ACDG6: Operations

[vyeh]

This is the operations discussion thread for Alpha Centauri Democracy Game 6 ("ACDG6"). Demo players may post in this thread.

Please post comments and questions on the game organization thread.

The Genesis Project starts with Biogenetics. It receives a free Hatchery (Children's Creche) with the discovery of The Exowomb (whose only prerequisite is Biogenetics).

The Genesis Project may exceed hab complex population requirements by 2.

It has -1 economy.

It has -1 support.

[Mart]

Attached is proposed movement of units.
I would leave rolling terrain for workers (1 mineral) and go for flat as base sites. We will need forests for minerals, and north arid and flat terrain is good for that. Moist and rolling is good for farms. But initially we might forest moist tiles too.

One pod goes NE, second pod + scout goes W

This is proposal for discussion.

[vyeh]

The only issue is establishing a base immediately or preserving a mineral. In moving the first base 1 sq. NE, we would be giving up long-term one arid rolling square, one moist rolling square and a fungus square. In return, we would gain long-term at most one land tile, more sea access (which is a mixed blessing) and avoid "wasting" a rolling tile for the base square.

If we establish the base this turn, the base would produce next turn one surplus nutrient, two minerals, one credit and one lab. If we don't establish a base, we would lose this nutrient, minerals, credit and lab.

So I'm not sure there is a long-term gain to justify the short-term loss.

As far as moving the second pod and scout, I think it makes sense to move the second pod in that direction. There is more likely to be a good base site in that direction. It is also a good way for exploration.

[Mark123jansen]

Given the presence of 2 naval factions I vote we limit our initial exposure to sea squares and do not allow ourselves to become dependant on them.

That, combined with the short term benefits leads me to suggest we found the base where the pod is.

[Nahkrinoth]

Are we going to try to stay out of the water until much later on or try to defend our kelp farms?

[vyeh]

Nahkrinoth,

I've replied to your post in The Genesis Project thread.

Whether we establish our first base this turn or next turn, the question arises as to the base's second build. (The new base gets 10 free minerals and the first build should be a scout to defend the base.)

There are two directions for the second build.

(1) A second scout to explore in the north/northwestern direction; or

(2) recycling tanks to improve the nutrient, mineral and energy production.

While exploration is important, the second scout will cost 1 mineral per year support, leaving only 1 mineral per year for building facilities or units until the base grows.

The recycling tanks have no maintenance. If we research centauri ecology, we would have the opportunity to change the production of the recycling tanks to a former.

[vyeh]

Starting Social Engineering

Originally stated by Maniac in readmefirst.txt in the SMAniaC download
1) The standard SE choices with which you start the game already have some effects. So when you first start up a SMAniaC game, check out the SE screen. For the full info you could also have a look in the in-game Datalinks or the modSE.txt in the documentation folder of this download.

2) The Talent SE factor is used in SMAniaC. This factor provides extra talents or drones. While the factor is still functional despite not being used in standard SMAC, the problem is no symbol shows up for the Talent factor in the SE screen. So the unsuspectin[g] user might suddenly be faced with a whole bunch of drones and not know where they suddenly come from. Therefore: please read the Datalinks about social engineering. or modSE.txt!

Originally stated by Maniac in modSE.txt in the SMAniaC download
In short Unitary Democracy (the SE choice you start with!) ... provide[s] one extra talent.

Originally stated by Maniac in modSE.txt in the SMAniaC download
Basic: Unitary Democracy / Subsistence / Technocrat / Frontier
+1 TALENT, +2 RESEARCH, -2 POLICE, +1 EFFIC, -1 PLANET

When the Basic SE is combined with the -1 economy and -1 support for The Genesis Project, we start with

-1 ECONOMY, +1 TALENT, +2 RESEARCH, -1 SUPPORT, -2 POLICE, +1 EFFIC, -1 PLANET

which is

-1 energy at HQ base
1 extra talent per base
reasonable efficiency
support 1 unit free per base
no police units; no nerve stapling
-1 fungus production
labs research speeded up by 20%

[vyeh]

Initial Terraforming

Once we get centauri ecology, we can build formers.

However, these formers can only

cultivate farms (4 years),
plant forest (4 years),
remove fungus (10 years vs. 6 years for SMAX) and
build road (depends on terrain).

It requires tech (where SMAX requires none) for formers to

build mines (industrial base, 8 years)
build solar collectors (renewable energy sources, depends on terrain)
build sensor arrays (mechanical resonance, 4 years) and
plant fungus (centauri empathy, 6 years).

So initially we can only improve resources by

cultivating farm (turning a 1-1-0 square into a 2-1-0 square and a 1-0-0 square into a 2-0-0 square),
planting forest (turning a non rocky, non fungus square into a 1-2-1 square) and
removing fungus.

So the question is: should we
(1) plant a forest and increase our mineral and energy production or
(2) cultivate a farm and increase our nutrient production?

In other words, do we want as our first improved square
(1) a 2-1-0 square or
(2) a 1-2-1 square?

[Nahkrinoth]

Definitely forest. The sooner we can get that rec tanks built the better.

[vyeh]

Tech Choice between MY 2101 and MY 2102

We start off with Biogenetics. What is our initial tech choice for research?

For the first tech choice, we can choose to research any tech for which we have the prerequisites, i.e. all the level 1 techs and any level 2 tech whose sole prerequisite is Biogenetics:

Renewable Energy Sources (Build 1)
Information Networks (Discover 1)
Social Psych (Build 1)
Centauri Ecology (Explore 1)
Fission Reactor (Explore 1)
Military Know-How (Conquer 1)
The Exowomb (Build 2)
Progenitor Psych (Explore 1)

[Mart]

Forestation is often a good choice, plus forests spread!!!
Therefore, what I do often is make a chess-like pattern with forests, thus increasing their chance to spread, I think.

[Bodissey]

Forest are of the essence. Should I say.

[vyeh]

For those of you into operations, MY 2103 brings a couple of choices:

(1) Should the Genesis scout (1 sq. N of Genesis) move back into Genesis to protect the base from potential mindworms or should it move NW and explore the neighborhood?

(2) Should the independent scout and the colony pod move S (the flat square there is a potential base site if we want 3 squares separation between bases)?

[vyeh]

Tech Choice between MY 2106 and MY 2107

At our current rate of research, between 2106 and 2107, we will discover centauri ecology.

We started with biogenetics.

We will have researched centauri ecology.

Assuming no tech trades, what will be our choices for the next tech?

Which techs do we have the research prerequisites for?

Renewable Energy Sources (Build 1)
Information Networks (Discover 1)
Social Psych (Build 1)
Fission Reactor (Explore 1)
Military Know-How (Conquer 1)
The Exowomb (Build 2)
Progenitor Psych (Explore 1)

Unfortunately, not all of these will be available. How do we determine which ones will be available? By adapting a procedure discovered for SMAX.

A tech will be available if

(n + t + s - b) mod 3 != 0 or it is the "joker" tech,

where

n = total number of technologies for the faction
t = position of tech in alphax.txt (0-88)
s = slot number of the faction (1-7)
b = number of technologies at the beginning of the game for the faction, if there has been no tech trade; otherwise it is 0.

At this point

n = 2 (biogenetics and centauri ecology)
s = 1
b = 1 (biogenetics; there has been no tech trade)

What is t?

We can determine the position of each tech in alphax.txt:

Tech (Conquer/Discover/Build/Explore) t

Biogenetics (D) 0
Renewable Energy Sources (B) 1
Information Networks (D) 2
Antimatter Production (D) 3
Social Psych (B) 4
Centauri Hydrology (E) 5
Centauri Ecology (E) 6
Superconductor (C) 7
Long Range Missiles (C) 8
Nanotube Mass Production (C) 9
Fusion Power (D) 10
Artificial Genetics (E) 11
Zero Point Energy (D) 12
Applied Plasma Physics (D) 13
Frictionless Surfaces (D) 14
Industrial Nanorobotics (B) 15
Superstring Theory (C) 16
High Intensity Lasers (C) 17
Centauri Psi (E) 18
Neutronium Production (C) 19
Unified Field Theory (C) 20
Graviton Theory (C) 21
The Fission Reactor (E) 22
Applied Gravitonics (C) 23
deleted (C) 24
Interplanetary Spaceflight (B) 25
Singularity Mechanics (D) 26
Controlled Singularity (C) 27
Temporal Mechanics (C) 28
Probability Mechanics (D) 29
Polymorphic Software (D) 30
Nanometallurgy (B) 31
Ethical Calculus (D) 32
Digital Sentience (D) 33
Sentient Sociometrics (D) 34
Know-how: Sea Power (E) 35
Military Know-how (C) 36
Mental Harmonics (E) 37
Synthetic Fossil Fuels (E) 38
Know-how: Air Power (C) 39
Photon/Wave Mechanics (C) 40
Mind/Machine Interface (D) 41
Nanominiaturization (D) 42
Military Doctrine (C) 43
Ethical Calculus (E) 44
Industrial Base (B) 45
Industrial Automation (B) 46
Centauri Meditation (E) 47
Secrets of the Human Brain (D) 48
Gene Splicing (B) 49
Biomachinery (B) 50
The Exowomb (B) 51
Neural Grafting (C) 52
Cyberethics (B) 53
Organic ArtiSentience (E) 54
The Affinity Gene (E) 55
Threshold of Transcendence (E) 56
Matter Transmission (B) 57
Centauri Empathy (E) 58
Environmental Economics (B) 59
Ecological Engineering (E) 60
Planetary Economics (B) 61
Ecological Geneering (B) 62
Psionics (E) 63
Xenobiology (E) 64
Secrets of Creation (D) 65
Orbital Space Exploitation (C) 66
Eugenetics (B) 67
Bionanomachinery (B) 68
Applied Quantum Mechanics (C) 69
deleted (B) 70
Quantum Computers (D) 71
Optical Computers (D) 72
The Universal Constructer (B) 73
Centauri Genetics (E) 74
Secrets of Alpha Centauri (E) 75
Retroviral Geneering (B) 76
Orbital Spaceflight (C) 77
Progenitor Psych (E) 78
Field Modulation (C) 79
Mechanical Resonance (C) 80
Adaptive Economics (B) 81
Bioadaptive Resonance (E) 82
Sentient Resonance (C) 83
Secrets of the Manifolds (E) 84
N-Space Resonance (C) 85
String Resonance (C) 86
User Technology (D) 87
Transcendent Thought (D) 88

To determine the "joker" tech, of all the Explore techs that you have the prerequisites for that is still undiscovered, it is the one nearest the beginning of the list.

If there is no such Explore tech, look at the Discover techs for which you have the prerequisites that is still undiscovered and take the one nearest the beginning of the list.

If there is no such Explore or Discover tech, look at the Build techs for which you have the prerequisites that is still undiscovered and take the one nearest the beginning of the list.

If there is no such Explore, Discover or Build tech, look at the Conquer techs for which you have the prerequisites that is still undiscovered and take the one nearest the beginning of the list.

Looking at the techs for which we have the prerequisites, we can calculate n + t + s - b:

Tech (Conquer/Discover/Build/Explore) t, n + t + s - b

Renewable Energy Sources (B) 1, 3
Information Networks (D) 2, 4
Social Psych (B) 4, 6
The Fission Reactor (E) 22, 24
Military Know-How (C) 36, 38
The Exowomb (B) 51, 53
Progenitor Psych (E) 78, 80

The "joker" tech is the fission reactor (it is closer to the beginning of the list than progenitor psych). Note that it has a value of n + t + s - b that is divisible by 3. If it wasn't the joker tech, it wouldn't be available.

Since renewable energy sources and social psych have values of n + t + s -b that are divisible by 3, they will not be available.

So we will be able to choose from information networks, the fission reactor, military know-how, the exowomb and progenitor psych.

[vyeh]

Assume we research the exowomb after centauri ecology. What will be our choices after that?

Following the procedure above:

n = 3 (biogenetics, centauri ecology, the exowomb)
s = 1
b = 1

Tech t, n + t + s - b

Renewable Energy Sources (B) 1, 4
Information Networks (D) 2, 5
Social Psych (B) 4, 7
The Fission Reactor (E) 22, 25
Military Know-How (C) 36, 39
Xenobiology (E) 64, 67
Progenitor Psych (E) 78, 81

The joker tech is the fission reactor. Military know-how and progenitor psych will not be available.

The choices will be: renewable energy sources, information networks, social psych, the fission reactor and xenobiology.