Sikander's Builder Game

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 12:23

Recently on the Favorite Faction thread I was asked by Hendrik to post some Save games to illustrate my University opening game. Rather than spam up that thread anymore I decided to start another one.

I started this game in order to have great conditions for building, in order to illustrate the speed of my University game vs Hendrik's Morgan. I used Dilithium Dad's Ultimate Builder map, which is a modified Huge map of Planet. (The game is SMACX btw).

Difficulty is Transcend, Look First is on and Random Events are off. I'll post zipped save files with some notes in series of posts to follow.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 12:32

I've landed on the Great Northern Island, an ideal location in may respects for my purposes. It is attached by a thin peninsula to a large landmass, and there is plenty of Fungus between me and my nearest competitor on land. Within my sight radius I see a Monolith, two pods and a river.

I'm planning on using two on the diagonal spacing. This is a very tight spacing between bases, but I find it pretty productive throughout all phases of the game. Each base has a guaranteed 7 squares to work, but bases on the periphery are likely to have a good deal more squares available.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 12:39

Oops!

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 12:45

I've had some good fortune from a pod in the form a Morgan's Comm Frequency. I ring him up and trade Centauri Ecology for Industrial Base. I switch research over to Industrial Economics, get that and begin research on Planetary networks. Breakthroughs are every 3 years. My first former has rolled off the line at University base, and it begins work on another.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 12:53

Formers are done, and am starting on colony pods. I got Industrial Automation thanks to early contact with Morgan, and am running Wealth. Researching Biogenetics.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 13:07

I got Biogenetics and Social Psych, working on Secrets of the Human Brain. Three new bases form the classic "Five on the Die" pattern, with University Base at the center. So far I've mainly focused my former time on roads and sensors, thanks in large part to the presence of those monliths. I am finishing up the skeltal forming for my first 9 bases and beginning to turn to forestation.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 13:46

I've switched to Free Market / Wealth, having rushed in some Recreation Commons and Recycling Tanks. My 6th base is in place, and most are working on Supply Crawlers while my formers are laying in forests. I'm currently researching Gene Splicing. Morgan has started the Human Genome Project, which is one SP that I definitely want, but there is no need to panic.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 13:54

Got Gene Splicing, researching Ecological Engineering. Another base founded for a total of 7. Weather Paradigm started at University base.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 14:01

Weather Paradigm completed, Human Genome Project completes next turn. Used crawler upgrade 'cheat'. 8 bases now, Ecological Engineering researched, and Environmental Economics next turn.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 14:19

Tree Farms are mostly in, Children's Creches starting. I built the Virtual World, Deirdre builth the Empath Guild, Lal built the Command Nexus and the Merchant Exchange. Morgan bought the Planetary Transit System, which is one I'd like to have, but thankfully isn't at all critical.

With the election of Lal as our Planetary Governor came a couple of trades and a treaty with a pitiful Miriam. I got Doctrine: Mobility and Applied Physics, have researched Neural Grafting and am two turns from Bioengineering and Clean Reactors.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 14:27

Demo / FM / Wealth GA pop boom! Psych set to 20%. Researching Progenitor Psych for the Planetary Energy Grid and Hybrid Forests. Nine bases, with plots prepared for 8 more. Buillt the Longevity Vaccine, and am building lots of Clean Formers. I will be converting my terraforming from forests to Condensor / Farms or Boreholes as former power increases significantly.

An earthquake linked my area with Morgans, but we're treatied, and my production is more than a match for whatever he could throw at me in any event. I did build some probes and infiltrated his datalinks. I have also had a couple of unpleasant conversations with Lal and Santiago, which resulted inevitably in Vendetta.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 14:51

The pop boom continues, with some bases already maxed out and their Doctors switched over to Librarians. Tech should be quite a bit quicker from now on. Three new bases are in, with a fourth on its way. I built the Neural Amplifier, and am working on the Planetary Energy Grid.

By research and trade I have picked up Doctrine: Flexibility, High Energy Chemistry, Doctrine: Loyalty, and Adoptive Economics.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 15:05

Switched from a Demo / FM / Wealth GA pop boom to a Demo / Planned / Wealth pop boom. Librarians make up about half of my population. Forming is going steadily but slowly, with a total of 14 bases and another on the way.

I researched Intellectual Integrity, and am 1 turn from Planetary Economics. Advances come now every 3 turns. Vendetta with Deirdre now, but no one has come around yet. Building the Citizen's Defense Force.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 15:21

I'm still slogging along building Hybrid Forests in my core bases. I've switched to Knowledge from Wealth, and am concentrating on getting to Fusion Power, which is the holy grail of this style of play. Forming is continuous, with much of my core area completed for now. I have also raised a bit of land, with more to come. Sixteen Bases total.

I researched or traded for Polymorphic Software, Nonlinear Mathematics, Intellectual Integrity, Synthetic Fossil Fuels, and Cyber Ethics. Currently researching Superconductor, with advances still coming every 3 turns.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 15:47

Finally I am researching Fusion, having collected Advanced Military Algorithms, Pre-Sentient Algorithms, and Doctrine: Airpower along the way. I have also completed the Planetary Datalinks, the Ascetic Virtues, and the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm. I have 18 bases now, and am gearing up for at least defensive battle.

Sikander · December 14, 2002, 16:01

Finally Fusion is reality, and Librarians have been replaced with Engineers. Fusion labs are being built in all developed bases. Research takes a short hit until the Fusion labs are built, when it will resume its former level. Econ is going to really kick up. Researching MMI, and it's due next turn.

Morgan declared Vendetta but I am ready for him, and my impending Air Power is going to be decisive.

That's it for now, if there is any interest I can post further saves and description, but the game is in the bag at this point. It's time for Chop and Drop, Superformers and Soil Enrichers, and constant expansion and Pop Boom.

VJ · December 14, 2002, 17:49

Hmmh. Saves don't work on my SMAC... Game played with the expansion pack?

Method · December 14, 2002, 18:56

yup. i read something about the energy grid in there...

Maniac · December 14, 2002, 20:19

Around when do you get IndAut in an average game, meaning no early contact with other factions or lots of goodies like monoliths around your first bases?

Method · December 14, 2002, 20:53

sik: you....are.....GOD!!!!

_{i imagine a lot of people are that good, like whoever it was transcended in 2170's (korn has the record?), but they don't post logs of their games}

Hendrik · December 14, 2002, 21:54

Hmm, I am currently in the process of writing a paper for finals, I will look over this stuff when I have some time.

Hendrik · December 14, 2002, 22:21

Hmm well my final paper got delayed, because I decided to look over these saves

Thanks for posting it here.

Some observations:
Heavily specialist based research approach tends to be VERY good at generating research or labs, but much less efficient at generating raw energy, thus it doesn't bring in nearly as much commerce income.
You are barely affected at all by efficiency and economy SE ratings.
Argh I need to get back to work, I have to say that this is a very interesting approach, I tend to use very little specialists as a Morganite.

My "best" game so far as a UofP player is about 10 years behind your specialist based approach, I use a more conventional approach with looser base spacing.
Here is the save of where the game gets moving, 2227, I will compare stuff more later when I have time.

Hendrik · December 14, 2002, 22:24

Here it is
I compared both save files running FM, I produced about 50 more lab points with this save, but again this is 10 years later. Also I produce about 200 less energy per turn.

Plan9 · December 15, 2002, 19:55

Thought I'd give a go at proving that a faction other than zak or morgan can equal or better them. Of course the tech part relies on early contact and heavy trading, but IMO that's part of the game.

My point is, by about 2220 - 2240 Domai (my preference) should be able to generate equal tech and be ahead in infrastucture, secret projects and terrain enhancements.

I'd have to say the premise for comparing the game I've ended up with sik's after 50 turns is minimal. Early contacts convinced me to go planned and keep expanding leaving my focus on infrastructure relying on trading for tech and I must admit i had a lot of luck with pods (more than every third so far has to have been a nut/min/en special).

Anyway if you could point me in the direction of Dilithium Dad's Ultimate Builder map, I might give it another go on similar premises.

Attached is saves from 2110 - 2121 - 2130 - 2140 and 2150 along with a turn transcript.

Hendrik · December 16, 2002, 00:03

Ultimate Builder Map:
http://galileo.spaceports.com/~dreifels/maps_here.html

I am preparing a comparison game as Morgan on a huge map. I work on it when I am not doing my Finals papers

Omni that would be great if you have a save showing an equal tech rate as the drones by 120, that would be great, it will be pretty hard to accomplish.

I think the drones are easily one of the most powerful MP factions because of their versatility. They can somewhat make up for the research penalty by allocating a lot of energy to labs and building a lot of facilitities. But overall I find that when I get ahead of the pack tech-wise in SP games that I usually stagnate much longer than other factions.

Ogie Oglethorpe · December 17, 2002, 02:24

Great game Sik,

I've attached my save at MY2204 with impending fusion power in 3 turns. unfortunately its late I didn't bother to make saves along the way but suffice it to say my expereince mirros your own. I chose to ICS like mad in FM/wealth for the majority of the time (allowing VW and PTS to hold drones at bay) when I had no further expansion opportunities I then went for the pop boom and ability to convert some populace to librarians.

Og

Hendrik · December 17, 2002, 04:54

Wow, it is really interesting to see how different the various playstyles are.

I just finished the first 113 turns of my game as Morgan, on a Huge map (not the DD ultimate builder map). Here is the turn 113 save- I have a completely developed empire, with boreholes in every available square, and full infrastructure in all of my main 20 or so bases. This game was an absolute PIA to manage. Basically I did the conventional biogenetics -> IA opening, then followed up by extremely rapid expansion. I snagged the PEG at first opportunity. Once I got tree farms I used specialist induced golden age pop booms in my most developed cities. Once I had tree farms and hab complexes in all of my bases I started a GA induced pop boom throughout my empire by allocating 20% energy to psych.

I now am running dem/fm/know at 10% econ and 90% labs (infrastructure is finished, I have no need for cash). I make around 3500 tech points per turn, advanced spaceflight next turn (and orbital power transmitters!)

Hendrik · December 17, 2002, 05:30

Here is saves showing the development of my empire. They are somewhat random as I haven't had time to look back over them, I was too eager to play to take notes when I was doing this.

Sikander · December 17, 2002, 11:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuomerehu
Hmmh. Saves don't work on my SMAC... Game played with the expansion pack?

Yea, sorry it's SMACX.

Sikander · December 17, 2002, 11:49

Quote:

Originally posted by Maniac
Around when do you get IndAut in an average game, meaning no early contact with other factions or lots of goodies like monoliths around your first bases?

On a huge map, I tend to get it between 2115 - 2125. A lot depends on luck, whether bad or good. This game was particularly fortunate because I had the monoliths for great early energy production and a bonus tech from contact with Morgan, and thus IA in 2113. Without Morgan, I would have had to take another 3 turns or so to research Industrial Base, and without monoliths every tech would have come a turn or two slower in the very early game, pushing me past 2120 for sure.