2141 - Pre-planning discussion and build/movement orders

[Googlie]

Thanks Maniac - I knew I could count on you for the numbers

A couple of other questions re this turn.

Right now GH is on a Navy Seals training program, but this turn is the last chance we'll get to shift before it will cost us minerals. Should we just bite the bullet and get a scout patrol there to give us a bit of breathing room?

It'd be completed next year if we go for it (and the Pegasus could shuttle it to Minas Tirith to free up the Elite Rover there)

I think that'd be prudent, notwithstanding that it's a coastal base building a land unit (exigencies of the situation, and all that)

[Maniac]

That looks like a great idea.
Does that mean, since we would need to build a scout patrol less in another base for now, you would want to forget about the most expensive hurry order (the 28c for FB), or still execute it?

[Googlie]

Well, at least defer its hurrying till next turn when it'll be just 5 minerals short (the pod will get to its proposed location in 2142, and found the base in 2143, so a probe completed in 2142 and ready for commissioning will be able to get to there for the base founding ceremony. That way we don't necessarily need to rush a laser foil or gunfoil that same year (in fact, we can instabuild another scout there which again relieves pressure on or mechanzied divisions - or another former or trannie)

[Googlie]

So, assuming that we aren't rushing this turn in FB, I'll go ahead and execute the following rushes:

probe team in Olympus Academy for 8 ec's
impact infantryman in Santiago Citadel for 13 ec's

Agreed?

[Googlie]

That's the only thing holding up the turn completion

(Assuming we don't put a Treaty on the table for Morgan quite yet)

[Maniac]

I like everything you say.

[Googlie]

OK - Here's the presend for idiot-proofing

[KrysiasKrusader]

Hmmm...

Well there's something amiss (scratch head).

I was using the mid-turn save for the calculations. Which save file were you guys refering to then?

[Googlie]

It's not the sav file, but Maniac's got a spreadsheet that was developed some time ago by one of the nitpickers who managed to exactly replicate the hurry cost formula.

I've always used the rule of thumb of (HC - [2 x mins]), (which works for facilities rushed) but consistently overpay for units.

In the 2101 - 2120 turn thread somewhere, Maniac hung the formula for downloading after one of my earlier screw-ups

[Maniac]

I'm actually at the moment busy writing a "Treatise on Hurrying" to be added to the Survivalist's Guide. So soon everything will be explained!
I hope to finish it tomorrow. If not, for next weekend I hope.

Turn looks great btw.

[Googlie]

The turn's complete - as far as we're concerned. A Treaty and Gene Splicing are on the table for Morgan, I've hogged another 2 map names for our eastern and western coasts, there's really nothing more to do.

But we've still got 36 hours before we need to pass it on, so I'll leave it as is in case Morgan comes back and offer 200 ec's and want GS pre-accepted (which would be easy to do)

Not sure I like stalling the game this way, but I do recall last game how miffed the CyCon got when decisions were forced on them 'cos PEACE were waiting to pound "Turn Complete" on the keyboard.

G. (and here's the final, final presend .sav)

[KrysiasKrusader]

Okay. I'll take a look at it overnight.

Question:
Is it only you and Maniac that decide what's happening with the turn?
Don't bother me one way or the other. I trust you guys.
I'm asking, cause since it was done so fast, some other people didn't have a chance to post too much about it, or give their input / thoughts towards it. (Or does it go by whoever is on line at the time?)

[Googlie]

Well, we're trying to get the movement and the build decisions discussed in advance (as was done earlier in the 2141 thread), so that when the turn arrives there's a series of moves that are almost on cruise control.

The turnplayer can stop and save the turn at any time if immediate input is needed (as in if a gunfoil encountered an IoD - fight or flee) and in fact this current turn has gone thru about five iterations (I simply removed the midturn save and substituted a fresh one twice as I saw that no-one had downloaded the earlier one)

Some of my questions were answered in text postings (eg build orders being changed to scouts, for example)

And of course the turn hasn't been passed on, yet, so changes can still be made (although not to movements)

Some decisions that I took unilaterally were, to me, no-brainers (eg, what to do now with SCC Hunter after its first movement point put it in the Morgan base harbor. The choice was (as I saw it) to continue with the planned loop that had been discussed and approved a couple of weeks ago, or to deviate and go Morgan coast exploring. As both courses of action would have involved the same next 3 tiles, I just went ahead and moved Hunter. Now we have the luxury of time (in the 2142 thread) to decide what to do next with the gunfoil.)

Similarly with R-112. In the Embassy I'd already suggested a possible course of action to the Gaians, who complied, but then I found I couldn't move the rover where we wanted it to go due to the Hive colony pod's ZOC. So to keep faith with the gaians I retraced its tracks back thru the monolith. That was an arbitrary decision on my part, but I sensed that the mood of the Junta with the Gaians was to try and foster trust, so that really was the only movement choice available.

But as I've said elsewhere, what we need are dedicated Officers with planning responsibility so that the turnplayer merely executes them. Right now I make the covert ops and engineering recommendations (and if no-one comments on them they become decisions), but we need to have a few of us (the more the better) taking responsibility for all the facets such as terraforming (what, where, when and how), Build orders in the bases, worker allocations, research paths and slider allocations, exploration, war and invasion planning (which would involve assembling the invasion fleet and armies - ie giving the turnplayer the necessary movement orders to get the troops assembled at the embarkation point), naval activity, as well as the diplomatic duties and the propaganda duties associated with the Phalanx

(The ocean and VV bay names needn't stay. there are only 128 slots available, less the # being used by the game itself for its landmarks. Early on I suggested an even allocation (1/4 x [128 - # game generated]), but got nowhere, so if we use 75 of them, so be it - nobody can complain)

But as well, several of our team don't have smax, so follow the team's fortunes through the gamnescreens and the descriptions.

I don't know if this long-winded answer dealt with the core of your qiestion, but if there's any aspect you want to take over, kjust yell and it's yours (unless an incumbent feels really strongly) eg, I'm double hatting on engineering (terraforming and crawler assignments) as well as Covert Operations. I'll give up either - or both - if anyone else wants to step up to the plate and take over responsibility.

Did that help explain how I see the turn developing?

[KrysiasKrusader]

Wow. Nice post.

(have no idea how you can type so fast)

It's fine, and it will probably be a good one to remember where it is located so that we can refer people back to it.

I guess I was talking more about some other people that I see pop in and out just once a day or so (I don't want to name any body in particular, cause it isn't neccessary), that may want to have a say, or at least to show that we listen to them.

Then again, since we're posting individual threads for the turns now. They'll have opportunity to post in those. Thereby having their say.

I just don't want any body to feel alienated by the seemingly speedy way we execute things sometimes. It can seem quite complex for anybody not used to this, or if they're crossing over from single-player to multi-player.

[Snoddasmannen]

I received a PM from Illuminatis of Gaia:

Honored Junta member...

... please check our meeting room and ensure that rest of Junta receives new information (you are the only one currently online).

It seems they need a one turn delay between tech and commlink trades, this is what they put on the atmoo forum:

I am afraid I was a bit too enthusiastic. One of policies of Council demands a one turn delay between tech and commlink trade - so it can't be in the same package . I must withdraw my advice and tell you not to offer it on the table. In return we will offer you commlink our turn, right after you, as a part of our trade.I am sorry I suggested you otherwise, I hope you understand my mistake,

Seems we are not the only ones allowed to make diplomatic faux pas in this relationship... Should I send an extremely rude 'bad-cop' in-character reply to his pm?