ACDG5: The Wardroom

[vyeh]

The forest being planted next to HQ is intended for a crawler. We'd move the crawler 1 sq. W of HQ to that square and the crawler next to Drydock to 1 sq. W of HQ.

Technically the BRCM sea former can go through Suez to the open sea! But it is on the other side of our continent.

A sea former cost twice as many minerals as a regular former. The open sea squares can be terraformed to a max of either 3-1-0 or 3-0-3 barring bonus squares and after resource limitations have been lifted. Before resource limitations have been lifted, this becomes 2-1-0 or 2-0-2 for non bonus squares.

For land squares, if you can find a moist rolling square, you can get 2-1-1; for an arid flat or rolling square, you can get 1-2-1. There are canyon squares around South. A rolling canyon square gives 2 mins.

The reason BRCM is building a sea former is that there are three bonus squares in the Freshwater Sea.

Since South and HQ have access to several non-fungus squares, it probably makes more sense (until we discover Gene Splicing) to build a land former for half the cost.

These are the disadvantages of Planned:
(1) Morgan won't like it.
(2) We go from 14 credits/turn and new techs every 11 turns to 12 credits/turn and new techs every 13 turns. The reduction in minerals more than makes up for the loss of credits since we've been doing so much hurrying; we'd have to make up the loss in research speed by building network nodes and children's creches.
(3) it costs 40 credits to switch.

[vyeh]

Thanks for the 2129 screenshot.

BEFORE ENDING 2131:

(1) Switch Drydock to Recreation Commons.

BETWEEN 2131 AND 2132:

(2) South builds sea colony pod. Change production to (4)-3-4 (Deep Radar) Impact Skimship.

(3) We will research Nonlinear Mathematics. Choose Centauri Empathy.

FOR 2132:

(4) Contact Morgan. See if he will trade Gene Splicing for Advanced Military Algorithms, which is what he indicated in 2130.

(5) Change to a planned economy. Set slider to 50% labs and 50% economy.

(6) South sea colony pod goes toward escorting plasma hoverboat.

(7) Seaview recon rover goes to East.

(8) BRCM recon rover goes to Suez.

(9) Suez former droid and Suez plasma sentinels move 1 sq. N.

(10) Seaview gun foil goes toward Sunken City.

(11) Undamaged Drydock gun foil pops pod and explores toward Spartan waters.

(12) Damaged Drydock gun foil goes toward Suez.

(13) Drydock plasma coastal (between Drydock and Sunken City) goes to Sunken City and investigates.

(14) Drydock plasma hoverboat at Sunken City goes toward He Walks on Water.

(15) Southernmost Drydock plasma hoverboat goes toward sea colony pod.

(16) South gun foils go toward The Lord's Truth.

Notes:

(1) Drydock is growing fast. If we switch to Planned Economy, it will grow even faster. It'll need Recreation Commons when it gets to size 3.

(2) We're building Impact Skimship to prototype impact weapons. We'll send this ship to Spartan Waters to raid commerce and bombard terrain improvements. The version with plasma armor cost an additional 10 minerals to build and prototype than the unarmored version. I think the armor is worth the extra minerals.

(3) Centauri Empathy gives Biology Lab which will help our tech production.

(4) Planned economy so we can see effects.

(5) Seaview recon rover will guard crawlers.

(6) BRCM recon rover will guard Suez former droid.

(7) Plasma hoverboat moving toward He Walks on Water will set up blockade on bonus energy square (we actually need another ship for blockade since ships have no zone of controls).

(8) I will check slider at the end of the turn. Since planned economy increase inefficiency and anything away from 50/50 also has inefficiency, our trading 5 credits for 3 labs in simple economics may not apply in planned economy.

[vyeh]

I've called for a vote on planned economy.

I've asked Lt. Bodissey to switch for 2132. Take a look at the game save, especially the laboratory status. If we don't like it, we can switch back before 2132 ends for a refund of the 40 credits.

Note that planned economy increases growth rate. Drydock will need a Recreation Commons. Since we have little energy credits, I've edited my instructions to call for Drydock to switch to a Recreation Commons before 2131 ends.

[vyeh]

Double worm attack and the green scout not only survives but gets a double promotion! Maybe those hardened plasma sentinels were guarding the wrong place (I assume the attack came from the fungus, so the worms went for the weaker unit).

Should we think about stationing a unit to keep the Believing plasma hoverboat from our bay?

I don't understand why we weren't given the choice of Polymorphic Software and Doctrine: Loyalty. Anyway, Centauri Empathy was the best of the three choices.

Let's wait till Morgan completes the Planetary Transit System. Maybe we can get Industrial Automation then.

FOR 2132:

(1) Change South production to (4)-3-4 (Deep Radar) Impact Foil. Retire (4)-1-4 (Deep Radar) Impact Skimship design.

(2) Contact Zakharov. See if he will do a tech trade. We last contacted him in 2120. Our priority is Industrial Automation. See if we can get a pact at any price.

(3) Change to a planned economy for 40 credits. Set slider to 50% labs and 50% economy.

(4) South sea colony pod goes toward escorting plasma hoverboat.

(5) Seaview recon rover goes to East.

(6) BRCM recon rover goes to Suez.

(7) Suez former droid and Suez plasma sentinels move 1 sq. N.

(8) Seaview gun foil goes toward Sunken City.

(9) Undamaged Drydock gun foil pops pod and explores toward Spartan waters.

(10) Damaged Drydock gun foil goes toward Suez.

(11) Drydock plasma coastal (between Drydock and Sunken City) goes to Sunken City and investigates.

(12) Drydock plasma hoverboat at Sunken City goes toward He Walks on Water.

(13) Southernmost Drydock plasma hoverboat goes toward sea colony pod.

(14) South gun foils go toward The Lord's Truth.

(15) Move East worker from 1-2-1 forest to 2-2-1 farmed canyon square with solar collector.

(16) Move Suez scout to East.

(17) Move East scout to Suez.

Notes:

(1) We're building Impact Foil to prototype impact weapons. We'll send this ship to Spartan Waters to raid commerce and bombard terrain improvements. The version with plasma armor cost an additional 10 minerals to build and prototype than the unarmored version. I think the armor is worth the extra minerals.

(2) It has been awhile since we contact Zakharov. Of all the techs, Industrial Automation has to be the holy grail. We've seen what we've been able to get out of our pacts with Deidre and Morgan.

(3) Planned economy so we can see effects.

(4) Seaview recon rover will guard crawlers.

(5) BRCM recon rover will guard Suez former droid.

(6) Plasma hoverboat moving toward He Walks on Water will set up blockade on bonus energy square (we actually need another ship for blockade since ships have no zone of controls).

(7) I will check slider at the end of the turn. Since planned economy increase inefficiency and anything away from 50/50 also has inefficiency, our trading 5 credits for 3 labs in simple economics may not apply in planned economy.

(8) By moving East worker, we gain another nutrient.

(9) Moves (16) and (17) are designed to get the Suez scout to a monolith for promotion.

[vyeh]

Congratulations on Industrial Automation. I'm sure Lt. Nahkrinoth is also pleased.

Besides the obvious use of crawlers, think about a crawler on a foil chassis, plasma armor and deep radar. It will cost us 63 minerals to produce (compared to 27 for a standard crawler and 45 for a sea crawler). So why pay the extra 18 minerals for armor? Because they can replace the plasma hoverboats (which now cost 18) currently blockading the Believers. They have no support and they can crawl.

With crawlers, I propose that we dedicate Sunken City, Drydock, HQ, BRCM, Seaview, South (after it has prototyped the Impact Foil and maybe we'll send a crawler from another base to help) to popbooming, which will involve generating crawlers, formers, and children's creches. East and Suez would generate colony pods to fill out our land mass.

I've adjusted the economic slider.

50/50 15 credits/23 turns to research
40/60 12 credits/23 turns to research
30/70 6 credits/23 turns to research
20/80 0 credits/24 turns to research
10/90 -1 credits/23 turns to research
0/100 -1 credits/22 turns to research

Obviously 50/50.

We can switch research goals at a cost of 5 labs, which is 25% of one turn's output.

Choices are:

Doctrine: Initiative (probe cruiser, which cost 63 vs. 45 for a probe foil; cruiser chassis)
Ecological Engineering (lifts mineral resource restriction)
Polymorphic Software (artillery)
Superconductor (Gatling laser - 5)
Doctrine: Loyalty (Perimeter Defense)
Neural Grafting (more than one special ability)

Currently we're researching Centauri: Empathy (Green economy +2 efficiency, + 2 planet, - 2 growth; mindworms).

I think there is some merit to Ecological Engineering, so I'm calling for a vote.

[vyeh]

BEFORE ENDING 2132:

(1) Change research to Ecological Engineering.

(2) Move Drydock crawler 1 sq. W of HQ 1 sq. E, 1 sq. SW, 1 sq. SE and crawl 2 mins for Drydock.

(3) Move Drydock crawler 1 sq. S of Drydock to 1 sq. W of HQ and crawl 2 mins for Drydock.

(4) Change Suez's production to colony pod.

BETWEEN 2132 AND 2133:

(5) Watch Believing plasma hoverboat.

(6) BRCM builds sea former. Switch to recreation commons.

(7) Seaview builds recycling tanks. Switch to crawler.

FOR 2133:

(8) BRCM sea former moves 1 sq. W, 1 sq. N (will go to one of the sea bonus squares around Seaview).

(9) Seaview recon rover moves to 1 sq. W of HQ and holds (protecting the crawlers).

(10) South sea colony pod joins escort and both move 1 sq. W.

(11) Drydock plasma coastal at Sunken City heads toward Spartan waters.

(12) Westernmost Drydock plasma hoverboat heads toward He Walks on Water.

(13) South gun foils head past The Lord's Truth and explore.

(14) Seaview gun foil goes toward Spartan waters.

(15) Suez former droid builds road.

(16) Suez plasma sentinels hold.

(17) Damaged Drydock gun foil goes into Suez.

(18) BRCM recon rover remains in Suez.

(19) East scout in Suez goes to East.

(20) Suez scout in East moves 2 sq. W and investigates monolith.

(21) East former droid moves 1 sq. SW, 1 sq. S, 1 sq. SE (will build forest here).

(22) East former moves 1 sq. NE, 1 sq. N and plants forest.

(23) Undamaged Drydock gun foil explores Spartan waters.

(24) Hurry East colony pod for 8 credits.

(25) Change South production to (2)-3-4 (Deep Radar) plasma coastal.

Issues:

(1) Ecological Engineering (which lifts the mineral restrictions and leads to Environmental Economics which lifts the energy restrictions is too important to leave to trade). With the mineral restrictions lifted and crawlers, we can increase our production.

(2) Drydock will grow shortly. Since South lost a population point to the colony pod, there is a forest available to crawl.

(3) Suez will grow in 7 turns and build a colony pod in 7 turns.

(4) Now that we can build crawlers, there is less reason to protect the crawlers. Should we use the Seaview recon rover to garrison a base (saving one min in support cost) or should we keep it as a mobile reserve?

(5) Mission of undamaged Drydock gun foil in Spartan waters: sink unescorted transports; grab unity supply pods; and explore territory. Remember those gun foils are cheap (18 minerals), are obsolete and can be replaced by plasma coastals for the same mineral cost or impact foils for an additional 9 minerals, once they're prototyped.

(6) The East colony pod will be produced anyway, but 2 credits per mineral is the lowest hurrying cost for facilities or units. The next expansion site is the river square on the southeastern coast. Then East can build a colony pod for the peninsula west of South.

(7) The South plasma coastal will be used to defend the bay.

(8) While it would be nice to promote Seaview gun foil at Sunken City, it is more important to get gun foils into Spartan waters for exploration.

[Nahkrinoth]

Very pleased.

Lt. vyeh, do you think we can handle the inefficiency of planned or should we wait until we can setup a pop boom? I just don't think we can handle a proper war with the Spartans without some significant growth.

Let's block the south west canal into our bay with something.

Of our choices, the most significant one looks like Ecological Engineering. The advanced terraforming will help tremendously. We don't need two special abilities yet from Neural Grafting. Perimeter defenses are great, but we're not on the defensive yet.

[vyeh]

If you take a look at our research, of the 16 techs, we've only researched 6 of them. We can increase lab rates by building crawlers (and build them 10% faster under planned) plus more workers mean greater lab rate if they're on forests or squares which have solar collectors or tidal harnesses. Of course, we grow faster and can build formers under planned.

Not sure what you mean by a proper war. Our gun foils are perfectly adequate for sinking unguarded transports (because of the penalty non-combat units incur). Our plasma hoverboats are even better suited to killing transports and that impact foil should make short work of any Spartan sea unit with synth armor.

I want to use those units to destroy terrain improvements around Sparta Command. I think we can only destroy terrain improvements that don't have units on them (like crawlers).

I think we have enough sea units to prosecute that type of war. Seaview gun foil will be able to join after promotion (releasing undamaged Drydock gun foil to continue exploring north). When damaged Drydock gun foil has finished healing and exploring south, it can join too.

We will have Drydock plasma coastal available. I'm not sure about the escort plasma hoverboat. Should it stay near Sunken City in case of need? Once we've built some skimship supplies with plasma armor and deep radar (and this will have to wait until South or North has more crawled minerals), we can release two plasma hoverboats.

Until we've popped some more supply pods, which is one reason for South gun foils going into Believing territory, we're going to have to be careful about what we rush.

I think we have enough military units once we prototype impact (then we can upgrade our laser units in an emergency).

So we can concentrate on popbooming the western bases while expanding in the east.

So we need to build crawlers and formers. Crawlers can always crawl unimproved squares, so we should probably err on the side of building crawlers rather than having improved squares that aren't being used.

After we have enough crawled minerals, we can switch to democratic and take the support hit (although it would be nice to have as many bases established first).

At the same time, we can build children's creches since they give us an efficiency boost and a growth bonus.

We can block the southwest canal with (1) a plasma coastal (18 mins and 1 min/turn support); (2) an unarmored supply skimship (45 minerals and can crawl nutrients from the sea) or (3) a plasma supply skimship (63 minerals and can crawl nutrients from the sea). Do you have a preference?

Be sure to vote for Ecological Engineering in the Voting Booth.

[Nahkrinoth]

I meant that to follow it with a successful invasion we're going to need a greater capacity to build units. If we're just going to block their invasion and salt their fields then what we have now is fine.

A sea crawler would be the most efficient in blocking the canal but also the most expensive.

[vyeh]

I've put to a vote the question of building a plasma coastal at South (before building the impact foil).

Do you have a vote on building a probe defender in Drydock?

Have you made up your mind on planned economy?

[Bodissey]

I'm in favor of the unarmored seacrawler to block the entrance to our bay.

[vyeh]

BEFORE ENDING 2133:

(1) Change South production to 0-1-4 (Deep Radar) Skimship Supply (deep radar is free).

BETWEEN 2133 AND 2134:

(2) East will build colony pod. Leave production for another colony pod (this will go to the peninsula west of South).

FOR 2134:

(3) Contact Zakharov. Try to trade tech and get pact.

(4) East scout goes to Suez.

(5) Suez scout goes to East.

(6) East colony pod goes 2 sq. S, 1 sq. SE.

(7) South former droid moves to South, attempts to move 1 sq. SW (to build road to next expansion site).

(8) Damaged Drydock gun foil rests in Suez.

(9) BRCM recon rover moves to East colony pod.

(10) BRCM sea former moves 2 sq. NE (moving toward energy bonus).

(11) Seaview gun foil explores Spartan waters. If you see any unguarded transports, formers, sea colony pods, attack.

(12) Change Seaview to 0-3t-4 Trance Skimship Supply. Undamaged Drydock gun foil pops pod and explores. If no materials pod, change Seaview to 0-1-4 (Deep Radar) Skimship Supply (looking at energy bonus).

(13) South gun foils explore following our rules for popping pods.

(14) Drydock plasma coastal heads toward Spartan waters.

(15) South sea colony pod and escort head to Sunken City (base site is 3 sq. E of Judgment City to take advantage of the kelp).

(16) Westernmost Drydock plasma hoverboat moves 2 sq. W and holds.

(17) Hurry Recreation Commons at Drydock for 6 credits (full payment; will start building impact foil next turn).

Notes:

(1) Pact with Zakharov is priority. Tech trade is secondary.

(2) East colony pod will build base on river square on southeastern coast. Does anyone have a name?

(3) After Drydock builds Impact Foil (to prototype impact), it will build probe defender.

[vyeh]

Finally a materials pod for an unusual unit. Initially we'll use it to help Seaview, but later, when an escort is available it can be used for blockade duty.

We want to be careful with the gun foils in Spartan waters. We know that the Spartans have foils and that they have lasers and synth armor. So we should expect laser synth-armored foils or worse. I'd like to slip the gun foils past the Spartans and explore the north looking for pods. (We'll go ahead and take the pod that is away from the Spartan bases, but we will approach it from the side away from the Spartan bases. And we'll do it without worrying about popping a mindworm so we can get the gun foil away from potential laser foils.)

Congratulations on Zakharov and the tech. We'll next contact Morgan and Deidre after Morgan finishes the Planetary Transit System. Be sensitive to their moods. We're running Planned, which Morgan is averse to. We may drop out of Planned if one or the other gets bothered by it.

Congratulations on killing the transport and probe team.

BETWEEN 2134 AND 2135:

(1) Drydock builds recreation commons. Change to (4)-3-4 (Deep Radar) Impact Foil. While you're in the design workshop, retire the (4)-1-4 Impact Skimship design.

(2) Seaview builds Trance Skimship Supply. Change to former.

FOR 2135:

(3) Seaview trance skimship supply goes to energy bonus and crawls 2 energy for Seaview.

(4) BRCM sea former goes to energy bonus and constructs tidal harness.

(5) Suez former droid and plasma sentinels move 1 sq. N.

(6) Drydock gun foil at Suez heads SE toward supply pod.

(7) HQ former droid moves 1 sq. N, 1 sq. E and plants forest.

(8) South former droid moves 1 sq. SW.

(9) East colony pod moves 1 sq. SE and establishes "Cape Horn" (pick another name if you'd like).

(10) Change production of Cape Horn to former and rush for 19 credits (full payment; next turn it will build a scout).

(11) BRCM recon rover moves into Cape Horn, re-homes and holds.

(12) Drydock plasma coastal goes to Spartan waters.

(13) Seaview gun foil goes 4 sq. N. If you see any Spartan non-combat unit, attack.

(14) Change Seaview production to 0-3t-2 Trance Rover Supply. Northernmost Drydock gun foil moves 2 sq. NW, 2 sq. W to to reveal black squares and pop supply pod. If there is no materials pod, change Seaview back to former.

(15) South gun foils explore Believing territory.

(16) South sea colony pod and escort move to 3 sq. E of Judgment Seat (this will be the Sunken City base site).

(17) Westernmost Drydock plasma hoverboat holds.

(18) Drydock crawler 1 sq. S of HQ moves 1 sq. NE and crawls 2 mins for Drydock (moving it from a 1-2-2 square to a 1-2-1 square, freeing up the first square for a worker from HQ or South).

[vyeh]

It looks like you found the Believing plasma coastal. Could you amend your report to note its location.

Good decision to attack with the recon rover. Its mission is to protect the crawlers. There is a handy monolith for repairs right next to it.

So the gun foil had 8 moves, discovered a whole bunch of monoliths and found a materials pod. If it is killed by a laser foil next turn, it will have more than paid for itself.

Seaview is getting rather lucky. In successive turns, a trance skimship supply and a trance rover supply. We can use the trance rover supply immediately. When we build a secret project, it is worth 162 minerals!

[vyeh]

BETWEEN 2135 AND 2136:

(1) Seaview builds Trance Rover Supply. Change to former.

(2) Ushuaia builds formers. Change to recycling tanks (vital if we build the Planetary Transit System) since no square around Ushualai produces more than one nutrient).

FOR 2136:

(3) Contact Morgan. He's just researched Ecological Engineering. Try to get it (we're currently researching it). Don't get into any vendettas. Check his mood, particularly about us running Planned Economy.

(4) Ushuaia former moves 1 sq. NW and plants forest.

(5) South former droid builds road.

(6) Change Ushuaia to trance rover supply. Drydock gun foil near Suez pops pod to the south. If no materials pod, change Ushuaia back to recycling tanks.

(7) Seaview trance rover supply moves 1 sq. SW and crawls 1 min for Seaview.

(8) Suez former droid builds road.

(9) Suez plasma sentinels hold.

(10) Drydock plasma coastal moves to Spartan waters.

(11) Seaview gun foil moves 3 sq. NW, 1 sq. N (moving to monoliths while staying as far as possible from any nasty laser foils).

(12) Change Seaview to trance rover supply. Northernmost Drydock gun foil pops pod 2 sq. SE and continues exploration. If there has been no materials pod, change Seaview to Planetary Transit System! (Trance Rover Supply = 162 minerals; Trance Skimship Supply = 99 minerals; accumulated minerals = 4 minerals; Planetary Transit System = 270 minerals; minerals accumulated next turn = 5 if trance rover supply crawls 1 min; Morgan will build Planetary Transit System in 4 turns; we can have it in 3 turns).

(12) South gun foils explore. The easterly one should move 1 sq. E and 3 sq. N if possible (we want to get that supply pod before that empty Believing transport foil beats us to it).

(13) South sea colony pod builds "Sunken City."

(14) Hurry trance plasma sentinels for 19 credits (full payment).

(15) Re-home escort plasma hoverboat and hold.

(16) Seaview recon rover moves 1 sq. N and repairs.

(17) Rush BRCM recreation commons for 36 credits (full payment) if we have it or 26 credits (partial payment) if we don't.