Secret Projects

[AdamTG02]

It has come to my attention that we are once again in danger of being beaten in a race to a Secret Project. Morgan plans to finish the Citizen's Defense Force in nine years. When we finish that SP in New Apolyton six years from now, he will switch to the Planetary Datalinks, which he will complete three years later. We are in danger of letting Morgan become the primary keeper of information on Planet if we do not act quickly. I propose one of three alternatives:

1) Next turn, begin production of The Planetary Datalinks in ThisBaseIsBelongToUs instead of a Supply Crawler. Divert new Supply Crawlers to TBIBTU to help production. Plan to rush build the Datalinks before Morgan can complete it in Morgan Collections.

2) Next turn, begin production of The Planetary Datalinks in Concordia rather than another Formers. Divert new Supply Crawlers to TBIBTU to help production. Plan to rush build the Datalinks before Morgan can complete it in Morgan Collections.
3) Once it is economically worthwhile (rush costs equal the number of minerals remaining times four), rush the Citizen's Defense Force in New Apolyton. Build the Planetary Datalinks in New Apolyton, diverting new Supply Crawlers to help production. Be prepared for a massive rush purchase just before Morgan completes it in Morgan Collections.

In my mind, the Planetary Datalinks is vital to our faction in order to uphold our Planetary mission and establish a legitimate Planetary government -- which would be the central repository of knowledge on Planet. Allowing a corporation, even a friendly corporation, to take on that role would be an abdication of our duty as UN Peacekeepers. For that reason, I propose that one of the above plans, or an alternative one, be adopted without delay.

[Drogue]

Personally I am not too bothered by losing the Planetary Datalinks. He is a Pact Brother, and to deny him both seems a little cruel, and he can rush well too, so he will probably be able to rush it before we can. I would say build the CDF, and forget the PD. He is an ally, and can share information with us easily, so having his research quickened would be little disadvantage IMHO. From an RP point of view, I'm more concerned with not having the Empath Guild, and hence the real primary keeper of information.

[Earwicker]

I agree with Drogue. I have never been heartbroken to see the Datalinks go to another faction when I could instead provide resources to other facilities or SP's. For the moment he is our Pact Brother and likely to share new information. Should he decide to turn against us, his faction is nearby and the Datalinks would quickly fall into our hands.

It seems the larger concern that if Morgan is only 9 turns from completing the CDF, he might rush it ahead of our completion. Now THAT would be trouble.

[GeneralTacticus]

Yes, forget the Datalinks. He's our ally, and it's not as if it will do him much good anyway.

[Hercules]

If we denied him Datalinks as well as CDF he might be able to transfer to another SP quickly and one that we would regard as more important to have. Let hinm have it as Christmas present from us.

[AdamTG02]

I'm willing to admit that I'm on the losing side of the argument.

I don't challenge the CDF as important, given the war with the Hive. Though I myself view the Datalinks as nearly as important, others don't share this belief. So, I'll admit defeat. With Morgan as our ally, we should at least have a good chance of receiving through trade any techs acquired.

[Method]

i wouldn' worry about the datalinks. useless project that is. let morgan have it, it won't do any good anyways. the tech it brings in is minimal, if any at all.

[Aaron Blackwell]

The Planetary Datalinks is primarly usefull for factions who are lagging in tech.

Considering that Morgan is technologically quite advanced, it will not bring him that many new tech.

I would have been more worried if someone like Yang, Santiago or Miriam would have acquired it before us.

[Drogue]

Can we start building the PD in NS or Concordia, and then switch to the Empath Guild as soon as it becomes available (after getting CE)? It will require some major crawler help, but we should try to beat the University IMHO. If we fail, and they get it first, we can build some other SP, maybe the PD even.

[GeneralTacticus]

Yes, please. Whichever one has the most mineral production. I'll interperse some extra crawlers with the other builds in my region if need be.

[Earwicker]

Good call. If it appears we misjudged our timing and cannot complete it, we can always direct research to something in the near future that could give us a good SP to use that production (like the MCC or Neural Amplifier).

[Voltaire]

We should build the Planetary Datalinks, but why not start its construction is a base with less mineral production, that way when the tech comes along we can switch to a more important secret project. I would also like to request, that the next secret project, whatever it may be, be constructed in New Suez. More supply crawlers are on the way, and furthermore there are mines to the west being constructed to convoy minerals to New Suez. Besides, the construction of more SP’s in the Twin Sea region will encourage more development.

[Drogue]

Because we are trying to get it ASAP, if we want the EG (as I think we should) it will take a lot of production fast to get it. Therefore, we should put it somewhere with large mineral production.

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by Drogue
Because we are trying to get it ASAP, if we want the EG (as I think we should) it will take a lot of production fast to get it. Therefore, we should put it somewhere with large mineral production.

I see your point, but how far away are we from receiving the technology to build the EG? And, even if the construction of the Planetary Datalinks is began in a region other than the Twin Sea, I would still request that in the near future we consider construction some SP in the less developed regions to the south.

[GeneralTacticus]

I see your point, but how far away are we from receiving the technology to build the EG?

12 years.

And, even if the construction of the Planetary Datalinks is began in a region other than the Twin Sea, I would still request that in the near future we consider construction some SP in the less developed regions to the south.

Until you can develop enought hat your region would get us the SP sooner and/or derive the most benefits from it, I would say no. Projects like the EG affect the whole faction, regardless of where they are built; they shouldn't be thrown away just to make the distribution of them more even.

[AdamTG02]

how far away are we from receiving the technology to build the EG?

12 years.

Actually, Centauri Empathy is 19 years away at our current research rate. It likely will be a turn or two quicker due to economic growth . . . but twelve years isn't liely, unless Zakharov finishes the Empath Guild, we go Knowledge, and we trade for it.

Well, now that I think of it, it would only take eleven years under FM. So that's one thing to consider. Building the Secret Project would take longer, though.

[GeneralTacticus]

Ah. Perhaps I looked at how long it would take unde rFM by mistake.

[Drogue]

Or if we find Deirdre and trade for it that way. I'm betting she'll have it, and there's not that much of Planet left undiscovered.

[Hercules]

It is about time we made her aquaintance.