Turns of ACS03 (No-Crawlers)

[Qantaga]

the University of Planet Collective, will spit in his eye and triple dog dare him and his stooges to come and get us?

I am in complete agreement as well, Chancellor Scipio.

[Scipio Centaurus]

Report to the Board of Regents, MY 2400-10
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2400 - We zapped the Hive Orbital Defense Pod (ODP) and a Hydroponics Lab (HPL). Lost 1 of our own ODPs. The Hive has 1 HPL left. No other factions have an orbital presence.

No clue how far along Yang is on his SPs, so we rush-built Clinical Immortality [Corsica] and the The Self-Aware Colony [Morgan Biochemical] for approx 1400 EC total, out of our pool of 7000+ EC. There was a volume purchase discount on Secret Projects at Uni-Mart.

Our faction budget has been set to 10/20/70 in order to achieve tech breakthroughs in 2 years. But now we're only pullin' in 230 EC per year, so tighten those belts, boys!

Tachyon Fields are 3 turns a pop at our big bases, so in they go. Somebody mentioned a carrier design but I didn't see carrier deck as a design option, so I guess we don't have that tech yet. Maybe our next Provost will have the chance to assemble a couple of carrier battle groups. The Quantum Buster design has left the drawing boards and a couple are in build queues (14 turns est. construction time) in our interior bases - they might make Morgan a bit nervous, though so we should keep things well oiled there.

Morgan Trade Center was lost to tidal waves. That was our suthern latitude canal access to the western side of our main continent. Unlucky for Morgan, but at least the land tile was submerged, so we can still get our naval forces through. The problem is, now the bad guys can come through from the other side.

We destroyed 3 of Yang's Capital Ships in the Geothermal Shallows without loss to our own forces. Cleaned out the Hive garrisons in Mu Sector and Morgan Ocean Resources. Morgan liberates Morgan Ocean Resources.

2401 - Believers put an ODP in orbit. A Hive tranport with an AA just pulled into Mu Sector... How can we acquire that AA? Dang it!? Tried to take out just the tranport with a chopper, but the AA got destroyed along with it... rasssan... frasssan... sasssan...

Somebody wanted to know where Hole of Aspiration [Hive base w/ HSA] was? The coordinates are [121,9].

We destroy a Hive ODP. Was about to destroy Miriam's ODP as well, then decided to check our diplomatic status. Good thing... we have a Treaty with the Believers. Lost all of our remaining ODPs trying to take out Yang's last HPL.

2402 - Miriam tossed up 3 more ODPs. We destroyed Yang's ODP and HPL, finally! We begin researching Quantum Machinery.

2403 - Divinity Base [Believers] lost to tidal waves. Yang launches 4 ODPs and destroys one of our ODPs, along with all of the Believer's ODPs. We destroy 1 Hive ODP and lose one of our own in another attack. Our AAA Shard Invaders sieze Mu Sector.

I link an AA to the network at Morgan Biochemical and we learn Homo Superior.

2404 - We learn Quantum Machinery and begin researching Graviton Theory. I couldn't resist. We found the base Library of Planet in the middle of the Alien Ruins, on the small island NW of Heavy Metal. Good luck to us keeping that one safe. We destroy both Hive ODPs w/o loss.

Wierd. I looked up carrier deck in online help, and it says the prereq is nanometallurgy. We long since have that tech. I checked very carefully in the design workshop... no carrier deck option on foil or cruiser and there are no scroll bars to extend the list of design options. What up? Wonder if I am playing with a modified alpha.txt file? I don't build carriers that often, so maybe I'm missing something really basic.

2405 - ODP box score: 1 to 3 in favor of the Hive.

2406 - ODP box score: 2 to 0 in our favor. We also knocked out 1 Hive HPL. We learn Graviton Theory and begin researching Applied Gravitonics.

2407 - ODP box score: 3 to 3. We took out 2 Nessus Mining Stations (NMS) and 1 HPL. We learn Applied Gravitonics and begin researching The Will to Power.

2408 - ODP box score: 1 to 3 in Yang's favor. We learn The Will to Power and begin researching Eudamonia.

2409 - ODP box score: 0 to 2 in Yang's favor. We're out of ODPs... temporarily.

2410 Summary
>Sunspots just started in 2410.
>Yang has just made several air attacks. My successor can respond as he sees fit.
>Many defensive tachyon fields online.
>Numerous sensor arrays/bunker entrenchments constructed along our coastline. Now all we need is some units to put in them... before our enemy installs his own forces there.
>Two Quantum Busters 33% completed.
>Beau coup ODPs in the pipeline. We're in pretty good shape as far as the other sat types. Need a few more NMSs.
>Not much offensive military buildup on my watch.
>Carrier not designed... see previous note.
>Library of Planet founded. Mu sector captured and renamed Yang's Disgrace. Hive 62 (no, the other Hive 62) renamed Bloody Inlet.
>Dream Twister started at University Base. Yang's been working on it for a few years and he is fast to the SPs, so if my successor wants it... better hurry.
>We've picked up a couple of weapon classes [think we're up to graviton gun] and a new chassis type [gravship] and so new designs should be put in place.

- Scipio Centaurus, Chancellor defendicus emeritus

[johndmuller]

Scipio, sounds like you did good work. FYI, the Carrier Deck is an attribute that goes on a Transport, if you didn't see it, it was probably because you were trying to add it to a combat ship. I don't think I've ever used one in SMAC to launch nukes, but you could in Civ, so I suppose you can in SMAC too. Perhaps a cargo NJ (or did you say gravships, even better?) could carry one too.

If we could position (and somehow protect) the carriers ahead of time, we could fly the PBs to them (they do work like missiles that way, don't they - as opposed to blowing us up?), which would mean the nukes would spend less time exposed to attack. There is also a sneaky way of using a chain of strategiciallly placed ships like a relay race (passing the cargo between them) to cover extended distances in one turn, but that may be over the ethics line (bad example for our students).

Anyway, it needs a lot of lead time or many bases to build a decent amount of "cover" to protect the launch platforms and PBs. so dropping a set of new bases from orbit might be more practical if there are available locations anywhere useful. If we are getting into the end game, there are always PSI gates too.

[Scipio Centaurus]

Originally posted by johndmuller
...the Carrier Deck is an attribute that goes on a Transport...

Ahhh! So you have to pick the tranport module first (foil or cruiser chassis?) and then as the second option you would see the carrier deck? I only designed a carrier once and I never did get around to building it.

If we could position (and somehow protect) the carriers ahead of time, we could fly the PBs to them (they do work like missiles that way, don't they - as opposed to blowing us up?)...

I do not know. I don't suppose we could just equip a missile payload with drop capability?

- Scipio

PS. I'm thinking we're pretty close to someone building the Voice of Planet, and I just remembered that we don't have any uber-crawlers to cash in on the next game turn. Maybe we should think about putting away a little extra cash for a rainy day - or a transcendance?

[Avenoct]

That's what all those drop Probes are for...cashing...it's out of the spirit of our game, but I thought they'd be handy.

[Scipio Centaurus]

Very much in the 'spirit' of transcendance, I'ld say. In the last few years before the stairway to heaven appears, the people should begin turning turning away from material possessions and militaristic considerations [hey, must be my turn to go!].

My usual tactic is to cash in resource crawlers while maintaining the 'good life' - I keep adding to infrastructure and military to the very end - via satelliate resources and specialists.

[Arima]

MY 2410-2420

In case you didn't notice, the Hive is powerful. Really, really, powerful. It was hard to compete in the orbital war when they were sending up 15 ODP a turn. Oh well. We put up a good fight in that respect.

Sunspot activity disrupted com for my entire turn, so not much new on the diplomatic front. The Hive taking some more base, etc, etc, etc.

University Base started the Telepathic Matrix, because it was the only project availiable, and I wanted a switch to Transcendence, if necessary. But then, I got intresting tech choices...

The University is proud to report that we are the only fraction to know both the Secrets of Alpha Centauri and the Secrets of Creation. Take that Hive!

And that pretty much sums up my turn, unless you count...

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Due to our monsterous tech advantage
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The switch to get around 100 minerals to the Telepathic Matirx
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And getting the two secrets in one turn

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And for the low, bargin price of 11500 EC
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Imagine the entire contents of the planetary datalinks, the sum total of human knowledge, blasted into the Planetmind's fragile neural network with the full power of every reactor on the planet. Thousands of years of civilization compressed into a single searing burst of revelation. That is our last-ditch attempt to win humanity a reprive from extinction at the hands of an awakening alien god.
Academician Prokhor Zakharov
"Planet Speaks"

Mendelev College (University) builds Voice of the Planet (2419)

No longer mere earthbeings and planetbeings are we, but bright children of the stars! And together we shall dance in and out of ten billion years, celebrating the gift of consciousness until the stars themselves grow cold and weary, and our thoughts turn again to the beginning.
Lady Dedrie Skye
"Conversations with Planet"

University Base (University) Builds Ascent to Transcendence (2420)

Take that Hive!

Game, Set, Match. Well done all.
(If you would like to see the game, I can post it if you want.)

[Qantaga]

Congratulations Arima and Team Zakharov! Very nicely done, one and all.

I would like to see the glorious end, if you don't mind posting the turn. Thanks.

[Scipio Centaurus]

Good job all!

Can't help but wonder how much better things would have gone without the turf wars with Morgan in the beginning? Maybe non-directed research is the real challenge?

BTW, how's that no-probes challenge coming along JDM?

I'm going to hold off on another no-crawlers challenge for awhile. My last 10 game turns took 2 hours to play?!

- Scipio

[Avenoct]

Congratulations to us! That was a tough one. Yang was just out of control. Without Transcendence, we would have had a pretty tough time of it.

-Smack

[Zakharov VII]

Congratulations, all!!

I think it is fitting that University Base builds the Ascent, don't you ?

Once again, good game there!

Z

[johndmuller]

Congratulations All!

Yes, our near death experiences in the beginning really slowed us down and at the end, we weren't big enough to have any fun duking it out with Yang - it would have been too long and drawn out.

Probe Challenge Preview/Tryout
While I've got your attention, here is a starting position I've used to try out the Probes Only concept. While there are a decent amount of resources available, it is quite a challenging position given the initial vulnerability. Remember, the rules are that you can only build probes; everything else you must steal (or get as gifts), with no upgrades, except that each person can build and modify/replace one former (for the solitaire version, I stretched that to one land and one sea former). You start out with a scout (but don't forget to change the build queue right away) and then there is a long (if you're lucky) dry spell until you can build a former or probe. Basically, you've got stealth and diplomacy, although it is possible to get a surprising amount of military hardware - even for free if you've got a powerful sugar daddy. Post your feedback and if we all like it, we can try a group version. (Note: In this particular position, I would recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to steal a transport ship.)

[Zakharov VII]

Hello, all !! This sounds very interesting, and I would be very interested in a group version! Just one question...

"each person can build and modify/replace one former"

Does that mean 1 former throughout the whole game, not counting the ones we steal? Or what?

Z

[johndmuller]

As currently envisioned, yes; each of us could build a Former of whatever type and specs we wanted and upgrade or replace it later in the game if desired. To keep things straight, we might want to name the design after ourselves, so that mine might be called a "Sister JDMeriam's Former" in the DW. That way it wouldn't get mixed up with any AI formers we might steal. So far, I've been too chicken to steal any formers although I think I stole a base with one that conveyed. Part of the problem with stealing formers is that you have to get them back to your own territory for them to do you any good.

[Zakharov VII]

Soo.....are we going to get another succession game going?

Z