New AI HQ?

[rod87]

Hi to all!

In my current campaign playing as the Cyborgs against random factions I'm basically crushing everyone else, except for Morgan, who is neutral to me (but very scared). Some turns ago though, the Pirates managed to eradicate Deirdre without my... 'permission' - even though I was at war with her. Now the Pirates only have around 7 or 8 bases, and I've been thinking of actually freeing Deirdre and give her some of his sea bases.

But I already took Safe Haven, Svengaard's HQ, and now I don't know where Deirdre might be imprisoned. How can I know where is his new HQ? I already infiltrated his Datalinks but somehow I can't find that info anywhere in the reports. At first I thought that the first in the list of his cities would be it, but it isn't. I also went to two of his most important sea bases with a foil probe team and the option to free Deirdre wasn't in the menu. Doesn't he have any HQ anywhere? Does he have to build it?

Oh and by the way, does the difficulty setting alter the AI's chance of surrendering to the player? Right now Lal is on his last leg, with just two bases left and at war with the Pirates, and still he won't surrender, he keeps asking me for Synthetic Fossil Fuels. My integrity is 'Noble' and I'm playing in Librarian difficulty. I remember it being much easier when playing as Yang in the same situation, why does everyone hate me when I try to be Skynet?

[Petek]

To identify a faction's HQ, click on the COMMLINK button, right-click on the faction and select Faction Profile. The resulting screen should display the HQ.

[rod87]

Thanks!

I tried and it said 'NONE'. I guess now I can't rescue Deirdre.

[Petek]

I think the faction has to rebuild its HQ in a different base. You can use the F4 screen to watch for this. However, I don't know whether or not Deidre can then be rescued from the new HQ.

[CEO Aaron]

Yes, just wait out Sven, he'll eventually rebuild his Headquarters, or suffer crippling inefficiency until he does. If you want to prod the AI to encourage him to rebuild, use probe teams to steal his energy credits. The AI should start looking for ways to boost his income, and a HQ build should follow shortly thereafter.

That said, I doubt that rescuing Dee will be worthwhile, over just building more bases yourself. Cyborgs have immense efficiency, so going way over the base limit to coat the planet in settlments is probably going to earn you far more money than reconstituting an AI faction to trade with.

[rod87]

Yes, just wait out Sven, he'll eventually rebuild his Headquarters, or suffer crippling inefficiency until he does. If you want to prod the AI to encourage him to rebuild, use probe teams to steal his energy credits. The AI should start looking for ways to boost his income, and a HQ build should follow shortly thereafter.

That said, I doubt that rescuing Dee will be worthwhile, over just building more bases yourself. Cyborgs have immense efficiency, so going way over the base limit to coat the planet in settlments is probably going to earn you far more money than reconstituting an AI faction to trade with.

Well I actually finished that game some days ago (and by diplomacy, no less), but the "drain energy" thing is actually a pretty good idea I hadn't thought about, and I'll put it into practice if something similar happens again.

The main reason why I like rescuing AIs is that it is a feature I hadn't seen in any other strategy game, and that sometimes, factions forced into pacts can give additional techs on top of the ones you're getting for no additional cost. Sure they'll go slower at that (and playing as the Cyborgs it's even innecessary), but if I can research 2 techs while they research another one, I'm getting 3 in the time it takes to have 2, without as much micromanaging. Maybe not in the same rate, but I think you get the idea.

[CEO Aaron]

Oh yes. I won't deny that having subservient AIs is fun, but they're so feeble as to compare unfavorably do just settling the ruins of their bases yourself, in a pure minimaxing point of view.