Game Discussion, Turn 2121 - 2140

[Zeiter]

Yeah, definitely NLmath. There's a good chance that nobody else will even have laser weapons, giving us some great intimidation leverage.

[Kassiopeia]

Oh god yes. We can finally talk about impact rifles and have them too.

[Jamski]

Heh, I fly past with a good idea once in a while and I don't feel so useless

You like the Transport Foil idea? They are SUCH useful units early on for moving CPs into place faster, and getting sea pods before other factions, AND those land pods on distant islands.

-Jam

[Dis]

nonlinear math all the way. It's the only leverage we have this early in the game.

[Primus Pilus]

1st, sorry i've been away. Lead Spear had to attend to trivial matters such as work, ex-wife, and World Peace ...2nd, if you notice my previous posts (albeit spread-out), i've harped on a) sth expansion as a precusor against Hive b) Sea Colony option against Hive c) Transport Foil as pod popper and CP delivery d) Speeder CP's to rush expansion...3rd, every time that i have suggested options, they are generally passed-off. NOW, i read that that these might be a good idea from the Junta on mass. pardon me for being a little upset...

strongly suggest immediate CP by sth mineral nut as forward base of operations w/pickets on Hive border.

not ready to engage Hive directly w/o at least Particle Weps and extra Naval units (blockcade, bombard, intercept).

decide on home island expansion (sth still a must) or Global Reach, naval force projection, or labs to stay in pace w/Angels etal

[Googlie]

PP:

It's not that we've (I've) "passed them off" - but we just have 4 bases producing and we're thereby limited as to what to produce.

For that reason I was agin' building a trannie as I thought we'd likely pop one with one of the 2 Invincible class foils. However Maniac pointed out that in his experience it's usually trannies that pop other trannies, and rarely (ever?) does a gunship pop a trannie. I thought back to the games I've been in and can't remember popping a trannie with a gunfoil.

So belatedly I came round to agree with the concensus that we should get a transport underway at GH instead of that second gunfoil.

Bases inside the crater give us an immediate minerals boost, so having 4 there eventually was what we'd discussed. But afterestablishing one above SC2 (there's an unused monolith there that give an immediate 2-2-2 to a base there)

And I've yet to be convinced that this early in a game we should tie up a coastal base's production for a sea colony pod (77 minerals) - there are just too many other units we need building at our bases with ocean access

G.

[Zeiter]

Don't worry, even if we don't specifically respond to some of your comments, we always consider them and throw them into the general melting pot of discussion, where they get tossed about, modified, analyzed, and such. In fact, we are all now considering several courses of action partly because of your input:

a) sth expansion as a precusor against Hive

*We are currently discussing some southern encroachment on the Hive, whether by means of some gentle border pushing, or outright planting a base in their territory near those forested tiles, thus getting into a war with Yang.

b) Sea Colony option against Hive

*We've discussed and (as far as I know) agreed that, when Gythium Harbor reaches size 2, before we pop any pods to the south, we will change production to a sea colony pod in the hopes of an autocompletion. That sea colony pod we will then send down near Yang, most likely.

c) Transport Foil as pod popper and CP delivery

*Both you and Jamski have raised this issue, and some people (if not a majority) favor this course of action, although there are still some (if not a majority) that still favor the probe foil only approach. Hopefully we'll come to a consensus soon. Personally, I like the transport idea.

d) Speeder CP's to rush expansion

*Although this idea was considered, I don't think it has much support. The main reason that most people here don't want to go with this idea is that those rover CPs cost mucho . A more economical way to speed CPs to their destination would be to build a former, have it build a road to the next base site, and build the regular infantry chassis CP. And I believe this is exactly what we plan on doing.

Oh well, never hurts to throw ideas out there. A lot of ideas are going to be shot down by necessity, but the more ideas put forth, the merrier, as each new idea contributes a new way of looking at a situation. And the more an idea or plan or argument is put up to the test and questioned and considered, the more the idea is refined, and the better it ends up being. So keep the ideas coming.

I agree, engaging the Hive without at least impact weapons would be suicidal, unless it were on a purely defensive basis.

In case of a war with the Hive, we could call back all of our SCC Invincibles that are out exploring, and use them to provide at least some minimum naval bombardment, as you suggest. At least that's a possibility.

Keeping pace with the others in pure labs output is going to be tough. Morgan is swimming in energy. Data Angels will be stealing and aquiring left and right. Gaians...er...they'll be chugging along. So our best bet is to probe away technology (preferably from Yang, so that we don't have to get into a vendetta with one of the humans) in order to keep up with the others tech-wise.

Edit: Sheesh, what's taking the Morganites so long?

[Primus Pilus]

i don't mind my ideas getting shot down, i just thought they were over looked and now they resurfaced. i am a true Spartan

[Maniac]

Hmm, I happened to be online shortly after the turn was posted, so I played part of it.

SCC Invincible pops pod. IoD appears. Is succesfully attacked for 30 credits worth of planetpearls (2 worms cargo).

I then sold the network node for 40 credits.

Then I thought: "****, with 65 credits from Yang we would have gotten to 100 credits, and wouldn't need to have sold the network node."

But then when I ask for a loan from Yang, he only offers 53 credits, with having to pay back 1 credits per year for 84 years IIRC. I have a screenshot which I'll post later today if I have the chance. In any case, luck I sold the network node after all, and that we got an IoD.

Applied Physics bought. 38 credits left.

[Primus Pilus]

btw, i saw that my icon changed from Settler to Chieftan. Cool. i don't know if King or Emperor is fitting for me, too Noble. Lord Spear would be nice when I earn it

[Googlie]

OK - good stuff, M.

(Are you going to continue with turn now?)

We have 38 ec's in reserve - do we want the Angels' commlink? (assuming Yang will indeed lift his receiver when he sees our name on his "call waiting" display!)

And if we get lucky with the pod the rovers are about to pop, and get a Pressure Dome, we'll restore that lab point again that the NN was providing as ec's will go up 1 additional

(And I see that none of our competitors yet have Applied Physics!!)

[Googlie]

On another point:

Currently we need 75 labpoints for a breakthru next year, and will produce 6 labpoints (with sliders set at 60:0:40, giving 6 energy and with a 13 turn breakthrough span)

If we set the sliders to 30:10:60, we'll get 2 energy and an 8 year timespan, with 10 labpoints being produced

I believe that the 5 surplus will carry forward towards the next tech as no single base is producing more than 50% of the total ( we're at 3,3,2 and 2 at that new slider setting)

I know, Maniac, that you believe differently.

For the risk of losing 4 ec's (getting just 2 next turn instead of 6) can you humor me and put the sliders to 30/10/60, to see if we do indeed lose the 5 or if they carry forward?

G.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Googlie
(assuming Yang will indeed lift his receiver when he sees our name on his "call waiting" display!)

Ah, he won't. I invoked the "simultaneous play to check AI diplomacy" rule. Ah well, next turn maybe (at least we won't delay this one debating whose commlink to ask for - Morgan or the Angels)

[Googlie]

well, as the orders weren't contentious, I went ahead and finished the turn:

• popped the pod on 53:35 with Chiron Knights and got a monolith Healed and upgraded CK to Commando class!!
• Moved R-112 CRV on to the same tile to continue tagteam program
• Shinsengumi now chatting to Tomcat-1 crew just outside SC3
• Moved SC2's new scout downriver to GH, and rehomed it there
• Put a transport foil in production at GH
• Changed SC2's production from HQ (I assume it was just a placement holder) to prototype a 2-1-2 recon rover
• Colony pod is now in position to found Cloudbase Academy next turn
• Rolling Thunder[/i] proceeded up the eastern coastline
• I changed the sliders to 30:10:60 - they can always be reset before finalizing if no-one likes my suggestion

[Maniac]

Turn looking good.

Little question: Many people seem in favour of using our cash reserve to buy commlinks, so I'm wondering (when) do we plan to switch to Planned Economics?

Originally posted by Googlie
I believe that the 5 surplus will carry forward towards the next tech as no single base is producing more than 50% of the total ( we're at 3,3,2 and 2 at that new slider setting)

I know, Maniac, that you believe differently.

For the risk of losing 4 ec's (getting just 2 next turn instead of 6) can you humor me and put the sliders to 30/10/60, to see if we do indeed lose the 5 or if they carry forward?

If it's that important to you.
However I don't understand why you think all the labs point would carry over. When you first stated this theory, I did two little tests. Both showed there was no carry-over, even if there wasn't any base producing 50% or more of the labs point. Why would it be different here? Have you experience which lead you to believe so? I would want what you say to be true, but I can't see any evidence supporting your theory (sorry for the scientific wording )

Currently we have 71 labs accumulated, and we need 75. With 30-10-60 settings SC1 will add 3 labs, bringing the total on 74. Then comes SC2, also producing 3 labs. This base labs production brings the total over the required amount, letting us research the tech. However based on my experience, I think we'll loose 2 labs from Santiago Citadel.