To hurry or not to hurry?

[Maniac]

We now have 36 ec in cash, and we also have two bases which are producing formers and have accumulated more ten minerals. We have the possibility to hurry those productions for 16 ec (Pi Square) and 19 ec (Logic Loop).
Of course we could also switch to Planned in two years: we are only four ec short of having the required 40 ec.
Or we could save our cash for later use.
What should we do? Please discuss and vote.
I put the vote limit on five days.

[Corellion]

Hmm... this is a puzzler. Planned will definitely have growth and mineral advantages, while the formers will help us to improve our infrastructure. I'll put forth a tentative vote for planned, but will hold off any official vote until I hear more opinions.

[Cedayon]

Planned. Asap.

[Googlie]

Plus, Planned's +1 industry will prolly shave a turn off the formers' time-to-completion

(And in the meantime you might pop a pod that gives a production completion bonus)

G.

[DeathByTheSword]

I agree...planned....btw....googlie...isnt it kinda sorta illigal for you to give 'advice'.........dont care about it just curious!

[Maniac]

Googlie just loves the CyCon!

Or perhaps we are doing so bad compared to the other factions so he is helping us a hand to keep the game competitive.

[Googlie]

It'd be illegal if I divulged that I'd played ahead and, say, changed the build to a rec commons and popped a pod which finished the commons in 1 turn

But I see my role vis-a-vis the private forums to be a resource that can suggest alternatives, do scenario testing if needed (not on this map or game set-up though) and generally contribute general tips and hints that I have used or seen work in other games.

Sometimes a pretty good knowledge of the scenario editor makes it a lot quicker for me to give the odds, say, of a disciplined CC Impact rover winning an attack on a green Believer ECM Plasma defender in a perim defense base - sure, anyone can do it, but I've done literally hundreds of these type of scenario checks, so can prolly do them quicker.

Some of the other factions have used me already in this way, and I see it as OK as long as I don't "step over the line" and give specific in-game advice based on what I know as CMN

G. (who loves all the factions equally - even the "hard to love" ones)

[Corellion]

You just love us a little more equally, right?

[Drogue]

Shouldn't this be multiple choice for the hurrying. I vote Planned, so it doesn't matter, but we can rush all 3 soon IIRC. Should we go planned, or wait a few turns for FM and change then?

[Maniac]

Well since the CP in Poly Prime is almost complete, I found it pointless to include it in the poll. This is meant as a short term poll after all.
"Short term poll" is the same reason I didn't include FM either. I guess there should be a seperate SE poll for that.

[DeathByTheSword]

i would like to run planned for a while before switching to FM...i want to have to big bases before we go FM...

[Drogue]

Maniac: I didn't mean including that, I meant having multiple choice, since people may want to rush Logic Loop and Pi Square production.

[Maniac]

Ah I see. Well, that's why I included the voting option "Hurry both bases' production" in the poll.

[Drogue]

Sorry

[Googlie]

Game implications of SE Choices:

Currently, as the Cyborgs, you are:
+2 efficiency; -1 growth; +2 research

If that southern scout has discovered the Manifold Nexus, the you will be +1 Planet as soon as a base encompasses part of it

Planned

with its -2 efficiency, neutralizes your inbuilt +2, but that can be restored as soon as you go democratic

Its +2 growth moves you into the positive, and again, with Dem, and its +2 growth, would net you at +3 - not enough to pop-boom with creches (until you get and become Eudaimonic) so you'll need GAs to rapidly expand poop-wise

But the +1 Industry gives you a 90% unit complete ratio (with another 10% bonus if you moved to Wealth at some time. Eudo gives another +2 industry, so if eventually you ran Dem/Planned/wealth/Eudo you'd be:

+2 Efficiency
-4 Morale
+1 Planet (assuming it's the Nexus to the south)
+5 Growth
+4 Industry
+2 Research
+3 Econ
-2 Support
with the others being at the neutral 0 level

That's a good builder/expansion model (although the expansion comes late, with level 12 tech (Eudaimonia)

The alternatives would include:

Dem/Planned/Knowledge/Cybernetic:

+5 Efficiency
+3 Planet (assuming it's the Nexus to the south)
-2 Probe
+3 Growth
(as the CC, immune to the -3 Police effect of Cybernetic)
+1 Industry
+6 Research
-2 Support
with the others being at the neutral 0 level

A good research model with its key tech (Cybernetic) coming earlier at level 10

I've never seen FM as being of any benefit to the Consciousness

Democratic & Planned seem to be keys to running the CC's

Comments?

G