Should we build the Neural Amplifier?

[Googlie]

This turn we got Neural Grafting from the peacekeepers 9but lost a Longstrider probe teram in the effort.

In their mempory, should we proceed to build the Neural Amplifier, thus increasing our chances of successfully defending against psi attacks?

[Zeiter]

Yes! Although, if at all possible, it would be nice to keep enough crawlers around so as to snag the AV if the situation warrants it. But I guess we would need to build the NA in one turn, as others would be moved to start it once we start it, I would think. Where shall we build it?

[vishniac]

We should make a thorough assessment of the pros and cons.

The threat

Our units have very high morale. (And we even still have a chance to get the Cyborg Factory). They are not threatened by free indigenous units (and almost always attack first anyway).
The human factions now. To efficiently use indigenous units, they need to build another set of infrastructure parallel to the conventional one (Biology Lab, Centauri Preserve, SP Xenoempathy Dome, and much later Temple of Planet and SP Pholus Mutagen) Clearly, it is costly and can best be accomplished by the Gaians. Fact is, they are the least powerful of the human factions and already lack a lot of techs. They are no threat for a long time.
What could be dangerous is a faction compensating its lack of navy and amphibious units by Locusts of Chiron invading after an air strike. But it's so far away in the future, and we would know so much in advance from construction of pre-cited infrastructure, that it's not that a problem.
Main justification for the Neural Amplifier would be to better protect our formers and crawlers when eco-damage will trigger more powerful life-forms. Especially when we'll have enough terra-power to build boreholes.

The disponibilities

Building the Neural Amplifier would conflict with 2 things:

-- SPs.
We still have 2 AA to network (the one at UNPA and one around Vladivostok). We can thus hope to snatch the Cyborg Factory (a strategic endeavour as I understood) and/or get the Longevity Vaccine (-2 drones would be much appreciated) and/or even (I didn't check whether we've got Superconductor) The Supercollider. Each one would grant more short and long-term benefits than the NA.
( It is to note that the others didn't start the NA too, acknowledging its relative current uselessness.)
So, the question here would be: do we have enough crawlers and industrial cpacity to build the NA (if we decide to) and one or 2 others SP a few turns later when the AAs reach a node?

-- Infrastructure building.
Considering the SPs talked about formerly will be built, the capacities are already stretched to apply the 5SD (the 5 Superbase Doctrine). Do we want to lose 5 years of infra-improving while we are still on the first 5 bases to build a SP not really needed?

Conclusion
No SP is useless. However, considering the stretch of resources, the NA would be needed only in a few occasions or given some special choices by us or others.
My position on this is:
No, or better Not Yet! I wouldn't be against building it in ten years when our capacities will be much better and we'll know where we are concerning SPs.

[Googlie]

I'd go along with refraining from building it.

We're running at +1 Planet right now anyway, which makes capture of MW's easier, and as V says, with our enhanced morale, our troops are safe enough. it would help our crawlers and formers, but IMO it's more of a luxury than a necessity

[vishniac]

While looking at the 2177 Endturn, I noticed:
The Angels have completed The Cyborg Factory

[Googlie]

WOW - yes, I missed that. And they are now researching AMA, as we are (which is one of the prereqs for PSA and the Hunter Seeker - we both have the other prereq, cyberethics - and 2 techs away from Fusion Power - we both also have Superconductor)

Yang will have Chaos weapons next turn

[Googlie]

originally posted by vishniac
We still have 2 AA to network (the one at UNPA and one around Vladivostok).

Ah - that's the captured one from High commission 9when we took out their last defender.

So we did get both of them - one still in PA and this one. Good spotting, V - I had overlooked that as well

GGLIE

[vishniac]

Originally posted by Googlie


Ah - that's the captured one from High commission 9when we took out their last defender.

So we did get both of them - one still in PA and this one. Good spotting, V - I had overlooked that as well

GGLIE

It disappeared in Arcadia and reappeared in Laconia?!?

[Googlie]

Yeah - it's wierd what the game engine does when you capture a base.

Back when (before you came on board) we captured a University base, and there was no Network Node in the base after the capture, but, miraculously, Rio Grande aquired a NN that same turn!!

[Zeiter]

Ah, it seems that we still have a serious chance of snagging those other SPs. Very well, then, we shall wait on the NA.

So, when are we going to hook those AA's up? I suggest:
*After we acquire Superstring Theory from Yang
*If at all possible, after we acquire MMI through the PDL
*After we finish our current research priority

That would give us a much better chance of getting Pre-Sentient Algorithms and the HSA.

That begs the question: when and how are we going to acquire Superstring Theory from Yang?

[vishniac]

Honestly, I don't think we'll get many techs by the PDL.
Knowing that we've got it, the others won't probably trade their best techs to the Gaians.

Can we then say that the main result of us building it would have been to put the gaians definetly out of the game?