First Moves

[Voltaire]

Alright Comrades, the first save is up, that means we have to get down to business right away and show the other factions our efficiency. All People's Ministers as well as PAC members please download the save file from the main ACDG forum (the password is bunker) and given me input in regards to the actions that I should carry out. If you attach pictures with your recommendations, that will be looked upon very favorably.

If I have the recommendations of most Hive members by tonight I will play the turn out then.

-Chairman Voltaire

This Post was edited and approved by Comrade War of Art

[Voltaire]

Update

I’ve played out the turn, seeing as there was not much to do to begin with.

[Jamski]

Well, we should be using the monolith instead of the sea-nuts in my opinion. 2-2-2 is better than 3-0-0

-Jam

[Jamski]

I can't say I'm too impressed with the dry side of the hill either - thanks Googlie

We should pop both those pods in the next turn. Perhaps use a colony pod in case its a cloneing pod? Actually its probably too much of a risk in case its a worm.

-Jam

[Voltaire]

All I can say it pray to Miriam’s God that we’re on a large continent, that will possible balance out any disadvantages we may have started out with given that it will give up plenty of room to expand (and we all know the Hive strength lies in numbers), as well as a lot of pods on land (though we really should strive to get some sea units early on so we can go and exploit the pods on the oceans, we can’t let the Pirates have them all after all).

[Jamski]

Voltaire, do you agree about the worker placement? Or would you rather have to extra 1 food? Trading 2 energy and 2 minerals for 1 food is a bit crazy though, or are you trying to grow the Hive as soon as possible? If so, can someone do the maths to see when to change it to the monolith in order to get the first colony pod as quickly as possible, i.e. the pod is finished at the same time as the population increases. Or are we building another scout first? Or what?

-Jam

[Micha]

Originally posted by War of Art
We should pop both those pods in the next turn. Perhaps use a colony pod in case its a cloneing pod? Actually its probably too much of a risk in case its a worm.

I think I remembered Googlie saying cloning pods were disabled, because he test-played as the pirates and gained too much additional ships in too short time.

Or am I wrong?

But I agree with you on the last sentence. It is too risky. Losing a colony pod is not acceptable, especially if we can´t be sure it is even possible to get a clone out of the pod.

[Googlie]

No - you can't disable the "cloning pod" - What I did was to cut back the Pirates from 2 foils to just one (in my playtest I started them with 2 and they were 8 after around fifteen turns - talk about control of the oceans ...)

You can disable the "pods produce vehicles", but that would militate against the land factions too, as poding of unity rovers and helos would then be banned

G.

[Jamski]

I'd have been OK with that. Getting a 'copter in a pod was always waaaaaaaay too nice

-Jam

[Micha]

oh, ok.
Still, the reward is not bigger than the potential loss.

[Jamski]

I'm not sure what the risks are, exactly, but getting a free colony pod in the second turn = we win the game. Loseing one of our starting colony pods = we lose the game. Its quite a gamble, unless....

...we stack the pod with a scout patrol, that is we pop the pod with the colony pod, and then move a scout patrol on top, if the pod contained a worm.

Worth a try?

-Jam

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by War of Art
Voltaire, do you agree about the worker placement? Or would you rather have to extra 1 food? Trading 2 energy and 2 minerals for 1 food is a bit crazy though, or are you trying to grow the Hive as soon as possible? If so, can someone do the maths to see when to change it to the monolith in order to get the first colony pod as quickly as possible, i.e. the pod is finished at the same time as the population increases. Or are we building another scout first? Or what?

-Jam

Sorry, I should have informed you, I changed the worker placement (I didn’t notice the monolith there), and we’re building another scout first since it is done next turn. We’ll use that one for base defense and the rest to explore.

[Jamski]

Cool, that's what I wanted to hear. (I suppose I should look at the save )

If the scout is done next turn, what should we build next? Another scout? A Colony Pod?

-Jam

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by War of Art
I'm not sure what the risks are, exactly, but getting a free colony pod in the second turn = we win the game. Loseing one of our starting colony pods = we lose the game. Its quite a gamble, unless....

...we stack the pod with a scout patrol, that is we pop the pod with the colony pod, and then move a scout patrol on top, if the pod contained a worm.

Worth a try?

-Jam

We could try; it’s certainly worth the rewards. Though before we do anything as risky as that I’d like to get the opinion of the PAC.

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by War of Art
Cool, that's what I wanted to hear. (I suppose I should look at the save )

If the scout is done next turn, what should we build next? Another scout? A Colony Pod?

-Jam

I don’t see the need for another scout right away, start work on a colony pod assuming we’ll get a pop. increase in time for the colony pod to be produced. This stacked with a possible free colony pod should put us above all the other human factions, we would pretty much be guaranteed a win if we play this right.

[Jamski]

Make a POLL !!! Everyone likes a democratic desicion

-Jam

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by War of Art
I'm not sure what the risks are, exactly, but getting a free colony pod in the second turn = we win the game. Loseing one of our starting colony pods = we lose the game. Its quite a gamble, unless....

...we stack the pod with a scout patrol, that is we pop the pod with the colony pod, and then move a scout patrol on top, if the pod contained a worm.

Worth a try?

-Jam

Be nice to get a monolith upgrade for the scout before trying it, but then isn't there a chance we'll lose the monolith as well (1 in 20?)?

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Voltaire


I don’t see the need for another scout right away, start work on a colony pod assuming we’ll get a pop. increase in time for the colony pod to be produced. This stacked with a possible free colony pod should put us above all the other human factions, we would pretty much be guaranteed a win if we play this right.

Yes, starting another colony pod now is an excellent idea.

[Jamski]

I'm not sure... will we grow in time, or will we be wasting minerals? What happens if we move the worked tiles around? Can someone do the maths? I suck at working out the variables. It may be just as quick to build a scout patrol and then a colony pod, which would be better, yes?

-Jam

[Micha]

Having an additional scout patrol to protect the colpod is a completely different situation! Of course we should do this! Better two, since it´s possible to have 3 or 4 mindworms spawning at a time.

[Jamski]

If its only money, or a comfrequency, or a terraforming pod, then we won't have lost anything, anyway...

-Jam

[Vev]

My home PC access is limited at the moment, plus I've yet to reinstall SMAX after reinstalling the OS. Can someone say how much minerals does it take to build a colony pod and the scout?

As with nutrient issue, its either growth in 6 turns with the sea square or in 9 turns with the monolith.

[Jamski]

I can never remember the numbers, so don't look at me...

-Jam

[Zero]

Originally posted by War of Art
I'm not sure what the risks are, exactly, but getting a free colony pod in the second turn = we win the game. Loseing one of our starting colony pods = we lose the game. Its quite a gamble, unless....

...we stack the pod with a scout patrol, that is we pop the pod with the colony pod, and then move a scout patrol on top, if the pod contained a worm.

Worth a try?

-Jam

Looks like mindworm could be spawned awefully close to the base. Could we afford to have mindworm attack our city if we stack a scout with a colony pod? just wondering.

[Googlie]

I was asked a question in one of the other team forums, so in fairness the answer is reproduced below:

I actually had to dumb down the AI after my first playtest (I'd given the Angels and the Believers a monolith right beside their three bases - the B's spawned like rabbits while the A's outresearched the UoP and the Borgs for the first ten to fifteen turns (with the 2 monolith energy per base)

So I tinkered with their monoliths - but of course couldn't stop a monolith being pod-popped (well I could have, by checking off the "pods never produce monoliths" box in the Scenario settings, but eventually we'd be left with the pods just producing native life if we deselected everything else !!!)

Also had started them with a crawler on a forest tile per base for the minerals (lurking, so that the dumb AI doesn't use them for exploration - I've seen that quite often), but had to take them away as well.

So they are AI's with developing muscles, but not on steroids .....

G.

[Micha]

Ok, so let´s get them all!!!

[Jamski]

Three free bases! No... SIX free bases. Thanks Googlie

-Jam

[Googlie]

Please see and comment on:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=86125

G.

[Micha]

Wow, that guide holds a whole treasury of knowledge! GUIDE

Although it doesn´t cover every possible strategy (which actually isn´t possible ) I recommend every comrade to crossread the essential parts!

[Googlie]

Voltaire:

When playing the official 2103 turn, can you go into the game preferences and deselect always investigate monoliths

See my post:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...1&pagenumber=3

Thanks

Googlie