2161 End Turn and 2162 Discussion

[Mead]

Originally posted by AndiD
***

Why does just becoming governor help one's tech rate? His only trading partner is Zak (gasp!). But there's no real need for a benevolent governor at all, or is there?

Doesn't he get an extra EC per base because of being governor?


Mead

[AndiD]

Not that I would know - and it doesn't seem like it in testing. Only commerce is affected.

A good news for me - didn't realize until now that one third of our energy production is currently wasted in inefficiency without a HQ - have never lost a HQ before. Next tech will be in about 13 years if I estimated correctly and maybe we can go down to 20% psych.

What were the destinations for the CP south at Choke On This and for the eastern CP? I thought about dropping below the second b-limit but even size 1 bases are good energy producers and worthless when conquered (they simply vanish) so I would keep our "Eastside" as basic as it is and concentrate the former efforts elsewhere.

What is the Plasma Hoverboat in the South doing? Just standing and watching? (If I activate Fog of War, it seems that it could move down one square and watch the entire water area? Or does it see nothing while in the fungus?)

[Mead]

EDIT TRIPLE POST

[Mead]

Originally posted by AndiD
Not that I would know - and it doesn't seem like it in testing. Only commerce is affected.

A good news for me - didn't realize until now that one third of our energy production is currently wasted in inefficiency without a HQ - have never lost a HQ before. Next tech will be in about 13 years if I estimated correctly and maybe we can go down to 20% psych.

I thought whenever you got governor you got another EC per base. I think that's what message says whenever you get governor.

Our new HQ should be finished at the start of next turn.

What were the destinations for the CP south at Choke On This and for the eastern CP?

Southern CP was to plant a few spaces below CoT toe extend territory and give us more breathing room from Yang.

The eastern ones were to develope our eastern area.

I thought about dropping below the second b-limit but even size 1 bases are good energy producers and worthless when conquered (they simply vanish) so I would keep our "Eastside" as basic as it is and concentrate the former efforts elsewhere.

I want to concentrate our formers on the volcano and get as many 6min mine squares as soon as possible.

What is the Plasma Hoverboat in the South doing? Just standing and watching? (If I activate Fog of War, it seems that it could move down one square and watch the entire water area? Or does it see nothing while in the fungus?)

It should see just fine in the fungus. I was going to push it further forward and move it around. The Spartans have cruisers that can move 8 spaces per turn. They know where the fungus is. Any invading force from them probably will be accompanied (preceeded) by crusiers searching the fungus. Odd as it may seem, I think we are safer staying out of the fungus. Also, I see the ship just as an expendable target. If we get lucky and manage to kill something with it I'll be elated. If it merely dies a noble death giving us early notice of an invasion I'm satisfied.


Mead

[Mead]

EDIT DOUBLE POST

[#endgame]

AndiD, you seem to have a good handle on what's going on. I'm reluctant to play the turn, owing to a extreme lack of SMAX MP experience (my secret shame: I haven't won a transcend level SP game yet ). Are you willing?

-- CTO #endgame

[AndiD]

endgame:
I have only the minigame on record and a few distant SP victories... but I feel confident - I'm motivated to generate a winning position, not that I could ruin an already victorious position...

Mead:
Former and hoverboat plans sound good.

Regarding the choke point, I thought about lowering some land to cut off Yang completely - but only a sea former could do it but we certainly don't have the spare minerals to build one. Let's see what Yang does with his unit there after trucing.

QUESTION: Is it allowed to ask Yang to withdraw his troops as part of parallel diplomacy efforts and see whether he declares Vendetta?

Now a fun part - I would need three base names:
- Eastern base suggestion: AndiD's Ideas
- Southern (2nd choke) base: ?
- Morgan Industries replacement suggestions: Morgan Industries Reloaded - or - Risen from the Ruins (title of the former anthem of (anti-capitalist) Eastern Germany)

[AndiD]

I am also seriously considering Police State for five or ten years:
+ 30 free minerals on founding the three new bases
+ 3 units per base supported to get some crawlers more quickly
o Police doesn't really affect anything (we cannot do Green yet, unfortunately)
- Appallinc Inefficiency (-2) I wonder how much this is gonna cost, as soon as we have an HQ.

I guess this is a candidate for a voting, after someone did the math.
==> As soon as our new turn is posted, everyone is invited to take a look and to compare Dem and PS in regard to income, tech and psych.

[AndiD]

And yet again more thoughts:

I know that technological advances are precious at the moment and we certainly aim for D:AP, Bio-Engineering and AdvMilAlg as top 3 priorities, right?

However, if it will appear that Yang doesn't research Air Power next (and the Spartans won't get airpower for quite a while), does the CDF (with IntInt - Zak researches it in 7 years) sound desirable at all? I'm virtually know nothing about battles in MP games so some input from some veterans would be great.

If Yang doesn't research D:AP next, the choice between D:AP and BioEng will be very hard indeed and at the moment I would be tempted to choose BioEng to get rid of our nasty support problems.

(Sidenote: We need at least two Gators to be sure to techsteal D:AP from Yang as soon as he gets it, since he has Field Modulation and I don't know how the game determines which tech you steal when there is more than one to "choose" from)

[jtsisyoda]

CDF is great for defense and offense. You can hold conqurered bases a lot better. We did agree not to build it, but I consider that contract void.

I still say DAP is better than clean. Interceptors are great for defense against planes and scouting for enemies.

Good idea considering PS, but check the numbers when the turn comes before making a final decision. PS might be another reason clean isn't as good as DAP.

[AndiD]

One more question - I'm a bit out of special knowledge at the moment:

What is the advantage of defending 1-3-1 garrisons in comparison to defending Plasma Attorneys - or in other words, what do you get for the extra support mineral?

[jtsisyoda]

They're cheaper to build by quite a bit. Let's call it x mins for the troop discount. For x turns, the support is just paying in installments. Eventually the garrison is more expensive, but only if it lasts a long time. And in our situation, if it lasts a long time, we have little to complain about.

Also, troops are cheaper to rush because they're closer to completion by the time you get 10 mins... so you usually only pay 2.5 or so ec per min, instead of 3 per min for a more expensive probe.

The most important thing about troops vs. probes in our situation is multiple garrisons. If all you have are probe defenders, even with plasma armor, once one probe dies to a conventional unit, all probe defenders die.

Since Sparta has missile technology, plasma units have to be considered cheap fodder, IMO.

Another problem is that a regular probe, 3 rows, has a 50% chance of defeating any other probe, regardless of expensive armor. (Assuming morale is equal.)

[Whoha]

Originally posted by AndiD
endgame:
I have only the minigame on record and a few distant SP victories... but I feel confident - I'm motivated to generate a winning position, not that I could ruin an already victorious position...

Mead:
Former and hoverboat plans sound good.

Regarding the choke point, I thought about lowering some land to cut off Yang completely - but only a sea former could do it but we certainly don't have the spare minerals to build one. Let's see what Yang does with his unit there after trucing.

QUESTION: Is it allowed to ask Yang to withdraw his troops as part of parallel diplomacy efforts and see whether he declares Vendetta?

Now a fun part - I would need three base names:
- Eastern base suggestion: AndiD's Ideas
- Southern (2nd choke) base: ?
- Morgan Industries replacement suggestions: Morgan Industries Reloaded - or - Risen from the Ruins (title of the former anthem of (anti-capitalist) Eastern Germany)

FU sparta for the replacement base. lets see if we can get them to waste 4 more really expensive rovers trying to take it out in a fit of misguided pride.

[jtsisyoda]

The next turn is here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=130369