2156: Pre-planning discussion and build/movement orders

[Googlie]

Hmm - it's almost as though they know that our plan is to attack MI thru MM - they've beefed up defenses there and put 2 crawlers between MM and MI

[Googlie]

But they are still pretty serene in their belief that all's well with the world:

[Snoddasmannen]

We can still pull off a PTS raid with a rover to spare, as I see it. We don't even need to go through that supercrawler anymore. They might use the crawler they have there to rush the plasma foil though, and then upgrade their defenses, which would make things tougher.

[Modo44]

Originally posted by Googlie
They are prototyping a plasma armored foil at MM

Well, this one will be too late, as we know.

[Maniac]

Hey wait, how did they get HEC?

[Modo44]

Originally posted by Maniac
Hey wait, how did they get HEC?

They either stole it, or bought it (Zak, and Lal being the respective targets). I think Googlie said that already.

[Maniac]

Yep I first read this thread, and then the one where Googlie posted the answer.

Anyway, I'll now go play a first portion of the turn.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Maniac
Hey wait, how did they get HEC?

they bought it from Lal (his reserves this turn are 357 and he ended last turn with 234)

Our probe at Climatic Research would fend off any Morgan probes there

[Snoddasmannen]

Originally posted by Maniac
Anyway, I'll now go play a first portion of the turn.

I can't help but notice that most of us are online, and posting. I wouldn't mind taking a break from my thesis work, anybody up for a turnchat? I'll be in the command center.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
they bought it from Lal (his reserves this turn are 357 and he ended last turn with 234)

Thanks for the info!
Hmm, I wonder whether it'll soon become profitable to ask for a new loan from Lal.

Originally posted by Snoddasmannen
I can't help but notice that most of us are online, and posting. I wouldn't mind taking a break from my thesis work, anybody up for a turnchat? I'll be in the command center.

Ah, problem is I can't access the command center on this public university computer, and neither can I on my laptop where I'd have to play the SMAC turn. I can only access the command center in the weekends on the computer at home. (tomorrow Friday in the late afternoon, just before the deadline passes, would be the only possibility for me for this turn)

Though of course, if Googlie is available, perhaps he can play the turn instead and hold a turnchat with you guys?

[Googlie]

Naw - I have to leave in about ten minutes (plus I opened but didn't save the turn a couple of times, and thus we'd have reload messages)

[Maniac]

Here's the turn with most stuff played. I can finish up tomorrow afternoon, which is shortly before the deadline. Though of course, if someone else could play before then, be my guest!

Midturn Battle Report MY 2156


Interfactional relations

• Morgan Industries is now at war with the Arcadian faction (UoP).
• Morgan Industries acquired no less than four technologies this turn: Polymorphic Software, High Energy Chemistry, Doctrine: Loyalty and Nonlinear Mathematics.
• The Peacekeeping Forces have on first sigh acquired PolySoft and over 100 credits. Probably Morgan did a whole series of trades/extorts (how else his vendetta with Zak?) with Zak and Lal.
• Morgan made us a "treaty and 8c" offer. Simply ignore it, or even press "decline" to make the message clearer?

Production

• SC2 builds rec commons and starts on a Spartan Kel (temporary order).
• OA trains hoplite and starts on a crawler.
• FS trains Crypteia and starts on a colony pod.
• GH rec commons hurried with 60 credits.

Navy

• My jaw fell on the ground. Put Twonuts Strand production to a 0-2t-2 crawler as suggested, popped the unity pod with Hermes, and yes indeed, we got another materials pod. CDF, here we come! Hermes moved two east next to the second unity pod. It only has 2 MPs left, meaning it couldn't flee if we encountered an IoD. Therefore I'd suggest to to wait until next year. Though of course, if a majority wants otherwise, the option remains open.
• Pegasus discovered a Gaian stack of three mindworms and a probe team, and sails into a fungus-covered strait most likely leading to Zeiter's position.
• SCC Invincible moves towards the unity pod near the Gaian east coast, exploring along the way.
• SNC Mercury and SCC GeneralTacticus proceed further to Climactic Research.

Army

• Skanky's Sileni moves to the Fort Liberty monolith and boosted to elite morale.
• Castor Horsemen moved into Fort Liberty.
• SC1 scout patrol moves from FS to FL.
• FS Crypteia moves from FS to AU.
• Artifact moves ito OA en route to Rio Grande.
• Rolling Thunder II moves towards Minas Tirith and is now near the worm.
• SC1 hoplite moves into VV for garrison duty.
• Shrek moves from GH to SC4 for garrison duty.
• SC4 hoplite moves to SC2 for garrison duty.
• OA hoplites moves to SC1 and rehomes to keep OA free of support. SC1 hoplites moves into opposite direction.

Engineering Corps (+ crawlers)

• Mission Year 2156 has had a sunny summer: forest growth near AG (twice), AU, FS & GH. Kelp growth near Vladivostok.
• Farm cultivated near SC2.
• Two formers move near Messena and start cultivating farm.
• FB crawler moved one tile east to harvest the river forest.
  
• How about moving the two formers near Vladivostok a tile south to start mining there?
• What to do with the three formers near the Eurotas?
• Now that we know that the worm will, when attacking the stack of our supercrawler and the former, attack the former and destroy the crawler as collateral damage, how about moving our supercrawler one tile north and harvest there?

Worker relocations

• Fort Superiority: monolith worker removed and together with the two doctors turned into technicians.
• Santiago Citadel: river forest worker moved to the new farm.
• Gythium Harbour: former doctor set to harvest the newspread forest.

[Zeiter]

I would like to suggest one thing: if we encounter the Morganite laser foil in the open ocean, I think it would be better to go around it, if such a maneuver can be accomplished safely, instead of just destroying it. We don't want to give them any warning, do we? Then, on the turn where we launch our attack against Morgan, we can also eliminate the laser foil.

In fact, I'm guessing that the entire reason for the Morganites suddenly building the ships that they are is that they are expecting their ships to give them any early warning as to landing parties. Thus, they think that they don't have to worry too much about beefing up their land defenses.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Maniac
Here's the turn with most stuff played. I can finish up tomorrow afternoon, which is shortly before the deadline. Though of course, if someone else could play before then, be my guest!

Not me - I still get the reload message even when loading Maniac's save

Morgan made us a "treaty and 8c" offer. Simply ignore it, or even press "decline" to make the message clearer?

I like the idea of pressing "decline offer" - that will let them know that we are serious about getting the full indebtedness paid in one go - they are actually buying techs from Lal with money "borrowed" from us.

My jaw fell on the ground. Put Twonuts Strand production to a 0-2t-2 crawler as suggested, popped the unity pod with Hermes, and yes indeed, we got another materials pod. CDF, here we come!

Hermes moved two east next to the second unity pod. It only has 2 MPs left, meaning it couldn't flee if we encountered an IoD. Therefore I'd suggest to to wait until next year.

- wait till next turn - we can always put something fresh into 2NT's production in case we get another completions goody - plus, as you say, it can scuttle off if it pings an IoD

Mission Year 2156 has had a sunny summer: forest growth near AG (twice), AU, FS & GH. Kelp growth near Vladivostok.

• How about moving the two formers near Vladivostok a tile south to start mining there?
• What to do with the three formers near the Eurotas?

How about 3 sensors in those yellow tiles (cover 9 bases with these 3) (see map below)

Now that we know that the worm will, when attacking the stack of our supercrawler and the former, attack the former and destroy the crawler as collateral damage, how about moving our supercrawler one tile north and harvest there?

I'm OK with that - even move that rover the remaining 1/3rd if it can right up to the worm - the worm would prolly attack that rather than the armored crawler or former and the rover can withdraw, letting us get the crawler into the base safely

Do we want to move one of the probes at MT down towards yangland for any reason?

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
How about 3 sensors in those yellow tiles (cover 9 bases with these 3) (see map below)

Looks good.

One minor suggestion for the sensor east of Gythium Harbour. How about moving that dot one tile to the northwest?
Reason: building a sensor on a tile makes it impossible to build certain other terraformations such as solar collectors, condensers, boreholes... You can build a sensor without a problem on a forest square though, so that would be better IMHO than building a sensor on a yet unterraformed tile (which we might want to give another terraformation than a forest).

For the sensor between VV and OA, would you want to use both formers to finish the sensor asap? Or is there no hurry, and could one former build a sensor, while the other moves south to build a road, allowing a few turns down the road the sensor-building former to move to the roaded square without wasting a movement point?