[SMAC] Exhibition Game 1 - Believers

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 26 2013 00:41 GMT

Welcome to my first public exhibition game of SMAC. (Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri if you clicked on the blog link not knowing what the acronym stood for.) I’ve been wanting to post a game of mine for a while, and with the recent posts for help in the main Alpha Centauri thread I decided now is the perfect time.

I want this to be used as a learning resource as much entertainment, so I will try to be very detailed about some of the often overlooked management details while glossing over explanations of more obvious things. (I’m assuming if you are following along at home you know which direction to point an Impact Speeder).

Game:
I will be playing Miriam the leader of The Lord’s Believers for this game on Transcend difficulty. Miriam plays a lot differently than most other factions due to her massive bonuses toward momentum style play and colossal weaknesses toward research. In the early game it is not possible to stay even, let alone ahead of the Transcend AI in tech which means I will be gaining most of my technological advances from other factions. Fortunately, my +2 Support and +1 Probe rating along with the inherent +25% bonus when attacking allow me to forcibly take that which the other factions don’t offer freely.
Miriam may not run Knowledge but every other Social Engineering setting is available, allowing her to easily attain +1 energy per square, pop boom, or paradigm efficiency with only a little effort, meaning if I can get around her early tech disadvantage I can easily slingshot past the other factions.
The map is random layout, standard size.
The game is original SMAC v4/XP compatibility patch which can be downloaded here.
I have included the original save file in the post below as well in case anyone would like to play the same starting location.

+ Show Spoiler [Game Rules] +

Rules:
Look First – This gives me the option to move my initial base if a better square is available in the immediate vicinity.
Direct Research – The rule that will most change a game, I prefer to turn Blind Research off to allow reproducible tech beelines without doing massive amounts of lookup/micromanagement every time your techs change.
No Unity Scattering/Bell Curve – Removing any random events I can to allow a reproducible game.
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In addition I play under the multiplayer rules agreed upon here: Multiplayer rules (although I won’t be adding Stockpile to the queue for this game because I’m lazy.)

Without further ado, onto the game!

MY2101: What I can see of the starting location is fairly good. Three rainy/rolling squares to provide the nutrients necessary to grow as well as a mineral special on top of our 3 pods. Of course everything can change with those three pods and the surrounding area.

I move my two Colony Pods in opposite directions and my Scout toward the pod without fungus. (Fungus spread and mind worms are more likely from a pod in fungus. I want a second Scout to gain planet pearls if a mind worm pops from the fungus pod.)

MY2102: The pod contains the Industrial Base tech which won’t help us immediately, but it will be nice once I start working toward Industrial Automation in later turns.
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I found New Jerusalem and move the other Colony Pod one square further, where I will found my second base next turn. I verify New Jerusalem is building and working correctly and switch energy allocation to 80% econ/20% labs. (Miriam doesn’t accrue research points the first 10 turns so maximizing energy is the optimal play. This needs to be checked anytime energy income changes to ensure the setting is at the optimal level.)

MY2103: The fungus pod contains a Unity Rover which I send southwest to continue exploring, and I found my second base: The Lord’s Gift. Both bases continue creating Scouts to further map the new world.

MY2104: I continue exploring - the isthmus to the east of New Jerusalem appears to continue, perhaps it will connect to the unseen landmass to the north.

A nutrient special on a moist square is located near The Lord’s Gift and I switch production of that base toward a Colony Pod. I switch the worker to the nutrient bonus and will leave them there for 2 turns before switching to the rolling/rainy square for the remaining 7 turns before the base grows to size 2. This will accrue 16 total minerals toward the Colony Pod placing it around 38 energy credits to rush which I should have at that time.

In light of this, I switch the worker at New Jerusalem to the moist/mineral bonus square as I won’t have the EC to rush the Colony Pod there if the base grows too soon, and I would like at least one more Scout to explore the surrounding area so I won’t begin production toward the Colony Pod for a few turns.

MY2105: The last pod contains the Commlink frequency for Lady Deirdre. I contact her and offer a trade: Social Psych for Centauri Ecology, which she accepts. Afterward we sign a treaty.
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I switch production in New Jerusalem to a Former and begin exploring south of The Lord’s Gift, uncovering more rainy squares.

MY2108: Over the last three years nothing has changed (beside the worker switch at New Jerusalem I described earlier). I continued to explore the continent, finding more land in the northeast and the Monsoon Jungle(!) in the south. I will be expanding South as soon as possible to take advantage of the landmark.

The former in New Jerusalem is only two turns from completion. I switch the worker back to a rainy/rolling tile (so the base will grow in 7 turns rather than 9) and spend 4 credits to finish production next turn. (Notice I didn’t spend the entire 8 credits which would carry over 2 minerals to the next turn. While that is the most credit efficient – being a 2:1 conversion – I want the credits to rush the Colony Pod at The Lord’s Gift as soon as possible and 4 credits may make the difference.

MY2109: New Jerusalem finishes the Former and starts work on a Colony Pod. The Former moves to the nearby mineral special and begins creating a forest, after which it will start work on the road network.

I have found the southern border to my empire, which means an enemy AI faction is as close to the Jungle as I am. Also note I have sent two Scouts back to my bases – they will be growing soon and will need police to handle the drones without doctors. I use any excess turns the Scout has before garrison duty to go Mind Worm hunting and, as you can see, I am rewarded, granting me 10 EC in the form of planet pearls.

MY2110: This was the last year we accrue no research points, I switch the energy slider to 20% econ/80% labs for next turn. (My low amount of energy income means the inefficiency from the slider setting doesn’t actually cost me any energy.) This reduces my income to 0, but I have enough EC to rush the Colony Pod at The Lord’s Gift in 4 turns. I direct research toward Information Networks with the goal of Planetary Networks (Probes and Planned) and then Nonlinear Mathematics (Impact: 4 attack).

MY2112: The garrison for The Lord’s Gift arrives the turn before the city grows in anticipation. The cost to rush the Colony Pod this turn is 37 credits, which will make the cost next turn 31-34. New Jerusalem will grow in 3 turns, the same time the forest will be finished nearby.

Note on the last turn before growth a city will grow as long as it isn’t starving, even with 0 excess nutrients. There isn’t a better square to work in this example but if there was I would switch to it for a turn.

MY2113: It cost 31 EC to rush the Colony Pod in The Lord’s Gift which I spend, leaving me with 8 EC which I will most likely save for a bit as New Jerusalem’s production won’t need rushing while working a mineral special forest. (More precisely, 8 credits won’t shave off a turn of production.)

MY2114: As I mentioned before, the last turn of growth doesn’t require excess nutrients, so I switch New Jerusalem to work the newly finished forest tile.

I move the Scout and newly created Colony Pod to the new base location, marked on the map by landmark “3”. This location will grant the base two jungle squares (one rolling, on flat) as well as a nutrient special. More importantly it will expand my borders allowing me to place my forth base directly on the energy special to the south.

MY2115: Forest grows near New Jerusalem along with the city itself so I change both workers to forest tiles. The extra energy income requires me to change the energy slider to 30% econ/70% labs to avoid inefficiency. My Scout to the north locates a Mind Worm and I collect another 10 credits. Next turn the combat penalties on Planet’s wildlife are lifted so exploration becomes more dangerous.

MY2116: With the forest spread a few turns back New Jerusalem only needs one additional mineral to finish the Colony Pod this turn. I spend 3 EC to finish it a turn ahead.

MY2117: The Lord’s Truth is founded and begins working on a Former. New Jerusalem finishes the Colony Pod and begins a Scout to serve as garrison for upcoming bases. Apparently I didn’t get a screenshot of the founding turn, so the picture of my empire at MY2120 below will have to do.

MY2119: Information Networks finishes research and I next direct research toward Doctrine: Mobility. (Planetary Networks wasn’t available and I have yet to find another faction so I may need transports in the very near future.)

For 9 credits I hurry the Former at The Lord’s Truth and begin a Colony Pod. The Scout at New Jerusalem finishes so I begin work toward another Former.

MY2120: I rush the Former in The Lord’s Gift for 11 EC and begin a Colony Pod.

As you may have noticed, I gained a map of the Gaian Empire. We are both weak factions by score and her mood toward me is magnanimous so I contacted her in hopes of another tech trade; she refused me Bioengineering but countered with a Pact which I accepted. It appears her lands are directly north of my own, separated by the channel near my capital. It remains to be seen whether our land masses are connected.

MY2121: The Spartans have been spotted to the south. They were able to settle a base inside my territory because I haven’t spoken with them yet. (This is a pretty big blunder on my part. I hadn’t anticipated the peninsula containing the Monsoon Jungle to be so large. I should have sent my Speeder south to find my neighbor sooner.) My goal at this point is to get a Colony Pod to location “4” without being contacted by her so I can do the same in return.

In light of this development I know I will be going to war soon and I know my enemy is nearby. I change research from Doc: Mobility to Applied Physics (Laser: 2 attack) at the cost of 3 accumulated techs (meaning the next tech advancement will be one turn later).

Both The Lord’s Gift and The Lord’s Truth are close to growing again, so they will both require garrisons in the near future.

MY2123: The Hive has founded a base to the northeast of our capital, Yang Mine. We are quickly getting boxed in by AI factions.

MY2126: Success! After a couple years of hide and seek with my rover in fungus I narrowly avoid a Santiago Scout team long enough to plant my fourth base: The Lord’s Mercy. (Miriam’s base naming structure is confusing.)

I then move my Speeder into range of the Spartan base and Santiago opens a commlink and immediately starts making demands.

After I give her Information Networks she offers to sign a peace treaty which I accept for now. Incidentally, I locate a Spartan Colony Pod moving into the Monsoon Jungle. If zone of control allows it, I may start the war here and now. With that in mind I switch over to prototype a Synthmetal Garrison (1-2-1) at New Jerusalem.

MY2127: My northern Scout Patrol makes contact with The Hive who demands Centauri Ecology from me. He won’t go for a trade and I would rather choose the location of my battles so I give in to his demands

It looks like the Hive have fairly well secured the northeast for now

Meanwhile in the southwest my Speeder cannot move this turn due to ZoC, but if the Colony Pod moves away I will be able to chase. I know there is a Spartan Scout somewhere on the peninsula but if the AI doesn’t play correctly I may be able to destroy the Colony Pod or capture an undefended base.

MY2128: The AI is dumb. The Spartans found the Halls of Discipline and on my turn I move toward it with my Speeder revealing it as undefended. I move the garrison in The Lord’s Mercy south into the adjacent fungus to make sure no sneaky counterattacks are coming my way and then I contact Santiago.

She first asks for Deirdre’s comm frequency which I give her for 20 EC. I then demand access to her research data or I will “crush her like a bug”. (Santiago actually responds well to threats and I would rather have a tech than destroy her base.) She gives in and I get Applied Physics from her.

I decide not to attack her Santiago, for now, and I begin moving my Speeder back to my own territory. I was previously researching Applied Physics so I next direct research toward Planetary Networks which should be done in 3 years.
My next two Colony Pods will finish in a couple turns and I move to get roads in place for their travel.

MY2131: Research finishes toward Planetary Networks but I have a few things to do before I switch to Planned so I put that off for a moment. I choose Nonlinear Mathematics as my next research goal.

Next I contact Deirdre (I know her aversion is Free Market but I believe she will dislike me for not running Green) and trade Planetary Networks for Doctrine: Mobility and Information Networks for Secrets of the Human Brain. Now I switch to Planned, forcing me to change the energy slider to 50% econ/50% labs.

This drops me down to only 4 tech/turn meaning my next advance won’t come for 20 years, but hopefully I can speed that up a little bit with some forests and the two new bases I’m about to found.
I start production on Probe Teams in both bases that finished Colony Pods a couple turns ago. I then contact Yang looking for a tech trade, but his only tech is Doctrine: Loyalty which he will not give me as he wants the Command Nexus, but we did swear a pact of brotherhood, granting me a much larger view of the world

MY2134: A Mindworm delayed my 5th and 6th base placement but I finally founded Judgement Seat.
MY2138: My 6th base has been founded: Redemption Base. The extra energy income has nearly cut in half the research time for Nonlinear Math, it will be done in 6 turns. I’ve started moving probe teams toward Spartan and Hive territory to get the initial infiltration done, after which I will be able to choose my targets.

MY2141: I have successfully infiltrated both the Hive and the Spartans and I have begun work on a 2-1-2 Laser Rover. Nonlinear Math will be done in 3 turns. I have re-homed my garrisons/formers so each base has two open support for military units – 12 Impact rovers will easily win me several submissive pact mates. Before that happens I need to get a few sensor arrays down in the southern and eastern parts of my territory to protect me from sneak attacks through the fungus.

MY2143: Santiago contacts me demanding 50 credits. I tell her to shove it and we go to war. She doesn’t attack on the turn she declares so I move a few probes away from a threatening Scout Patrol and I steal a tech from Janissary Rock: High Energy Chemistry.

I have a feeling things are going to go very bad very fast for the rest of the world.

MY2144: Nonlinear Math finishes and I choose Industrial Economics as my next research goal. Not only is Ind Eco on the way to crawler tech but I know the AI has researched Doc: Flex and Biogen already and it will be much easier to steal them then research them.

I start production toward Gas Impact Rovers in every base that won’t lose minerals from switching production. Next I use my 4 Probe teams near the Spartan border to steal Doc: Flexibility and Biogenetics at the cost of 3 probe teams (probably not worth it after the first tech steal due to security interlocks).
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I am currently leading in technology!

MY2147: I have a stack of probes just waiting for something to do. Unfortunately I have already stolen every available tech Santiago owns. I do pick off a Colony Pod with a nearby Speeder.

MY2148: An IoD drops off a few Mind Worms on the north shore of my empire. I quickly upgrade the garrison in The Lord’s Gift to trance 1-2t-1 and move a Speeder on the southern end of my nation northward. I will most likely lose the forest on the occupied square but with any luck I can grab 20 EC from planet pearls. The Lord’s Gift is starving but the third worker had to be turned into a doctor to control drones anyway so it doesn’t matter that I will lose the population point. I put both workers on forests over the rainy/rolling squares.

MY2149: One of the Worms attacks my base and the other destroys the forest, which is the worst they could do to me.
MY2150: The last Mind Worm moves to an adjacent forest square and my speeder finally arrives to collect the pearls. I have already dispatched a Former to construct a forest and sensor array on the nutrient bonus.

My prototype Nerve Gas Impact Speeder (4x-1-2) will finish next turn in the capital, and with it the cost of the other Speeders will all reduce by 33% to 36 minerals, meaning I will have the first round done within a couple turns.

Will the sandwich between Spartan and Hive empires be too much to withstand? Will the as yet unseen builder trifecta run away with the tech lead and the game before I can get to them? Stay tuned for the next update!

Hagen0

Germany765 Posts

November 26 2013 01:45 GMT

Nice play. I'd consider building some particle speeders without nerve gas pods. The are considerable cheaper and probably sufficiently powerful.

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 26 2013 03:02 GMT

On November 26 2013 10:45 Hagen0 wrote:
Nice play. I'd consider building some particle speeders without nerve gas pods. The are considerable cheaper and probably sufficiently powerful.

I agree, I'm used to playing factions that would already have supply crawlers when I have the means to create nerve gas speeders so my mineral output is considerably lower than I'm used to. In retrospect I should have done at least the first round as normal Impact Speeders.

ninazerg

United States7290 Posts

November 26 2013 11:08 GMT

Uh oh, the Spartans spawned in the monsoon jungle. You'd better kill them before they blow up like a balloon. Plus, if you have the game rules set to capture tech, you can steal their stuff and probably won't be that far behind the Hive in tech, because their inefficiency also effects their research later in the game.

Also, did you know if you move onto a unity supply pod that is in a base's gathering radius that it will not spawn mindworms? Pretty cool huh!?

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 26 2013 16:39 GMT

On November 26 2013 20:08 ninazerg wrote:
Uh oh, the Spartans spawned in the monsoon jungle. You'd better kill them before they blow up like a balloon. Plus, if you have the game rules set to capture tech, you can steal their stuff and probably won't be that far behind the Hive in tech, because their inefficiency also effects their research later in the game.

Also, did you know if you move onto a unity supply pod that is in a base's gathering radius that it will not spawn mindworms? Pretty cool huh!?

I don't play with Spoils of War but I've already stolen all available techs from Santiago and I have a stack of probes just waiting for something to steal so it doesn't really make much difference.

I didn't know about the unity pods within a base radius, so thanks for the tip!

Crissaegrim

2947 Posts

November 26 2013 19:43 GMT

Nostalgia is good. Keep posting.

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 26 2013 20:58 GMT

On November 27 2013 04:43 Crissaegrim wrote:
Nostalgia is good. Keep posting.

I should have another post up tomorrow, unfortunately it takes a lot of work to format and upload all the pictures!
I also uploaded the initial save so if anyone would like they can download and play along.

The MY2101 save can be found here.
If you play other settings or custom factions you may have to replace your Alpha Centauri.ini in the root install folder. Just rename the old and copy in the new one located here for this game. (The .ini tells the game the current settings such as game rules, difficulty, and order of faction turns.)

ninazerg

United States7290 Posts

November 26 2013 23:29 GMT

Two questions: have you played the multiplayer and also how do you feel about setting the planet size to "huge"?

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 26 2013 23:43 GMT

On November 27 2013 08:29 ninazerg wrote:
Two questions: have you played the multiplayer and also how do you feel about setting the planet size to "huge"?

I've played a few PBEM games, but generally I get interested in the game for a few weeks then become bored again which doesn't lend itself well to a long term game. I definitely don't consider myself anywhere close to as good as the multiplayer regulars.

I don't have a problem with huge maps other than I find around MY2200 turns end up taking a ridiculously long time, which gets pretty tedious. Generally I play on large or standard size.

ninazerg

United States7290 Posts

November 27 2013 01:35 GMT

#10

On November 27 2013 08:43 Warmonger wrote:

Show nested quote +

Well, are you familiar with hamachi?

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 27 2013 01:48 GMT

#11

On November 27 2013 10:35 ninazerg wrote:

Show nested quote +

Well, are you familiar with hamachi?

I know of it but I've never used it.

ninazerg

United States7290 Posts

November 27 2013 01:56 GMT

#12

On November 27 2013 10:48 Warmonger wrote:

Show nested quote +

I know of it but I've never used it.

YOU WANNA TRY IT AND PLAY SOME AC!?

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 27 2013 18:07 GMT

#13

On November 27 2013 10:56 ninazerg wrote:

Show nested quote +

YOU WANNA TRY IT AND PLAY SOME AC!?

I'd be willing to give it a go, although I likely won't have time until after the holiday weekend.

But first it's time for an update on the the Believer's war with the godless Spartans!

MY2151: Drone riots break out at The Lord’s Mercy due to growth that I missed the turn before (how embarrassing). I quickly assign a doctor and restore order to the base.

My first 4x-1-2 Speeders have already started toward Spartan territory and I upgrade my independent Unity Rover as well for 70 EC.

MY2153: The war front – Santiago is doomed.

I move my first Speeder into position to attack Janissary Rock and opt to not use chemical weapons at this point. As you can see the odds are greatly in my favor even without nerve gas.

I kill the defender and the nearby Colony Pod and take the base with my 2-1-2 Speeder (incase a counter attacker is hiding in the fungus behind the base). I noticed at the beginning of this turn the Spartans picked up Optical Computers so I move a few probes toward Halls of Discipline to relieve Santiago of that knowledge.

The bureaucracy drone from Janissary Rock was placed at New Jerusalem and I’m forced to turn a worker into a doctor, which will cause the base to starve to size 1 in 2 turns. I switch production to a Rec Tanks and spend 40 EC to rush production so it will finish next turn in order to prevent the base from falling to size 1. As for Janissary Rock itself, I move workers to highest mineral production possible, which will starve the base to size 1, and I begin working on a Colony Pod so I can effectively move the base where I want it after the war, but for now it will serve as a military outpost.

MY2154: Santiago sends a few Speeders my way that I quickly dispatch. (When moving through the Monsoon Jungle or Mount Planet, beware rocky squares as they look the same as flat in those landmarks.) Sparta only has 1 Laser Rover and 1 Impact Rovers, and neither is close to the front which allows me to move forward with the attack rather recklessly.

MY2155: Santiago has finished Plan Net which means I need to protect myself from probe teams. I move a couple speeders along a river to Fort Legion kill the Scout garrison and take the base.

MY2156-2168: At this point it would be fairly tedious to show the same thing over and over; Santiago has only token Scout defenders and the AI consistently makes huge tactical blunders, so I’m going to fast forward a few turns. Over the next twelve years I systematically capture every Spartan base in the Monsoon Jungle with zero loses. I start a Scout Patrol in each base, followed by a Probe Garrison (P-1-1), and of course check my home bases for any bureaucracy drone problems. I have finished Recycling Tanks in each of my core bases, after they finished their second wave of Nerve Gas Speeders. In addition, I prototyped Plasma Armor and began my first Foil Probe team to seek out the other factions.

In MY2161 research toward Industrial Economics finished and I chose the next research target to be Ethical Calculus (my only other choice being Advanced Military Algorithms). A few turns later I was able to steal Ethical Calculus from a Spartan base and I changed my research toward Industrial Automation (finally).
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The Hive cancelled our pact after I dethroned Santiago as the leading power in the world. (The #1 power in the world is hard coded to be at odds with #2 and #3.)

MY2173: I have positioned myself outside Spartan headquarters. The first thing I do is steal their newest tech: Gene Splicing
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I then overrun it with Speeders and move my Plasma Steel Speeder (1-3-2) in to defend against counter attacks (not that Santiago has the units to do so at this point).

I have started Recreation Commons in my home bases to deal with the bureaucracy drones and Recycling Tanks in any newly acquired base that has its Scout and Probe garrison complete. My empire isn’t ready to pop-boom without crawlers, but the facilities will help me get the extra research necessary for Industrial Automation as I will be able to work more forest squares and collect more energy.
Somewhere in the last few years I also used my first Foil Probe Team to infiltrate the Gaian Empire, but lost the Probe in the process.

MY2175: Santiago finally surrenders, swearing a pact to serve me. I will move my army to the north toward the Hive next. With his built in perimeter defense, the fight will be more difficult than the Spartans, but I always have nerve gas should the odds be against me.
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The AI have grabbed almost all of the early Secret Projects and I’m sure the rest will be gone by the time IA is researched, but capturing a base that houses a Secret Project works just as well as building it, so I’m not concerned. I’ve mapped out locations for my next bases and will begin preemptively terraforming the locations, building roads to each location, sensor towers on the base squares themselves, as well as a forest square for each new base.

MY2177: I’m using most of my energy income to rush base facilities. (Once a facility has 10 minerals completed, it can be rushed at the most efficient price possible – 2EC:1min.) The Hive has finished Synthetic Fossil Fuels and will finish Ecological Engineering in a few turns. I’ve started a few more Probe teams where I’ve rushed Rec Commons to ensure I can steal all the necessary techs once the war starts.

MY2181: My second Foil Probe team has found the University. Zhakarov and Deirdre are currently at war and he asks me to join his side, which I decline. He then demands I give him Secrets of the Human Brain and I laugh in his face. He makes some vague threats and then declines any tech trades I try to make with him.

MY2185: Industrial Automation is finally done and I choose Doctrine: Initiative as my next tech. (I am going to steal both Synth Fossil Fuels and Eco Engineering from The Hive next turn.)

Speaking of The Hive, they were nice enough to build a road from the edge of their territory straight to their base. Very considerate.

Notice I have a single Speeder on the sensor array near Redemption Base to hold off any counterattacks along the southern route.
I’ve started Supply Crawler production in all cities that have finished their Children’s Creche and the rest of the empire will follow soon enough. I will forgo Wealth until I have knocked out the Hive to avoid the morale hit.

On a side note, building Children’s Creche can cause unforeseen drone riots if the base only needs a few more minerals to grow. In the example below, The Lord’s Truth only needs 6 nutrients to grow and the Children’s Creche completing will reduce the nutrients required for growth by 8. (20% growth means 2 nutrients per row.) Production happens before growth (this is why you can rush a drone controlling facility the turn before drone problems) so the base will actually grow next turn causing it to go into drone riots if I hadn’t assigned a doctor.

At this point in my game it would make little difference, but it could possibly make or break a closer game.

MY2186: I contact Yang and demand access to his tech which he dismisses. I declare vendetta, move probes forward and steal Ecological Engineering and Environmental Economics.
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The odds of my 4x-1-2 Speeder winning against a 1-3-1 defender with perimeter defense is 2:3 so I choose to gas the populace of Yang Mine. This will cause Yang to hate me with a passion (it is very unlikely he will enter a submissive pact with me) and I will go under trade sanctions from the rest of the world (I’m not gaining any energy from my pacts at the moment anyway.) In addition it reduces the population on each successful attack by 2 or more. I capture Yang Mine and destroy Discipline Tubes but unfortunately I lose a Speeder in the process due to attacking with only 2/3 of a movement point.

Meanwhile on the other side of the map I find a Lal transport right next to Zhakarov. He trades me Doctrine: Loyalty for Centauri Ecology and Polymorphic Software for Gene Splicing.
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MY2188: The Hive’s road network allows me to very quickly sweep through their entire nation, killing any stray units and wiping out garrisons and bases alike. Deep Passages has been destroyed by my nerve gas.

I will have to be careful not to destroy The Hive capital and Paradise Swarming as I want the Secret Projects built there (Command Nexus and Weather Paradigm, respectively). The Hive has 10 Missile Infantry (6-3-1) and only 2 of them are garrisoned in bases which mean the other 8 are likely making their way toward my forces. I need to be careful to not lose part of my attack force.

MY2189: The first of Yang’s Missile Infantry appears, attacking my Plasma Skirmisher which withdraws when it reaches 50% health. I move a few Speeders forward and destroy the sensor array and then the offending infantry.

I plan on taking advantage of the river connected monoliths to quickly heal my attack force before once again pressing the attack. I manage to steal Synthetic Fossil Fuels from Huddling of People.
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MY2190: The first year of Perihelion, I move my speeders into the fungus looking to heal and upgrade morale and I come upon 3 Hive Missile Infantry which I dispatch without a loss. With any luck I won’t lose any Speeders to a hidden counterattack, although this is a somewhat risky plan. I destroy the Perimeter defense at the Huddling of People and steal the Hive world map from Worker’s Nest.

The Hive bases are fairly sprawled out but their road network is extensive. My goal is to finish the invasion within the next 20 turns without building more military.

MY2191: I find a Morgan transport, giving me the commlink to the last faction on planet. I have 39 council votes and Santiago has 14. The other faction’s votes are:
Lal: 46
Yang: 36
Deirdre: 27
Morgan: 18
Zhakarov: 14.
Deirdre is at war with Yang but I have no idea what the political affiliations everyone has with Lal so I cannot call a vote yet.

MY2193: I healed my units without losses at the Ruins and then continued the blitzkrieg, taking Huddling of People. This base has an Energy Bank which is totally useless to me as the base produces zero credits due to inefficiency (it is too far from my headquarters). I scrap the facility for an extra 40 EC.

MY2195: I successfully destroy the perimeter defense at The Hive capital. I will be ready for an all-out attack on the city next turn.

MY2196: My first fungus pop has occurred thanks to the large amount of crawlers I’ve been producing over the last ten turns. I start production toward an Artillery Missile Speeder ((6)-1-2) at that base and cash in a couple crawlers to speed the prototype along. It is time to take a couple Secret Projects! Here is the attack force I have near The Hive.

I use a single round of nerve gas to ensure one of my veteran Speeders doesn’t die, dropping the bases population to size 3 and conventional weapons take care of the rest of the bases defenders with zero losses. I take over Yang’s capital and The Command Nexus.
[image loading]

Like the last base, I scrap the Energy Bank in the city immediately.

MY2199: I do the same to Paradise Swarming, stripping away the perimeter defense and taking the base and with it the Weather Paradigm secret project.
[image loading]

The Hive only has 6 bases left but still has 17 Plasma Garrison and 10 Missile Infantry (with 6 more on the way soon) so I will be wading through quite a few units in the coming turns.

Meanwhile, I switch production at my core cities from crawlers to formers – my core bases are all producing 16-20 minerals/turn thanks to my new crawler fleet. I plan on building farms and then condensers in the heart of my empire as soon as possible to support a pop-boom. In order to do that quickly I will need additional formers.

254 Posts

November 28 2013 02:38 GMT

#14

My favorite game! Awesome.

Looks good so far, and the Command Nexus certainly will help your efforts. Which SE settings are you running? Haven't played Miriam much on Transcend personally - Fundy/Planned? Dem/Planned seems like a waste...

Warmonger

United States69 Posts

November 28 2013 17:52 GMT

#15

On November 28 2013 11:38 Y wrote:
My favorite game! Awesome.

Looks good so far, and the Command Nexus certainly will help your efforts. Which SE settings are you running? Haven't played Miriam much on Transcend personally - Fundy/Planned? Dem/Planned seems like a waste...

Just Planned so far. I will switch to Demo for my upcoming pop boom, after which I will most likely run Demo/Green/Wealth in peacetime.

254 Posts

December 02 2013 00:08 GMT

#16

Once you have all Tree Farms in place and start booming, this game is completely over :D . Are you still going for conquest in such games or are you trying for diplo or simply abandon them?

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