Game Discussion, Turn 2101 - 2120

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
trouble is, if we move a CP north and do pop a monolith, then we have to wait another turn before founding a base.

Maybe delay popping the pod (lest we get a rogue fungus bloom or summat)

Hmm, yeah, a monolith would indeed be a very likely outcome. A third possibility besides moving the CP and waiting a turn is first moving the rover on the pod before moving any CPs. But whatever we choose of our options is fine by me.

and just move the CP's respectively north-east and south-west this turn, into the small valleys, and next turn found both bases - then pop the pod?

Moving a CP southeast would mean we'd build a base on a rolling&rainy instead of rolling&moist tile though. Is that ok?

[Kody]

Drogue:
Heh well I did say I only checked the first 9 squares.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Maniac
Moving a CP southeast would mean we'd build a base on a rolling&rainy instead of rolling&moist tile though. Is that ok?

Hmm - well we could move one CP straight south (looks like a rolling/moist) and the other on either diagonal NW or NE (again, both look to be rolling/moist)

That way we'd save both these rolling/rainy tiles to the southwest of our start position for nut development

The bases next turn would then be on each other's diagonals, 2 tiles away, which isn't too bad

(and pop the pod in 2103, after both bases are established, with a Command Center in the build column in case we pop a facs completion - if we don't, then we can always revert to a scout unit in each)

G.

[Zeiter]

I suggest planting Sparta Command right where it is, moving the rover up 1 to get the pod, and then probably to the west 1 tile to see if there is any good terrain there. As for the other colony pod, I would move it due south and plant it. That way, both bases will start out with rolling rainy tiles, we'll get the most tiles explored (from both the rover and the southern CP) and we'll have the 2nd CP planted quick.

As the pod is likely to be something good (as long as we pop it after we plant Sparta Command) then I suggest popping it as soon as possible so that we can start capitalizing on its benefits right away.

[Googlie]

Interesting scenario testing developments.

I edited the 30-podpop one to start SC building a Command Center, saved it, then popped one of the 2 pods with the colony pod 30 times again.

Here are the results:

energy credits: 14 times (varying from 25 ec's to 75 ec's)
monolith: 6 times
completion of CC: 5 times
energy special: 2 times
mineral special: 1 time
AA: 1 time
Unity Rover: 1 time

So it appears that the algorithm the engine uses can be influenced by what is put in the build box (ie, if we have a scout fully built in the box, maybe the engine looks at its completion, "shakes it's head" and moves on to the next in the list - ec's or whatever

So I suggest that we delay popping the pod until a base is established, then have that base commence a Command Center before we pop the pod.

If we don't get a "facilities completed" result we can always change to a scout before we end the turn

(And, Zeiter, given that there's not likely going to be any energy in our early turn, I don't think it makes much of a difference whether we establish 1 base in 2101 and the second in 2103 - you can't do it in 2102 as you must have at least 1 tile of separation between bases - or 2 bases established in 2102)

[Skanky Burns]

Does a CC require maintenance? If so that could... cause us problems initially.

[Googlie]

yes - at 1 ec per year

(But I still think that a facs completed goody would be awesome if we were so lucky (+4 morale troops immediately!!), even at that cost of 1 ec per year - we'll just have to pop another ec pod somewhere to finance it, or make sure we generate the energy to support it)

[Skanky Burns]

Then again, morale upgrades for us would be worth 1ec per year, especially if the center was built for free.

[Zeiter]

Yes, of course, I meant get the CP built in 2103 after moving it due south 2 tiles (or moving it south 1 tile and then moving it either W, SW, S, SE, or E in 2102, depending on what the terrain to the south looks like). But yes, if we plant it due south 2 tiles from Sparta Command, it will still be guaranteed a rolling rainy tile in its production radius.

[Zeiter]

Also, if we popped a pod that completed a CC, but we later decided that the maintenance cost was too much, we could always scrap it for like 30 EC's.

[Googlie]

Good point, Z

(Can we make it an inviolable rule for the Turnplayer that units are never to be put on automatic?

It cost PEACE in a coiuple of instances last game when Maki did that

G.

[Skanky Burns]

That rule should go without saying, yet since someone actually went ahead and did it...

I second G's proposal.

[Googlie]

Some were little things - like crawlers en-route to a designation but not picking up anything on their stops between turns

The biggie, though, was a foil probe that IIRC, was en-route to probe the Angels when CyCon struck - if not on auto, it would have been able to return to a base to save it from subversion, but as when the turn opened it already was a further 4 tiles away (on automatic), it became irrelevant to the battle

[Snowflake]

So Googlie's test result does show that if you pop a pod after planting a base you'll never get a bad pop (worms etc) right? Also you don't want to plant a base on rainy tiles because you want to use it for food later right? What's wrong with planting a base right now and pop the pod using the second CP? Sorry for being such a noob.

[Kody]

They would have to move the colony pod one more square into the unknown.