ACDG6: Operations

[Hydro]

My error - I seemed to recall missiles are A12, and get a multiplier by the reactor. So A12*2 gets A24. Psi attack is kind of odd, and actually helps us since our units should have decent morale. And since missile would seem to be an aerial assault, I don't think it would get the 50% psi advantage.

A defender on a transport does not help. The transport is all by its lonesome.

Taking out most of the Ghost bases would seem possible, but all of them? Then, this world is much smaller than I'm used to.

[vyeh]

World is 30x60, not 40x80. We would have to send some naval transports with units out to the 2 Ghost bases that are furthest from us. This will take about 3 years.

It will take some planning to make sure we have the right number of units in the right places.

[vyeh]

We're started building our invasion force for the Templar. This includes a radar fusion cruiser transport (0-3-6*2) at Adonia, an amphibious qaser hovertank at Faralia, a r-laser infantry (6r-3-1*2) at Illuminatus and a fusion hovertank probe team at Darwin.

We started building an invasion force for the Ghost. This includes radar fusion cruiser transports at Genesis, Purini and Helix. Some testing in the scenario editor showed that the Ghost missiles, which have psi attack, attack the radar fusion cruiser transport at 1-3 odds (according to the battle screen), so the AAA special ability isn't necessary. This seems to be a bug in SMAX and maybe the conventional missile basic unit in SMAniaC should not have used psi.

Our invasion force also includes amphibious qaser hovertanks. Each hovertank on a transport will get 3 attacks.

We are also building radar qaser copters. These have a movement of 7 (since we have fusion). If they are attacking a Ghost base that is 3 squares away from one of our bases, they can attack 3 times and then move into the enemy base after it has been occupied. Since they cost only 28 minerals (compared to the 42 for an amphibious hovertank), they are more cost effective.

We will round out our invasion force with (4)-3-7*2 laser cruisers or (1)-3-7 tube cutters to seize the sea bases once we've taken out the defenders and garrisons to occupy the bases.

[Hydro]

Looks like we're on the route for exponential growth based on the increased number of units and vertical expansion. Very good.

Get MCC, then accept Pinky's surrender. The Templar should be a pushover. If they refuse and insist on being erradicated, then any surviving cities can be given to the subservient Cult.

A blitz on the Ghosts will take more time, but with the continent sucured they are the only real remaining threat.

Oh, and be sure to save the artifacts until after we cleared the board of tech. I'm sure you've on top of this - just a reminder.

[vyeh]

Two Cult AI probes attacked the 70% damaged Phenotypi probe team at Pearly Gates. The Phenotypi probe team destroyed one AI probe and damaged the other one 10% before succumbing. Note that the undamaged Genesis probe team did not participate in the battle.

A Cult pulse jumpsuit garrison attacked the Psi Consciousness elite jumpsuit garrison. Even though the garrison was already 70% damaged, it managed to survive, although it is now 90% damaged.

Current (2164) power graph:


I was hoping to capture Mindworm Passages, so we get the mesa.

[vyeh]

Our radar qaser hovertank investigated 2 Unity pods. The first was a dimensional gate. The second was a materials pod, which allowed us to build a secure chopper supply.

We might have enough units to take out the Ghost in two years (it depends on how the Ghost moves units, particularly conventional missiles, around his bases).

We should be able to take out Mindworm Passage next year and possibly Concordiat of Worms.

[Hydro]

Secure chopper supply? Is that some sort of whacky uber-expensive supply crawler (that can fund a SP all by itself)? Or a SMAniaC-enabled air lift crawler?

Two years to eliminate the Ghosts is impressive. Go for it. Are we willing to let him surrender? I've noticed that if you take a huge number of bases it is more likely.

If Pinky doesn't surrender then so be it. But, a vassel is OK too.

[vyeh]

It is only half the minerals required for the virtual world. It provides 140 minerals, compared to the 105 for the radar speeder supply. We're not advanced enough in tech for a supply that can fund a secret project by itself.

We currently have the Consciousness as pactmates. If we can eliminate 2 factions and turn another submissive, we would be guaranteed a majority vote.

If a faction surrenders to us, what are the chances they will turn on us later? I read somewhere that it can happen if a third faction frames us for a probe action.

I'm willing to let any faction surrender; however, I want to keep the maritime control center and I think we would want to keep Mt. Planet for its industrial potential. (If we take the base, Operative's Life, that is currently on Mt. Planet, it will vanish, leaving Mt. Planet to our colony pod.)

I suppose it makes sense from a commerce point that our vassals be as large as possible, so I'm willing to take the surrender of the Cult anytime and the Ghost as soon as we have control of Mt. Planet (we'll start with Operative's Life).

[vyeh]

Current (2165) power graph:


We have taken the lead militarily from Elevea and we are still building quite a few units for our planned attack on the Ghost next year.

After the Cult, Ghost and Templar, who do we attack next?

Once we build the hunter-seeker algorithm, I think we should send all our hovertanks to the border with the Angels and give them a choice: pact or vendetta.

What is our strategy for the Atlanteans? They are ahead of us in tech. They are currently starting to build probability sheath armored units (D8). Should we go for a massive build-up of naval units and probability sheathed garrisons? Or should we try to get to the point where we are discovering tech faster than them (they currently have a breakthrough every 3 years while we have a breakthrough every 8 years).

Should our final objective be millitary conquest, election as supreme leader, economic victory or transcendence?

[Hydro]

I'm a softy. If the AI has been good to me I don't like to be a warmonger. The Atlantians have been consistently friendly. The Cyborgs have been (mostly) good Pactmates. The Angels were mostly good until we went PS and ticked them off.

With all the bases and either submissive pact brothers we'll have an insurmountable lead. At that point I suggest we go more hybrid-builder. If the Cyborgs or Angels make a stink they'll be crushed in short order, and they really can't hurt us.

[vyeh]

I would still like to get the Angels back in a pact.

Do we go for population for supreme leader, economy for economics victory or tech for transcendence?

[Hydro]

Either transcend or leader is doable. Transcend is generally easiest. But there is no reason we can't go for Supreme Leader, too. Getting BIG with lots of energy/production fits with our huge number of bases, and lots of submissive pact mates.

[vyeh]

We captured Mindworm Passage and Concordiat of Worms from the Cult. Cha Dawn contacted us only to threaten us with destruction.

We attempted to establish a base on the Mount Planet continent. Delan contacted us and ordered us to cease and desist. We desisted (or one year. Next year, we will establish the base. If he declares vendetta, he'll find all of his bases under attack!

We should (depending on how the Ghost moves those missiles around) have enough forces next year to take out all of the Ghost bases in that year. We'll allow the Ghost to surrender once we've secured Mount Planet and Virtual Ocean.

Our newest colony pod at Guanino moved up river. Although this looks like a barren spot for a colony, we plan to establish a specialist only base (there is already a farm/condensor within 2 squares) to home all of our copters so we can shift into federal democracy once we've taken out the Ghost, Cult and Templar.

[vyeh]

Current (2166) power graph:

[vyeh]

We cashed the 3 alien artifacts for probability mechanics, neural grafting and mind/machine interface.

Mind/machine interface gave us the ability to build the cyborg factory. This would raise our support to +3 (each base supports 4 units or up to base size). So we're building it.

GPS Lucky did the honors of eliminating the last Ghost base.

With all those amphibious qaser hovertanks and radar qaser copters, we'll pay a visit to the Angels. If they will pact with us, then we'll leave them alone.

There are a lot of useful secret projects we can build. We will discover our next research goal immediately (we got a lot of labs as we conquered Ghost bases). We'll go nanominiaturization followed by nanometalurgy for the carrier decks, so we can move the copters near the Atlantean bases.