Lal

please post progress reports, taunts and random thoughts regarding the ongoing Lal challenge.

[mark13]

continued from previous thread....
Log no. 4 - Brother Mark of the Peacekeepers:

2210: First behemoth class rover rolls off the production lines
2211: Thought about probing Marr for tech - but thought better of it - he is just too close to me at the moment....
2213: U.N. Planetary trust founded as a size 3 base, just to the south of the HQ on a bit of raised land.
2214: The Believers have been eradicated - down to six factions. Yang has a 6-strong Laser stack on my border - no match against my 7-strong Impacts.
Planetary Energy Grid initiatedat U.N. Health Authority - ETA 15 turns if everyone pulls together...
2216: Mass upgrade of all Scout Skirmishers (1-2-2) to the new Trance Plasma Skirmisher (1-3t-2)
2218: Tech! Intellectual Integrity - probed from University.
Hive has impact weapons.....
2219: Tech! Doctrine: Initiative. Oh joy.
2222: Planetary Energy Grid completed - so much for 15 turns - LOL
2223: Maritime Control Centre begun at U.N. HQ - ETA 12 turns-ish
2224: Tech! Gene Splicing - traded with Yang for adaptive economics - it's one step closer to EnvEco....
2225: Marr demands 150 credits - not a huge ransom, and I'm not prepared to risk another war - I accept....

Status report - M.Y. 2225:
Security Nexus:
1 Scout Patrol - no idea where
1 Battle Ogre Mk1
8 Impact Rovers (4-1-2)
5 Impact Infantries (4-3-1)
2 Trance Plasma Sentinels (1-3t-1)
3 Behemoth Class Rovers (4-3-2)
10 Trance Plasma Skirmishers (1-3t-2)
2 Empath 3-Res Hoverboats (1e-3r-4)
2 Skimship Probes

The state of our economy:
Income: 130/yr
Maintenance: 42yr

Laboratory status:
Researching Ecological Engineering
Techs in 10, next in 4

SPs:
Virtual World, Human Genome Project, Weather Paradigm, Planetary Transit System, Planetary Energy Grid.
Hive has Command Nexus,
Usurpers have Merchant Exchange.

Score breakdown:
Population: 57
Technology: 23
Commerce: 27
Secret Projects: 125

Score: 232
Running Demo/FM/Survival at 50/0/50

Power chart:
Peacekeepers
Caretakers at 4/5
Hive at 3/5
Usurpers also at 3/5
Pirates at just over 1/2
University at 1/2
Believers eradicated.

A few thoughts:
must lift the energy restrictions. First and foremost, that is the main aim of the next 15 or so years. I have sloars and echelon mirrors everywhere. Any SPs I could grab along the way would be nice, of course. Expansion efforts are going slightly behind schedule, as enemy waters are hampering my land-raising efforts.

Diplomatically, things are interesting. Svensgaard is p***ed of at me for whatever reason, and Yang doesn't particularly like me, but is aware of my inherent military superiority.

The aliens are hostile, to say the least, but I would regard my bases as well defended enough to cope with such a threat.

[Capt Dizle]

M.Y. 2235

I am not doing badly for a guy who hasn't played in a long time. I set up 12 bases, well, one was the Hive captured from my submisssive pactmate. I have perfected 10 of those to the point of having tree farms built. Pop boomed and everything was looking okay.

Then all hell broke loose. Swen, the knave, decided to join with the bug eyed monsters to eliminate civilization as we know it.

I just happened to be ready to research SFF and started to mobilize. Followed up by researching DAP.

Have taken 11 Pirate bases and one of Miram's as well.

I will have chaos weapons shortly. Building hybrid forests in the interim. Since the aliens have only 3r defenders, I think that I might make some headway with them after I finish the subhumans.

Tech is coming every three turns. Running Dem/Green/Knowledge at 10/90. I have set all of the captured bases to stockpile energy. PEG gives a nice boost.

Life is good on Chiron.

jt

ps...

Alpha Centauri Score

Pop 196
Commerce 25
Tech 30
Secret Projects 200
Total 451

[This message has been edited by jimmytrick (edited November 14, 2000).]

[WhiteElephants]

Here's a brief 2200 update:

9 bases 63 pop (and rising)
18 total techs
133 tech points per turn
new tech in 8
Synthetic Fossil Fuels next turn
32 energy credits per turn
pact with Zak and Sven
Vendetta with Yang, Mirium, and the Caretakers
No sign of the Usurpers yet
I hold the Planetary Gov.

I opted to end expansion at 9 bases and go for more infrastructure. This could be my downfall, but my original plan was to take Yang's bases out from under him. Unfortunately, Yang had High Energy Chemistry against my Impact Weapons. I'm going to get Synthetic Fossil Fuels next turn and make my way to Doctrine Air Power to put some hurt on Yang. I see his demise in the near future.

The reason I decided from the beginning that Yang must die was because I knew I'd be running Demo and Yang is just relentless anyhow. I also like the lay out of his continent. Nice special resources. I to tried to get a base on the energy ridge, but only managed to plan one on the isthmus that connects both our continents. Yang has massed several troops on two seperate occasions to attack this base and was severly beaten down. I lost one plasma garrison to his 15 odd units.

I haven't run Free Market because of my war footing with Yang and the drones it creates. In hindsight this may also be one of my mistakes. Had I prepared for FM and ran it I think I would have several more techs and energy than I do at the expense of the content citizens I have. I noticed Mark13 is bringing home quite a chunk of change from it. Right now I'm satisfied with Demo/Planned which is suitable for the war I'm about to wage on Yang. I haven't begun raising much land as of yet. There are still boreholes and mines to be dug to support the war with Yang.

[mark13]

Oh well, my game is being put to shame, as usual....

But no, I researched the wrong techs early on. Yang will fall when I get D:AP, with a bit of luck. But those energy restrictions are a real pain in the a$$...

I also need tree farms. Oh boy do I also need tree farms.
[This message has been edited by mark13 (edited November 14, 2000).]

[WhiteElephants]

O, forgot to mention that I have the Weather Paradigm and The Human Genome Project. Lost the Command Nexus to the Hive, The Empath Guild and the Virtual World to Zak, and I think it was the Caretakers who nabbed the Merchant Exchange.

Jimmy -- I'm curious, how did you managed to force Yand into a submissive pact? I imagine it was early in the game. It looks as though you approached the game as a momnetum faction, but I can't be certain.

Mark -- I noticed you have quite an impressive army and yet they aren't doing you much good as far as acquiring more resources. You might have over done your defense it seems. I am handling Yang quite handily with 4 impact rovers and 3 plasma garrisons, though I'm not in your shoes so I can't say what it looks like at your end of the barrel. But besides those units I've metioned I don't much else. One more plasma garrison and a bunch of scouts. I think that if anyone lands on my continent I'll have time to upgrade those scouts to plasma anyhow so I tend to focus on facilities instead of units that are just sucking up support minerals. Now I could understand if you were prepared to mount an offense, but it seems from your posts that you are just trying to hang on. Just my two cents.

[mark13]

WhiteElephants,

I think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head there. I was very weak militarily early on, and it seems I may have over-compensated. Yang has quite an impressive army as well now, and has about 10 impact infantry on my border, so my stack is going to have to stay. The resources aren't much of a problem, although I am suffering from a lack of technology.

It appears I will have to have another go at this one, once I'v played this one out... :evil grin:

[Googlie]

I'll post a fuller state of the nation report, but here's the crucial five years I've just played:

2199: Subverted two Yang plasma sentinels at Pillar, and a Rover at Court of Justice

2200: Yang wastes three rovers on defended probe on mine outside Great Collective
But he also takes out my skimship probe at Enforcement Base - lands and wastes a rover there too

2203: CRIPES. On tile 64/16 (next to Pillar of Rights) yang has assembled an invasion force of eight 2-2-1's, six 2-1-2 rovers, two 1-3-1 sentinels and an odd 1-1-2 rover. I'm defending with four 1-3-1's, two 2-1-2 rovers, the Ogre Mk 1 and three probes

2204: Lost Pillar, but valiantly defended and took down many of Yang's troops with the fall - he's in the base with four 2-1-2 rovers, having wasted (invested?) all his other units in the conquest.

Like Mark13, I think I'll be playing this one again and doing things differently (not that it's over yet by any means, just a setback)

G.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Vice President Lal Gore checking in. Unfortunately count data is quite accurate through first 100 years at the polls but we have a 99% accuracy on the 100 yr. mark.

Highlights 2106 World Election starts - Un HQ renamed Democratic National HQ. Other base renamed Lieberman's Retreat

First tech Centauri Ecology 2109 ish
Discovered Internet (net Nodes) 2116 ish
Beelined next dsicoveries as Industrial Base and Industrial Econ made switch immediately to improve world wide trade via a free market no tarrif arrangement. Governor Greenspan is happy with inflationary practices and economy starts to flourish

Beelined to Industrial Auto completed by 2150 ish
First SP completed 2150 ish as well

Again many apologies to the masses but the tallies are not yet complete. What we have so far by MY2200 is:

10 bases: Population 41
Bases are: Democratic National HQ
Lieberman's Retreat
The Will of the People
Little Rock's Pride
Environmetnal Initiative
Watergate Exposed
271 Electoral Way
Hillary's Revenge
Pro Choice Haven

1 more base to be added soon

SP's to date:
PEG
PTS
Merchant Ex
WP
HGP

Lost to UoP - VW

Economy - NI 77/yr
Tech Cost - 943
Turns/tech = 6 Next tech in 3 (SothB)
Reserves 122

Techs Total - 19
Infrastructure -Tree farmed 1/2 of all bases and am making swith to Demo/planned/wealth.

Precious little tech gainsed from pods or by trade as I was too powerful by the time I met other factions (damn partisan politics if you ask me )

Inthe process of probe actions against Sven for 3 techs

Voted governor in my 2198 - no need for recounts on that one although I beleive it may be challenged in 20 yrs.

War maybe in the future 'gainst Republican guards of Yang.

[Googlie]

2230 report

The war with Yang progresses well. While he keeps throwing his troops at the neck of land separating our empires, and takes horrendous losses, our valiant naval corps has been wiping up his sea bases, having captured five and re-educated the population. Three times now he has asked for peace, but Lal the Vaccilator has proven to be quite intransigent in this and has steadfastly refused.

We are confident enough of the outcome of this war that many of our bases have focussed their efforts into building creches and research hospitals. Soon we will take to the skies.

Our next target will be Miriam. We cannot forget the ruthless manner in which she onliterated our fledgling base at the Manifold Nexus.

2230: State of the nation

16 bases
50 pop
24 techs
explore 36%
discover 30%
build 27%
conquer 19%

SE settings: 0/10/90
Tech per turn = 120; turns per tech 10 years; next tech (DAP) in 6 years
Energy per turn: -15 (deficit financing for ten turns)
Reserves: 195

WP, ME, CN, CDF and MCC built
PTS overbuilt (lost to Pirates) but will deliver an "instabuilt" SP

Units:
1 colony pods
6 formers
2 scout patrols
13 plasma sentinels
13 supply crawlers
4 impact rovers
4 impact squads
I laser infantry
1 unity foil
2 plasma hoverboats
5 impact skimships skimship probes
4 probe teams

Pacted with Zak
Treaty with Sven
Vendetta with Marr, H'minee, Yang and Miriam
Still planetary Guv
Strongest power on Planet

AC score: 229

[Capt Dizle]

From WhiteElephants,

"Jimmy -- I'm curious, how did you managed to force Yand into a submissive pact? I imagine it was early in the game. It looks as though you approached the game as a momnetum faction, but I can't be certain."

Pure luck. You asked so I'll tell you, but before you read this get a bag in case you need to throw up.

Flo left us a rover so I used it to aggressively explore eastward. One of the first things you need to determine is whether or not you share a land mass with another faction. It is crucial to just about every decision you make after you found your first 3 or 4 bases.

Stumbled across an undefended Hive (size 2)with that rover. I am sitting adjacent to the Hive with one movement point left. You can guess what I did.

Switched production to a scout and moved the rover to a rocky/fungus tile just to the northwest of the Hive. Purpose: early warning of the inevitable approach of Yang's troops. Built another scout and then a probe.

A Yang recon rover shows up and attacks my rover and LOSES! Love rocky squares. I decided to move west to find Yang. Shortly thereafter my rover and accompanying probe spot a Yang base. Next turn a 2-2-1 pops out. I then bribe that unit to join the dark side. This is when I post about the rules.

I resume and note that Yang has only one unit defending. I move the 2-2-1 one square away and start moving up my scouts. Very soon therafter I move the rover adjacent so that I can peek inside and see what Yang has built. Yang pops up and then demands something or another to spare me, I forget exactly what...and when I tell him to get stuffed he submits.

I never attacked him at all. Isn't that sickening. Yang is a wimp!

So, I was able to play builder without any concern. The other factions can threaten all they want but if they are not on my land mass, I always tell them to take a pisser.

I never built any military in my own bases in this instance, I rushed the scouts from the Hive though. Most definately not momentum, just opportunistic.

I am going momentum now, with needlejets and chaos in three turns. Would be a crime not to. No one else has DAP yet, unless its the alien I haven't infiltrated and they are to far away to worry about now.

jt


[This message has been edited by jimmytrick (edited November 14, 2000).]

[Googlie]

2250:

As was to be expected, DAP proved to be a tremendous catalyst in persuading Yang that war was futile. he surrendered in 2239, the year that our prototype needlejet took to the air.

We then turned our attention to the Usurpers and the Pirates, our nearest neighbours (who are warring with each other). Two bases were captured from the Pirates, and one Usurper base obliterated. We also successfully probed a tech from Marr, but on a second attempt lost our skimship probeteam en route when they stumbled into a Usurper plasma hoverboat.

We also turned a Pirate destroyer transport that is now being outfitted with the rovers that will take the battle to Miriam.

Our biggest disappointment has been our inability to use the ever growing accumulation of minerals on the obsolete SP still being built (maybe we should just continue and swoop the Ascent on one turn without crawlers or energy)

Zak has proved a loyal ally, duly declaring vendetta on Sven and Miriam, and periodically harassing their bases, but Yang hasn't been much help so far. I may have to consider gifting him back his five bases to strengthen him and make him a more profitable vassal.

Shorter summary for 2250

21 bases
67 pop
27 techs

Tech per turn = 134; turns per tech 12 years; next tech (Ecol Eng) in 9 years
Energy per turn: 10
Reserves: 121

WP, ME, CN, CDF and MCC built
PTS still being overbuilt but will deliver an "instabuilt" SP (still haven't got a tech that will let me use this massively financed obsolete SP)

Units:
25 non-combat (formers and crawlers)
34 land combat units
8 sea combat units
4 probe teams
7 missile penetrators

Yang is subservient
Pacted with Zak
Vendetta with Sven, Marr, H'minee and Miriam
Still planetary Guv
Strongest power on Planet

AC score 263


[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited November 15, 2000).]

[mark13]

Log no. 5, Fall 2000 Challenge - Brother Lal of the Peacekeepers:

2225: The great offensive shall commence. Yang has declared war, and we will pile troops in as swiftly as possible.
2227: Bioadaptive Resonance probed from the University.
2228: Closest Hive base mind controlled - along with about 8 units - LOL
2230: Tech! Ecological Engineering - won't let me research EnvEco though! Aaarghhh!!!!
Socialism Tunnels taken from the Hive - lost two infantry in the attempt, though.
2231: Port Yang taken from the Hive with my entire navy committed - one bribed ship....LOL
2232: Perimeter Defense disabled at Fellowship City making it a matter of time before that base comes under PK control - MWAHAHAHAHA!!!
2233: Tech! Cyberethics, probed from Yang. Switch to Knowledge....
Fellowship City taken - 3 units lost when they should have won - drat! - but apart from that everything aok.
2234: PD disabled at Great Collective
2235: R-Laser rover prototyped

Security nexus:
1 Battle Ogre Mk1 @ 10%
1 Impact Rover 4-2-2
1 Plasma Coastal 2-3-4
8 Impact Rovers 4-1-2
4 Impact Infantry 4-3-1
2 Trance Plasma Sentinels 1-3t-1
2 Behemoth Class Rovers 4-3-2
10 Mobile Plasma Garrison 1-3-2
1 Plasma Sentinels 2-3-1
1 Impact Skimship 4-3-4
1 R-Laser rover 6r-1-2
2 Skimship probes Probe-1-4

Income +114/yr
Techs every 13 (ouch!) - next in 8 (Planetary Economics)
17 bases, 4 conquered
SPs: HGP, WP, VW, PEG, PTS, MCC in 1

Top of powerchart ahead of Caretakers (3/4) and Pirates (1/2)
Treaty with Svensgaard, Truce with Marr, Vendettas with everyone else, Miriam eradicated.

A few ramblings:
With the Hive conquest half-way to completion, I still can't lift the energy restrictions. The only reason I resorted to attacking Yang was because I needed to expand, and I am able to do it through conquest. And it wouldn't let me research EnvEco - drat! - that could put transcendence back another 30 years easily.

The plan after the Hive conquest will be to dig in and build, although how easy that's going to be is anyone's guess.

[big_canuk]

First 50 Years

2106 to 60/30/10 tech in 2 turns
2108 cent ecology take inf networks
2110 destroyed spore launcher, hurry former at UN Head
2113 Inf Networks, take Planetary Networks (probe teams)
2117 Establish UN Pillar of Rights at 54,26
2118 Lost independent scout to a spore launcher ~5:3 odds Path to base at 59,27 blocked, redirect CP to Neck
2119 Unity rover from pod!
2120 Planetary Networks take Ind Base
Dispatch another spore launcher
switch to planned
2123 UN Haven City @ 63,17
2125 hurry formers at Haven, CP at Health
2129 UN Data Aquisition @ 58,18
UN Settlement @ 59,27
2130 Ind Base take Ind Economics
2131 Hurried 3 formers
2135 UN Amnesty Town @ ?
2136 econ to 40/0/60 (l less lab, but 3 more ec)
2138 Ind Economics take Ind Automation
Switch to Free Market
Ind Auto ETA in 5 yrs WhooAhh!
Watch base size, max 2 and drone riots
Go to 12 bases
2141 Hive contacted me second time(first time I refused) to trade techs. Don't want to irritate Hive, and starting to worry about secuity, so traded to get Applied Physics, and Doct: Mobility

Switch econ to 50/50
2141 UN Soc Council @ 52,16 (tech/turn = 20)
2142 Lost ind scout to MW - Arrghhh!
From now on mostly rec tanks, with eye to switching to crawlers, even at to cost of a few wasted mins, or hurrying the more advanced ones.
My might is formidable, with only 1 unity rover, scouts, and formers, (but lots of them)
2143 Industrial Automation take Soc Psych
Sven will sell me Flex for 100 but not trade
UN Court of Justice @54,20
2145 UN Cr Tribute @ 50,10
pop pod by base, Social Psych!!!
switch to rec com and hurry at UN Data to avoid drone riots
Zak starts Virt World (guess ETA ~2165)
take Ethical Calc as new tech to research
2146 UN Enforcement Base @56,12
Missed drone riots on growth at UN Haven
2147 Popped pod for 50 ec
Switched to wealth
2148 Hive just took Nut bonus rocky square from me by moving the border. Great Collective only 3 squares away. Hurry rec commons to avoid hunger, plan on building a 2-1-2
Popped pod by a base for 100 ec!
Hurry rec com at UN Amnesty, (growth nxt turn)
Start recon rover at UN Haven City
2149 UN Disaster Relief on Garland Crater Island, @ 45,9

State of Nation at 2150

bases 11
pop 16
tech 10
comm 6

score 32

SE:
tech/turn 39, turns/tech 8, next tech 3 (Eth Calc)

Energy 50, inc 33

NO SPs yet

Units:
CP 1 active
formers 10 active, 1 in prod
scouts 11 active, 1 in prod
crawlers 5 in prod
un rover 1 active, 1 lost
un foil 1 active,
rec rover 1 in prod

I'm tech leader, might potent
1st H'mnee
2nd Lal by whisker
3rd UoP by whisker
4th Usurpers
5th Sven
6th Hive
7th Belivers

pact with Sven
treaty with Hive
Sven and Hive fighting, let them so Hive stays busy

Studied new map from Sven:
take last CP to Monsoon Jungle Penninsula 44,30 or 40,34.
need sea base to take geothermal shallows
need 100 ec for flex from Sven
eyeing borehole cluster on island to east

2152 Conq Marr starts WP ETA 2167
Bought flex from sven for 100 ec
2153 Sven's at war with Usurpers
Ethical Calculus take Gene Splicing (not High Energy Chem, though I thought hard)
Dem now?, wait for few more crawlers so support hit is covered and to found base.
2157 Monsoon jungle conected to Miriam - too bad - go anyway!!
2158 Usurpers build ME Argghh
2166 Build VW
2169 Give Miriam Doct Flex
Switch to Democratic

2170 State of Nation

bases 11
pop 31
com 8
tech 13
sp 50 VW, WP

score 102

SE:
Dem/FM/Wealth 50/0/50

tech/turn 64, turn/tech 8, nxt 2ys (Ecological Eng)

Inc 55
Maint 13 ??(10 rec com, 3 net nodes??)

net inc 42

Units:

Col pods 1 active, 2 in Prod
Formers 11 active, 1 in prod
scouts 14 active, 1 lost
crawlers 28 active, 9 in prod
un rover 1 active, 1 lost
un foil 1 active
sea former 1 active
rec rover 1 active

Might Unsurpassed!

2173 Cash crawlers to PTS
Switch to planned
Hurry Net Nodes and others
2174 Build PTS
Pact with Sven ended
2175 back to FM
2176 Un Humanity Base at ??
2177 UN Info @ 40,8
2180 Env Economics!! take High Energy Chem (finally)
2182 Usurpers (at war) land with 2 recon rovers
2184 Last of Usurper landing destroyed at cost of rec rover, 2 crawlers and a probe team

thats all for now folks.
I've got a great start. Question Is:
can I hold my 2 bases from H'mnee in the Jungle. prolly not but not too much sweat. Yang is more of a concern. Will go straight High energy chem, synth fossil fuels, Doct: AP if I can. Once to Synth foss fuels, I should be ok. I have been building Net Nodes like crazy, so my research is pretty good.

[This message has been edited by big_canuk (edited November 15, 2000).]

[Capt Dizle]

M.Y. 2243

Alpha Centauri Score

Pop 225
Commerce 41
Tech 35
Secret Projects 225
Total 526

Swen has been captured and interrogated. Miriam is hold up in her last base, Redemption Base. She won't get any.

Thirty-two bases under Peacekeeper control. A fair number of smaller bases destroyed. X Chaos penetrators are in production for the Marr campaign. Hybrid forests are built in the main bases.

I feel like I am soon going to run out of tech to steal, but with tech coming every three turns, who cares.

I am trying to estimate how long it will take to run the table. Thats hard to do, Marr has lots of troops in his forward bases and some perimeter defenses.

Perhaps 25-30 years? Its possible that Marr could turn to be a handful and hold out for a long time. The size of the map is more likely to be a problem.

jt

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

It late I'm tired but a brief update.

JT it looks like you have me by a slight margin but we'll see in the stretch run how we fare.

MY2245, been at 3 turn/tech for abit now.

No one to steal tech from. Techs discovered to date 33

Number of bases 22
population 187

Pacted with Zak been gifting Zak bases and techs for reciprocal tech gains.

X - needlejet campaign against both prgenitors has elimanated/rolled back any local base threats and placement of my own forward sea bases will eventually cause Alien extermination it's just a matter of when.

Sp's
PEG, Ascetic Virtues,Maritime, PTS, Neural Amp, Merchant, WP, Command Nexxus, HGP

Lost only VW, and Datalinks both to UoP

Beelining to fusion with perhaps a detour to Cloning Vats instead.

[mark13]

Part 6 of the log, M.Y. 2235:

2235: Svensgaard comes a-calling, and demands 50 credits. No big deal, I give in.
2236: Another great victory for our armed forces - PD disabled at the Hive, and the base is down to its last defender.
2237: Whoop-de-doo, MCC built at U.N. HQ.
The Hive taken, along with the Command Nexus - only one land base left to conquer, and then the great naval conquest shall commence....
2238: Great Collective seized from the Hive - the land conquest is finally complete.
We will need a few turns to build up the navy, but after that, Yang will be heading for the torture chamber...
2240: Sea Collective is now garrison-less, conquest should go without any hitches next turn.
2241: Sea Collective seized, the fleet now moves on to Sea Hive.
2242: Sea Hive garrison-less.
2243: Tech! Planetary Economics - now if I can just get Environmental Economics...
Sea Hive seized - now on to Deep Community....
2244: Need to get a foil probe in - Deep Community has a Naval Yrad - if only I had D:AP.....
2246: Destroyer embarks on expedition to nearest Caretaker island - two 6-3-2s, one 6-1-2 and a probe team on board...
2248: Transport arrives at island - Resonant Node garrison-less....
2249: The transport doesn't look like it's going to be enough - oh well, never mind - take our woundd troops back abnd re-group....
2250: OK, all my units and bases have disappeared, and I now have three colony pods and a load of 6-3-2s. Oh dear - I haven't saved at all in the past 15 years, so I'm going to quit and have done with it. I really can't be bothered playing the last 15 years all over again.....

Still, my game was not anywhere near the quickest...even though EnvEco was coming next turn - drat! - I should have cleaned up, but jimmy is a loooong way ahead of me in any case.

[WhiteElephants]

2250 update:

14 bases 173 pop
tech per turn 561 new tech every 4 turns
98 energy credits per turn
Running 50/0/50
Explore 50%
Discover 30%
Build 36%
Conquer 42%

Special Projects:
Weather Paradigm, Human Genome, Neural Amp, Maritime CC, Command Nexus (formerly Yang's), Cloudbase Academy

I should have the Planetary Datalinks, Planetary Energy Grid, and the Cyborg Factory shortly.

I wiped out Yang not to long after I acquired Doctrine Air Power. Mirium was also wiped out by Zak and the Usurpers. I'm still pacted with Zak and Sven and at war with both aliens. I'm beelining to Fussion Power and am at Advanced Military Alogrythms. I figure Fussion Power should be mine in about 10-12 turns. Unfortunatley, I have yet to run Free Market which could be quite costly in terms of energy and tech, we will see. I'm in the process of terraforming the bases I acquired from Yang and have nearly hit my population peak. Once I peak I intend to switch to Green and start adjusting my allocation to max out my tech and possibly run Knowledge. So far I think the aliens have helped me maintain my pacts with Zak and Sven because both aliens are above them on the power chart. I recently traded and gifted Doctrine Air Power to Sven and Zak because I realized the Usurpers had it as well. I don't forsee any problems holding my continent as I have tech superiority over everyone else. I estimate Transcendence in 75 to 100 years. I don't think that is too ambitious, but again, we will see.

Interesting, how small changes (no pods, but abundant resources; known starting positions) affect ones' gameplay !
Me, i somehow screwed up my first fifty. Don't even know how (no useful log. You know, once one gets started...) Contended myself with fewer rabbits than usual to develop those sweet city spots. Results: very few bases, a satisfactory terraforming and security force. Lals inefficiency + planned cost me a lot of research, and i couldn't trade a single tech with pactmate svensgard.
The foil just found people

2150
13 pop+1CP in 7 bases
finished the WP, building 2 more projects, 2 CP, a former, a probe, and recycling tanks
running planned 50/50, for a whopping 6 research, +4-0 energy.
7 techs, ind econ in 2155.
8 formers, 4 scouts, 2 U. Rover, 1 U. Foil, 2 Synthmetal Garisson

v'detta vs Yang, pacted with pirates, believers

went free market in 2156, (interrupted by short periods of planned to spend all that energy and to grow alittle Things are definitely looking up. AI Yang is even more stupid than usual. a few cheesy Rovers (and Svens helpful bombardments) will be all i need to exterminate him. He keeps sending his troops in single file ?! idiut

2175,
31 pop in 11 bases
WP, ME, HGP, energy grid in 13
Zak will finish the VW in 2176.

running Demo/FM 50/50 for 59 rp/t +52-10 NRG
17 techs ind. auto in 4 years .

9 formers, 1 seaformer 4 scouts, 1 Unity, 1 Recon, 1 Impact. Rover, 1 U. Foil, 4+1 (trance) Synthmetal Garisson

v'detta Yang, Marr
pact: believers pirates, treaty with Zak. Governor Lal

[Capt Dizle]

M.Y. 2256
Alpha Centauri Score

Pop 278
Commerce 47
Tech 40
Secret Projects 225
Total ???

Marr and Mir are in cells on either side of Swen.

Forces are converging on Zak and Hm'minee. Reminds me of the Russians and Yanks sprinting for Berlin.

Unless Yang breaks the submission pact, I have a shot to finish the conquest by 2268, which, IIRC, was the year of my transcendance in the Zak challenge.

I will build that supercollision thingie next turn also.

jt

ps..the unity rover that took the Hive in the begining of the game was in the thick of the fight vs Marr. Gotta promote that driver before long.

[Aredhran]

Downloaded the game last night... Now if only I could find the time to play

Aredhran

[VoodooChild]

Same here Aredhran, but I did manage to get some turns in. Updates will begin tonight.

Mark 13 and other early gamers:
Since reading your progress, I have learned much about the world before I even hit planetfall. This inofrmation has given me an huge edge. Don't feel bad about having average games. The real compairison will come when you replay the challenge.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Transcended in MY 2309

I'm pressed for time right now and will fill in details later.

Game available to those interested as a save.

[Sikander]

Ogie,

I would be interested in seeing your save file. If you post it somewhere let me know, otherwise you could send it to me at robert17@earthlink.net.

Thanks

Sikander

[Capt Dizle]

Thats a really good time. I was thingking about switching from conquest to transcendance, but I dont think I can top that.

jt

ps..on the other hand..

[big_canuk]

2186: turned down 100 ec and Non-lin math from Miriam for vendetta with Sven

2187: Caretaker 4-3r-1 disappeared from the doorstep of UN Plan Trust in the jungle. It didn't sneak attack! My odds for survival in the jungle just jumped from 10% to 40%.

2188: Contacted Miriam. Traded for Non-linear math, world map, and Zak commlink
Contacted Zak: Vendetta
Elected Planetary Governor

2189: Hive contacted me. Demanded Env Econ. take a hike: Vendetta
Change to 4-1-1 at UN Haven (at the neck)

2190: vendetta with Sven (ouch) (
build UN Planning @36,44

Take stock: metagame
6 attack in 1 turn
save up on ec's
plan on going planned in 2 or 3 turns to hurry tree farms, no pacifists, and to pop boom

2191: Synth foss fuels take Doct:AP !!
Hive lands with 2 4-2-1's, and I only have 1 defender in base! Leave crawlers by him (maybe he'll attack them instead of the base). Sure enough, next turn he destroys the forest he is on, and takes out a crawler.
add second scout to defense, and upgrade 1st to 1-3-1 (kinda useless upgrade, but i might get lucky). Hive blows up another crawler, and base 1-3-1 next turn, and then I dust him with 2 4-1-2's. Just shows how stupid the AI is.

2192: During Hive battle, Sven shows up of the east coast with a transport and a probe, and a 1-1-1. OHOH! only 1 foil probe to defend. Put foil probe in 1, and line coast with units. Next turn blast transport with new (2)-3-4 foil. If he came in from 3 squares out, he could have landed the probe, before I knew it was comming.

2195: caretaker vendetta. Subvert his 4-3r-1 in the jungle.

2196: D:AP! take D:init
switch to planned

2000: Take 1st Hive base

2000 stats:

19 bases
95 pop (votes 190)
4 commerce
22 techs
75 sec projects WP,VW,PTS

Formers 20 active
Scouts 15 active, 5 lost
Transports 2 active 1 lost
crawlers 45 active 3 prod, 4 lost
probe team 3 active 1 lost
un rover 1 act, 1 lost
un foil 1 act
4-3r-1 1 active (from caretakers)
1-3-1 1 active
4-1-2 4 active
(2)-3-4 1 active
(6)-1-4 2 active
6-1-2 2 active
6-1-1 1 active
trawlers 3 active, 3 prod
6-1-10 1 act, 1 prod
4-1-10 1 act
trained scout 1 active
4-1-1 1 active
sea former 6 active
1-2-1 1 active
2-1-2 4 active, 1 lost
infantry probe team 5 active

explore: 40
disc 15
build: 27
conq: 19

22 techs
demo/planned/wealth
tech cost 1026, accum 448, per turn 128
every 10 years, next in 5 (Doct:INIT)

1 - HQ
8 - Creche
9 - tanks
15 - rec comm
9 - en bank
14 - net node
10 - tree farms
1 - res hosp

en reserves: 24
income: 110
costs: 79
net: 31

Integrety:noble
Might Unsurpassed

1st Lal 100%
2nd Caretakers 45%, vendetta
3rd usurpers 43%, vendetta
4th UoP 25%, vendetta
5th Sven 22%, vendetta
6th Hive 20%, vendetta
7th Believers 5%, treaty

Metagame:

My security is secure. D:AP is many turns away from other factions. (Not sure about aliens, not probed yet) Hive will be gone in a few turns. Sven is next. To be done with minimum of forces, so that can build up infrastructure, and trawlers/tidal harnesses.


[This message has been edited by big_canuk (edited November 20, 2000).]

[WhiteElephants]

2290 update:

1006 energy per turn
tech every 2 turns/2737.2 per turn
261 population
63% explore
60% discover
59% build
61% conquer

19 turns to beat Ogie and I don't think it is going to happen I'm at war with the aliens and Sven. Pacted with Zak. I think if I were to replay it (and I don't think I will) I would expand a bit more and perhaps continue expansion through conquest. I would probably have to be a bit more patient as well because it drives me insane to micro manage too many bases. I probably would have utilized more sea crawlers and just crawlers in general as well. I also would have managed to get into Free Market mode earlier than I did. I expect to transcend in about 40 turns, but we will see.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Sik,

A # of different saves are off to you. MY 2200 ish, MY2266 ish, and finally MY2309 just in order to get a feel of how the game was shaping up.

A couple of comments, the key to me was to shy away from the traditional run planned early route (i.e research techs net nodes and planetary networks then go planned until first beuracracy, bah your wasting Lal talent bonus that way). Lal suffers from efficiency probs. If your going to be a builder, beeline to Industrial Economics as soon as you can and go FM ASAP. IIRC, the next tech available after formers was net nodes but unfortunately no build techs such as Industrial Base and/or Industrial Economics so again IIRC I had to essentially go through 4 techs before I could go FM.

If I were to start the game at MY2101 considering the sweet initial start spot(a 2 nutrient spot for both initial bases) I may have gone for these two techs over formers, to me it just that important to get to FM the sooner the better.

I know I could have optimized a little better near the end but I was really getting lazy and just hitting the next turn without moving anything or rush buying anything.

Good luck and good hunting all.

Og

[Capt Dizle]

Conquest victory achieved in M.Y. 2266. For informational purposes conquest and cooperative are enabled. Zak and Yang were submissive pactmates and I got the standard conquest ending.

I think life forms must have been set on rare. I left many bases undefended without loss and have not seen any ecological damage at all. (I am running green though)

Since the end was clear many turns ago I began to retool and will reload 2265 and try to chase that 2308 date. I have little hope I can get there, eta 2329.

I badly overbuilt my military and its too late to recover I think.

jt

[Misotu]

Finally got the game to stop crashing and completed my first pass. Had trouble deciding what to do with this. I had intended to play a conquer game - it should be the fastest way to win this one - but as usual got bogged down in the builder stuff so it turned into a transcend game half way through.

Didn't keep a log - I will on the next pass. Strategy was confused, didn't run FM at all, generally pretty woolly stuff. Transcended in 2293, but could definitely do better.