Invasion plans for University/Lal Axis

[Googlie]

then:

Originally posted by Maniac in the 2146 turn thread

Ouch too late I see for another suggestion I wanted to make: upgrading the Chiron Knights this turn already. I've been playing a few turns ahead with the simulator and I've noticed that we won't have time to move our three rovers to VV and upgrade them before MY 2150. This means we'll probably have to delay capture of University Base to MY 2151 as the earliest realistic date.

[Googlie]

The troops will need to spend 2 turns in the transport, as UB is 7 tiles away from VV. Can't they be upgraded in transit?

Below are the 3 alternatives, and surely the first is the best (the second needs the trannie drop anchor and wait a year in Unibay harbour for the turn to shift, and while in 3 the rovers can roll from VV up the road and on to the trannie, same thing - they couldn't attack that turn.)

So if the units are boarded in VV they can be upgraded on that first leg of the journey. No?

[Googlie]

Of course, if we instabuilt the MCC, it'd have 8 movement points ---- but can we do that as well as snag the Command Nexus?

(And in my opinion the MCC is a more valuable SP. The CN just gives a CC in every base, with a +2 morale boost to every land unit built and 1-turn heakling of injyred troops - that's good. That can be replicated by just building the Command Center in key bases.

The MCC not only gives a NY in every base) with a commensurate +2 morale to every naval unit built and a 1-turn healing in port for injured naval units, but also confers an additional 2 mp's to every naval vessel While Naval Yards also confer a 100% defense bonus to a base being attacked from the sea, the MCC gives that automatically to every coastal base.

Anyway - that's for another discussion (the CN bersus the MCC)

[Maniac]

The troops will need to spend 2 turns in the transport, as UB is 7 tiles away from VV. Can't they be upgraded in transit?

Unfortunately not if we want to leave VV in 2149. I testplayed it, and IIRC CK and Shinsengumi will only arrive in Vladivostok MY 2149, and Warwag MY 2150. So two problems:
1) 2149 CK and Shin will have spent their movement points and will no longer be upgradeable. So they'd have to do it MY 2150, but then they would already be before the coasts of Uni Base, provided the cruiser transport left VV 2149. Too late in other words.
2) Then there's the second problem: Warwag only arriving MY 2150. If we want to take the unit along, the cruiser transport will either have end MY 2149 anyway in Vladivostok, or on the starting position you indicate in picture "starts outside base (2).

So as far as I can see two options:
1) Execute picture "starts in base", but one year later: MY 2150 instead of MY 2149.
2) Execute picture "starts outside base (2)". I've testplayed this one in my five-year simulation attached below, if you want to have a look. Ignore the base build orders. They're just placeholders as there's lots of uncertainly about our near future plans (eg will we acquire DocLoy?).

[Googlie]

Just as an aside. Zak will complete the Virtual World in University Base in 2155. As you know, when you conquer a base all current build is lost, a rec commmons is destroued (if there is one) and the computer starts a defensive unit in the build.

What's the downside of waiting until Zak has completed the VW before we take University Base?

G.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
Just as an aside. Zak will complete the Virtual World in University Base in 2155. As you know, when you conquer a base all current build is lost, a rec commmons is destroued (if there is one) and the computer starts a defensive unit in the build.

What's the downside of waiting until Zak has completed the VW before we take University Base? G.

If we waited with starting a war, the downside would be not gaining control over the University resources for as many years as it takes to complete the VW. Current total UoP mineral production is 58, and I believe the energy production when not under Free Market would be somewhere near 26. Though of course the production will decrease as a consequence of population and facility loss, and the need to appoint doctors to quell drones in their large bases.

Or do you think we could start the war by invading another base than University Base? Do you think University Base would continue building the Virtual World, or switch production immediately as a consequence of our declaration of war?


Btw, how about renaming this thread to "The Council of War"?

[Maniac]

We could always invade Koppernigk Observatory first: it's probably also 2 transport turns away from us, just like University Base. Problem is, the base is size 2. So unless we have some major luck, the base will probably be destroyed upon capturing it.

[Maniac]

I just had a quick look at the turn.
Bad news: the Angels have started constructing the Virtual World.
This means Zak most likely won't make it.
IIRC the only other SP still available to him is the Merchant Exchange. That costs 140 mins for him. Currently University Base hase 123 mins accumulated, with an annual min production of 10 IIRC. This means that he'd finish the ME in two years time. We only get Doc:Ini next year, so this means it would probably be too late to gift that tech to him in the hope he'll build the MCC for us.

[Snoddasmannen]

Ah, but University Base seems to be suffering from drone riots. So it'll loose a year of production, right?

[Maniac]

Ah, good point!

[Snoddasmannen]

So does that mean we can gift Zak Doc:Init and he will switch to the MCC? If so, that sounds like a bargain to me. Sure we loose a couple of years of Uni occupation, but we gain a heck of a lot of minerals

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Snoddasmannen
So does that mean we can gift Zak Doc:Init and he will switch to the MCC?

I have no idea. It could also be that he'll just stick to the Merchant Exchange and leave the MCC for what it is.
Something to be tested with my simulator this weekend I suppose.
Of course giving Doc:Ini to Zak would not be without risks: the technology could easier find its way to other factions.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Maniac
Of course giving Doc:Ini to Zak would not be without risks: the technology could easier find its way to other factions.

I agree, let's not be too quick to give this one up. For a number of years (still, in fact, with 2 factions) flex has been an "ace in the hole". Let's keep cruisers that way as long as possible.

Some turns ago Morgan discovered flex - and we know he had probes even then (Maniac cleverly spotting the armored probe defender at Vander Eudaimonics) - so I'll bet they have a few probefoilds in the water right now hunting for the AI to get a slice of these lucrative deals we dangle before them.

(Another reason I want defensive probes in all our coastal bases for sure and all our inland bases eventually)

[Googlie]

It's been bugging me for a couple of turns now that Lal won't talk to us, so with the moving on of the turn to the Gaians, I reopened it as a simulation to see what diplo options there were with the PK's

He'll talk to us only if we have already Pacted with Zak - and he wants to pact as well

He'll pay 20 ec's for Morgan's commlinks (!!!)

He offers HEC for Industrial Base

And he'll trade us his world map for Doc Loyalty

Maybe we should consider this?

[Googlie]

Hmm - on further simulating, we don't need to Pact with Zak to get Lal talking. He'll speak to us right after we trade with Zak (and he'll do the Morgan commlink purchase as well as the HEC trade and also buy Doc Loyalty and Prog Psych from us at 25 ec's each)