ACDG6: Operations

[Hydro]

Considering that the Templar have High Intensity Lasers (A4) probing just became a priority. We do NOT want to be on the receiving end of waves of A4 infantry or speeders. Note - getting the BO has saved us much heartache, to sure, as we ramp up our military. Taking out a base in the early game really hurts him, too. Further, they have Fission Reactor and (as expected) Field Modulation (D2r). All of these are useful for us. Steal them blind. I think TechSteal is active (right?), so taking a base should get us a tech, too.

Build the RCs as we can to keep stability and increase resources. This seems like a good investment. Then we should start cranking out military units to take out the Templar (after getting their military tech, of course). For now extra scouts are OK. Should we consider self destructing a scout when they are by a base or key Bad Guy unit? That causes nice damage, and may take out the CPs or un-armored probes completely. Our units need to be at least a tile away to avoid taking damage ourselves, though.

I don't have an opinion as to where to prototype, but preferably it will be at a higher mineral production base.

How many bases does the Templar have? Although we can't see them we do get to identify number, size, production, and defenders in Datalinks.

For the Unity pod, we can take a chance, especially if the Templar are close to snagging it from us. But, how hosed will be be if we get a massive MW spread? Can we react to save our bases against 3 or more MWs? Remember the Expensive Facility/Unit production switch at nearby bases before the pop...

Hydro

[vyeh]

Spoils of war is off.

The Templars have five bases.


Once we've prototyped a unit, we can upgrade a scout.

We can also see the base operation screens of each base. Because the Templar bases are close to each other, because three of the bases have our units in their radius and because three of their bases share a monolith, we can put together the maps in each base screen to produce a composite:


Since it is early, I doubt we will see more than one hatchling per pod.

At this point, we can move 2 scouts into Uracil.

[Hydro]

Repair at a monolith doesn't count against its chance to dissapear? Well, learn something new every day!

Nice idea to piece together the map. Very sneaky. I like sneaky!

Hydro

[vyeh]

Thanks. Knocking out a faction's HQ is devastating. Those roads will make it easy for our probe teams.

[vyeh]

Templar Laboratory Status

Templar Laboratory Status

Another military tech in 6 years:


Resonance laser!






Although we have the same number of techs (9), our tech cost is 3 times the Templar's cost and our research rate is slower.

[vyeh]

Templar Energy Status

Templar Energy Status







At least the Templars don't have the credits to rush production.

[Maniac]

Repair at a monolith doesn't count against its chance to dissapear? Well, learn something new every day!

Actually according to my own experiences/memories, vyeh is wrong, and repairing does give a chance for the monolith to disappear.

[vyeh]

Templar Base Operations

Templar Base Operations



Obviously, the laser units are a great concern.





Every base except Faralia has a jumpsuit garrison (1-2r-1). Faralia has a missile squad (2-2r-1). The second defender at Sands of Time is a scout. The second defender at Illuminatus is a (2)-1-2 recon battery.

[vyeh]

Templar Security Nexus

Templar Security Nexus



Currently, there are only 2 combat units with an attack strength over 1: the missile squad, which is garrisoned in Faralia, and a recon battery, which is in Illuminatus. The only combat unit that is not in a base is a jumpsuit garrison.

In addition to the jumpsuit garrison, the only units that we haven't located are 2 AI formers.

[vyeh]

Actually according to my own experiences/memories, vyeh is wrong, and repairing does give a chance for the monolith to disappear.

We're talking about repair only (the damaged unit has already received a monolith promotion).

What I said was there is no script for a repair only and the monolith disappearing. Here is the relevant portion from script.txt:

#MONOLITH0
#xs 320
#caption Operations Director
The arcane technology of the monolith enhanced
our unit to $MORALE0 status. It then vanished.

#MONOLITH1
#xs 320
#caption Operations Director
The arcane technology of the monolith enhanced
our unit to $MORALE0 status.

#MONOLITHNO
#xs 320
#caption Operations Director
The monolith is silent.

#MONOLITHHEAL
#xs 320
#caption Operations Director
The arcane technology of the monolith has repaired our
unit.

I searched for both monolith and vanished. There is no entry that reads "The arcane technology of the monolith has repaired our unit. It then vanished."

While I have never had a monolith disappear while repairing a unit, that doesn't mean it couldn't happen, but I would imagine there must be some type of message similar to the ones in script.txt for an event where the monolith repaired a unit that had already received a monolith promotion and then vanished.

Obviously, if a damaged unit has not received a monolith promotion investigates a monolith, the monolith has the same chance of vanishing as it would for an undamaged unit that has not received a monolith promotion.

[vyeh]

Monolith does not vanish for repair only

I used the scenario editor to demonstrate that the chances of a monolith vanishing when it repairs a unit that has already been promoted by a monolith is much smaller, if not zero, than the chances of a monolith vanishing when it promotes (and repairs) a damaged unit that has not been promoted previously by a monolith.

Both sim_2400_test and sim_2400_test2 are identical except in sim_2400_test, the 10 scouts have been flagged as "Unit has received a monolith upgrade."


In both cases, ten scouts with 90% damage are next to a monolith.



For sim_2400_test, I moved the ten scouts into the monolith, reloaded the save and repeated 31 times for a total of 320 damaged scouts investigating the monolith. The monolith never vanished.

The monolith in sim_2400_test2 vanished after 13 scouts investigated it. After reloading, it vanished again after 25 scouts investigated it.

I've posted my two test scenarios.

One interesting note: when the mission year was set to 2101, the monolith did not vanish for promotion even after 80 scouts were promoted. Apparently, the chances of a monolith vanishing depends on the mission year.

In any event, it appears the odds of a monolith vanishing when a unit that already has a monolith upgrade is repaired on a monolith is zero.

[Hydro]

Ohhhhh. All those D2r defenders and upcoming A6r squads will be a real challenge. Scouts will simply not do.

My suggestion is to prioritize the probes ASAP, and then switch to Total War.

Hydro

[vyeh]

You mean upcoming A4 squads. For laser resonance, it is 6 turns to research the tech prerequisite, then a lot of turns to build it.

I agree on the probes.

What do you mean by total war?

There are five Templar bases.

(1) We should be able to take out Faralia, with some damage to the battle ogre.

(2) Adonia is connected by road to Faralia and only protected by a jumpsuit garrison. I'm hoping we can take it.

(3) Aurora is not connected to the other 4 bases. One missile squad prototype and two scouts should be able to take it although we may lose the prototype.

[Hydro]

Total war means all resources devoted to taking out the Templar.

My mistake in the A6r. I saw 'missile' in the Templar build queue and failed to translate to SMAniaC.

It looks like pushing our advantage now is our main hope, or at least buy us time as we probe rape the Templar and get our own offense in order.

Hydro

[vyeh]

Illuminatus Base Control Screen

Illuminatus Base Control Screen



From the composite base map, its coordinates are (56,22).

It is the HQ.

It is about to grow to size 3. It has 2 monoliths, so it is an energy powerhouse.

There are roads leading to Adonia and Sands of Time.