Naval Clash - Second Thread

[Barinthus]

Any feedback for me? If any, that is.

[GeoModder]

Mmmm... yes. You should learn to micromanage ASAP.

[Rubin]

I'd like to emphasize the roleplaying aspect of this game. The Pirates' military focus and refusal to "cooperate" with the Atlanteans made sense to me--simply from a roleplaying point of view.

The Atlantean decision to remain a sea based faction was an interesting roleplaying trait; and did actually work very well.

The Data Angels, however, may have had problems utilizing probe teams... Yang was the only suitable target. Lal and Deirdre were too far away, so was the University and naval probe teams were a difficult approach.

The Atlanteans prevented early University warfare by allowing the University to construct the Ascetic Virtues. I tried to remain a peaceful builder faction and I believe infrastructure was a deciding factor rather than advanced technology.

It wouldn't be fair to judge the factional strengths with regards to a standard game. This was roleplaying and most decisions were taken to be in line with the story rather than winning the game. In a normal game, I would have taken out Lal as soon as possible and while securing peace with the Pirates, my next objective would have been the Atlanteans and so on...

[Mart]

Originally posted by GeoModder
And a question in return: do you think I could have placed my bases better or used availabe space better? I realize that it would have benefitted me more if I colonized some land instead of sticking to the sea, but that was a roleplay -and defense choice.

Atlantean bases were quite well placed. One of the best moves was lowering land below sea level making "The Hive" sea base. It also gave possibility to upgrade ships due to lowering a nearby monolith.

The map did not have very vast areas of oceans. My intention was to make more small seas connected with straits and channels. Sea factions had to "fight" for their terrain. And yes, I thought about possible placing bases by sea factions on coasts. You Sankis even made a base deep inside land, or was it coastal before earthquake? These erthquakes were really unfortunate. However, taking marshes area by you Sankis might be better move. That would allow workers to work also the land there, often rainy with river. A border with University would be created so the marshes would be yours.
Uranium flats were used excellently. I remember also, how Atlanteans "stole" some jungle peninsula from Hive by disconnecting it from land and making it an island.
If you were surprised by horizontal setup of oceans, that is good. It was supposed to be like that - something you would not expect.

[Mart]

Originally posted by Rubin
The Data Angels, however, may have had problems utilizing probe teams... Yang was the only suitable target. Lal and Deirdre were too far away, so was the University and naval probe teams were a difficult approach.

Yes, hive was the only close opportunity. And here is where I regret that the game has a bug in standard version of alphax.txt, where it is not possible to build amphibious probe teams. It might be used in a scenario, and was? by the way?

It wouldn't be fair to judge the factional strengths with regards to a standard game. This was roleplaying and most decisions were taken to be in line with the story rather than winning the game. In a normal game, I would have taken out Lal as soon as possible and while securing peace with the Pirates, my next objective would have been the Atlanteans and so on...

I was surprised a bit how concentrated your faction was on the terrain it started, having large "neutral zone" between yours and Lal's positions. Also you were using efficiently dry areas, something most of the players do not know how to do. Your energy income was very large, and actually it was you Rubin that pulled out Hive from its usual energy problems. I thought Yang was making good use of low erosion with solar collectors, but it was in fact trade with university.
Both University and Atlantean military strengths were in strong economy.
It is good the game was more builder style. Otherwise you might end it around impact technology or missiles with synthetic fossil fuels. You know, there is also another game on the map around size of the naval clash, which I created with relatively close starting places, cause it was intended to be more violent. One faction defeated very soon another with laser and synthmetal technologies...

[Mart]

Originally posted by Barinthus
Any feedback for me? If any, that is.

The good things: great roleplay. I enjoyed very much bases like "New Panama Canal", "Saphire Coast" and "The Spot". I admit, you were very efficient in being faster in the race to the borehole cluster with Yang. In the simulation I played hive was faster than me, so it was good. The bad things are that you were not establishing many new bases. Some good tiles in your territory like monoliths or nutrient bonus were left idle. Geothermal waters, freshwater lake and pholus ridge too.

[Sankis]

I'd like some feedback too. This was my first PBEM (though I had about 3 others during the course of the game, heh) and I know I did really bad early-mid game. Only near the end of the game did I start to get my things together.

[GeoModder]

It showed. You were becoming a real adversary in the high seas.
Guess I was simply lucky to take out that invasion force prematurely.

I had a good laugh at your conquest of the Gaians tho. Don't think you would have made it if it wasn't for Rubin's help.


Tell me, in the early game, were you now deliberatlely intruding on my part of the sea or not? I mean that foil going west through the seafungus.


From my point of view, you founded too little bases in the start, and spreaded them out too thin.
I kept my bases pretty close for defensive purposes, so even without the MCC I could transport defenders from nearby bases in case it was necessary.
Crawler support was getting impressive in the end, as were the seaformers roaming around. But the potential of your airforce was something to keep a weary eye on throughout the last 20-30 turns.

[Sankis]

Intruding your space? Yeah, was pretty much deliberate. I wanted to get a feel for your territory (since this was before I had more map) and just wanted to annoy you a bit .

And yeah, I wouldn't have made it against the Gaians without rubin. I was about to truce with her when Rubin offered assistance. My original plan was to simply capture a single city, truce, then build up in that city and invade at a later date. Once she started with the air and navy, though it all changed.

Yeah, I had way too few bases. As I said, was my first PBEM and I also wasn't too great with the pirates when I started.

[Mart]

The "Captured Gaian human Shield" was very nice. In line with Pirates' way of life.

I agree, that you could establish more bases in the beginning. I noticed that one time you travelled around with a seapod before you established a base. It would be better to travell as little as possible with pods. They drain also minerals for shorter time.

In some post earlier I mentioned, that it would be quite good for your Sankis to take over marshes, but land too. You might place a land base there, which would give your workers possibility to work also on the land. I know, it might be seen as deviation from Pirate philosophy, but after all coasts are near seas and land factions use seas in return too. So it might be ok to sneak some coastal land from them. Unless you had agreement with Rubin not to do it.

New Sargasso changed into Kelp-paradise pretty soon. Was it due to Unity pods popping kelp out? Or was it you Sankis with terraformers? Anyway you did not enter with your sea bases into that large kelp area. Was it an agreement with Geo? In here I would push for sharing this region in half-half way. It was excellent place for population growth and making more colony pods.

I agree here, that making seas on the map this much scattered made difficult for sea factions making large consolidated territories. However, as you can see, Rubin using only little land built very powerful faction. This much was possible for sea factions too I think.

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Mmmm... yes. You should learn to micromanage ASAP.

Haha yeah it was never really my thing. Guess I need to start to appreciate the art of doing so

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by mart7x5

The good things: great roleplay. I enjoyed very much bases like "New Panama Canal", "Saphire Coast" and "The Spot". I admit, you were very efficient in being faster in the race to the borehole cluster with Yang. In the simulation I played hive was faster than me, so it was good. The bad things are that you were not establishing many new bases. Some good tiles in your territory like monoliths or nutrient bonus were left idle. Geothermal waters, freshwater lake and pholus ridge too.

Thanks. However one thing I want to improve upon is how to expand faster. I don't think I'm aggressive enough in building bases and woud like to improve in that area.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by mart7x5
New Sargasso changed into Kelp-paradise pretty soon. Was it due to Unity pods popping kelp out? Or was it you Sankis with terraformers? Anyway you did not enter with your sea bases into that large kelp area. Was it an agreement with Geo? In here I would push for sharing this region in half-half way. It was excellent place for population growth and making more colony pods.

Most were popped by Sankis, IIRC. But we negotiated a border and I 'bought' settler rights further east later on. Sargasso sea was quite close to my core territory, so I would never have allowed a pirate base that close to me.

[Sankis]

Yeah, we had an agreement very early in the game (like ~15 turns in) to spit Sargasso in half. I later traded most of it for tech or somesuch mid game