Turn 2173

[AndiD]

I shouldn't be awake at all right now but anyway...

[paramir]

Can someone who can open it open it and comment onm what they see

[PJayTycy]

The empire looks like the screenshots in the previous turn.

3 or 4 terraforming actions completed.
2 crawlers, 1 missile tactical, 2 recycling tanks completed.
The Hive have 7 missile needlejets ready in manufact warrens.

[AndiD]

Yep, this doesn't look overly exciting.

Basic ideas for now are:
- RecCommons so that we can go 20% psych instead of 30%
- Get every base a decent number of minerals to work with
- Start first, selected boreholes

After that, I can see three general ways of growth:

1) First RecTanks, then TreeFarms everywhere -> Econ to kickstart even more rushing (Creches and Complexes to POPBOOM)

2) Net Nodes and Hospitals -> get back to researching first, then grow in other directions.

3) Compromise between 1) and 2) IOW some Net Nodes mingled in between.


Question: Is any aspiring diplomat here, willing to get a decent research co-op agreement with Gaia and Angels and us to offset Sparta's head-start regarding tech?

[AndiD]

Oh, second question: Does anyone have sufficient AI experience to predict what Yang will do with all his Noodles??

[paramir]

knowing yang, not want to play nice

[paramir]

Originally posted by AndiD
Question: Is any aspiring diplomat here, willing to get a decent research co-op agreement with Gaia and Angels and us to offset Sparta's head-start regarding tech?

I've got a decent amount of experience negotiting, tho not much in smac, So if you guys tell me what you want I can work towards it

[AndiD]

Okay current diplomatic situation is:

Gaia and Angels pacted, Gaia and us pacted, Angels and us treatied (they apparently don't wanna pact with us)

We all three are technologically behind Sparta who had the Uni as their research pet in the past (tech cost for Uni is now way to high) and now could have the PKs as "forced research pet".

Our faction has reactivated its labs only recently (needed all the cash to build "Fortress Morgan" as Googlie put it) so we can be part of the game again.

The best way to do research together is leap-frogging, that means:
- Plan what techs are to be researched together

- Plan who will research which tech at what time

- As soon as a tech is researched, faction A gives it to faction B (and/or C) according to the plans

- Faction B will be able to switch techs without losing tech points and without increasing tech cost and therefore be able to reach a superior tech much sooner than anyone else

- As soon as Faction B researches the superior tech, Faction B returns the tech to A (and/or C), who again will be able to switch without losing anything.

(There could be the odd posting about leap-frogging or leapfrogging here on Poly)

A worthy goal from my point of view could be that Gaia, Angels and us form a "tech-leapfrog-cartel" and coordinate our research actions or maybe even acquire a selected tech from Sparta (we have the $$$ ) to boost our research right from the start.

The details need to be worked out though... so if this sounds like a job for you and noone objects...

[PJayTycy]

How can you predict which techs will be presented when you can change your research ?

[AndiD]

There is a spreadsheet for it - however, it becomes more and more useless when the game progresses and noone tracks the exact tech research and trade process.

You can generally predict which techs are next - they are those, which are "logically" next (take a look at the lab stats and list all techs where all prerequsite techs are there). With sufficient experience at playing SMAX you get to know the necessary prereq techs for the "juicy techs" and therefore "know" which techs are next.

There is a "mod 3" rule in the game however that some techs are omitted from display. If that happens, bad luck - but you usually make a "plan B" in advance since you are often interested in more than one tech at a moment. For example. MMI, BioEng, Cyberethics are all valuable for us at the moment.

[Mead]

[SIZE=1] ****


Question: Is any aspiring diplomat here, willing to get a decent research co-op agreement with Gaia and Angels and us to offset Sparta's head-start regarding tech?


***

Seeing how I have been doing a lot less in the Diplo effort as well as the the game as a whole I offer my resignation as CDO for Morgan. I offer to continue to be part of the faction as a lurker and occasional commenter.


My observations on the diplo front are that we need to, as AndId notes, to enter into a leap frog with Gaia and DA. Rather than just leapfrog for the sake of leapfrogging we should have a goal of where we want to end up when it's over.

We have approched both Gaia and DA with leapfrog potentials and both have, in the past, failed to act.

I wish the best to whomever takes over the job.


Mead


PS

Let me know if my resignation as CDO is accepted and I will change my sig line. I'll also make a public announcement.

[paramir]

Mead presents a good point, knowing what we are leapfroging to could give us a HUGE advantage trying to convince DA and gians.
On another note you can count me out as CDO, I don't have that much confidence

[AndiD]

Too bad that you leave, Mead - any occasional comment will be much appreciated. :-)

Just wait until your first diplomatic successes, paramir, you'll have enough confidence by then. ;-)

[Mead]

Originally posted by AndiD
Too bad that you leave, Mead - any occasional comment will be much appreciated. :-)

Just wait until your first diplomatic successes, paramir, you'll have enough confidence by then. ;-)

OK.

Mead

[paramir]

We need a mid-term goal for our leapfroging, what do you guys sugest