ACDG6: The Genesis Project

[vyeh]

I'd like to hear opinions about base spacing. If a base is 3 sq. away from another base, then an infantry garrison can move between those two bases in a single year. However, there is a lot of overlap.

If the base is 4 sq. away, there is less overlap.

There is no overlap when a base is 5 sq. away, but there may be squares that can't be worked by any base.

[Mart]

I think finding a good space for a second base may dictate where to place it. It's quite important to have good food source.

[vyeh]

After centauri ecology is discovered, does everyone agree that the exowomb should be next?

It will give a free hatchery (children's creche) and the ability to switch to anthropocentric society model, which has +2 growth.

What is the third tech?

[vyeh]

Originally posted by Mart
I think finding a good space for a second base may dictate where to place it. It's quite important to have good food source.

As of MY 2104, the square the colony pod is on is as good as any visible square (except that it is next to a fungus square). We can move the independent scout first (south would reveal 5 squares, west would reveal 4 squares, southwest or southeast would reveal 3 square) and see if there are any better base sites. However, the longer we wait to establish a base, the more we lose in the nutrients, minerals and energy a base would be producing.

[Hydro]

For your tech after CE consider Exowomb so you can get the free creche. As I recall the crèche gives the defender a morale improvement while at the base (only true if you have a morale penalty? Not sure…), which if true is helpful in combat against rogue worms. SMAniaC gives you -1 Planet, and you get -3 Planet if you go Anthro. You also only get 40% bonus in psi attack in SMAniaC, so any morale bonuses will be a big help. Anthro does give you +1 morale (new units only?), partially offsetting the -3 Planet in psi.

In my last MP SMAniaC I repeatedly lost when attacking worms with my early scouts and defenders. Losing an early explorer or (especially) having your early bases worm raped or destroyed is a devastating loss.

Hydro

[Mart]

Exowomb is good choice.

There is some balance between how many turns we travel with colony pod and how good base site is. Nutrient or mineral bonus and some river are preferable. In some games I got second base on spots with little around and the bases was growing very slowly.

We need exploring for new base sites - scouts are relatively cheap now.

Then formers - very important and here minerals are must. We have to get forests and farms very soon to grow quickly.

[vyeh]

We will discover centauri ecology at the beginning of MY 2106. The Cult have discovered Secrets of the Human Brain and a free tech at the beginning of 2105.

The Cult is doing pretty well:

[vyeh]

We're restarting.

[vyeh]

With two bases established on rivers, we will discover centauri ecology in 2 years (compared to 6 years for our old game). If we follow one of my suggestions, we could have formers 2 years after that. And forests in 4 more years.

If we have forests in 8 years, then Purini (the southeast base) would gain 2 minerals and 1 energy per year and lose 1 nutrient per year.

If we build a scout at Genesis, then it would take another 3 or 4 years for a former (unless we found another Unity pod and got some credits).

Of course, that would mean the independent scout would have to remain at Genesis, delaying exploration.

[vyeh]

Centauri ecology discovered. We expect to discover the exowomb in 2106.

[vyeh]

The Shadow Ghosts have contacted us. Following Hydro's suggestion, I suggested a trade when Delan demanded Biogenetics.

We now have centauri hydrology. We should discuss our next diplomatic steps with Delan. We could seek a treaty; we could seek another tech trade (they also start with information networks); and we could seek comm link frequencies.

However, we may only have a limited number of requests before Deian terminates the conversation.

What should be our next diplomatic moves?

Note that information networks is the sole prerequisite for polymorphic software, which give us the planned social model, and together with the exowomb would allow us to pop boom (once we have enough credits to switch into anthropocentric and planned).

[vyeh]

We contacted Delan. We traded centauri ecology for information networks. Delan was unwilling to sign a treaty.

[Hydro]

Boy, it didn't take long to find the Ghosts. Good you found them early, too. Getting CH and InfoNet is a great start.

In my last PBEM I actually got the Ghosts to be an ally, but it took massive bribes. As Morgan I could afford it, though. Genesis will not be so well endowed with energy, although the starting position is pretty good!

Hydro

[vyeh]

With the -1 economy and unable to build solar collectors, we aren't be in a position to pay bribes.

It is time to think about our next tech. We've discovered the exowomb.

At this point, the accumulated labs is zero. So we can choose among the fission reactor (speeder), progenitor psych, polymorphic software (planned) and military know-how (A2) without losing any labs.

At this point, it will take 13 years to research the next tech, so we need to be thoughtful.

[Mart]

I would stay on polymorphic software, then attempt to get renewable energy for solar colectors