All My Base Are Belong to Morgan

[Frankychan]

Quick Note: When attacking other factions, <i>never</i> commit all of your troops to the invasion.


With that said, let me tell you what happened this past weekend.


So, I get home from searching for the famed "Laptop Collection" with SMAC/X and came up with nothing. To redeem myself, I decided to whup some a** in SMAC. Here's what happened.


I reach Planet, heading the Human Hive to greatness. Random large map with myself, the University, and Morgan all nicely bunched up together. I quickly pounce on the two and make them serve me after a few years of Vendetta. Being the "enlightened" despot, I returned their bases to help boost their economies and industrial might.

Here's where things first went wrong...

During this time, Lal and Deidre were systematically gobbling up territory. Lal ended up destroying the Spartans with Deidre wiping out the Believers. And to find out, both are Pacted. Deidre decides to attack the University and I come to Zak's aid.

MISTAKE #1: Ignoring Lal and Deidre

This starts off a chain reaction where Lal invades the Hive-Uni-Morgan land, and I launch my invasion on Gaian lands. Things are going well until I decided that I wanted to do a D-Day invasion.....

I made a <b>HUGE</b> landing party with 5 cruiser transports holding 8 units each. I drained <b>ALL</b> of my bases except 1 garrison unit w/police ability. I land on the Gaian continent with Hive troops swarming the beaches. I hit the first Gaian base and it's loaded with mindworms, garrison, and planes. I'm doing well until I decide to gas the Gaians.

Mistake #2: I didn't vote to repeal the charter

This ends up in the ENTIRE FRIGGING WORLD attacking my a** with missiles, planes, choppers, infantry...basically you name it and it's been thrown at me. For some reason the University used a Planet Buster on my faction. My "Apocalypse Now" invasion force gets wiped out by choppers and conventional missiles.

But in the end, to add insult to injury, it's Morganite forces that take my cities thanks to the magtubes I installed between my bases as well as the "good" CEO Morgan's.

In the end I was pissed but surprised that of all people, Morgan was the one to take me out.

(This game never fails to surprise me)

[CEO Aaron]

Yes, for this reason I try to steer clear of gassing/nuking people without the charter. I'm very fond of having robust pact-mates, and nothing is more annoying than having them turn on you because you gassed a bunch of belligerents on the other side of Planet.

I actually think that keeping Morgan around at all was probably a sub-optimal decision for you. Yang's economy penalty makes the likelihood of having any kind of profitable trade with your pact-mates fairly remote. I'd have kept Uni for the research they can offer, and hopefully with the additional population from having Morgan's bases, you could have made a play for Planetary Governor.

Also, all things being equal, I find Lal to be a much more dangerous opponent than Deedee. Cleaning up Lal would enable you to secure the governorship, resulting in an increase in trade, and allowing you to pursue a more laid-back growth/expansion war with Dee, one that she'd probably lose.

Remember, AI Deedee always runs Green once she has the ability to do so, so her long term growth potential is worse than yours.

[Frankychan]

Well said.

I kept Morgan around as my personal piggy bank. All I had to do was tell him to give me creds or else I would renounce our Pact of Brotherhood and he'd influx my economy with 1000 creds.

(I didn't have the economic infrastructure that I normally would have built cause of the Vendetta).

[CEO Aaron]

Hmn. That's a trick I've never been very good about doing. I tend not to be too subtle diplomatically, preferring to build my faction into an economic and industrial powerhouse, and let my credits do the talking. I guess my distaste and constantly having the AI try to shake me down for credits and tech has made me reluctant to do the same to it. Also, I habitually try to keep my treaty partners and pact mates happy, since I don't actually like to prosecute wars of aggression. It's much cheaper to stay home and make money.

[GeoModder]

Well, if an AI has submitted to you, you mustn't worry about him breaking pact then. You can almost ask whatever you want, and it will be provided.

Don't know though if this counts as well when you commit atrocities to another AI.