Tech Beeline

[Dis]

Originally posted by Maniac


I think we've pretty much decided to go for Planetary Networks. However after that, we've still got several options.

Some would like to b-line to Nonlinear Mathematics and impact weapons.
Others would like to b-line to Ethical Calculus and popbooming.
A third group would like to b-line to Industrial Automation and crawlers.

We can still pretty much decide anything we want. In any case, IMO we certainly aren't in any kind of straightjacket as Hydro claims.



Next year Doctrine: Flexibility.

If we have any serious desires to attack the Hive, nonlinear mathimatics is a must.

[Maniac]

What should we research next if we can't pick Planetary Networks after Information Networks is finished?

[Googlie]

I'd agree with Diss

order of priority:

• Planetary Networks
• Applied Physics >>>>>> Nonlinear Mathematics
• Social Psych >>>>>> Ethical Calculus >>>>>> Intellectual Integrity

[Googlie]

And at some point we should prioritize the SP's we want (much like the Hive-Drones did in the last game) and tech-stream towards them

eg, is the Maritime COntrol Center a must for us? (I'd say. "yes", and it's interesting that the attendant quote for that SP is from Santiago)

Do we care about any of the others?

I'd say that realistically, much as we'd love to have them, the Human Genome Project and the Virtual World are out of our reach (on account of how long it will take us to get the tech, then get Ind Auto, then build the SP - unless our superior movement nets us some AA's to cash in - let's hope the first pop of our gunfoil is a Unity trannie!!)

I sense that we're ambivalent re the Weather Paradigm and the Merchant Exchange (nice to have, but we don't care if others get them)

I'd put the Planetary Transit Syatem and the Planetary Energy Grid somewhere between these first 2 categories - ie, not a "must have" but stronger than a "nice-to-have"

Which leaves 2 "militaristic" SP's - the Citizens' Defence Force and the Maritime Control Center. I'd consider us somewhat of a failure if we didn't get these 2 SP's (CDF plus either HEC's plasma armor or Field Modulation's 3-res armor would make us pretty untouchable until Chaos weapons, and i don't think we should ever let another faction gain naval movement points on us (it was huge for the CyCon in that last game)

Thoughts?

G.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
Applied Physics

Ok.

[Zeiter]

Sounds good. But I'm still a little worried about going crawler-less for as long as we plan. You know that once the other factions get crawlers they are going to zoom up the powercharts and snag every SP they can get their hands on. How long are we planning to go without crawlers? Are we going to try to steal that tech immediately after another faction gets it?

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Zeiter
Are we going to try to steal that tech immediately after another faction gets it?

That would be my suggestion, yes.

We more or less know that the Hive is in the middle with the four human factions probably around them. For two of the human factions, the Angels and the Morganites, an immediate b-line towards Industrial Automation seems most in their advantage. So if we have one coastal base of both sides of our peninsula, build a gun foil there, and follow the coastline, we should be certain to at least meet one faction that has IndAut. We could first offer a trade, but if they refuse, we can send some probes to go grab the techs we want instead.

You know that once the other factions get crawlers they are going to zoom up the powercharts and snag every SP they can get their hands on.

Even if we would b-line immediately towards IndAut, I fear we would still be unable to grab any of the good SPs. After all, because the Angels start with InfoNets + PlaNets, and because the Morganites start with IndBase and have a high energy production, they'll get IndAut before us anyway, unless a real miracle happens. So they'll have first pick of the SPs no matter what we do.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Maniac
So they'll have first pick of the SPs no matter what we do.

I agree. That's why I think we should identify (realistically) which 2 or 3 SP's we regard as "must-haves" - and I've suggested the CDF and the MCC fall into this category. With these 2 and adequate weapons and armor we'd be almost invincible militarily and in great shape for some mega-bullying of the others

But that means that we'd need some advance planning to snare these - such as the requisite techs, identifying the bases to build them in, hoarding and moving to these bases the AA's we pop as well as early crawlers that we produce, etc

It'd sure be nice to find out where the Uni is, and either befriend Zak (and swap techs) or else shamelessly steal them from him. Zak would make a great b!tch for us tech-wise, if we can get to him before the others.

G.

[Maniac]

I agree CDF and MCC are two great SPs to aim for with the Spartans.

But that means that we'd need some advance planning to snare these - such as the requisite techs

We already have one prerequisite for Doc:Ini (DocFlex), so once we get IndAut somewhere, we could aim for the MCC.

A possible research path towards the Citizen's Defence Force could look like this. The great thing is that this research path contains many other things useful for the Spartan faction.

1. Social Psych
Recreation Commons - not so useful for us until we starts popbooming, however I guess this tech would be desired by free marketeers: good trading material

>>>>>>>>>

2. Ethical Calculus
Children's Creche - popboom
Democratics SE Politics - popboom

>>>>>>>>>

3. Doctrine Loyalty - could possibly be stolen from Yang if we don't like each other
The Command Nexus - free command centres!
Police State SE Politics - Police State/Green (possible trade with Gaians?) is a great wartime government.

>>>>>>>>>

4. Intellectual Integrity
The Citizen's Defence Force -
High Morale - elite units!!!
Non-lethal methods - with this we could quell four instead of 2 drones!

And from this point we're only one tech seperated from:

5. Cyberethics
Knowledge SE Values - since we can't run Wealth this is our best peacetime SE Values. We would also be good buddies with Zak the Researcher.
The Planetary Datalinks - If we're fast enough, who knows we could get this before all three human factions have EcoEng & EnvEcon Also with this project we could bully all factions without fear of being isolated in tech trades and fall back technologically.

[Googlie]

Good summary

Hmm - playing with the Simulator, it appears that our choices after Infonets will be:

• Progenitor Psych
• Biogenetics
• Industrial Base
• Social Psych
• Applied Physics

Notwithstanding the earlier discussion re beelining for the CDF and MCC, if we can't get Planetary Networks next, we should stick to our plan to go for Applied Physics en route to Nonlinear Mathematics (and if so, we should build a laser infantryman soon thereafter then upgrade our rovers to 2-1-2's, all the more impressive to threaten Yang with when we finally meet him)

Do we need a formal poll, or are we still running this early on with decisions made by an "informed quorum" of the Junta?

[Zeiter]

Hmmm, I don't think we are really in a position yet to take on Yang's perimeters. I would go with Maniac's tech beeline, so my vote for next tech would go to social psych.

[Andemagne]

is Hunter Seeker Algorithm too far up the tech tree?

CDF and PDL sound good to me. MCC could be useful too.
but can't see why you are not fond of WP.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Andemagne
is Hunter Seeker Algorithm too far up the tech tree?

A bit, but it's through some techs that really are sidelines (such as Polysoft and Opticals, with only AMA being of limited value for the AAA capability)

And it's other half needs Plan Nets, Int Int and Cyberethics, and there are so many more fruitful avenues to explore if going down that route that PSA and the Hunter-Seeker seem such a luxury

CDF and PDL sound good to me. MCC could be useful too.
but can't see why you are not fond of WP.

Halving terraforming time is certainly useful, but in PBEMs the games rarely last long enough to get the well-developed bases with boreholes, condensors, energy farms et al up and running.

Possibly its biggest advantage is early boreholes for the massive minerals/energy pop when the EE's get researched (which again is early in PBEMs as compared to single player games). But to offset that, as the EE's come so early in PBEMs (trading, techsteal, etc) you are really giving up a lot in production to build an SP, especially if using crawlers to upgrade (the base producing the SP, the base(s) producing the crawlers being "sacrificed" and the eschewing of other SP's in favor of the WP.

So it's generally considered of dubious value. Plus, you can build an awful lot of conventional formers in the base that's producing the WP, and as a result be much more versatile

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
Possibly its biggest advantage is early boreholes

Another advantage of the WP is being able to build condensers without EcoEng. An advantage of condensers is that they allow a tile to produce more than two nutrients without having Gene Splicing. This is really helpful should one want to try and go for an early popboom.

[Googlie]

Hmm - that's a point that I overlooked (I've read it before but obviously it didn't sink in)

(I don't remember ever building a condensor in a game, either SP or MP)

And just looking at the current turn's barchart and "who's who", the AI are pulling away from all 4 of us (Buster has done a good job of placing the AI with some advantages, I guess - I wonder if he did tinker with giving them some energy and mineral satellites?)

Point is, we might need to foist a pop-boom on ourselves and build some musclemass before attempting to take on Yang solo - and if buster has set up the AI in submissive or permapacts, we might bite off more than we can chew

Maybe an all out assault on pods is the way to go - could fasttrack us thru some techs, via popping them or AA's, or could net us some serious coinage (particularly ocean pops) or planetpearls.