Turns of Democracy in Peril

Googlie · August 10, 2001, 13:29

Old thread is:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=23713

G.

Tai Mai Shu · August 10, 2001, 16:27

MY 2115 to the good Foreman.

Commissioner TMS on Commlink 3

I'm pleased to report the factionwide completion of recycling tanks. With this great achievement we can now step up to the next goal of gathering teams of terraformers to create food and lumber for our people. This much anticipated event means we will no longer need to eat those horrible dry rations that were stored in our escape pods and can switch to home grown fruits and vegetables.

Commissioner TMS out

Darius · August 10, 2001, 21:18

Terraforming and colony pod production continue.

2116 to johndmuller.

johndmuller · August 10, 2001, 21:18

MY 2116 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Planetary Nets should arrive next turn - 2117; I am unsure when you will want it TMS. Nor am I sure what I should be researching next; both your feedbacks would be helpful. At the present rate, I will be 3 or 4 turns into the next tech before I would be able to get the Ind Econ from TMS and be able to switch research to Ind Auto (assuming it would even let me) so it would likely forfeit some tech research points in the switch (might be worth it anyway if it got Ind Auto quickest, but not very thrifty). I have an urge to get Social Psych to allow me to get to base sizes 3 and 4, but am open to suggestions.

We found another AA, this one on land near a base, so should be no trouble securing it; the first one is on the way back from the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (I hope the Foil Captain is able to resist the urge to pop the other Sea Pod which has presented itself right on our way home). I'm not above popping the AAs right away for techs (that is whenever I get around to building a Net Node or 2), but I think that conventional wisdom often advises against doing it that way. Do either or you know how much they are worth if cashed in toward an SP (in mins or compared to a crawler)? That may be the superior option, but of course, then we must decide which one. No particular urgency on this, but advice would be appreciated as I am prone to just getting techs and the hell with tech costs or SPs (I don't think my instincts are so correct in this case).

I keep pushing our luck with pods and Native Life (I wish we had something with enough range to pop a pod and then either attack or retreat - at least sometimes); I fear we might lose our first battle this time as we will be facing an IOD (with a spore launcher on board) with only a poor little Unity Foil - we do have better morale and there is no fungus, so we still stand a chance. the CEO can't help thinking about all the ec's we could have had if we had been able to attack all this NL we've been fighting off instead of defending all the time.

Tai Mai Shu · August 10, 2001, 21:58

MY 2116 to Darius

I'd like to suggest you research Industrial Economics and let me send you Industrial Economics within 2 turns when I finish researching it. This should allow you to switch research goals to something else without losing any research points or increasing your research cost. At least that's how it works in single player, but I think it's a good enough risk to try it out anyways.

As for the minerals gained from cashing in AA's, well you gain a set amount of 50 mins. While this is a lot in the early years, later on it's much more effective for cashing in for research as research costs are in the hundreds and even the thousands in comparison to 50 measly minerals.

But, if you have a huge abundance of them and you really don't know what to do with them, might I suggest you grab one of the early SP's with it? Even though it's not that cost effective to do it this way it might be useful if you really need one of the early SP's right away.

As for facing IOD's, well you're automatically going to lose if you end up fighting one after MY 2115. Since Unity foils get a -50% for non combat it's basically suicide to even face one. You should wait a little while and get secrets of the human brain, that way, you can arm it with armor, thereby negating the noncombat penalty and with trance you have a very good chance of killing two IOD's in a row without dieing. This is a very good advantage as your unity foils are independent and should come in very handy since they cost you no support.

Tai Mai Shu · August 10, 2001, 22:07

Oh, also, since we're so close to hitting our first goal, we should plan our secondary goals. I am curious if you all want to go hit different research goals, with Darius concentrating mostly on building up his economy/labs first before setting out on a research goal. We would have to hit the restriction lifting techs and clean reactors first with everything else taking secondary priority.

So what do you all think?

Tai Mai Shu · August 10, 2001, 23:56

MY 2117 to the Free Drones

johndmuller · August 11, 2001, 00:01

MY 2117 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Following Ind Econ / Switch to Ind Auto strategy as discussed. My Tech Cost has jumped to 105 (presumably an indication of what you all might expect). As expected I lost one of those $%@$%#$ Unity foils to the IOD (fortunately I had already offloaded the scout, so no big deal). In order to upgrade one of them, we have to have Doc: Flex as well as the upgrade tech.

I see that you two are following kind of different development strategies, it will be interesting to watch - I'm apparently doing a mixture of the two.

I don't have any solid ideas for your tech paths at the moment; will let you know if I get inspired.

Googlie · August 11, 2001, 01:41

If I can offer any suggestions from the sidelines (based on my hotseating it thru 100 turns) you need:

Air Power and Fusion to beat off the inevitable Hive/Sparta attacks

Nutrient, minerals and energy restrictions lifted to get your growth going

Am not sure how more effective 3 different players would be compared to a single hotseater, but I found myself never in the race for the science SPs, and in fact ended up wasting 140 or so mins when I finally gave up on a base that had overproduced an obsolute SP - I was so far behind by then in tech that I either carried on and hope to steal transcendence, or just convert to something useful like an aerospace center (which I did).

You'll find AMA essential for the AAA defense ability

G.

Tai Mai Shu · August 11, 2001, 02:32

Well admittedly I think three different players would be at a slight disadvantage in comparison to a single player hotseating it in terms of coordinating attacks and tech.

But, on the plus side, three players can think up more approaches to attacks and infrastructure building than one person could, which might be helpful depending on how effective they are.

johndmuller · August 11, 2001, 13:32

MY 2118 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Maybe the Googlie really wanted to name the thread "Foreshadowing of Doom".

Its a good thing you are also using my hotmail still as msn.com seems to be embargoing incoming mail half the time (as in the last 12 hours); during their previous bad periods, spam and other small stuff used to come in at least. Outgoing mail still works, but very iffy on attachments.

Tai Mai Shu · August 11, 2001, 13:45

MY 2118 to the Free Drones

I'm not worried about losing though, we have a good chance of keeping pace with the computer if we can snag the planetary datalinks. With that we can basically keep up in tech no matter how good the computer is in research as once it shares it's tech with it's pactmates then it'll become our tech.

This is definitely one SP that we should let Darius work on as it'll cost a whole lot less for him to build.

Of course, if they manage to get the planetary datalinks then we're screwed.

Btw, next turn I'm getting Industrial Economics, and I'm going freemarket asap and researching Social Psych so we can have drone control while under FM.

johndmuller · August 11, 2001, 17:09

MY 2119 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

It sounds horrible to manage, but conceivably, the holder of the WP could "own" and operate (that would be the hassle) many of the formers and likewise the ME holder many energy crawlers. Of course, the Goog doesn't think we are going to get any of these projects.

Whenever I get a coastal base, I think I'm going to launch a bunch of sea probes and see whether I can get the AI ticked off at us. Perhaps I'll frame you guys for whatever I do

Darius · August 11, 2001, 18:00

Quote:

Originally posted by johndmuller
It sounds horrible to manage, but conceivably, the holder of the WP could "own" and operate (that would be the hassle) many of the formers and likewise the ME holder many energy crawlers.

I love this idea!

Quote:

Of course, the Goog doesn't think we are going to get any of these projects.

What does he know?

TMS, thanks very much for echoing the forum back to me by email. But I'm in a couple of other games now using threads, so I guess I'll have to get in the habit of looking here. So I'll take it from here. Thanks again!

Darius

Tai Mai Shu · August 11, 2001, 21:22

MY 2119 to the Free Drones

I do not have a problem with the holder of the WP controlling formers for our three factions, but then extensive directions have to be given to the holder of the WP every turn and that might lead to some problems later on if someone forgets to send directions.

As for getting the AI ticked at us, there's no need. They're already set to automatically declare vendetta upon us on commlink contact. Just try it, talk to one of the AI controlled factions in commlink.

Darius · August 11, 2001, 21:35

2120 to the Morganites.

Switched to Free Market (thanks, TMS). Produced one colony pod this turn, and should get one more next turn. Discovered Unity crash site; so far have recovered a mining laser and a scout chopper. Flew the chopper back to a base, but now the mining laser is giving me pacifist drones.

Darius

johndmuller · August 11, 2001, 22:11

MY 2120 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Research switch worked OK still on track for 2130

"getting the AI ticked off at us" ... was joke

Now I really will frame you

Tai Mai Shu · August 11, 2001, 22:25

MY 2120 to the Free Drones

And I know, but I'm a smartaleck and I like to point out the obvious anyways

Darius · August 11, 2001, 23:01

2121 to Morgan.

Two colony pods en route to new base sites on Pholus Ridge.

johndmuller · August 12, 2001, 02:09

MY 2121 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Tai Mai Shu · August 12, 2001, 02:23

MY 2121 to the Free Drones

Darius · August 12, 2001, 11:23

I discovered the Unity command bridge, with the starting locations of all of the factions. I prepared an annotated map to attach here, but Apolyton won't accept it because it's too big. Check out the map in-game.

Hey, can you re-home a unit to a pactmate's base? If not, it won't be practical for the holder of the WP to run all the formers because he would also be stuck with all of the support costs.

Turn 2122 to jdm.

Tai Mai Shu · August 12, 2001, 11:30

No, you can't rehome a unit to a pactmate's base, but the idea still has merit as you can just give them all clean reactors hence bypassing any support problems.

Also, don't worry about passing the map to us on the boards, as we'll see them soon enough in game

johndmuller · August 12, 2001, 14:06

MY 2122 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

It looks like one of those guys - the University - maybe/might/could be on your alls landmass? (if it's not a strait instead)

Tai Mai Shu · August 12, 2001, 19:34

MY 2122

Yeah, looks that way doesn't it? It might be better if we go straight for Doc: Airpower and do a pre-emptive strike, since if they're on the same landmass as we are since we're basically dead if we stay on the builder stance. What do you two think?

Darius · August 12, 2001, 22:12

Quote:

It's up to you - I did place the three of you on adjacent island continents with the Axis around the perimeter, so early contact will happen naturally (well, as soon as someone gets flex, anyway) -Googlie

Both the University and the CC are close to TMS, but according to Googlie (see the first thread) we are all on islands. We should still work toward air power, though.

I will be establishing a new base next turn, with two more to follow soon. I'll get Doc:Mobility next turn, with Doc:Flex next.

Turn to jdm.

Darius

johndmuller · August 13, 2001, 01:40

MY 2123 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Tai Mai Shu · August 13, 2001, 01:53

MY 2123 to Foreman Darius

Darius · August 13, 2001, 11:19

Turn to John about 6:30 this morning.

johndmuller · August 13, 2001, 12:21

MY 2124 to Tai Mai Shu - Peacekeepers

Darius, please hold Doc: Mobility for a few turns, until 2126 or 2127, to avoid risk of bumping cost of Ind Auto.