ACDG6: Operations

[Maniac]

(1) I think that spot would be an awesome HQ site.

(2) Personally I'd just found the second base right there on our landing spot. We get an extra free energy from the river from turn 1 that way.

Perhaps some people's instincts might tell them that bases should not have much overlap, and that therefore we should found our second base some distance apart. Or that each base should be developed to the maximum possible base. That's somewhat true in the Civilization series, especially Civ4, but not in SMAC. ICS is very effective. It's perfectly ok to build two bases close together for an immediate short-term advantage, and only develop one of them to large size, and keep one small-sized the entire game. Or both only to medium size, say size nine in our case.

[vyeh]

Until we're in a pop boom situation (which require the exowomb, information networks, polymorphic software), overlap isn't much of a concern to me.

There are defensive advantages to having two bases connected by a river.

And the extra energy will negate the initial -1 economy.

[Mark123jansen]

Excellent point Maniac, besides, any overlap can be compensated with crawlers later on. I change my position to founding both colonies on each pod's current position.

[vyeh]

We've established two bases, which will both produce scouts at the beginning of next year. I think there is a superior possibility to building a scout at Genesis.

We could set Genesis to building recycling tanks for two turns. When centauri ecology is discovered, production could be set to formers, taking a 2 mineral retooling penalty and we could build formers in 4 more turns (or 2 more turns if we spent our whole treasury to hurry the former).

Although we could stockpile energy, it isn't as good. Then we would be producing an extra credit per turn for two turns. When centauri ecology is discovered, we would have 14 credits and 10 accumulated minerals and we could build formers in 2 more turns).

Setting production to recycling tanks and switching is a better alternative since 2 credits per mineral is the minimum cost of hurrying. Over 2 turns we would accumulate 4 minerals and lose 2 minerals in switching for a net of 2 minerals.

If we go to stockpile energy, we would accumulate 2 credits over the two years, which could purchase at most one mineral.

The disadvantage to this approach is that we wouldn't be able to explore with the independent scout.

The scout investigated the Unity pod and found a bonus nutrient on the river square, which is quite good (once we plant a forest on it, it becomes a 3-2-2 square). After we build formers, we should think about colony pods.

These are the values of credits/labs for various values of the SE slider:

50% economy/50% laboratory: 2 credits/3.6 labs (3 yrs breakthrough)
40/60 2/3.6 (3)
30/70 2/3.6 (3)
20/80 1/4.8 (2)
10/90 0/4.8 (2)
0/100 0/3.6 (3)

Clearly 20/80 is optimum for speedy discovery of centauri ecology.

[vyeh]

I've gone ahead and switched Genesis to recycling tanks with the intention of switching to formers when we've discovered centauri ecology.

I propose moving the scout north east of Genesis to the source of the river and back. The scout at Purini can be moved to Genesis, which will leave Purini exposed for a year.

For some reason, there was no retooling penalty when the recycling tanks were switched to formers even though there was 14 minerals in the production box.

We were able to partially hurry the Genesis formers and expect to complete the formers at the beginning of MY 2104.

[vyeh]

I assume that we want the former to plant a forest on the bonus nutrient river square.

Since we have centauri hydrology, I think we should build a gun foil for exploration.

[vyeh]

I was trying to figure out how to reveal more territory around Genesis, particularly within its base radius, when I realized that if you attempt to move into a fungus square and fail, you reveal the same territory as if you had succeeded in moving into the fungus square.

That revealed rolling rainy, flat rainy and flat rainy fungus squares.

Clearly we want to explore and colonize in the north east direction.

It is a tough choice deciding what to build next in Genesis and Purini.

We might be able to get information networks from the Ghosts. Then we would be able to research polymorphic software and be in a position to initiate a pop boom once we had the necessary credits to switch social models. So a second former would be useful.

A scout to explore the land would be great, but if we wait until we've researched the fission reactor, we could build a speeder.

We could start a secret project. Either the rejuvenation tanks or the weather paradigm would be useful.

A colony pod would also be a good choice.

I think a gun foil makes a lot of sense. Contacting other factions might lead to more tech trades. And there might be pods to pop (if we're careful to pop the pod with enough movement remaining we improve our chances if we discover native life infestations.).

[vyeh]

Purini will grow in MY 2106. Although we don't have police powers, we do get a talent, so there won't be any social unrest.

Purini is currently building a former. However, the former we currently have may be enough to plant a forest for Purini, then plant a forest for Genesis.

What should Purini build (it currently is producing a mineral per year, it will gain a mineral next year when it grows and two minerals in 3 years when the former finishes planting the forest)?

scout (for exploration; 10 minerals);
former (20 minerals);
colony pod (30 minerals);
probe team (for exploration; no support; 30 minerals);
recycling tanks (additional nutrient, mineral, energy; 40 minerals);
sea former (40 minerals);
probe foil (50 minerals);
sea colony pod (70 minerals);
network node (80 minerals);
the weather paradigm (200 minerals);
the rejuvenation tanks (human genome project; 200 minerals); or
the vitro fertilization center (planetary transit system; 300 minerals).

Currently Genesis is building a gun foil (20 minerals) for sea exploration. It is currently accumulating 2 minerals per year and will produce 3 minerals per year in 5 years when it grows (it will be at least 8 years before the former can plant a second forest). Is this the right build or should it be building one of the alternatives above?

These are important early choices. Both Genesis and Purini will take 4 years to reach 10 minerals, so we have that time to decide if we want a scout for exploration.

[Maniac]

I'd say build a scout patrol, and go pop that unity pod lying so tantalizing in our sight radius.

[vyeh]

Tech Choice between MY 2104 and MY 2105

Between 2104 and 2105, we discovered The Exowomb.

We started with Biogenetics.

We have researched Centauri Ecology and The Exowomb.

We received from Delan Centauri Hydrology and Information Networks.

Could we have predicted our choices for the next tech?

Which techs do we have the research prerequisites for?

Tech (Conquer/Discover/Build/Explore) t

Renewable Energy Sources (B) 1
Social Psych (B) 4
The Fission Reactor (E) 22
Polymorphic Software (D) 30
Military Know-How (C) 36
Gene Splicing (B) 49
Progenitor Psych (E) 78

Following the procedure:

n = 5
s = 1
b = 1 (biogenetics; apparently getting a tech in return for a demand does not count as a trade!)

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

Renewable Energy Sources (B) 1, 6
Social Psych (B) 4, 9
The Fission Reactor (E) 22, 27
Polymorphic Software (D) 30, 35
Military Know-How (C) 36, 41
Gene Splicing (B) 49, 54
Progenitor Psych (E) 78, 83

The joker tech is the Explore tech nearest the beginning of the list, the fission reactor. 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, social psych and gene splicing have values of t+n+s-b that are divisible by 3, they will not be available.

So we will be asked to choose from (ordering by ascending explore techs, then ascending discover techs, then ascending build techs and finally ascending conquer techs) the fission reactor, progenitor psych, polymorphic software and military know-how.

Note: I first tried applying this procedure using b = 0, assuming that when we got centauri hydrology for biogenetics and information networks for centauri ecology that a tech trade had occured for the purposes of the formula.

The prediction based on b = 0 did not fit the actual results. Since b = 1 fits, the only conclusion is that no tech trade has occured for purposes of the formula.

[vyeh]

Since Maniac wanted to pop the pod, I sent the Purini scout off (if there had been a native life attack, we would have lost one population point and we had the independent scout at Genesis that could move to Purini in one year if we had any warning).

We discovered survey and hydroponics pods.

Now Purini has 2 workers on forests.

Several operational issues:

(1) The replacement scout at Purini will be built next year. With the discovery of the nutrient bonus and forests, I believe it would make more sense to switch Purini to a colony pod.

(2) If we switch Purini to a colony pod, should we build a replacement scout at Genesis (instead of a gun foil) or should the Purini scout can come home?

(3) On which square should the former plant a forest?

(4) At 10% economy/90% labs, we are generating 0 credits and 7.2 labs per year (breakthrough 9 years).
20%/80% 1/6 (10)
30%/70% 2/6 (10)
40%/60% 3/4.8 (13)

I think 30/70 (0 energy lost to inefficiency) makes the most sense, but there is an argument for

10/90 (1 energy lost to inefficiency; trading 2 credits for 1.2 labs): this maximizes research

40/60 (0 energy lost to inefficiency): we need credits to switch to anthropocentric social model.

[vyeh]

Originally posted by Hydro in the The Genesis Project
You're brave investigating the pod, especially without a defender at your capital. An early MW pod can be a disaster.

I generally establish bases by my pods to ensure I get a good or at least neutral results.

Regardless, you've got some great territory for early expansion. I'd queue up a pod next to take advantage of the nutrient and forested area.

There was a defender at Genesis (the capital) that could have been at Purini in one turn. At the time we popped the pod, there was enough credits to complete the scout in production the next year. So we could have covered both bases.

According to the manual, "If a wild native life unit is attacking an undefended base, the native life unit form devours one citizen from the base, then dissipates." (Chapter 4, Combat, Base and Facilities, Conquest and Annihilation, p. 105)

So the risk was losing a citizen. It would have taken us 7 turns to regain the citizen.

On the positive side, we might have gained a comm link frequency, a tech or 25 credits. Any of these are worth more if they come earlier. And mind worms are weaker in the very early stages.

As it is, we can switch from the scout in production to a colony pod.

[Mart]

Yes, Purini would survive, but loss of 7 turns of work is quite expensive. Note, that we have good tiles now for workers. The pod was close to our base, the best chance for good results have pods in base "fat cross" and not on fungus. In case of mindworm, I would opt for emergency return of former to defend Genesis and moving scout from Genesis to Purini. Since from pod location to both bases there is fungus a mindworm was quite likely attack one of them. A defending unit would stand a chance to survive.

When popping more risky pods it is good to have a unit nearby ready to attack mindworms right away - the planetpearls and morale increase. We would need speeder chassis for more flexibility here, empath units too. It's quite lucrative thing to do. (Actually it's a game breaker, I know players that get hundreds of EC by polluting for getting multiple mw boils in a turn, then kill them for planetpearls to offset their large negative EC income)

Purini can make a colony pod in the time, so that full 2 rows of nutrients are accumulated. Then the base will "maintain" population 2. I think it's the best way to "pump" colony pods in early game. Any food in the third row is lost in this arrangement. I prefer to have nutrients faster than minerals, then some minerals can be hurried to complete cp in exact time if needed.

So now, we could either:
- switch Purini to cp right away, then in 5 turns we get exactly cp and Purini maintains 2 population, or:
- get scout, then start cp and hurry it in appropriate time, that is better for exploration.

[vyeh]

Let's see what the risk was if there had been a mindworm attack. We would have not have the services of the 1-1-0 worker, so instead of producing 4 minerals per year for 7 years, we would have only produced 3 minerals per year.

There would be no loss of energy. So the risk was 7 minerals. (Once we were popbooming, we would expand to whatever is our maximum.

There is a problem with hurrying. We don't have many credits and we are a small income.

We currently have only 7 credits and we're only accumulating 2 credits per turn. If we built a scout a Purini next turn, we would have only 4 minerals per year (the second scout would require a mineral per year support) and 2 accumulated minerals. In 5 turns, we would have 22 minerals and 19 credits. We could rush 4 of the last 8 minerals for 10 credits. So we would have a colony pod in 7 years.

If we switch to a colony pod now, we have 7 accumulated minerals and are producing 5 minerals per turn. In three turns, we would have 22 minerals and 13 credits. We could rush 3 of the last 8 minerals for 12 credits. So we would have a colony pod in 4 years.

We can increase our income by slowing down our research.

We could change the gun foil at Genesis to a scout and produce the scout in 2 years (after that Genesis would produce only 1 mineral per year until the former built it a forest). While sea exploration is important, finding optimum base sites for the near future is more important.

Because of our energy situation, it is important to have the former plant a forest for Genesis. There are two possibilities:

(1) the square northwest of Genesis, but this would use up a rainy rolling square that might be better suited to farm and solar collector in the future; or

(2) the square northeast of Purini (while it would take an extra year to start terraforming, it has the advantage of protecting Purini while Genesis builds a scout).

[Mart]

Cp can be hurried 5 turns from now. We need 10 additional nutrients in Purini, that is in 2112 we will have 2 full nutrient rows. This year we have to hurry cp, so in 2113 we have it and Purini has still population 2. We can do partial hurry, pay only for mineral difference.

Actually, I would switch to cp in Purini now.
Then switch Genesis to scout, and when it's done, rehome it to Purini, so cp is not build in 2112, but in 2113.
Genesis may start gun foil right after the scout.

Location of a new base - 4,26? So it uses the new nutrient bonus in forest. The scout there can continue exploring north. We may have another faction on our continent somewhere there.