Apolyton Game of the Month! Its Back! Yippee!

[CEO Aaron]

Cool, I can't wait to inflict my poorly-thought out strategies on this scenario. Just one question: Blind or Guided research?

[GeoModder]

Just downloaded it. I'll check it out later...

[CEO Aaron]

Okay, WAY too hard. I get run over instantly by my aggressive and annoying neighbors. There's not even enough time to get my first 4 formers out.

[Maniac]

Then build four laser rovers instead? (Just a suggestion - haven't played it myself, so I don't know at all what I'm talking about. )

[Chaunk]

Hmm this is quite good fun... I like being forced off my favourate beelines, and the ai aren't that hard to contain.

Kudos Jamski

Now I just hope I can finish the blighter...

[Jamski]

You can't sit and beeline for IA->treefarms like a nice builder Uni. The Spartans WILL come calling, and they can only be bought off for so long.

Hell, I'm on my 3rd restart

-Jam

[GeoModder]

Tried it, no fun IMO. I hate it when someone fiddles with the 'betray shamefully' options...

[Googlie]

Well - i got to 2220, treating it almost as 2 base OCC. I had missile infantrymen, and was busy building my perim defenses when Santiago came calling - 9 units to HQ and 7 to New Arzamas. I engame with my missiles at both bases, and then she says the "wastes resources - let us truce" speech. I comply, then whammo, next turn I'm toast.

Reload the previous turn and this time refuse the truce, and all she does is move up around 4 more units each base then attacks - either way I was gone by 2220

Back to the tactics drawing board

G.

[Googlie]

Originally posted by GeoModder
I hate it when someone fiddles with the 'betray shamefully' options...

GM: it wouldn't be too bad if they did exhibit shame and remorse it's the shameless faction leaders that I hate

GGLIE

[Enigma_Nova]

Originally posted by Googlie
2 base OCC.

n1 Googlie.

[Jamski]

Maybe this is too much of a challenge then If even Googlie is getting slammed...

BTW the AI has no extra boosts or bonus terrain etc. I just tweaked the agressession, and laid out the map "fairly" Each AI faction starts, just as you do, with two pods on opposite sides of the sea. The side effect of putting what is equivalent to 14 factions on a standard size map though... well...

-Jam

[Chaunk]

In fairness, in 2156 I'm unsurpassed, leader in tech, and 4 away from D:AP. I don't think it's too hard... certainly beatable. (Possibly famous last words...)

[Googlie]

Well, it may be do-able. I'm at 2200, have had D:AP for some 30 years, and have a fleet of a dozen or so Missile noodles. I've taken 2 of Sparta's bases and 1 of Lal's (the latter having sensibly sued for peace - for the time being, I guess)

I'm in Vendetta with Sparta, Miriam and Dee, and in an uneasy truce with Yang (who has a mindworm of all things sitting next to one of my bases - to threaten me, I assume, but it's doing a valiant job of beating off maurauding native mindworms!!). I've pretty much stopped Lal's expansion - he just has 2 bases. Morgan is obviously a threat, but isn't on the same continent.

It's a good test of trying a different strategy.

Learning from my 2 prior abortive attempts I went this time for a beeline to D:AP and missile rovers, as well as diversifying early on to the ocean - I have 12 bases (3 captured, and of my original 9, 3 are seabases (well, 1 is now landlocked since aforesaid Yang mindworm unleashed an earthquake - luckily I had no naval units in that base)

I refused to trade anything, ever, with the AI, so got and maintained a comfortable tech lead. I didn't waste any effort in getting SP's (altho now I am part way thru both the Citizens Defense and the Command Nexus - I figure that they'll both be useful for the facilities they give.

I also ignored Ind Auto. In my 2 previous tries I never lasted long enough to even build a cralwer, so I figured that I'd leave that line of research until later.

Oh, and I did make liberal use of nervestapling - 4 bases if I recall - was using my builds to produce missile rovers and noodles and couldn't invest in rec commons.

Crucial stage right now as I'm trying to make Corrie part with Bunker118 - inside the Ruins. That'll be a strategic capture for me if I can get that and hold it.

(I tried to upload and link a screenshot of the power graph, but there's summat funny with the 'Poly download system right now)

G.

[Jamski]

I was doing really well up to MY 2200 or so, leader in everything blah blah...

I had 4 bases on the southern rim, fighting a holding action vs Santi, Lal and Yang, while in the north my offense had taken me as far as Mount Planet and Sunny Mesa.

Since they all hated me anyway, my X-Missile Rovers and X-Missile Noodles gassed any enemies outside of bases, and it was all going smoothly.

I was nearly finished learning MMI as well

Then my gassing came back to haunt me.

All the AI declared vendetta, except Santi, who I eliminated the turn before. I had 8 *pop*s all at once, and sea levels rose 996 metres.

Great, I thought.

Next turn, another half-a-dozen *pop*s and another 966 metres. I was worm raped and drowned into nothing within 2 turns.

Owch.

I'll have to try again from a save in about 2165 and take it slower without gas this time.

Like Googlie, there was no time for crawlers before the first skirmish, which was resolved by probing half the attackers to my side.

I've created a monster!

My score - the benchmark to beat so far - 23

-Jam

[Googlie]

LOL - J - is that as in minus 23?

Oh - and here's the power graph from my 2220 save.