ACDG5: The Wardroom

[Mart]

If decisions are taken very fast, we could play 3 turns/week.
The only thing then would be, that players confirm their orders/suggestions for a turn or sometimes more turns, if they leave for few days.
Maybe current faction leader can setup these timeframes.

[vyeh]

It would probably make for better game play to anticipate future choices, debate and vote on them early.

Examining laboratory status shows Centauri Ecology will be discovered next turn, which raises the following decisions:
(1) Should we build the Weather Paradigm?
(2) What is the next tech?
(3) For BRMC & HQ, should production be switched to formers?

East former will have to move. If expansion site is 1 sq. W or 1 sq. SW of it, then it will move there. If expansion site is 2 sq. SW of it, then it will move 1 sq. S, build road and then move to expansion site.
(4) So where is first expansion site?

If we could make multi-tech decision, e.g. D:F beeline or IA beeline, then we wouldn't have to decide tech every time choice came up.

Until we meet another faction, we could probably discuss and vote on issues several years in advance. If these decisions are executed by faction leader or turn player, then we can speed up early years, while letting everyone have his say.

[Bodissey]

(1) I am in favor of the Weather Paradigm SP even if the map is small, as we need to get as much as possible from each square we work, as soon as possible.
(2) Taking the size of the map into account, we should try to get Doc: Mobility.
(3) I'm in favor of formers if the population growth doesn't allow for a CP to be built timely, so formers it will be for the moment.
(4) I'm confused, which tile are you refering to? 1 sq. W of East or 1 sq. W of the former?

I guess I need my copy of SMAC for Dummies.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

(1) If HQ builds WP, should supply droids be pooled to harvest minerals for HQ (after East droid has finished supplying enough nutrients for growth)?

(3) If you use your supply droid for nutrients (move it to 1 sq. S of BRCM), you could build a CP in 9 years (would you colonize the two square E by NE from BRCM or would you send it south?)

(4) 1 sq. W of the former.



In the picture above, I'm looking at three squares adjacent to the water as possible expansion sites: the sq. NE of the water (and W of the former); the sq. E of the water (and SW of the former); and the sq. SE of the water (and 2 sq. SW of the former).

There is an administrative matter for you and Lt. dacole to address.

[timsup2nothin]

If no one objects I'll be sending orders for the various scout units, in accordance with the agreed 'guard plus' plan. Also in keeping with that plan, HQ will be producing another scout unit to guard the former team.

If we are going to pour our production into this Weather Paradigm it might be wide to keep the facility versatile just in case someone beats us to it. That should be a consideration in our research plan.

[vyeh]

Then the only thing left for this year is for Governors Bodissey and dacole to decide what to do with their supply droids. I have a suggestion for Governor dacole to produce the CP in the least time.

On the way to IA are the Virtual World (Planetary Networks) and Planetary Transit System (IA), which would be a great boon to our growth.

As much as I like the Doctrine: Mobility to Doctrine: Flexibilty route, neither of them lead to secret projects.

[timsup2nothin]

We could add Biogen after Doc:Init and probably be in time to switch to HGP. If we meet Morgan in the meantime maybe we can trade to solve the problem. I would just really hate to get beat and have no switch.

[vyeh]

Doc:Init (Doctrine: Initiative) requires Doctrine: Flexibility and Industrial Automation. On the way to Industrial Automation is also Industrial Base, which allows The Merchant Exchange.

At this point, we're researching one tech every two years. Currently HQ is producing 5 mins per year (this includes the supply droid). It will grow in ten years (and then produce 7 mins per year, assuming we plant a forest). WP requires 200 mins, so we're looking at 32 years (we can cut this down by using the other two supply droids and using the formers after the road is completed to plant forests). Although our research rate will drop as we acquire more techs, I would guess that we will could research Doctrine: Initiative by the time HQ accumulated 200 mins toward a Secret Project, so if we lose WP, we would have Merchant Exchange, Virtual World, Planetary Transit System and Maritime Control Center as potential switches.

We reduce our chances of being shut out by using the formers and the other two supply droids (after East has built CP) to raise productivity of HQ to 9 (11 at pop 2). If we don't start a secret project as soon as we can, we increase our chance of being shut out. While Weather Paradigm is great, Virtual World and Planetary Transit System would help with drone issues.

[Mart]

I've seen one of the scouts was ordered to enter monolith tile. I believe automatic upgrade is off, so in the order it would be good to indicate if the scout unit is to be upgraded or should take no action.

[Bodissey]

The odds are 1/32 for the monolith to disappear. I think we can risk the upgrade.

[vyeh]

I think Lt. dacole is traveling. Lt. Bodissey, when you move for the faction, don't forget to move BRCM supply droid out of the base and harvest something.

We will discover Centauri Ecology at the beginning of the next year. We need to decide on the next tech. Our choices will be Doctrine: Mobility, Biogenetics, Information Networks and Applied Physics.

Lt. dacole wants to pursue the Industrial Automation beeline. Only Information Networks is on the beeline.

Lt. Bodissey and I have expressed a desire for Doctrine: Mobility.

Does the Lt. Chairman wish to express a preference for guns, that is lasers (Applied Physics), at this time?

I'd like a discussion on our expansion site (unless you want the East former driver to decide!).

[vyeh]

The only unit left to move is BRCM supply crawler.

If Gov. Bodissey still feel that crawlers should fuel Secret Projects, then the crawler should move 1 sq. S and crawl a nutrient. This will have the crawler in the best position to move to HQ.

If the Weather Paradigm is built at HQ, then the crawler could move to HQ, re-home, move to a rolling square and crawl a mineral.

If Gov. Bodissey would rather crawl a mineral, then the square NW of BRCM is the safest square (it is not adjacent to fungus).

Either way, it's Gov. Bodissey's call.

[vyeh]

Here is a factor to consider in choosing the next tech to research:

If we are interested in minimizing the time to construct the WP, the Planned SE will decrease the number of minerals required from 200 to 180 (it also increases inefficiency to -2 and it increases growth by 20%).

Planned SE can be achieved if we follow the tech route Information Networks/Planetary Networks.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey, the year is drawing to a close. In handling the logistics, there will come times when you'll have to make decisions, especially diplomatic, subject only to the broad guidelines of the council.

Between now and the new year, unless we're contacted by another faction, the only decision you'll need to make is choosing a tech to research, to which you've already given some thought.

[vyeh]

I recommend that we start the Weather Paradigm at HQ.

Gov. Bodissey, why don't you move your supply droid 1 sq. S onto the monolith and harvest 2 nutrients (next year, you'll move into HQ and turn the supply droid over to HQ to help HQ harvest minerals for the WP and East former will move onto the monument to harvest the 2 nutrients).

I'd also suggest that the BRCM scout be moved onto the road (next turn, it will resume garrison duty relieving the independent scout).

I think the independent scouts movements are determined by "guard plus." The ones at BRCM and East will stay to garrison.

The Lt. Chairman has said he wants "to get a scout unit off to East as soon as possible" so the scout unit currently on the monolith will move 1 sq. E (incidentally protecting East supply droid).

He said last year HQ was producing "another scout unit to guard the former team," so the newly produced scout unit at HQ will move onto the monolith.

This means the independent scout at HQ will have to remain for garrison duty.

Besides deciding on the Weather Paradigm, we need to discuss the next tech to research. We will discover Doctrine: Mobility before the beginning of the next year.

I suggest we research Doctrine: Flexibility. If the BRCM is colonizing the newly discovered peninsula to the NE, that colony will need sea formers. And I'm a strong advocate for contacting the other factions early.

Note that the second expansion base will create an additional drone.

The next year is fast approaching. We can defer a decision on the Weather Paradigm for a year, but the logistic specialist will have to decide on a tech before the beginning of the next year.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey, we can now go to the next year. The BRCM crawler was a little slow in responding to your orders.

[Mead]

Lt Mead

Having enjiyed, maybe a lttle too much if his nabsake in a bevwerge called the same as his name "urp" offers the follwong observasion.

We got three formers? rigth?

We got three crawlwers (bloody H*** when do you get crawlers this early)? right?

Why are we thiinking of (dang, I think there's too much hops in this mead, it might be affectiong my sspelling) a SP now?

Why bnot concentrate on a little expansion, leverging the crawlers, to furhter the expansion?

Bla$$T these beverage induced speling errors.

That beig said, Too soon for devoting a base to a SP. Maybe after we double our bases we should start to think about devoting a base to SP's.



Well , "urp", I ought to look aqt the map? I'll try to dowload it. Could someone post a copule of screenshots?

Hey Veh, Whoops, excuse me, LT Vey, Sir (should we call you sir or (perhaps ma'am?) since we are all LT's (BTW who's the CC? and the turnplayer) could you post the screen shots?

x
x
x
x

I guess I should check the threads, they moght have alrwady posted the screenshoots for all I know.



Mead


PS

Posting above .08 should be avoided.


Pps

s\hould is not the same as mmust. (some jurisdictions still hold to the .010 limit).

[vyeh]

We started with three specialized formers and three specialized crawlers. They can't be produced or reverse engineered.

Weather Paradigm will help development. If we don't start constructing a SP now, we may not build any.

Turnplayer is Bodissey. Faction leader is timsup2nothin.

Terrain:


Unit positions:

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

It's time to go onto the next year.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

It is your call what to do with the scouts.

I do have a suggestion.

(1) Let every base be garrisoned by a scout supported by that base. So:
(a) Move the BRCM scout that is on the road 1 sq. NE of BRCM into BRCM and hold.
(b) Move the HQ scout that is on the monolith 1 sq. NE of HQ into HQ and hold.
(c) Move the HQ scout that is 1 sq. W of East into East, re-home to East and hold.

(2) Scouts should escort formers moving into fungus..
(a) Move the independent scout in East south, attempting to enter the square with the East former. When the former moves into the fungus square 1 sq. W of its current position, the scout will be there to support it. It will be in a good position in subsequent turns to explore SW of the East former's current position.

(3) Scouts should protect crawlers (we can replace formers).
(a) Move the independent scout in HQ 1 sq. W (using 1/3 of its mp) and attempt to move into the square with the HQ crawler. Note that this scout will be in a good position to explore NW of HQ in subsequent turns.
(b) Move the independent scout in BRCM 1 sq. S (using 1/3 of its mp) and attempt to move 1 more sq. S onto the monolith with the East crawler. Later it can continue to protect crawlers or via the road network, explore to the West of HQ or to the NE or E of East.

[Bodissey]

If I may be so bold as to ask why we don't keep the independent scouts within our bases.
As they do not require any support I would incline to think they are more valuable to us alive than dead. Don't you think so?

[vyeh]

Excellent point!

Please note that if we go to free market in the future (we don't have the tech for it now), the independent scouts will not cause any civil unrest if they are outside the borders.

So I suppose your plan is:
(a) Leave the independent scouts where they are.
(b) Move the BRCM scout along the road into BRCM and south, attempting to enter the monolith that is 2 sq. S of BRCM and 1 sq. NE of HQ.
(c) Move the HQ scout that is on the monolith 1 sq. NE of HQ 1 sq. W into the monolith that is 1 sq. NW of HQ. It will later move NW to support the HQ crawler.
(d) Move the HQ scout that is 1 sq. W of East into East and re-home to East. Later it will move S to support East former.

Once you've moved the scouts, we'll be finished for MY 2104.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

You can go to the next year. Because of the decisions we've already made, the next couple of years are determined.

In 2106, the BRCM scout will move 1 sq. W and the HQ scout will move 1 sq. NW to protect the two crawlers. The East scout will continue 1 sq. S to be in position to support the East former when it moves into the fungus. The BRCM former will build a road.

In 2107 the HQ scout will move with its crawler 1 sq. W to explore three squares. The BRCM scout will move with its crawler 1 sq. NW to open up the monolith it is currently on for the East crawler which will have been re-homed to HQ. The East crawler will move into HQ to convoy a mineral from East to HQ. The East former will move along the road to 2 sq. S of East (in the next turn it will move into the fungus square with the East former). The East scout and East former will move 1 sq. W into the fungus square (in the next turn the former will begin clearing fungus).

The next decision occurs between MY 2107 and MY 2108. At that point, we will discover Doctrine: Flexibility. Our choices will be Biogenetics, Industrial Base, Applied Physics and Social Psych.

The choice of technologies depends on the approach we plan to take. Do we want to attack one of the other factions? If so, Applied Physics and Industrial Base.

Do we want to develop peacefully? Biogenetics and Social Psych lead to Gene Splicing and Ecological Engineering, which lift restrictions on nutrients and minerals. Social Psych controls Drones. Biogenetics gives us Recycling Centers. Industrial Base is part of the path to Industrial Automation, which allows crawlers. Social Psych leads to Ethical Calculus, which gives us democracy and Children's Creche, two of the three things needed for pop booming.

Do we want to pursue a native strategy? Biogenetics and Social Psych lead to Secrets of the Human Brain and Centauri Empathy.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

You can go to the next year. Because of the decisions we've already made, the next couple of years are determined.

In 2106, the BRCM scout will move 1 sq. W and the HQ scout will move 1 sq. NW to protect the two crawlers. The East scout will continue 1 sq. S to be in position to support the East former when it moves into the fungus. The BRCM former will build a road.

In 2107 the HQ scout will move with its crawler 1 sq. W to explore three squares. The BRCM scout will move with its crawler 1 sq. NW to open up the monolith it is currently on for the East crawler which will have been re-homed to HQ. The East crawler will move into HQ to convoy a mineral from East to HQ. The BRCM former will move along the road to 2 sq. S of East (in the next turn it will move into the fungus square with the East former). The East scout and East former will move 1 sq. W into the fungus square (in the next turn the former will begin clearing fungus).

The next decision occurs between MY 2107 and MY 2108. At that point, we will discover Doctrine: Flexibility. Our choices will be Biogenetics, Industrial Base, Applied Physics and Social Psych.

The choice of technologies depends on the approach we plan to take. Do we want to attack one of the other factions? If so, Applied Physics and Industrial Base.

Do we want to develop peacefully? Biogenetics and Social Psych lead to Gene Splicing and Ecological Engineering, which lift restrictions on nutrients and minerals. Social Psych controls Drones. Biogenetics gives us Recycling Centers. Industrial Base is part of the path to Industrial Automation, which allows crawlers. Social Psych leads to Ethical Calculus, which gives us democracy and Children's Creche, two of the three things needed for pop booming.

Do we want to pursue a native strategy? Biogenetics and Social Psych lead to Secrets of the Human Brain and Centauri Empathy.

[Bodissey]

I guess, as we are on a cruel world, we shouldn't neglect fangs and claws. So I say let's be prepared for war as soon as possible.

[vyeh]

Then let's go with Industrial Base. It gives us Synthmetal Armor and is also part of the Industrial Automation research path.

In 2107 the HQ scout will move with its crawler 1 sq. W to explore three squares. The BRCM scout will move with its crawler 1 sq. NW to open up the monolith it is currently on for the East crawler which will have been re-homed to HQ.

In both cases, the crawlers will convoy two minerals from their new locations (the HQ worker will have to move to accommodate the crawler with the BRCM scout).

The East crawler will move into HQ to convoy a mineral from East to HQ (it does NOT re-home to HQ until the next turn).

The BRCM former will move along the road to 2 sq. S of East (in the next turn it will move into the fungus square with the East former).

The East former and East scout will move 1 sq. W into the fungus square. (It is important to move the former first. If the former encounters a mindworm, the scout will attack the mindworm. If the scout dies, then there is an opportunity for the scout in the East to come out and kill the weakened mindworm in a hurried assault. Then the former can move into the fungus square. If there is no mindworm, the scout can follow the former.) In the next turn the former will begin clearing fungus.

Between years, we'll discover Doctrine: Flexibility. If you don't like Industrial Base, choose Applied Physics.

At this point, East will have produced the last two minerals to complete the Colony Pod (one mineral is being convoyed to HQ). Since production occurs before growth, completion of the colony pod leads to abandonment of East, which we don't want. So delay production. (No minerals will be lost since East will have the exact number of minerals to complete the Colony Pod. If it had more, than those excess minerals would be lost when the Colony Pod is produced next year.)

For 2108, the movement of the HQ and BRCM scouts and their associated crawlers will depend on what has been revealed by the HQ scout's movement in 2107. The East crawler in HQ will be re-homed to HQ and move 1 sq. NW into the monolith and convoy 2 mins/year for HQ.

The East former will begin clearing fungus. The BRCM former will move into the same square as the East former (in the next turn it will help clear fungus).

Between 2108 and 2109, East will produce a colony pod. The new colony pod will be sent to the expansion site. I believe East should begin producing a scout to explore to the West and Northwest. However, other viable options are a former to add a farm and solar collector on the canyon square (currently 1-2-0) to the West, for 1-1-4 foil to explore the freshwater sea, a 1-1-2 rover to explore to the West and Northwest.

By 2111 the expansion site will be cleared and the colony pod will be able to establish a base. The new base will have ten free minerals (because our support is > -2). I suggest that the east scout currently in the new square (assuming it didn't die fighting mindworms) be re-homed to the new base (my suggestion is Tim's Villa), that the new base produce a 1-1-4 foil, and that the foil be hurried for 25 energy units.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

Unless you have objections, let's make the following moves for 2107:

Formers:
BRCM former move along road to 2 sq. S of East.
East former move 1 sq. W. (If mindworm detected, East scout attacks mindworm. If East scout dies, independent scout in East moves 2 sq. S and makes hasty assault.)

Scouts:
HQ scout moves 1 sq. W.
BRCM scout moves 1 sq. NW.
East scout moves 1 sq. W, unless it has attacked a mindworm.

Crawlers:
East crawler moves into HQ and convoys a mineral from East to HQ (DO NOT re-home).
HQ worker moves to 1 sq. NE of HQ.
HQ crawler 3 sq. NW of HQ moves 1 sq. W and convoys two minerals.
HQ crawler 1 sq. NW of HQ moves 1 sq. NW and convoys two minerals.

[vyeh]

* sigh *

Although Lt. Bodissey is from the former European Plutocratic Union, he obviously enjoys celebrating the Independence Day of the United States.

Perhaps, he picked up the ritual from the Psych Chaplain, Lt. Commander Miriam Godwinson, who now leads The Lord's Believers. She is known for being very charismatic.

[Bodissey]

Sorry I'm late, haven't gone AWOL yet. But I intend to catch up on my duties tonight.

[vyeh]

We can go to the next year. We will discover Doctrine: Flexibility.

As we've discussed, let's choose Industrial Base (unless you would rather choose Applied Physics). I consider thicker hide equivalent to fangs and claws.

Delay production of the East colony pod. We don't want to lose the East base!

For 2108:

Move the HQ scout 1 sq. S and investigate the Unity supply pod. The crawler with the HQ scout will be protected from a mindworm appearing 1 sq. SE by the BRCM scout.

As we've discussed, the East former will begin clearing fungus at its current location and the BRCM former will move 1 sq. W and join it.

We'll need a mid-turn save to evaluate the results of retrieving the Unity supply pod.

I agree with you about a potential base site on the river near the monoliths. Shall we send the BRCM colony pod in that direction when it is completed?

I see only two places where you might disagree:

(1) Industrial Base or Applied Physics (I prefer Industrial Base, but I can accept Applied Physics)
(2) investigating the supply pod. I think our crawlers are adequately protected and I believe in the advantage of resupply.