Turns of ACT008 game in Apolyton SMAC Tournament

[MichaeltheGreat]

2138 to the Colonel

Who are all those weapons for?

[Enigma]

You will see Michael

M.Y. 2138, December the 7th, a day that will live in infamy in the hearts of university citizens forever. This was the start of the liberation of the University drones and people from the iron fist of their leader, Micheal the "great". On this day 8 spartan terraformers finished a landbridge to the eastern continent that the UoP is occupying. Spartan probe teams infiltrated the datalinks of MtG and were amazed to see how small his defenses were. A few plasma sentinals, an impact rover or two, and a few low morale probe teams. It was obvious from this day both to UoP citizens and Colnel Buddha that the ivory towers of the University simply could not resist the force of the Spartan troops. University troops, always doubtful of the benefits of war, are completely unprepared and morale is at an all time low as they are expected to defend against massive spartan forces

38 -> paul

[Paul]

2139 to Michael

[MichaeltheGreat]

I haven't had time to play the turn, but you picked the right day of the year, Enigma. Remember what happened to the last bunch of devious bastards who launched a sneak attack on Dec. 7th?

At least now, I can drop the "be nice to the newbie" stuff, and enjoy guilt-free extermination of the Spartans.

Oh, BTW, I never doubt the benefits of war. I've just been trying to be nice for a change.
[This message has been edited by MichaeltheGreat (edited April 04, 2000).]

[Enigma]

Hrm, well, this is quite a similar situation you have quite superior production and infrastructure but NO military, I have massive buildup and high morale.

I get bored in history class, yes I chose that day deliberatley. Since each turn is 1 year...

Even if I win everyone will say "it is only because zsozso started it" lose-lose situation.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Zsozso started it, but he wasn't in a very good position to win.

My military is a little beefier than the last time you looked.

I finally got the chance to play the turn - about two hours worth of figuring what tricks I could pull.

2139 to the devious Colonel of the psychotic, civilian murdering Spartans.

[Enigma]

TWO HOURS?? My my I only considered the moves for about 20 minutes. That is rather amazing. I am not murdering any civilians, I am just gassing your formers on forest squares to minimize the possibility of serious damage. Not gassing any cities yet, I do not need to with elite units

What do you mean by zsozso not being in a very good situation to win? I know that if I attacked Paul even if I won your research output would be higher for at least 20 yrs and by the time I was finished with Paul your first gas jets would be rolling off the assembly lines.. by taking you out directly I am maximizing my current military advantage.


YOU are the only one killing civilians, in the first city my troops went by. I am saving it for probe reasons..

Yes I am quite impressed with your military.. but understand very green garrisons are nothing more than worm food to elite gas rovers and as far as those impact/missle units such a small number cannot possibly turn the tides of this war. That is not the question, the question is can they delay my attack long enough for you to make 2-3 jets. As for that I am sure you have already calculated the probabilities in those 2 hours of time..

Actually I am quite honored a player like you would spend 2 hours on a little newbie like me

Of course I would accept a surrender if coop victory was on but with it off that would be rather phony since I would have to kill you later anyway.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Well, you're a ways from taking me out. And those garrisons are only green/very until I get close enough to airpower - then I make the SE switch. I'm prepared to write off the northern half, but I will have air units in action faster than you.

You can't get enough of me, fast enough, to prevent my air units from removing your attacking force. Meanwhile, Paul can start to chop up your western half, and the probe/base issue won't be around forever.

Nothing, by itself, turns the tide of any war, but you don't have many units with armor, so careful use of terrain and ZOC will slow you enough for the air units to cut you up.

It will be fun to see what happens. To you.
[This message has been edited by MichaeltheGreat (edited April 06, 2000).]

[Paul]

2140 to Michael

[MichaeltheGreat]

Ahh, the Colonel has gotten quiet, all of a sudden. Could this be nagging self-doubt, asserting itself after the Colonel has committed virtually all his offensive forces to a one axis attack?

Perhaps the Colonel needs a little "relaxation." That's why we have sent him free tickets for a front row seat at the UoP Air Force's First Annual Air Show, next turn. I'm sure the Colonel will be much more relaxed, when he doesn't have such a big military establishment to worry about. Besides that, he'll be busy looking for a new site for his capital.

2140 to the Buddha who underestimated my resourcefulness.

BTW, I heard rumors that our Peacekeeping allies will soon host their own air show as well.

[Enigma]

My my Michael, you should have obliberated your NW base as soon as you could have. Those 6 infantry probe teams weren't just sitting around for nothing.

Make your posts in character Michael more fun.

SPARTAN NEWSFLASH

SPARTAN PROBE TEAMS EASILY STEAL TECHNOLOGY FROM THE FRAIL UNIVERSITY NETWORKS!!

One of Provost Michael's small border cities unwittingly became the biggest aid to the Spartan federation since our forces built the Weather Paradigm. Spartan covert forces who had free run of the chaotic city that the unethical Provost was trying to destroy managed to aquire quite a few technologies from the UoP networks. Among those was Doctrine: Airpower!!

When Colonel Buddha recieved an offer to allow a peaceful resolution to this conflict early this year he gave a speech in the bunkers of Sparta Command-

"My fellow Spartans the final time to see who survives on this harsh planet has come!! Our attack against the University and all that it stands for WILL continue despite the technologies that they aquired from alien artifacts recently. We now have the technology, the industrial capability, the economy, and most importantly the WILL to fight and destroy University forces that WILL allow us to prevail!! Although some of our soldiers on the southern front will lose their lives to the cruel missles of University bombers, those lives will not be lost in vain!! Every single person that the Provost kills will be repayed in full by our new airfleet. Our units have what it takes to destroy University forces! We will prevail against the Provost and all that he stands for!!"

Michael I am now willing to discuss terms of surrender- for you. I will not be pushed around merely because I am inexperienced. You have underestimated me.. and it will cost you dearly. My economy, my industry, and my preperation for this war are all superior to yours and I have gas jets and am willing to use them just as much as you are. You have a choice, remove your garrisons from your bases so that my gas bombers can't attack them and then allow my rovers to roll over you, OR you can keep them there and lost population rapidly to my horde. A rather poor choice for you . Meanwhile I can remove garrisons from my bases so you can not gas them and not have to worry about any ground units. Your total lack of ground support will cost you dearly.


As far as Paul is concerned... guess who gave me intelligence info about your empire that made me decide to attack when I did . I would not name any names of course.. the destructive war between us is quite an opportunity for the PK forces, actually.
[This message has been edited by Enigma (edited April 07, 2000).]

[MichaeltheGreat]

Writing in character is fun at first, but after a year of PBEM's, it's hard to care anymore. - plus with 15 PBEM games going and a life, it's way too time consuming.

True, I didn't pay much attention to you. Or anyone in these ACT games. I entered these to experiment around with different factions. If I'd intended to be mean, I wouldn't have posted about airpower or other strategies. The format with three players non/coop is pretty predictable - two cooperate against one, then work on each other. Any two players (even if only one is active) can defeat any third player - especially on a map like this where you know everyone is close, and exactly what resources they have. That was something Zsozso posted at the very beginning of this tournament, when ACTs 3, 4 and 5 were being launched.

Then again, seven AA's is pretty damned lucky. I got 33 of 'em in a single player game once, but I rarely get them in MP - the most I've ever gotten in these ACT games is 4 - and that's in one of six different game, where I'm all over the ocean. In the other ACT games, I never got more than 2.

Anybody can also be deceptive in diplomacy and backstab, once, or maybe twice, but then everyone knows you and reacts accordingly. Honoring deals I make with other players is sometimes inconveniencing, but I have enough games going on where my reneging on deals would be more costly.

I'll wait until I see the turn, to see if what you claim is true, but surrender is never an option. Worst case, I'll either demolish all my bases to deny either of you anything useful, or, I'll gas you repeatedly, force you to gas me, and let planet reach out from beyond the grave in a sort of Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan finale.

Then, the next time we meet, look out. Or if you really want to have some fun, I have a nice little symmetric map specially designed for two players. I can send it to you for your review, for a possible one on one challenge.

[Paul]

2141 to Michael

[Enigma]

Sure Michael sounds interesting.

[MichaeltheGreat]

And the winner will be... Paul.

Sorry, colonel, but a couple of your jets will never make it into production. Another is delayed, and two thirds of your population seemed to have disappeared. Mysterious explosions and all that.

Your invasion force is a little worse for wear as well. Did you happen to know that when you stack an armored probe team with an unarmored any other kind of unit, the other unit defends and the armored probe team is automatically destroyed? You have to keep armored probes unstacked, or they're a useless waste of minerals.

Long and short of it, is that your remaining industrial capacity and tech rate won't stand up to Paul's. Now do you understand why he'd be "cooperative" in giving you intel to attack me?