Lost Secrets - Turn tracking

[Qantaga]

2102 to Paul.

Good luck, everyone!

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I am assuming that we are NOT allowing free use of the Design Workshop (you can use it only at the end of your turn) since it is a 'Poly Tournament rule and we have not had a majority of players express a desire to allow DW freedom. However, as I said, I am more than happy to use it if the majority wishes. So, if you feel strongly about using it anytime, speak up soon!

[Psybermagus]

turn to Qantaga...

Planetfall: Despite running near infinite quantum scenarios, our alpha researchers have failed to ascertain why our cybernetic enhancements have been mysteriously grafted to the thuggish bodies of Foreman Domai and his nitwit drone followers. Fortunately for us, our cybernetic brainwave enhancers have not been too adversely affected by the very noticeable increase in hormone and other biochemical pollutants that stunted the higher development of Domai and his misfit clan. In fact, Alpha Research Function Pythagoras has seized upon this opportunity to implement his breakthrough pineal neuroregulator which should reverse any negative effects inhabiting this veritable lower life form might have on our finely tuned mechanical enhancements. I must admit that it will take several wave cycles for me to acclimate to dwelling within Domai's male body. It is mildly disruptive to have such a large, thick, dangling reminder of our surprise transformation stuck between my now grossly animalistic thighs. Had I the ability, I might actually feel disgust.

Well, what will be, will be. We have adjusted our societal functionary equations to compensate, and have already begun to move scouts and colony pods outward from the landing site. The cybernetic mind has conquered the unthinking flesh again.

[vitamin j]

I was just going to post something in support of free DW upgrades, but I don't know. I guess most of you understand the implications, but I'm still working it out, so bear with me. IMO, the turn-based combat system of SMAC does not really support instant upgrades anytime, anywhere. Suppose for example your missile foil (6-3-4) encounters a competitor's gun foil (1-1-4) at sea, but with not enough moves left to attack. You are in truce, but things are tense. By the "rights" of the turn-based system, you should have an advantage. You spent the extra minerals to have that missile foil there. And if your opponent had done so as well, then he WOULD have the advantage, since you are out of moves and he goes next. With the Apolyton rule, he can still evade you AND upgrade through the DW next turn. He just can't instant-upgrade and attack you immediately.

This could get even more comical when you consider a well-equipped (expensive) invasion force attacking a mineral-poor but cash rich faction. By simply cranking out scout patrols, the defender will eventually gain a tactical advantage where he should have to retreat, or at least upgrade, hold position, and hope - all it takes is one turn where the invader doesn't manage to kill of every scout patrol in an adjacent tile. Next turn, upgrade and attack. I don't really buy the "well, you must upgrade them all together" argument. A clever player could keep a wide variety of cheap designs in the workshop, being careful to only field a few of each at any given time, increasing the chances that he could afford it.

Anyway, sorry to run on about it. I think it needs careful consideration. I vote against.

J

[Paul]

2103 to Vitamin J

[vitamin j]

2103 to Darsnan.

[SITS]

As there doesn't seem to be any clear votes for the DW upgrade and a clear vote against then I think it is in the best interest of the game not allow it. I will alter the rules at the beginning of this thread.

[Darsnan]

Operation Fungus Sniffing is a success: we have captured our first native lifeform! Also, we have found a beautiful bay on which to build our second base, and our third colony pod is traveling down a riverbed towards its destination.

Turn sent to the 3 Psybermagus addresses

[Psybermagus]

2103 Turn to Qantaga...

Disturbing data implicating Datajack vitaminj in our as yet unexplained transformation into Drone bodies has been flooding across my neural networks. It appears that, while my crew were in stasis prior to the ship's breakup, Datajack and his gang of cyber punks had rigged the stasis units to wake them up to two weeks before the rest of us were set to wake. My Alpha Medical Technician Galen Prime, having detected unusual biorhythm patterns in all of Datajack's crew upon reanimation that led him to deduce that they had been out of statis for more than two weeks, downloaded the hibnernation chamber datalinks for further study. He reported yesterday that, indeed, unauthorized coding designed to prematurely activate pods 375 though 489 (Datajack's pod queue) had been inserted shortly after leaving Earth. In addition, it appears that Datajack reprogrammed the Unity's surgical bay to implant our cybernetic enhancements onto Forman Domai's crew's bodies. Alas for Domai and his kind...their weak brainwaves were no match for ours, and any trace of them has been eliminated within our minds. Our scientists can not determine why Datajack would have committed such an act of blatant stupidity, aside from keeping himself entertained with his silly pranks. No unauthorized coding has been inserted into our cybernetic functions.

Of course, that could be because Datajack thought we wouldn't survive planetfall. Additional evidence indicates that our atmospheric entry window trajectories were intentionally miscalculated, which would have resulted in burn-up upon reentry. Fortunately for us, we detected the error and corrected it exactly 3.29876 nanoseconds before critical angular entry, leaving us more than enough time to correct the calculations. Additionally, we were able to broadcast a warning to the other pods before turbulence detroyed our communications equipment.

I assume that Datajack has survived planetfall, and shudder to think if the others had a chance at all. Surely their biologic brains were too slow to compute the needed adjustments to repair the trajectories. I will be eager to meet up with him again to ask why he has behaved so irrationally.

On a more personal note, I have had Domai's sex organ removed from my body, as I could no longer tolerate it. The spematazoa have been retained for later genetic reengineering.

Prime Function Psybermagus out.

[Qantaga]

Originally posted by Psybermagus
On a more personal note, I have had Domai's sex organ removed from my body, as I could no longer tolerate it. The spematazoa have been retained for later genetic reengineering.

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We biologics, here at Morgan Industries, are pleased to announce that not only were we able to survive planetfall, but our factories are up and running. Our profit margins for the first year's annual report have increased 63% year-to-year. An investment in Morgan Industries today would be prudent and financially rewarding for all citizens of Chiron.

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2103 to Paul

[Paul]

2104 to Vitamin J

[vitamin j]

Sheesh. What a bunch of freaks...



'04 to Darsnan.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Psybermagus
On a more personal note, I have had Domai's sex organ removed from my body, as I could no longer tolerate it

On behalf of the Gaian Nation, we are sending a diplomatic gift of a donut pillow in order to facilitate Prime Function Psybermagus's recovery. We would like to emphasize that there are no bugging devices inserted into this gift, so there is no reason to look. Please accept it at its face value.

Turn to Psy

[Psybermagus]

turn to qantaga

2104 - I have detected a less than average population growth rate, which we have attempted to modify through computative reprogramming. Despite our efforts, population remains at planetfall levels. There is some good news, at last. Scouts have located two rivers in our proximity flanked by nitrogen-rich soil. Corrolative deduction postulates that we will have two new bases up and running the by close of the next solar cycle.

[Qantaga]

2104 to Paul.

[Paul]

2105 to Vitamin J