can't afford to offend either race too much.

Mrrshan briefly back in contact in 2602. They are steadily losing ground, Silicoids have taken Fierias. All my planets including poor Reticuli have finished RC 4 so I up trade to 575 with Psilons Sakkras and Silicoids. Mrrshans can only trade for 125, shows how pitiful their economy is. Net trade is still positive (about 1/8th planet income), things have been very stable for a long time now.

Beta Ceti is glassed again, but it made it to minimal so will continue to suffer.

In 2609 I encourage Psilons to declare war again on both Silicoids and Sakkras. Silicoids are starting to look quite strong, they have taken planets from the Mrrshans and terra+50 and cloned to fill them up.

2624 Council, Psilons vs Silicoids, Sakkras vote for Silicoids. Psilon population has leapt to 17/46 votes, they have learnt complete terraforming.

Psilon fleet strength is waay down, same as Meklar! About 100 mediums, in other words. Psilon refit with shiny new toys is on the cards. Sakkra have black hole generator and Psilons don't. Psilon Meklar is now population 270, and acquiring missile bases to match (90), building 5/turn.

Fusion rifle done in 2630, Auto blaster next. Pity that Psilons and Sakkras already know deflector 15... Stinger missile bases aren't that exciting any more either.


2637-2677 Trade trade trade

In 2637 I trade soil enrichment to Silicoids (heh) for Impulse drives. Now we are cooking... Trade soil enrichment to Sakkras for Fusion Beam, and Psilons for waste 40%. They both had advanced soil enrichment, so surely soil enrichment doesn't do anything? Gropo techs seem to be a really good foot in the door to make races express interest in trading. Then trade something else, keeping the gropo tech for next year.

In 2642 trade Impulse drives (that I learned from Silicoids) to Sakkras for Range 9, then trade Range 9 to Silicoids for High energy focus. Range 9 means Orion is in range. I could build a *large* fleet, take along a colony ship or two, and try and grab (and *keep*) Orion. I'll build a ship with battle scanner to take a look at Impossible level Guardian first.

How am I going to win *or* lose this game? If my ambassador goes "diplo" on another Emperor I will be crushed. When Mrrshans have been ground up (for dog food, heh) Xenophobic Expansionist Silicoids will want to expand *somewhere*, why wouldn't they take the easy (Meklar) planets?

I have won a game where I had a small holding like now, but that game had fluid battles close by where I several times *colonised* (ie didn't invade, stayed at NAP) one hot potato while two others were being fought over, and all five opponents were roughly matched in size and only 2-3x my size. The Mrrshan action is far away.

Psilon and Silicoid economies roughly 10x larger than mine, Sakkra a bit smaller than that. Psilons must be researching 20-25x faster than I am.

2649 Council, Psilon up to 25/57 votes, but they have done their growth spurt now, will have to take (and KEEP) planets to make progress from here. Beta Ceti, Primodius, Jinga and Zhardan have turned into hot potatoes again. In addition Nazin and Firma have no bases built, so hardly secure possessions.



I deduce (out of contact) Mrrshans are down to Ukko and Bootis, but only Psilons are currently at war with them. Psilons have taken Fierias, so they are at close quarters. Looking at the map, Silicoids have 15 planets, Psilons 14, Sakkras 8, Meklars 4, Mrrshans 2. Sakkras have lost Rha and Fierias to the Psilons.

In 2668 I manage to trade Silicoids BC 3 for Subspace interdictor! I've never seen anything like it! I have some advanced gropo techs (exoskeleton, fusion rifle) so everyone is willing to talk, and from time to time something like this happens, but wow. BC 3 is TL 10, Interdictor is TL 43.

I then trade Sakkras Subspace interdictor for deflector 11. I am currently researching Cloaking (TL 27) and deflector 11 is TL 40. Psilons have teleport tech, so I am happy to help out Sakkras here, making it harder for Psilons to take well-established planets.

I check Psilons, they have Robotic Controls 7, and I manage to trade them RC 5 (TL 28) for Black hole generator (TL 43), which Psilons pointy sticked from Sakkras a while ago. My force field tech level jumps from 24 to 41 in one year. My, my. BHG is an end-game weapon, I am making real progress.

Cloaking is done in 2669, I get to see the rest of the force field tree. No planetary shields above 5? That is interesting. I think long and hard about repulsor beam, personal barrier shield but plump for deflector 15, 100k RP. This will help a lot against scatter pack X missile bases. Maybe a huge ship with deflector 15 and black hole generator will be able to take any planet not defended by ships. Black hole generator doesn't seem to work very well against extremely high-tech missile bases. Deflector 15 will take a while to research with four planets...

Ion drives done in 2672. Rest of propulsion tree is thin, I opt for Combat transporters. Advanced soil enrichment done, I backtrack to cloning.

2674 Council, Psilons have 28/65 votes, so may have done their dash as others catch up.


2678-2746 Expansion? Only if you don't object...

In 2678 I manage to settle Nazin under a Psilon fleet, Psilons don't have colonists on the way so leave. Have I really managed to make ground here? A small fleet of Mrrshans are coming in at warp 1, so Obaca starts building defensive beam ships and relocating them there. I'll also make up two or three duplicate designs with BHG fitted. Mrrshans handily beaten off when they arrive. I have a fifth planet at last, and it's bigger than any of the others.



Psilons have a large design ship with the ship bug, 32000 larges will make a mess of Silicoids and Sakkra even if they do have black hole generators. 32k stack is heading to one of two Mrrshan worlds, glass for sure.

I trade up further in 2681, getting ECM 9, tri-focus plasma cannon and pulson missiles.

In 2696 I say OK, time to take Orion. I start building a swarm of smalls. Megabolt cannon, BC 5 (the best I currently have), combat speed 5. Dodge the Scatter pack X until they run out, ignore losses to other weapons as Death ray etcetera kill one small each per turn. I should be able to work out an exact answer for how many smalls are needed, I'll try 2500 and see. Obaca can build 100 smalls/year.

2699 Council, Psilons have 28/76 votes. I'd like them to stay above a third, frees up my votes. I voted for Siliocids last couple of times which the Psilons didn't like, so I abstain this time.

In 2705 Psilons dissolve NAP as too constraining. Had to happen sooner or later. Silicoids have formed alliance with Sakkras against Psilons, the first time in centuries this has happened. Everyone is at war with the Mrrshans, how long can their one planet last?

Step up missile base production, everywhere has about 110 bases, I have been trimming them back from time to time. I have traded for Pulson missiles, must see if I can get Herculars. Scatter Pack X is about half researched.

I trade Hyper comms to Sakkra for Planetary shield 15. I try for missiles with the Silicoids but no luck. I do trade Gatling laser for Robotic Controls 6, hahaha.

Remember to do some constructive grovelling when Psilon diplomat reappears.

Silicoids genocide Mrrshans in 2707, surprised they lasted that long. I feel I am gaining on the rest, BHG is a great equaliser.

Complete eco restore done in 2711, I'll take bio-toxin antidote next, then Universal antidote, Psilons are making me nervous. Haven't seen terra+ since terra+30, so +40 +50 +60 and +80 missing. Can trade for +40 and sometimes +50, but only for *really* expensive items. Sucks to be a Meklar researching planetology.

In 2713 trade Silicoids BC 4 for Universal antidote, shame I started bio-toxin, at least it is cheap.

Rha is a hot potato, those artifact worlds really do get hammered. I don't think I can afford to take Orion unless I get the NAP back with the Psilons.

Psilon diplomat comes back in 2715. I fawningly offer Hyper comms as tribute, yes master, how can I serve? As a tin opener? By all means. I sign NAP in 2716 with Psilons after throwing in another 1650 BC. Cheap at the price.

Trade tri-focus plasma cannon to Sakkras for terra+60. Maybe a bit over the top if I research terra+100 next, but I'll take it.

Bio-toxin done in 2720, and I do choose terra+100 next in preference to advanced cloning (I already have cloning).

In 2722 I send fleet of smalls (and colony ship, and decoy large so colony ship isn't targeted) to attempt Orion. Orion is easy. Guardian isn't repairing??? Scanner doesn't show auto-repair, and Guardian goes down very quietly even after I blunder my swarm into 85 scatter pack X a couple of times. I get death ray, deflector 9 and 13, and neutronium bombs. Lost about 1000 smalls, 1700 left. I send various black hole ships to Orion from Nazin, also 105 pop transported.

I trade death ray to Silicoids for Neutronium armor, and to Psilons for Terra+120. Go for it, I've always thought Death ray was just too expensive, hopelessly inefficient against smalls and mediums (and not that great against larges). This game alters my opinion somewhat... Sakkras don't offer anything decent for Death ray before saying they have talked enough for now.

Scatter pack X done, but little use against deflector 13 and 15 opponents.

2724 Council, Psilons vs Silicoids, Psilons 26/77 votes, they have maxed out, one less vote than last council. I am up to 12 votes, abstain.

Silicoids are gathering at Rigel, three parsecs from Orion. Go away.

Orion stands up planetary shield 15 (and 24 missile bases too) in 2727. Another three years of factory and missile base building will see it fully developed. Nazin pumped population and Obaca reserves to Orion.

Orion is fully done, so the fleet there swoops on and colonises glassed Esper in 2731, poor world but terraformed by previous owners to size 245 so should stand up very quickly. Orion produces twice as much research as rest of my planets put together, Obaca still pumping reserves there.

Rigel falls vacant in 2745, I make a rather more aggressive play for it. Silicoids co-operate, send invading troops much slower than I can grow them. I have maxed gropo - Neutronium powered armor, personal barrier shield and plasma rifles - so Silicoids really are wasting their time. All this is under NAP, so Silicoids in orbit politely don't bomb.


2747-2785 Expansion? Even if you do object

Sakkras dissolve NAP in 2747. I am beyond grovelling now, my population is larger than theirs even if I don't have a real fleet yet. RC 6 Meklars keep respectably close to Sakkras in production too.



Robotic controls 7 Meklars can't build all the factories they should be able to on size 300 (Terra+120 Gaia) Orion, limited to 2500 factories instead of 2700. You don't get any warning, your factory building quietly goes on but nothing useful ever happens. This should be true of other planets size 280 or larger too.

In 2758 I make a play for Jinga, finally annoy the Sakkras enough that they declare war. Advanced cloning is done this year, I have the best gropo techs, combat transporters and advanced scanner so I'm all set to steal some tech and rush build a real fleet.

My ambassador goes "diplo" in 2763, attempts to assassinate Silicoid Emperor. Not the best of timings, at least I just got Silicoids (and Psilons) to declare war on Sakkras. Get Psilons to declare on Silicoids. In fact, why not an alliance with the Psilons, at least until I have more than one-third of the total population? Will scorch Sakkra planets for a while, leaving my own population behind Silicoid and Psilons.

I design a small bomber, Neutronium bomb, combat speed 5, lightning shield, BC 10 and start building it. Uh... I didn't put any armor on it. Never mind, I'll build a second stack with armor and combat speed 4, should give missile bases a hard time coping with two stacks anyway. I have built some huge ships with black hole generators and other nice toys, they can tag along for fun. Sakkras have been losing planets to both Psilons and Silicoids for a while, they only have four left. Sssla looks juicy. My official total power rating is higher than the Sakkras, I'm in third place!

2774 Council, Psilons and Silicoids have 29/88 each, Meklars have 21, Sakkras 8. I vote for my buddy, Sakkras for Silicoids.

Sssla falls in 2778, 1190 factories yielding IIT 2, otherwise junk. Sssla stands up planetary shield 20 and 15 missile bases in one year, nice going. Silicoids congratulate me for attacking Sakkras. I could probably get peace with Silicoids but the council meeting is past, so no rush.

I get space supremacy in 2785 over the last Sakkra planet, Celtsi, waiting for transports to arrive in one year. Psilon allies come in and glass Celtsi, genociding Sakkras, and I get the blame! I fully *intended* to commit genocide, but this is unfair. Whimper. Hundreds of transported troops perish.

Psilons Silicoid and Meklars are officially very closely matched, which means in practice I really shouldn't lose from here. Psilons are up to advanced tech 6 or 7 (ie tech levels are 80-99), I am up to advanced techs 1 or 2, so Psilon ships will be very potent, but I will take most of the Silicoid planets before contemplating taking them on. Psilon tech advantage evaporates if we both get to tech level 99, haha!

Silicoids show me the error of my ways by arriving at Celtsi with teleporting ships (and others) before any missile bases are built. My fleet takes a battering, needs rebuilding. Throw out those 10-year-old obsolete designs! Celtsi is glassed. Hundreds of transported colonists perish.

Silicoids are into Plasma torpedoes, ion/neutron streams, tech nullifier, cloaking, not into HEF or repulsor beams. I don't have neutron stream, but I'm sure I can acquire it. I never bothered trading for teleport either, just traded interdictor to Sakkras and I thought Silicoids too. Maybe not. I need to rebuild my fleet. Cloaking teleporting larges with plasma torpedoes are annoying.


2786-2806 Silicoids crushed

I regroup and take Primodius in 2790 (rich in my game). Get advanced tech weapon 3, force field 3, that is huge, teleporter too. Meklar population *just* ahead of Psilon population, which is *just* ahead of Silicoid population. Must make sure of things before next Council.

I now have weapon tech level 89 - I can fit Death ray and HEF and teleporter into a combat speed 5 large ship, I'll build a stack of a hundred of those... I don't know about the Silicoids, but it frightens me.

I start glassing the radiated planets no-one but Silicoids have ever been able to settle. Silicoids are busy send a large fleet against the Psilons, go for it.



Redesign some more ships in 2796. I have never gone this high in tech. Neutronium bombs only take 8 space. I redesign small bombers to be combat speed 7, have battle scanner, BC 10, teleporter, Neutronium armor and still have room for deflector 4. Bomber stack moves first (with or without interdiction), seven speed takes them beside the planet, 1000+ Neutronium bombs slaughter shield 35 missile bases. AI has no defense, it just doesn't seem to covet high initiative like I do.

The only techs of interest I am missing are BC 11, Oracle device, Radiated colony base, Hyper drives, Thorium cells, Energy pulsar, Neutron stream projector, Plasma torpedoes and Mauler device. The next big Silicoid planet I take will provide most of those. I have all the best gropo techs, +10-20 better than Silicoids and Psilons. I think none of Psilons, Sakkras, Silicoids or Meklars got Oracle device, Radiated base or Mauler device, since all these races got to advanced techs in most fields.

I have 36/87 votes by the council in 2799.

Silicoids genocided in 2806.


2806-2815 Remember Meklon? I do

I break alliance with Psilons just before finishing Silicoids. Extermination is only fitting for the desecrators of Meklon. I hold grudges for a LONG time. Psilons left 7 huge ships orbiting one of my worlds that has 200 Zeon missile bases... last of their ships destroys last bases. Note to self - destroy advanced repair Neutronium 2 armor ships FIRST, while I can! Other Psilon huge ships in combat had much more firepower... I ship lots of population in to avoid losing that world, combat transports rather handy.

Two death fleets gathered, I want to invade Psilons and gain about four levels of advanced tech in all field except weapons, where I have TL 99 already.

Uhh.. maybe I shouldn't have traded Death rays to Psilons, though they would have taken it from others anyway. Psilons can fit 5 Death rays and HEF in a large ship, and have a stack of 600 at Escalon. This is going to be bloody. Ohhh, that ship bug stack of 32000 large ships flying past are Coraonas, combat speed 6 armed with Death ray and Stellar converters.

I take Mentar and Escalon in 2807, despite my Escalon fleet being annihilated. I pick up several levels of useless advanced weapon techs, but do manage to score advanced propulsion 8, propulsion TL is now 99. This means hyper drives are *more* efficient than slower drives, take less space.





No more Mr Nice Robot. I build a MEDIUM ship with death ray, HEF, teleporter fitted, I can build these faster than Psilons can destroy them. Name is officially Kamikaze, these things have no defense. Send in thousands of bombers to destroy bases and subspace interdictors in single shot, and then these guys teleport around wreaking havoc, taking out any pulsars first (Psilons have none built at present). I need some anti-ship bug weapons, those 32000 Coraonas are incoming.

Death rays slaughter shield 35 Neutronium missile bases, there is no defense for either side in this war. I have never traded the best gropo techs I developed to anyone, Psilons have a slight inferiority in gropo combat (missing Personal barrier shield) and a large inferiority in tactics. I launch invasions at several planets a year, Psilons glass one or two of those planets each year and never really get around to any of my established planets. If they recolonise I send 100+ pop via combat transports, they glass again the following year and have lost time and made no progress. Tech level 99 Psilon fleet is *far* stronger than mine, but completely irrelevant.

At some point rather early in the Psilon war ground invasions stop yielding any new tech, despite my tech level being below Psilon in Computer, Construction, Force field and Planetology. I never lost any significant tech to ground invasions as I didn't *have* any useful tech during the early game fiasco. Late game Psilons and Silicoids glassed a few newly-taken planets but never successfully invaded.

The rest is a gathering tidal wave, I build swarms of medium ships, using 500+ medium size teleporting Ionic pulsars as a (large-size) ship killer. So much for your 32000 Death rays.



Meklon is invaded in the last year, 2815. It was lost to the Psilons in 2427, I launched unarmed transports to briefly take it back, but Psilons held it continuously from 2442.

Beta Ceti may have been the most important planet in the game. As an indefensible small poor planet in range of *all* races it was the focal point for centuries of fleet actions and glassings, keeping Psilons Sakkras Silicoids and Mrrshans at each others throats. Silicoids and Psilons were still fighting over it in 2800 while I invaded Silicoid planets. Beta Ceti is glassed for the last time by Psilons in 2814.

I have several savegames saved, as it were, available if anyone wants to look at TL99 or play against 32000 Death ray Psilons.

- Factoid

[Sirian]

Wow, what an Epic Adventure! h34r:

My game was boring and dull by comparison.

::Pauses::

...

Wow. (Had to say it again!

When the shock wears off, I may try to make some kind of intelligible commentary. :wub:


- Sirian

[Factoid]

Hi Sirian,

Yes, this *is* epic, isn't it? I think of Sigfried, heroic but incredibly dumb. The best epics have heroes getting themselves in trouble and then triumphing over adversity. Uniform success is dull in comparison. I would *like* some dully successful games after this one.

This game set so many records for me and was a great learning experience. I still have so much more to learn.

• Worst hole I have managed to dig myself out of. If this wasn't an Imperium game I may have quit in disgust and missed the (eventual) fun.
  
  Longest game (by far, you'll be reassured to learn). Longest game in real time too. I was worried mid-game that I wouldn't be able to write up a report in time, started thinking "Lose with style, and *quickly*."
  
  Highest tech levels (since playing Psilons on easy in a huge galaxy when I first started and boring myself to tears).
  
  Longest time out of council voting - I was eligible (nominated) in 2366 and not again until 2799.
  
  Longest unbroken treaty - Silicoids signed NAP in 2427, broken by assassination attempt in 2763.
  
  Best trade - Battle Computer 3 (TL 10) for Sub-space Interdictor (TL 43).
  
  Scariest stack to meet - NOT the 32000 Coraonas, even when I realised they had Death rays and Stellar converters. A few hundred Dark stars.

There were 600-odd (large) Dark Stars at Escalon (my first ship battle with the Psilons). They had high initiative, FIVE Death rays, HEF and speed 5. Before I comprehended how dangerous they were they wiped my BHG- and Death ray-equipped "death fleet" that had creamed the Silicoids.

A hundred Dark stars also went off on their own and glassed a fully developed 200 missile base planet, destroying the colony with a single shot in COMBAT. Psilons also had huge ships with 20 Death rays each, but not in such large numbers.

I have been forced to re-evaluate the worth of teleporters and death rays. When missile bases are all destroyed by the *first* stack to move the rest of the stacks are free to teleport. The defenders may not get a single shot in. Ultra-high initiative rules, pity the Mrrshans never seem to get to endgames like these. I do like the Alkaris as I've said before.

Note that the Ionic pulsar stack killers I built at the end also had Ion stream projectors, this was helpful. I *think* there is an upper cap to the percentage Ion stream projector stacks can reduce armor, maybe 50%. I don't know what the cap (if it exists) for Neutron stream projectors is, 100% wouldn't be much of a cap, would it?

I have the perfect save games to experiment, so should go and check these things out and produce convincing evidence for my assertions.

Cheers,
Factoid.

PS - The save games I have are 2412 (Psilons have just declared war), 2642, 2721, 2796, 2814. 2796 is the most interesting for high-tech fleet operations, mid-Silicoids, haven't started on Psilons yet.

[Zed-F]

Pregame analysis: The first impossible Imperium beckons. Map says we are facing, among others, the Psilons and Silicoids, either of which could be a pain. The others I am less concerned about for now, until I get a better idea of what the strategic picture is. Yellow stars can be found to our west and to our south, so it looks like we will have at least one neighbor in each direction. Unless both the yellow stars to our south are homeworlds we will likely have a strong AI in that region of space; it's largely uncontested. To the west, things look a bit more crowded. There is another yellow star very nearby but odds are strongly against it being an AI homeworld. It looks like we are going to have limited options as far as early colonization routes go, as there is a big gap to our south.

2300: There's 2 red stars within 3 parsecs and no particular reason other than location to pick one or the other. I take the usual gambit and send our colony ship coreward anyway, so as to extend the reach of our scouts for picketing purposes. At home, I concentrate on industrial development.

2303: It looks like the usual gambit was the correct move this time, as Mobas is a size 70 Arid world. I send 11 pop from Meklon as that can be done with no waste and a single additional tick in Eco.

2321: We have now scouted everything within range 6 of our first two colonies. We have Darloks to our west and Psilons to our south. Remember what I said about whoever is to our south having lots of uncontested space to expand into? Joyous that it should be the Psilons. At least we have a number of half-decent planets near us, though we will need range 4 to reach most of them.

2326: And now we know the Psilons are not following a governmental policy that will hamper their expansion -- they are the first to 6 systems. We have not even begun to build our 2nd one yet. The results of this game for purposes of comparison may well depend on how rapidly the Psilons decide to expand in the various games. Colonizing 5 systems within 25 years seems fairly quick to me. Nevertheless, my racial advantage is meaningless if I don't use it. I decide to continue to build Meklon up until 320 factories, giving me the option to send pop off Meklon.

2335: The Darloks bounce a colony fleet off my ER Large laser boat at Beta Ceti. We are at 320 factories and building our 2nd colony ship. We're also researching range 4 tech.

2339: We colonize Crius.

2342: We repel an unarmed colony ship at Incedius. Range 4 has come in and a colony ship is enroute to Reticuli. The next colony ships will be for Incedius and Beta Ceti.

2346: Colonize Reticuli.

2351: Colonize Incedius. We gain contact with the Darloks to our west, who have 3 planets. Likely they will be the first to be lunch, but that's not for a long time yet. They are Xenophobic Diplomats with a small fleet relatively speaking. We are able to establish a minimal trade agreement with them. The next year, the first vote is held, the Sakkra against the Psilons. Each of those has 5 votes, while we have only 2. Fortunately, we still have some room to expand, though now we are mainly filling in our back lines.

2353: We discover Terraforming +10, choosing Dead Colony bases next, and scout the Darlok world of Primodius with a large ER armed scout. We've also managed to scout as far corewards as Escalon.

2359: We discover Industrial Tech 9, and start on Reduced Waste 80%. However I also want to claim the Dead and Tundra worlds near our core before the Psilons or Silicoids do, so I shift research back towards planetology. Next year we colonize Pollus, and our initial core is claimed: 8 planets stretching from Beta Ceti and Incedius in the west, to Cygni in the east. We will of course attempt to improve on that, as circumstances allow.

2374: I have had armed scouts and laser fighters defending Escalon, Vox, and Zhardan, trying to stake a claim to these worlds. The Psilons have attacked at least once at each of them, fortunately in each case I was able to repulse their fleets. However the Darloks have sent a larger fleet to Escalon including several colony ships, so now they hold that planet. That's preferable to the Psilons holding it, however, so I am not displeased. My first Dead colony ship has rolled off the docks at Mobas so hopefully we can claim a few hostile worlds near our core before the Psilons arrive in greater force.

2386: The Psilons were easily able to take Escalon away from the Darloks, unfortunately. However, I was at least able to convince the Psilons to declare war on the Darloks. The Darloks brought the Sakkra in against the Psilons -- now it looks like the Silicoids and Psilons up against everyone else (other than quiet old me, building away in the corner.) The Darloks have also been trying to pester me at Incedius and Beta Ceti with small fleets. I was able to repel them at Incedius but I was not able to get a fleet to Beta Ceti in time to prevent them from sending troops. We now control the skies again, and our ground forces were able to repel theirs, so that threat is quelled for the moment. Fortunately for Beta Ceti, a poor world, it didn't lose many factories, and population is more easily replaced. There is another Darlok stack heading to Incedius but I anticipate defeating it fairly handily.

I have now managed to snag Vox, Zhardan, and Jinga, bringing my total planets to 11. I am still woefully behind in tech but at least the only ones who are currently inclined to try to bushwack me are the Darloks, who should not be too difficult to repulse, even with their tech advantage, given that they have only 3 planets...

2391: I manage to get a spy in Psilon space... it's not pretty. I am at least 2 tech levels behind in every category, more in some, especially weapons. They have Fusion Beams and Ion Stream projectors, whereas I am working on Neutron Pellet Guns. Not good. I have more planets than anyone else by a significant margin, but my planets take so long to mature that my tech base is really suffering. I still have only 3 fully mature colonies, one of which is size 40+10 Crius. All are feverishly researching at the moment, but every once in a while I need to pull Mobas off to replenish losses amongst my blockaders and defense forces. If everyone would just leave me alone for the next century or so...

2396: A mid-sized Darlok fleet assaults Incedius. They have a new ion-cannon based design that's substantially better than anything they fielded before. We manage to repel them with heavy losses to my laser fighters. After the battle my fleet strength bar dropped by a third, while theirs was barely dented. I see lots more of these new ships around his planets, so that force was little more than a probe. I set Mobas to fleet production of a new neutron pellet fighter immediately so I won't seem like such a pushover. I also spot two psilon fleets that look like they might be incoming...

Time to dial up some more diplomatic shenanigans. I would have thought that the Psilons were busy enough with their 3-front war, but apparently they are not -- they still want to poach my worlds. I ask them to declare on their Silicoid allies, and they agree! Then I threaten to attack to get their ships to turn around; they are pacificstic and engaged in a 4-front war, so they cave and give me a wad of cash despite my woeful fleet strength rating. Excellent. Next up, I talk to the Sakkra, who have finally progressed from uneasy relations to neutral, and ask them to declare on the Darloks. They also agree. Perfect! Now everyone is at war with everyone else, except that the Sakkra are allied with the Mrrshan, whom I don't have contact with.

2399: I almost forgot it's election time.

















Since the Psilons were threatening to run away with it, and the Darloks were breathing down my neck with a fleet for which I had no counter, I opted for the early win. I had intended to chalk this up as a win and then keep playing a shadow to see what would happen, but then got distracted by other things, so never got around to it. The game was short, but tense enough with lots of cold war, so I didn't feel cheated out of a good game.

Key to victory: Diplo. Both getting everyone to declare war on everyone else, of course, but also recognizing that the Psilons were pacifistic and might cave to a bluff if pressed hard enough on other fronts.

[Justus_II]

I've tried to make a habit of not reading anyone else's report until I've finished writing mine, so as not to spoil my impressions and analysis. I will occasionally tease myself by reading some of the replies to the reports, just to whet my appetite and motivate me to hurry up and get mine done! :P

Today was a good example of this, as I saw Sirian's WOW reply this morning at work, and couldn't wait to get home and read Factoid's report. In fact I couldn't wait, I finished typing the text of my report by lunch, and read Factoid's report late this afternoon from work. Shhh.

I'm glad I had already finished typing my report, or I might have lost my motivation, after reading this one! And I thought I was struggling to survive. My game was a stroll in the park compared to this. Kudos to Factoid for sticking it out, it truly was Epic, and a great writeup as well. :D

[Justus_II]

Well, compared to Factoid's report, this will be rather tame, but at the time, it was a good roller coaster ride. :laugh: I learned some valuable lessons, and still came out with a victory in the end!

Imperia Four Report

[Justus_II]

Interesting point on using the threat to get them to call off their ships. I rarely use threats, I'm usually too afraid they'll backfire, but if the fleets are already incoming, why not? Especially interesting the way you tied in their trait (Pacifistic), and got them into war with the Silicoids first, to up the ante on them! I still have much to learn on Diplomacy, although I got a workout in my game.

I'm also very interested to see how passive the Darloks were in both your game and Factoids. In mine, they moved out like Expansionist Silicoids, grabbing worlds before I could stake a claim. One thing I noticed is you had LR laser ships out very early, you built those prior to colony ships? Was that in reaction to something you saw the AI do, or is that normal? (Or maybe, is it just normal for Impossible level?) Obviously it was effective, as your first colony ship was 15 years after mine, but you ended up with twice as many planets.

[Zed-F]

Warp 6 plus OmegaV bombs and a decent battle computer pretty much IS a winning position. You just have to go through the motions of execution at that point, as you have all the tools you need, especially as the production-heavy Meklar.

[Zed-F]

My Large ER laser armed scouts were a reaction to me playing Meklar. If I was going to go for 320 factories, I knew I would be sending out my colony ships starting much later than the other races. Thus, I would need to have a fairly strong blockading force in place to prevent enemy encroachment. Some races tend to favour large ships, but the Darloks are not one of them. They usually go for small or medium ships to escort their colony ship, and one large can fend off quite a few of them. Moreover, a large ER ship with a scanner but no computer is actually fairly cheap, about half the cost of a colony ship. So I could afford to pause at about 150-200 factories for a moment to build one or two, before continuing to 320 factories, and since they are ER ships, I can blockade from the outside in, and don't need to rely so heavily on range tech and hopscotching from world to world with my colony ships.

This tactic worked well here because all the worlds I was seriously interested in were within range 6 of my initial 2 colonies. On a large or a huge map, it might be better just to go straight to 320 factories and get a few colony ships built, depending on how large "my" volume of space is.