ACDG6: Operations

[vyeh]

Currently, Templars are 5 labs short.

Next year, they will be 3 labs short and we will probably take out Sands of Mars.

Next year Illuminatus will be one year away from finishing jumpsuit garrison.

(1) If ogre attacks recon battery in 2137:

Illuminatus will be 3 labs short and have no defenders in 2137; 2 labs short and have jumpsuit garrison in 2138; 1 lab short in 2139 and have mechanical resonance in 2140.

In 2137, laser speeder will attack jumpsuit garrison in Sands of Time. In 2138, laser speeder can heal itself on monolith. In 2139, laser speeder can attack jumpsuit garrison in Illuminatus. Note that this does not take into account Templar laser battery.

(2) If ogre withdraws from monolith in 2137:

Illuminatus will be 3 short and have recon battery in 2137; have mechanical resonance and recon battery and jumpsuit garrison in 2138.

In 2138, laser speeder heals itself on monolith and ogre moves back to monolith. In 2139, laser speeder attacks jumpsuit garrison and ogre attacks recon battery and scout occupies Illuminatus. Note that this does not take into account Templar laser battery.

So difference is whether we take out Illuminatus in 2140 or 2139 and whether the recon battery survives for a couple more turns.

I think it would be a mistake to leave the Templars with a laser battery (currently outside their bases), a recon battery in Illuminatus and a soon to be completed jumpsuit garrison.

If the Templars only have one unit in Illuminatus, the amount of mischief they can inflict is limited.

My original plan was to take Illuminatus as soon as possible to deal a crippling blow to the Templars. I can see the value of holding off a few turns so we get mechanical resonance. I don't see the value of allowing the recon battery to survive a couple of extra turns (and have a couple more shots) so the Templars can finish researching mechanical resonance 1 year earlier.

The recon battery can destroy improvements in addition to taking hit points off the ogre or scout.

If a speeder is 50% damaged, it will have only one movement point. So a 4-2-2 rover would effectively be 2-1-1.

Effectively, the 60% damaged ogre is 2.4 and 1.2.

The issue with the monolith is not destroying the recon battery as soon as we can. Giving the recon battery a couple more shots means either a couple more improvements destroyed or loss of some hit points on one or more of our units.

[Mart]

a transport can serve as an additional movement point for a rover too. So 50% rover damaged can use whole point for attack, transport will move it. The issue is, that transport alone cannot occupy a base with its attack 0 when still having 1/3 move point. So we need something like a scout in the transport too

[Hydro]

OK - you've convinced me. Neutering the Templar so they can cause minimal mischief is good idea.

[vyeh]

We located the Templar laser battery. It is 2 squares north of Aurora.

[vyeh]

After each base has a recreation commons and a former, what should we build?

(1) more formers;
(2) supply crawlers; or
(3) colony pods

[Hydro]

Formers. Improving infrastructure is key, as is building mines. Then we can build a few crawlers to get minerals. I'm not opposed to a few CPs to snag the energy and nutrient specials to the southeast, but we need to be careful about drones.

[Mart]

Drones are controllable in larger number of bases when they have small population. This is good when they serve as production centers for making units, formers and crawlers.

As the conflict with Templars should end soon, I would like to call for a
Council of the Decade 2140-2150
We would discuss our faction plans for these years pertaining to:
- internal economy, infrastructure, etc.
- research goals
- planetary diplomacy
- other...

[vyeh]

Hydro, you've said we should go ahead and sell tech to all the factions before techs gets traded around and we can't get anything for them.

How do you feel about selling comm frequencies?

We're third in population, so we're not eligible for planetary governor.

If the Ghost or the Atlanteans become governor, they will get more trade income and move ahead. (Given a choice, I'd rather have the Atlanteans become governor.)

[vyeh]

Council of the Decade 2140-2150

internal economy

(1) We should consider switching from planned into private/protectionist economics, which will move us from 9 credits per turn and tech breakthroughs every 19 years to 12 credits per turn and tech breakthroughs every 14 years and from technocrat to plutocrat ruling elite, which will move us to 18 credits per year and tech breakthroughs every 13 years.

(2) Until we increase our income, our infrastructure is limited to recreation commons, hatcheries, and recycling tanks.

research goals

With our current research rate, we can expect 1 tech at most during the next ten years. Zero point energy lifts energy restrictions. We have terrain that is over 2000 meters and we can build thermal boreholes.

planetary diplomacy

(1) Because the Ghost have a land base near Genesis, we should be prepared for a conflict with them. We need to have some resonance laser naval units.

(2) Once the Templars are gone, our immediate neighbor is the Consciousness. Maintaining peaceful relations with them is a high priority.

other

(1) We should build at least one secret project. The Consciousness is no longer building the rejuventation tanks (human growth potential).

(2) We should plan to build infantry probe team for each base.

(3) We should have a complete road network.

(4) As long as we have enough credits to immediately build recreation commons, we should colonize before the Ghosts take any land.

[vyeh]

The Templars now have only one base.

We've received 225 credits through the sale of tech.

[vyeh]

Uracil changed production to colony pod.

Delan contacted us when we activated the scout. We were able to sell tech for 75 credits.

[Hydro]

Diplomacy – it seems unlikely that Aki and Rose will be friends so we may have to choose. Trying to straddle makes both angry, risking war with one or both. The recent diplomatic attitude decrease when we refused their demands speaks for itself. In terms of SE we are more likely to stay on the good side of the Angels (pref Fed Demo, a decent choice for us and now we’re default Unitary Demo) than Cyborgs (Cybernetic, so Anthro annoys them).

The Cyborgs are relatively big and will have good tech. Strategically it is better to have the Cyborgs as our friend unless we want to conquer them. The Angels are far away and seem to be a small threat. If we tilt to Cyborgs then we may want to modify our SE and get Rose to call off the war (if possible), or cut the Angels free.

Tech – getting energy restrictions lifted is going to be key

SP – HGP first (Aki abandoned the SP, as I recall reading), then WP. With a large empire drone control from HGP will be most welcome. WP is great for faster terraforming, but drones are likely to be a bigger problem – especially if we build more bases to the SE. Plus, we can build more formers.

SE – Private/Protectionist is a good for generating energy, but the -1 Talent could be tough. Rec commons will help. Doing a trial shift may help balance the energy (+2 Eco) benefit against the penalties (-1 Support, -1 Talent, -1 Industry).

Remember that the Genesis has -1 Eco to start, so we’ll need to get +3 Eco via SE to get to the magic overall +2 eco rating. Adding Plutocrat SE might do the trick since it gives +1 Eco and +1 Ind (offsetting the Planned/Prot industry penalty). If we’re not at war the -2 Morale is OK. So, if you add this up you get: Unitary Demo (default)/Private-Protectionist/Plutocrat/Anthro.

If you compare this SE to our current SE you get: Talent bonus none (from +1), Eco +2 (from -1), Efficiency zero (from -1), support -2 (from -1), Morale -1 (from +1), Police -2, Growth +2 (from +4), Planet -3, Probe +2 (from zero), Industry zero (from +1), and Research zero (from +2). As I recall you don’t get the 10 free mins when you establish a base at -2 Support and only have 1 free support unit. Increased efficiency is good, but is offset by fewer Talents. We’ll likely get LOTS more energy with +2 Eco and get more trade income. We will grow quickly, but not pop boom. Can we live with this SE?

Ghosts – preparing to take them out is a good idea. Filling nearby territory to prevent the Ghosts from getting a foothold and taking advantage of the energy and nutrient specials seems wise.

Builds – defensive infantry probes on perimeter bases at a minimum. I like to have a rover-based fast responder group(s) if we are resource limited. Running -3 Planet and having a morale penalty may mean worms are more of a challenge.

Terraforming – we need more formers. Complete a good road network, get a few forests up, start mines. The war with the Templar has been a major distraction.

[Hydro]

double post.

[vyeh]

In 2135, Aki was building the rejuvenation tanks (human growth potential).

In 2136, she switched to jumpsuit garrison. In 2137, she is building a missile infantry. (She doesn't lose the accumulated minerals.)

Question: In addition to scrapping the ogre toward a secret project, how do you feel about applying the alien artifact (or would you prefer to wait until we have a network node and get a tech)?

Doing a trial shift, we started at 9 credits per year and breakthrough every 18 years. Purini and Mutatio had to go from three workers to two workers and a doctor. Adonia went from a worker and a doctor to a drone and a doctor. It only has 4 minerals accumulated toward a recreation commons. In 2 years, it will have 12 minerals and we can hurry a recreation commons.

With the new doctors in Purini and Mutatio, we ended up with 13 credits per year and breakthrough every 14 years.

Before we go to the -2 support, we need to build the new bases we want. The extra credits will probably go into spending more to hurry as our industry goes from a +10% to a -10%. I think the increase in research is worth it.

Once our new bases are at size 2, pop booming isn't very helpful. I've been moving workers to prevent growth (and drone riots).

The war with the Templar (which they started) has been an opportunity to acquire more bases.

[Hydro]

Cash the artifact and the ogre for the SP. At this point the 50 min for the artifact and 45 min for the ogre are the equivalent of 20 years of production, and they'll insure we have a good shot at the SP.

Keeping the artifact for the Net Node and tech is tempting, but a net node cost 80 mins. That's a lot at this point, and I'd guess we won't be building a net node for a while due to other priorities. Getting a 10 year head start on a SP is a major turn advantage.