ACDG5: The Wardroom

[Mart]

If decisions are taken very fast, we could play 3 turns/week.
The only thing then would be, that players confirm their orders/suggestions for a turn or sometimes more turns, if they leave for few days.
Maybe current faction leader can setup these timeframes.

[vyeh]

It would probably make for better game play to anticipate future choices, debate and vote on them early.

Examining laboratory status shows Centauri Ecology will be discovered next turn, which raises the following decisions:
(1) Should we build the Weather Paradigm?
(2) What is the next tech?
(3) For BRMC & HQ, should production be switched to formers?

East former will have to move. If expansion site is 1 sq. W or 1 sq. SW of it, then it will move there. If expansion site is 2 sq. SW of it, then it will move 1 sq. S, build road and then move to expansion site.
(4) So where is first expansion site?

If we could make multi-tech decision, e.g. D:F beeline or IA beeline, then we wouldn't have to decide tech every time choice came up.

Until we meet another faction, we could probably discuss and vote on issues several years in advance. If these decisions are executed by faction leader or turn player, then we can speed up early years, while letting everyone have his say.

[Bodissey]

(1) I am in favor of the Weather Paradigm SP even if the map is small, as we need to get as much as possible from each square we work, as soon as possible.
(2) Taking the size of the map into account, we should try to get Doc: Mobility.
(3) I'm in favor of formers if the population growth doesn't allow for a CP to be built timely, so formers it will be for the moment.
(4) I'm confused, which tile are you refering to? 1 sq. W of East or 1 sq. W of the former?

I guess I need my copy of SMAC for Dummies.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey,

(1) If HQ builds WP, should supply droids be pooled to harvest minerals for HQ (after East droid has finished supplying enough nutrients for growth)?

(3) If you use your supply droid for nutrients (move it to 1 sq. S of BRCM), you could build a CP in 9 years (would you colonize the two square E by NE from BRCM or would you send it south?)

(4) 1 sq. W of the former.



In the picture above, I'm looking at three squares adjacent to the water as possible expansion sites: the sq. NE of the water (and W of the former); the sq. E of the water (and SW of the former); and the sq. SE of the water (and 2 sq. SW of the former).

There is an administrative matter for you and Lt. dacole to address.

[timsup2nothin]

If no one objects I'll be sending orders for the various scout units, in accordance with the agreed 'guard plus' plan. Also in keeping with that plan, HQ will be producing another scout unit to guard the former team.

If we are going to pour our production into this Weather Paradigm it might be wide to keep the facility versatile just in case someone beats us to it. That should be a consideration in our research plan.

[vyeh]

Then the only thing left for this year is for Governors Bodissey and dacole to decide what to do with their supply droids. I have a suggestion for Governor dacole to produce the CP in the least time.

On the way to IA are the Virtual World (Planetary Networks) and Planetary Transit System (IA), which would be a great boon to our growth.

As much as I like the Doctrine: Mobility to Doctrine: Flexibilty route, neither of them lead to secret projects.

[timsup2nothin]

We could add Biogen after Doc:Init and probably be in time to switch to HGP. If we meet Morgan in the meantime maybe we can trade to solve the problem. I would just really hate to get beat and have no switch.

[vyeh]

Doc:Init (Doctrine: Initiative) requires Doctrine: Flexibility and Industrial Automation. On the way to Industrial Automation is also Industrial Base, which allows The Merchant Exchange.

At this point, we're researching one tech every two years. Currently HQ is producing 5 mins per year (this includes the supply droid). It will grow in ten years (and then produce 7 mins per year, assuming we plant a forest). WP requires 200 mins, so we're looking at 32 years (we can cut this down by using the other two supply droids and using the formers after the road is completed to plant forests). Although our research rate will drop as we acquire more techs, I would guess that we will could research Doctrine: Initiative by the time HQ accumulated 200 mins toward a Secret Project, so if we lose WP, we would have Merchant Exchange, Virtual World, Planetary Transit System and Maritime Control Center as potential switches.

We reduce our chances of being shut out by using the formers and the other two supply droids (after East has built CP) to raise productivity of HQ to 9 (11 at pop 2). If we don't start a secret project as soon as we can, we increase our chance of being shut out. While Weather Paradigm is great, Virtual World and Planetary Transit System would help with drone issues.

[Mart]

I've seen one of the scouts was ordered to enter monolith tile. I believe automatic upgrade is off, so in the order it would be good to indicate if the scout unit is to be upgraded or should take no action.

[Bodissey]

The odds are 1/32 for the monolith to disappear. I think we can risk the upgrade.

[vyeh]

I think Lt. dacole is traveling. Lt. Bodissey, when you move for the faction, don't forget to move BRCM supply droid out of the base and harvest something.

We will discover Centauri Ecology at the beginning of the next year. We need to decide on the next tech. Our choices will be Doctrine: Mobility, Biogenetics, Information Networks and Applied Physics.

Lt. dacole wants to pursue the Industrial Automation beeline. Only Information Networks is on the beeline.

Lt. Bodissey and I have expressed a desire for Doctrine: Mobility.

Does the Lt. Chairman wish to express a preference for guns, that is lasers (Applied Physics), at this time?

I'd like a discussion on our expansion site (unless you want the East former driver to decide!).

[vyeh]

The only unit left to move is BRCM supply crawler.

If Gov. Bodissey still feel that crawlers should fuel Secret Projects, then the crawler should move 1 sq. S and crawl a nutrient. This will have the crawler in the best position to move to HQ.

If the Weather Paradigm is built at HQ, then the crawler could move to HQ, re-home, move to a rolling square and crawl a mineral.

If Gov. Bodissey would rather crawl a mineral, then the square NW of BRCM is the safest square (it is not adjacent to fungus).

Either way, it's Gov. Bodissey's call.

[vyeh]

Here is a factor to consider in choosing the next tech to research:

If we are interested in minimizing the time to construct the WP, the Planned SE will decrease the number of minerals required from 200 to 180 (it also increases inefficiency to -2 and it increases growth by 20%).

Planned SE can be achieved if we follow the tech route Information Networks/Planetary Networks.

[vyeh]

Lt. Bodissey, the year is drawing to a close. In handling the logistics, there will come times when you'll have to make decisions, especially diplomatic, subject only to the broad guidelines of the council.

Between now and the new year, unless we're contacted by another faction, the only decision you'll need to make is choosing a tech to research, to which you've already given some thought.

[vyeh]

I recommend that we start the Weather Paradigm at HQ.

Gov. Bodissey, why don't you move your supply droid 1 sq. S onto the monolith and harvest 2 nutrients (next year, you'll move into HQ and turn the supply droid over to HQ to help HQ harvest minerals for the WP and East former will move onto the monument to harvest the 2 nutrients).

I'd also suggest that the BRCM scout be moved onto the road (next turn, it will resume garrison duty relieving the independent scout).

I think the independent scouts movements are determined by "guard plus." The ones at BRCM and East will stay to garrison.

The Lt. Chairman has said he wants "to get a scout unit off to East as soon as possible" so the scout unit currently on the monolith will move 1 sq. E (incidentally protecting East supply droid).

He said last year HQ was producing "another scout unit to guard the former team," so the newly produced scout unit at HQ will move onto the monolith.

This means the independent scout at HQ will have to remain for garrison duty.

Besides deciding on the Weather Paradigm, we need to discuss the next tech to research. We will discover Doctrine: Mobility before the beginning of the next year.

I suggest we research Doctrine: Flexibility. If the BRCM is colonizing the newly discovered peninsula to the NE, that colony will need sea formers. And I'm a strong advocate for contacting the other factions early.

Note that the second expansion base will create an additional drone.

The next year is fast approaching. We can defer a decision on the Weather Paradigm for a year, but the logistic specialist will have to decide on a tech before the beginning of the next year.