ACSPDG Elections: Term 1 First Secretary of (the capital) Republic

[Octavian X]

Oh, $#^% it. Just vote, already.

The candidates:
-Comrade Drogue
-Comrade GeneralTacticus

You have three days.

[jtsisyoda]

I'm considering xenobananizing all these polls because they don't have a write-in choice.

[Octavian X]

*Octavian faints.

For the sake of whatever sanity I have left, just consider the xenobanana option also a write-in...

[Hercules]

No vote without approved speech.

Inspector H. Headsov

[GeneralTacticus]

Well, what with my internet problems and the fact that Drogue is already winning by a wide margin, this is likely pointless, but I'll post this anyway, just for the record...

Much about the administration of our first bases, naturally, depends on the terrain we land in. As we have not yet arrived and have no idea where we're going to land, I will confine myself to offering responses to various situations.

1) If we land in arid terrain, I would make the development and construction of terraforming units and the forestation of the land the first priority, with the installation of Recycling Tanks close behind. Our population growth would be slow at first, but our production would be high - and I would lobby strongly for our bases to be built close together, as well as for the immediate exploitation of nutrient resources.

2) If we were to land in average, 'moist' terrain, I would alternate between the planting of forest for minerals and the construction of farms and solar arrays for food and energy. If the technology became available during my first term, I would also make use of condensors to increase the food supply, using crawlers if possible.

3) If we landed in wet terrain, farming would be rather low on the priority list; the emphasis would instead be on the construction of roads and solar arrays, at least until Gene Splicing became available.

4) If, in any of the scenarios above, we ran across large amounts of xenofungus (or any, for that matter), I would have it cleared. It is a great impediment to development, and although it may provde useful at some point, we can replant it later if we need to.

Under all of the above scenarios, I would be sure to produce as many formers as possible, employing our industry and support advantages to help make this possible; a similar priority would be placed on the building of colony pods, although they would not be under my own control.

With regards to base facilities, this may not become a real issue in the first term, but I would place first priority on the construction of Recycling Tanks of rincreased production, followed by other such basic facilities, like Rec Commons, Children's Creches, and Network Nodes. However, more expensive facilities such as Nodes would not be installed until a base had reached a size at which it could make good use of them.

[Drogue]

Greetings honourable Comrades,

I stand before you a man with many great ideas. In my previous life as dictator leader of the Cybernetic Conciousness, I installed a grand terraforming system, that has been tried and tested on our simulations (playtesting ) with both the CyCon and the Hive, with promising results. Details further down.

I agree with Comrade GeneralTacticus on formers being the first priority, however I believe Rec Tanks should follow a little later. I believe that military and exploration units must also play a part in the beginning, and, more importantly, that Colony Pods are needed ASAP en masse. Therefore my usual first base plan is:
Former, garrison, CP, former, CP, Rec Commons, Childrens Crèche, Rec Tanks - obviously if a garrison is already provided it is needed less, and Rec Commons is only needed if we seem to have drone problems.

I believe that formers should forest soon, since that gives us the minerals we need to create, and on transcend, growing means drones very quickly. I believe therefore at first we should forest and grow outwards, via CPs, to build a strong base from which to grow upward. This both capitalises on the amount of land we have, that other factions therefore cannot have, and also gives us the best opportunities with which to grow. We may need some farms in the beginning however.

The plan I have playtested for terraforming that seems to work best is like this:
We aim to get as many boreholes per base as possible, since the 0-6-6 resources is a huge bonus. The best structure for this I have found is where bases are build in rows, 3 horizontal or vertical squares apart, in a grid formation. This allows the maximum of 6 boreholes in each bases radius, although some of these will be shared with other bases. It also means that there is only 1 move between each base when roads are built. Most other squares should be farmed/condensed and then crawled ASAP. That means there is an abundance of food, and huge quantities of minerals and energy, in every base. In the early game however, I find it saves most former time and gives best results to forest all places to be later boreholed, and to farm most of the rest. That means until the base grows above size 6, we will have use of all the forests we will need, and by then we will be building boreholes and crawlers, IMHO. We get much minerals, but also enough food with the farming in the early game, and do not have to pull down farms later. The extra minerals from harvesting the forests for boreholes gives us a nice bonus at a time when we will want many crawlers being built. I can provide diagrams better illustrating this (when I find them ). This is a former intensive system, but it is well worth an extra former per base cost, as for all resources, this gives huge amounts. It is very easy to tone it down and build fewer boreholes too, if we need a less former intensive program. Obviously I will listen to the common man, and will change this as he sees fit, but this is my personal opinion of the best terraforming and base building strategy. The Weather Paradigm is of particular importance to this plan, which I will press to be aimed for.

With base facilities, I think it is our duty to give our workers the best facilities. Thus Children’s Creches, Rec Commons and Rec Tanks should be built in all bases (that do not have exceptional reasons) as soon as gives greater glory to the Hive – usually in that order. Expending much time very early on for an extra resource of each for Rec Tanks is not necessary IMHO, as a CP and a new base, or a former and better resources that way, are better for the Hive. Yes they should be built soon, but not right after the formers in the first base. We need expansion more. I will also ask for the first former to be rushed, at an expected cost of 25ec, for the huge bonuses it gives us in the early game, both with further production and with terraforming. This has been detailed in many strategy guides I have read.

Obviously these are my personal ideas, and I intend to bombard you with polls find the opinion of the common man, and will capitulate fully to public opinion.

All for the Glory of the Hive

/me bows and walks out of the spotlight.

[Maniac]

Go Drogue! You are the most active, insightful, trustworthy, honest, respectful, evil, and simply the best man for this job.

[Hercules]

Where is this common man we here tell of. Hmmm. IMO neither speech is sufficiently doctrinaire. I hear no mention of Great Hive this or dedication to the Chairman, sprinkled throughout. Whoever wins better keep looking over their shoulder.

[Snowflake]

I voted for Comrade GT for I have voted for Comrade Drogue for another position. Every comrades in the Hive has the right to work and enjoy the fun of work.

[Drogue]

Originally posted by HongHu
I voted for Comrade GT for I have voted for Comrade Drogue for another position. Every comrades in the Hive has the right to work and enjoy the fun of work.

*cough* Just to point out that Comrade GT is the only candidate for Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and hence, will have the most powerful position in the Hive?

[Snowflake]

Well I didn't see that thread yet when I voted this one. Therefore I voted Comrade Xenobanananananana for Chairman of the Council of Ministers just to be consistent.

[Drogue]

[GeneralTacticus]

Well, congrats to Drogue on his very close win - unfortunately I was not around to fix the voting process, or I'd have won. Next time, Drogue, next time...