Game Discussion, Turn 2101 - 2120

[Googlie]

We get Centauri Ecology in 2104, and assuming we found SC2 then and there, we can put a former into production and rush it to 1 turn completion prolly the turn thereafter.

Having a former working that much earlier is, to my way of thinking, more valuable than getting a new base 1 turn earlier (which base would cramp Sparta Command more than this alternative anyway)

Downside is, we don't know if there are any pods to pop around. If that juicy pod at 58:16 is a monolith, or ec's, etc, then it would offset any benefits of having a former five turns earlier

[Googlie]

The problem being:

If we found SC2 where we've discussed (2 moves downriver), put a CC in production then pop the pod - and get no facs completion - we'll then put a rover into production.

If we then change to a former when we get Cent Ecol, we'll forfeit 1 mineral (but will have that first row completed)

So maybe we'll be able to afford rushing the former (23 ec's by then, with our industry penalty) so we'd still have our former by 2105, the same as in the other alternative, except that we'd be further ahead in SC2 in pop growth, and in the meantime might have popped a significant goody

So what does it all mean?

Found Santiago Citadel at 58:18, put a CC in production, pop the pod at 59:18, reset production to a rover if we don't get a facs completion

Don't rush the SC1 rover (unless we get 25 ec's or better with the podpop)

In 2104, after we get Cent Ecol, change SC2's production from a rover to a former and rush it that turn to 1 turn-to-complete (or as soon as affordable afterwards), then build a defensive scout there

Continue exploring the Garland Crater (we need a proprietary name for that) northwest with Zeiter's rover (which is now 1 tile north of Santiago Citadel anyway)

Any alternative viewpoints? (sorry for being so vacillating)

G.

[Maniac]

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. Do you suggest to build our second base on the flat & moist (58.18), or the coastal (57.21)? Anyway, I agree (57.21) would be a perfect base site, however we can always move the first produced colony pod in SC2 to that site and build a base. So personally I'd prefer to stick to (58.18) for Santagio Citadel.

Some comments/questions:

We get Centauri Ecology in 2104

How did you calculate that? We currently have 7 of the required 14 labs. With popping the pod we should get an extra one. SC1 provides 3, meaning we get to 11. So to get CentEcol next year SC2 should produce 4 energy (1 credit and 3 labs) this turn already. AFAI can see, that's only possible when we get a monolith from the pod. In all other cases I assume MY 2105 will be most likely.

So maybe we'll be able to afford rushing the former (23 ec's by then, with our industry penalty)

With our likely credit production of 2 (after SC2 would be founded), we can only get that amount of cash the next few years if we pop a credit pod.

[Googlie]

Hmm - we need to accumulate 14 labpoints and we start with 7

SC gives 3 energy = 10
podpop gives 1 = 11
SC2 on a river gives 3 = 14

I guess the question is, do we get the tech that turn or carryforward (tech needed - 0)

Aha - but I see. SC produces 4 energy but gives 3 labpoints after allocations. SC2 produces 3 energy being based on a river with a worker working a river tile but will give 2 labpoints (rounded) after energy allocations

So earliest is 2105 - unless we pop a monolith or an energy special

My mistake

And, yes, my recommendation is to build the SC2 at 58:18

[Maniac]

And, yes, my recommendation is to build the SC2 at 58:18

Okay, I moved the CP and rover. Midturn report:

• Colony pod moved to (58.18). Santiago Citadel founded.
• R-112 Corazon Recon Vehicle drove to coordinates (58.16) and discovered another monolith. This time I did choose a morale upgrade as the rover would only have 1/3 MP left anyway, with thus little chance to get anywhere else this year.
• Santiago Citadel production set to a scout rover.
• Centauri Ecology will be researched next year.

Midturn save MY 2103

If I'm correct the only question remaining is whether to hurry the SC1 rover with 7 credits, or save some cash for a former hurry in a few turns, after changing SC2 production to a former next year and lose two minerals IIRC. However as you said:
"Downside is, we don't know if there are any pods to pop around. If that juicy pod at 58:16 is a monolith, or ec's, etc, then it would offset any benefits of having a former five turns earlier",
would I assume correctly hurrying the rover after all is ok for you?

[Googlie]

I'd go ahead and rush the rover.

If PBEMs are all about turn advantage, then the more - and earlier - we pop pods the better, so roversRus

Next turn I'd move the ZeiterRover upriver thru 57:15, northwest of SC2, and send the SC1's new rover thru 62:22 to see what's in the 5 tiles south. If a pod, then do we do the "switch production to a CC" and pop it? If unsuccessful, then do we interpose a former build at SC1 before the next colony pod?

And if we pop energy credits, then do we change production at SC2 to a former, lose the mineral(s), but rush to completion?

G.

[Maniac]

Battle Report MY 2103

• Colony pod moved to (58.18). Santiago Citadel founded.
• R-112 Corazon Recon Vehicle drove to coordinates (58.16) and discovered another monolith. This time I did choose a morale upgrade as the rover would only have 1/3 MP left anyway, with thus little chance to get anywhere else this year.
• Centauri Ecology will be researched next year.
• Sparta Command scout rover hurried with 3 minerals at a cost of 7 credits. The rover will be completed next year.

Presend save MY 2103

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
Next turn I'd move the ZeiterRover upriver thru 57:15, northwest of SC2, and send the SC1's new rover thru 62:22 to see what's in the 5 tiles south.

Roger that.

If a pod, then do we do the "switch production to a CC" and pop it?

Certainly. Eventually we must get lucky and get a materials pod.

If unsuccessful, then do we interpose a former build at SC1 before the next colony pod?

And if we pop energy credits, then do we change production at SC2 to a former, lose the mineral(s), but rush to completion?

I'm considering how much we could use formers at this point of the game. If we had a worse starting position, formers would definitely be the way to go. However we've been extremely lucky with pod popping and now have a monolith in the base radius of both our bases producing 2-2-2, the best we can get right now without bonus squares. Also I guess our two next bases would be founded with a rolling & rainy (river) square in their neighbourhood, so much improvement we can't do there either.

That only leaves roads to build for now. And I assume the turn advantage of first building formers, and them building roads to the base sites of the CPs next in production line, would be smaller than immediately building CPs and moving through a few unroaded tiles before being able to found the bases.

So personally for now my suggestion would be to finish the rovers, then build a colony pod in both SC's, and as third item build a former in each base to start road-connecting our colony of four bases by now, and building roads to future base sites (with of course terraformations in between when necessary).

Anyway, once we've explored a bit more and located a few potential base sites, I could perhaps use the turn simulator to test out what approach seems best.

[Googlie]

I agree. On reading thru some of the old posts from the off-site forum, we talked about going for Doc Flex and Plan Nets, for foil probes, early on.

To do that we need a coastal base, and the options seem to be southwest of Sparta Command (where we got a tantalising glimpse of a lake or seafrontage), East of Sparta Command (looking at the map topographically - with mapgrid on - it would appear to have some sea-level between us and hills/mountains to the east), and North of Santiago Citadel (we're just a few tiles below the northern polar cap - and it's usually water there)

Also, our 2 bases are going to have CP's rush-built as soon as they get to pop 2 size, so working the monolith in each is as good as it gets with the 2-2-2 for each base. As well, we do seem to be blessed with rivers that facilitate colony pod movement around our corner of the map, so formers would be a bit of a luxury right now (unless, maybe , to prep base sites with sensors)

[Zeiter]

I would agree on waiting to build some formers. We don't really need them right now, and with a scout rover and former being supported by each base, when we produce a new CP, we'd have to pay 1 min of support until we get our next base established.

Also, when should we station units in our bases permanently for drone control? Are we plannning on just turning the citizens to doctors the turn before the growth to size 2, and then rushing the CP's that next turn, and then getting new CP's the turn after that?

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Zeiter
Also, when should we station units in our bases permanently for drone control? Are we plannning on just turning the citizens to doctors the turn before the growth to size 2, and then rushing the CP's that next turn, and then getting new CP's the turn after that?

We could perhaps plan the exploration path of one of our rovers in such a way that it will return into Sparta Command the turn before it grows to size 2. That way we could let the base grow to size 2 without using a doctor.

Also if we then as you say immediately hurry the CP, the rover could immediately leave Sparta Command and move towards Santiago Citadel. It would arrive there two turns later, just in time before SC2 grows to size 2.

[Googlie]

Hmm - I haven't seen Maniac on the board for over 24 hours now.

I downloaded the turn when jtisyoda first posted it on July 7th. Should I go ahead and play it, following our agreed-upon orders?

(Which are:

> Change research to Doc Flex(after getting Cent Ecol this turn)
> move the original rover up the river to the northwest;
> move new Sparta Command rover south to see what's below Sparta Command, and
> change production there to a Colony Pod?)

G.

[Googlie]

Well, as the weekend is on us, and the moves non-contentious, I went ahead in the interests of moving along


Battle Report MY 2104

• Centauri Ecology discovered. Turned boffins loose on Doctrine Flexibility (6 turns)
• R-112 Corazon Recon Vehicle drove downriver to coordinates (54:12) and discovered ocean frontage
• Sparta Command scout rover completed and moved south of the base to explore territory - stalled on a rocky tile (62:24).
• Production changed at Sparta Command to a Colony Pod(11 turns, new pop in 8)

[Maniac]

Wow, sorry. I was simply unaware our turn had already been posted in the turn tracking thread yesterday.

In any case, great played turn.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Googlie
Well, as the weekend is on us, and the moves non-contentious, I went ahead in the interests of moving along


Battle Report MY 2104
[list[*]Centauri Ecology discovered. Turned boffins loose on Doctrine Flexibility (6 turns)[*]R-112 Corazon Recon Vehicle drove downriver to coordinates (54:12) and discovered ocean frontage[*]Sparta Command scout rover completed and moved south of the base to explore territory - stalled on a rocky tile (62:24).[*]Production changed at Sparta Command to a Colony Pod(11 turns, new pop in 8)[/list]

sounds good. We had it all planned out. I missed the discussion on Flexiblility though. But that sounds good.