Turns 2161- 2170

[Drogue]

As Herc only made two moves, please play those moves as best you can, moving the transport to 13,25, and as we have no idea where he moved the foil probe, moving it wherever you wish.

However I must remind you that you may not play a parallel turn, moving the transport into the fungus. Parallel turns may not include movement of any sort, only the real turn may include the movement of units in any way.

[GeoModder]

My 'try' was not a parallel turn, Drogue. It was an attempt to copy Hercules moves as I understood them at the time as to go on with the game.

Mart: If you don't think it would benefit us a lot, then just mindprobe them properly. Perhaps first to demand a redrawal of Yangs' units to make sure we have no decrease in our credibility.

The proposal for traceless mindprobe was merely done so we should not probe 2 units in the same turn (the Hive Synth must be probed as well if we have vendetta with Yang). And those Impact synth infantry is at least 2 turns away from Heavens Gate.
O yes, another reason of course is that it is inherent to the Data Angels to get involved in covert operations with the drill of just not getting caught.

It's not that important in our stance towards the Hive, but might be profitable in the future on other team(s).

[ForesterSOF]

Forgot

In that case the compurer will want total domination so go straight to mind control.

Practice makes perfect

[Mart]

Ok, the turn will be played soon.
I think we have enough energy for both usual probings. I will see.

[Mart]

So the things I did so far:
- EM now has extra 15 minerals/turn, I also relocated a scout to Kahlua Probing. This gives us only 4 ecodamage in EM.
- KP now has 5 citizens, and I made one crwler making an extra food. This way we get pop boom to 6 citizens next turn.
- KC would have a pop boom next turn, but drone riots would result, thus a Librarian there. We may consider building recreation commons in KC after probe foil.
- GeoMatrix established. Worker on forest. We have soon forest on mineral bonus. Base is COP protected too.

Things to do, please tell your oppinion:

• Disembark the probe team on Univ coast? I would do it. Coz Morganities showed us screenie with apparently IOD like three tiles away.
• Ask Yang for withdrawal? Geo, according to your chack it can be succesful, and we realy do not need those synth and impact hive units. Energy is saved.
• If withdrawal of Yang is done, I would hurry some facilities, just to get things run faster. RPS might get Command center faster, Gplex could get Child. Cresh, HG get Perimeter next turn, start Command Center or Child cresh - also gives bonus on defence.
• What to do in Hercules station? I started Recycling tanks. Any other proposals?
• And one last thing. The same way we infiltrate others inland bases - Verres Loft is exposed too. There is now road and river. How about moving a COP from SH to VL. Snowflake's Haven gets COP anyway next turn. Could someone infiltrate our SH this single turn? It is very inland and we do have sensors around...?

[GeoModder]

I agree on sending a COP asap to Verres'. Snowflake is less prone to a sudden infiltration because it is way more inland.

If nothing else is needed in Hercules' Station soon, a Rec Tanks is indeed best.

BAM, if the redrawal works fine with you as well, use the energy for hurrying where you see fit. It helps getting the equation more equal sooner regarding the Morgans and the Spartans. If what we see on the Morgan bases and Googlie's latest post is correct, we're the only team with a decent infrastructure atm.

I'll check for the probe near Mendelev first, I have received a high res map from AndiD last night as well and IIRC it is a Fungal Tower that I saw. Will update after my workshift is done in 8 hours.

[GeoModder]

The received map is forwarded to your mail address, Mart. It's half a meg large (naval clash is included as well).

[Mart]

Ok, I can play the turn then.
In this case we can disembark the probe, and if there is near some problem, put it back on the transport.

[Mart]

A lot of adjustments. I made also change in SE to
30 % Econ
40 % Psych
30 % Labs
This makes more workers and 4 bases can grow next turn.
We have then 53 labs/turn. For Int Int we need 35 only anyway. and we get +21 EC.
I tried to get SH to golden age back, but it did not work. Creating of the new base did that. So next turn SH will go back from golden age to normal standing. We might consider making Children Creshe there. I put now 3 crawlers on energy. We gonna get 5 minerals there from forest, and I forget that hurrying 3 minerals. So now SH has the best energy in faction. We may do adjustment next turn, when we get police units. Just in time for all this pop boom, the following bases will grow next turn:
EM to size 7
KP to size 6
KC to size 7
RPS to size 5
We may have then more specialists in 2164.

Still there is last decision to be made, leave the probe team on Univ coast or move it back to transport foil? Somehow I think it can be safer on the coast, but who knows. Good thing is that it is outside the Mendelev College bas eradius, so it may survive if Zakharov let it be there...

Re the growth, there will be new mine near KP next turn, so one crawler will get there +4min/turn. We also need to decide on that first borehole. My preference is somewhere in base radius, so we get both energy and minerals from it.

[GeoModder]

Regarding the borehole I agree. It's about time we have one. I'll try to make time checking best locations in case you haven't ideas already.

Would one the Pholus Ridge or in the Nexus Rift be best you think? The extra 1 mineral in the rift, and extra 1 energy on the Ridge. Weren't there a few tiles which were rift AND ridge?

O yes, the probe. Leave it on the Uni shore please. I'm getting too curious to wait yet another turn and I'm willing to take the risk. After all, if it encounters a 'fellow' probe, it is a commando. And in worst case Zak will probaly sent it back, not destroy it.

[ForesterSOF]

All seems OK untill I saw the % for econ, psy and res.

After considering the impact of the pop booms comming the 40% seems ok untill some rec facilities are built letting us reduce psy and increase res.

[GeoModder]

Well, it's a balance between quicker growth by popboom making up for the psych allocation and the extra worker who can harvest tiles. It will become better in a few turns when the most populous bases will have police units.

Btw, upgrade existing scouts or building new ones, Mart?

And police scouts or plasma police garrisons?

[Mart]

In my single player games I usually make 1-1-1 Police units by upgrading the scouts. It costs only 10 EC per unit since they cost also 1 row. I think you play them too Geo. 10EC upgrade is really cheap. Later on I can make Eco-police units, 1-1-1, Clean, Police. They cost though 2 rows of minerals. They are not good for defence, unless they are high morale, and can save a base from some mindworm. I would go for specialization in units. They are cheaper but cost more upkeep, but we will probably have no serious upkeep issue. We soon may make tree farms, which will allow for no ecodamage with larger production. It is about time to make some tree farms and we can make it. Economy boost is good too.

Plasma police is more expensive to build, and later when gets defeated, we are in trouble having no police. But it all is personal preference.

Regarding large Psych setting. I would use our pop boom ability coming from Demo-Planned social setting as soon as possible. Extra specialists are always welcomed, also due to network nodes they give often like 4 or even 5 labs now. Later we may want to switch to Free Market, and then it will be no pop boom, unless from golden age. Due to difference 30 and 40 % psych we loose like 4 labs and 6 or 7 EC. We gain one more citizen next turn and one worker works forest 1-2-1. So it level out more or less.

[Mart]

We can soon discuss in some more details our strategy regarding Police units, where to put them and so on. We can consider all things for and against. We get police ability next turn, hopefully, if a few new techs due to our ability (SFF, SoHB) will not jump our lab costs next turn... We have around one week for that.

[Mart]

Originally posted by GeoModder
... And in worst case Zak will probaly sent it back, not destroy it.

Unless it will be Spartan unit, and we get later short message that prisoners died during interrogation due to weak health, which is the effect of lack of Spartan training...