Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 09:46:03 AM
with enough Scouts you can rule the world |
Well I think I have the answer now! I need to build lots of Scouts. Or as time goes on, any unit that only takes 1 turn to build and doesn't exceed my SUPPORT. I'll probably need a few other units here and there, but the cheapest way to control territory, is scouts scouts scouts. Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, LOVELY SCOUUUUTS!!! Scouts, Scouts, Scouts, Scouts...
the true workhorse of conquest |
In my mod, Clean Reactors are available from the beginning of the game. This is going to be about chucking out units that cost 20 minerals over and over again. I bet if I have a recalcitrant faction that will only sign a Truce, and I have enough Scouts, I can literally kill anything. None of this leaving them alive stuff, like last time. We're taking smothering. Mass starvation of big cities. I will do my usual "expand in something resembling a perfect circle from my capitol" routine. If I hit enemies who only give Truces, they're getting Scouts.
my Scouts are ugly |
Huge map, average world settings, Transcend difficulty, random factions. I draw the Usurpers. This is a Pangaea planet. Fortunately the Pirates are not in the game, so I don't have to worry about anyone doing unrestricted ocean development while I'm trying to smother the land.
my rivals |
Aliens have the ability to do Directed Research, unlike the human factions. I can try to beeline for any tech I think will be helpful to my strategy. Since I can't go Democratic, a Police State is a good place to start. That will make it harder for enemies to subvert my Scouts. Although, I think doubled up Scouts is the real defense against enemy probe teams. The Hive and the Cybernetic Consciousness are both "strong" PROBE factions, so this will be a concern. Fortunately I have a good political chance of getting along with both of them. The Caretakers and the Peacekeepers will both try to kill me. The Gaians and the Cult of Planet, who knows. That means plenty of mindworms will be afoot. Police State and Green is a pretty good combo. Perhaps I use some free mindworms, stirred up by the legions of milling Scouts, to do my occasional bloodlettings. But let's remember, this is about the Scouts.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 10:08:33 AM
first point of decision |
Mission Year 2113. I am close combat, breathing-down-their-neck, even slaughter them with Scouts range of the Gaians. And I have a Battle Ogre Mk I that I might be able to destroy them with right now. That said, they're nerfed in my mod. R-Lasers only have strength 3 and are only good for a few shots, even against mere Scouts. Gaians aren't pacifists in my mod either, they fight as well as any ordinary faction. Of course I've got +1 MORALE so I can totally cream them if I want to. Do I want to?
Well, let's say I'm not in a rush about it. I just got started, and they are not a threat. There's lots of land, and they are unlikely to expand better than myself. Especially with my predisposition to control my perimeter with Scouts. In fact, leaving them alive might be a very good tactical test.
I don't have to speak to them. For a long time, if I don't want to. In my mod, Progenitor Psych is a Tier 3 tech. That means humans are never going to learn it on their own. Now they could run into the Caretakers and learn it that way. But I don't have to say didly squat if I don't want to. This has some interesting effects on early colonization. I don't think they get to exert territorial claims until I've got some kind of relation with them. I'm a little unclear on how or if that works. I do know that if I can see their border drawn on the map, I can't just plop Colonists in their territory. But if no border is showing, I think they're fair game, and no kind of warning about territorial claims will be made.
So let's just see what happens for awhile. I already beelined Recycling Tanks because that's the most valuable early on for just about everything. "Completion exploits" are a good way to get those done in a hurry as well.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 10:20:08 AM
I'll take it |
MY 2114. The Battle Ogre Mk I has been recast as a scouting unit in my mod. It has Deep Radar. That's useful for early land traversal, and it's a unique early game land unit capability. Now the Unity Lifting is much better at scouting, it'll get the job done almost instantly. But if you're going to walk all over the ground, a Battle Ogre Mk I is pretty good. I will mill these in the immediate area, then eventually settle them as police units.
rapid spread |
The game has been kind to me with the scouting units. It's as though it knows I want to rely on Scouts!
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 10:28:56 AM
give and take |
MY 2119. I lost one of my Rovers to that mindworm larva. That was surprising, as I was only barely wounded when making my attack. Definitely bad luck and not typical. As the larva is all but dead, I move up my Ogre to be attacked by it. This will probably do no damage and will get my Ogre more experience, as well as deny the larva a chance to heal and make further trouble. Meanwhile elsewhere, I'll probably lose that Scout. Well that's what Scouts are for.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 10:44:03 AM
future objective |
MY 2121. I discover the Borehole Complex. That could be useful later on, but right now it's just a liability. If it falls within your own territory in the early game, mindworms and spore launchers tend to come and try to destroy it. It's better to have it out in the hinterlands until you actually have the resources to protect it.
I wasn't expecting all these larvae everywhere, like north of Marr's Dissolution. I bet it was stirred up by Deirdre. Putting a base next to a patch of fungus is generally not a good plan, but neither is wandering around a lot when you're on a big land mass. You're going to have neighbors, and they stand an excellent chance of being hostile. As far as neighborliness goes, I had no idea how right I was. Now a larva this early shouldn't be a cause for alarm, as I am in a base and my unit is Disciplined rather than Green. But if it did kill by base, I'd be pissed. To be honest I'd save scum that.
hardly a scratch |
MY 2122. The Usurpers are reasonably tough. If I wanted them tougher, I do have Hypnotic Trance capability already. My mod gives that and Cloaking Fields to the Aliens to start with. But they're not free, it takes longer to produce units with those. So to be honest, I never use either of them. Cloaks are only useful for bypassing zones of control, as the AI cheats and just looks at where your units are anyways.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 10:49:58 AM
uncomfortably close |
MY 2123. Like I said, on a supercontinent you're likely to have neighbors. This one's a pickle because Yang is potentially an ally. I'm going to resist the temptation to walk into his base. But if I could stir up a mindworm, that wouldn't trouble me at all!
a completion |
No mindworm, but I got better. This is why I'm out popping pods: to get my Recycling Tanks and other "needful things" done faster. Next, how about a Command Center?
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 11:14:14 AM
ran it down |
MY 2126. Well that's one larva that won't be troubling us anymore. Note that meanwhile, the Spore Launcher seems to be heading for the Borehole Complex. I'll try to intervene, but I may be too wounded when this is over. Actually the wounds were only 20%. I'm relatively tough. I'll try to kill it before it blows up any Boreholes.
I was too late |
MY 2128. I found the little SOB, but it had already blown up what I can see of the Borehole Complex. I don't know if any of it is left. There's been a very long line of fungus in the way of my Battle Ogre. I don't cross fungus with those. It's just asking to have the things get chewed up, and they're not healable.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 11:24:58 AM
found my rivals |
MY 2131. The Caretakers are presumably somewhere to thee southwest of the Hive, and they're doing better than me on the graph. I hope that's just inflated expectations for mindworms, and not reflective of their colonization prowess. If I have to be in an all out war with them, that pretty much torpedoes Scout smothering. It's not possible to have a Truce with my arch-enemy. We have to destroy each other.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 11:44:59 AM
confused circumstance |
MY 2133. I can see borders for the Hive, but none for the Gaians. Is it because the Hive has met the Caretakers, and the Gaians haven't? Since I see no border, I'm going to try settling on the nutrient right between their cities! It may not work, so I'm saving the game this turn. I don't think I should have to lose a few turns of movement due to map drawing errors, or inexplicable diplomatic behavior that I can't remember.
a modest completion |
Soon I'll have better Scouts. Pretty soon I'll also have a Police State and some probe teams.
appropriate name |
MY 2134. The Gaians don't utter a peep! What a funny setup. I wonder if the Hive is in a position to object? As is I've taken over a chunk of the Garland Crater.
immediate completion |
Cleverly I change production to Recycling Tanks before popping a pod. This will work fine as long as the Gaians aren't planning to rush my base and stomp it in its crib. I need to move the nearby Scout to its new home.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 11:51:16 AM
and now a border |
MY 2135. Maybe we get a border once our base radii overlap? My damage is done though. I'm probably going to steal that Monolith from them too. To the southeast, I notice a Cyborg Scout.
Post by: bvanevery on September 04, 2020, 12:11:22 PM
oops |
MY 2139. The Caretakers might be closer than I thought. I'll have to go deal with that Battle Ogre. Using my tougher Scouts.
die ugly scum! |
I meet a Caretaker mindworm and spore launcher in the bush. I get the drop on the stack. Unfortunately the spore launcher defends, so the wounded mindworm is going to kill me next year.
Meanwhile the Ogre isn't clever enough to shoot at my Scout. I'll be able to maneuver onto that Rocky terrain in 2 turns. That should be the end of that problem. We'll just both sit around and wait forever for someone to come shoot the other guy. Bet I get it done first.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 04:16:16 AM
you will be happy |
MY 2143. I learn Police State. It is a point of honor with me, in my Usurper play style, to avoid giving my citizens a Recreation Commons for as long as possible. They need to toughen up!
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 04:26:35 AM
a Peacekeeping SOB |
MY 2147. The Peacekeepers could be northeast of the Gaians, or this Colony Pod could just be on a very long trek. I also saw someone's Synth Probe Team around Gaia's Landing. I don't know if it was Peacekeeper or Gaian. I will be needing my own teams very soon, and it's good that I've raised my PROBE rating, to raise the cost of enemy mind control. Maybe my tendency to hold onto my cash isn't such a bad thing right now either, as the differential of cash, does affect the mind probe cost calculation.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 04:33:54 AM
extent of empire |
MY 2148. I see the Peacekeepers' colored border, so they are officially neighbors. I won't settle in their direction yet, not until I'm clearly stronger and know what their layout is. The Gaians might have been rudely sandwiched between us and totally cut off from growth. They're doing fine on the graph though, claimed to be equal to me. I wonder if they've got a lot of mindworms rustled from the bush, but few cities.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 04:56:31 AM
entrenched opposition |
MY 2155. The Gaians have armored defensive probe teams. Theirs are Disciplined and mine is Veteran. Am I strong enough to overcome their defensive armor? It's actually used in probe vs. probe combat, that's why I have the AI make those units. I can't remember if a city gives a defense bonus to the action as well, or even if the Odds Calculator will display before we go into action. I don't feel like losing this team, and I just want an easy infiltration gig, so I'll look for another option. It would probably be better for the Gaians to run out of their hiding hole and come attack me.
squished |
Are the Gaians fighting for their lives? Do they love their human neighbors?
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 05:11:46 AM
is it safe |
MY 2158. With no formal diplomatic relationship to the Peacekeepers, I don't think they can kick my probe team out of their territory. Maybe they can kill it with a conventional unit, at the expense of starting a war with me. They don't have any probe team of their own in the city, only 2 Scouts. It looks like Deidre is the only one with the probe teams.
MY 2159. I was correct. They did absolutely nothing. I infiltrate, and see that Lal has a number of pacifist techs I don't care about. My team survives and is promoted to Commando. Lal is indeed in a Vendetta with the Gaians! He hasn't met anyone else.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 05:36:32 AM
mind your betters |
MY 2162. I use the same trick on the Gaians. Unlike Lal, they have the temerity to attack my Commando probe team. Theirs is merely Disciplined, so of course it just dies. I take 40% wounds. Don't mess with the Police State! I infiltrate. Actually she's Police State too, she just hasn't built Command Centers like I have. She doesn't even know the tech. I guess that's what an Explore Discover focus buys you. She's got the usual civilian rubbish I don't care about. My team got promoted to Elite. I'll send a different team to the Hive, for training, and keep this one on border duty.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 06:07:58 AM
can I get it |
MY 2164. With substantial fungal barriers still in my way, I turn north and approach a Spore Launcher to kill it. I find an Alien Artifact owned by the Cyborgs. Who to attack first? Well I guess I can do both. Or maybe I grab the Artifact and back off. Maybe I'm in Cyborg territory now. No border lines are drawn though.
cleaning up my act |
MY 2167. I've now got a lot of normal Formers that cost support. I don't need more of those, so I start making Clean Formers in my cities that don't have a Command Center. That's just because I don't have much else worth building. That's one of the benefits of having Clean Reactors available from the beginning of the game. If you don't have the tech to make something of use, you can always just reinvest in your empire by making another Clean unit. I've got plenty of Clean Scouts now, almost don't need any more. I'm working on C3 Polymorphic Software, which will make the Command Nexus possible. My further ambition is to get C3 Monopole Magnets and build rails with all these Formers. Then I can really stick it to my neighbors!
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 06:40:16 AM
Yang blunders |
MY 2171. Yang kills my approaching probe team while it's still on my own territory. That's not very smart of him. I only wanted to infiltrate, although he didn't know that. Now he's going to become an object lesson in Scout smothering tactics. I also recently completed a Recon Rover prototype if I have to do any more than that.
rockfight |
MY 2172. I've lost like 4 Scouts to this nearly dead, certifiably unkillable Unity Mining Drill. It's sitting on top of my Sensor Array, about to destroy it. I need that next year when his Battle Ogre comes for my base, so this thing must be gone. Quite annoying that my Recon Rover is up north merely holding my citizenry in abeyance. Even more annoying that Yang is at war with me at all. This is stupid, all 3 of us in the region are Police States and likely to stay that way. The real enemy is Lal.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 06:49:39 AM
not a purist |
MY 2174. I'm fine with putting some strength 2 armor in the way of a strength 3 R-Laser. With my base bonus and Sensor Array bonus, he should not be able to get through. Clean Scouts are being used to garrison my rear cities to size 4. Then I'll start pouring on plain Scouts for the smothering.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 07:11:31 AM
blunderer |
MY 2176. The Caretakers present their Ogre on open ground for me to kill. I can't take out the Hive Ogre because the fungus protects it too well. But if it shoots at my base, it's probably gonna die, so it's a stalemate for now. I'm still not making a horde of Scouts yet. I'm feeling a little paranoid about enemy probe team possibilities, so I'm garrisoning all my cities with unarmored infantry probe teams. I've begun the Command Nexus and will have Monopole Magnets in 10 years. When I have my empire fully connected, that's when the party will really start.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 07:31:25 AM
buildup |
MY 2180. Yang has brought up a Recon Rover to add to the threat to my base. I counter with another Clean Synthmetal upgrade. It bears remembering that Scouts are an offensive idea, not a defensive one. I'm making ordinary Synthmetal Garrisons to bring my unarmored probe teams next to Yang's bases. This is a slow process. Yang's got Lasers, he's spammy, and he's not making rules about using only Scouts. One could argue that I have done my communications blackout with the humans for too long. But, I can't very well talk until I learn E1 Social Psych somehow, and my research is going into C3 Monopole Magnets. The fastest way to talking is still to steal E1 Social Psych from Yang, assuming he has it by now.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 10:11:05 AM
showtime |
MY 2185. I've been moving all my plain Formers that cost SUPPORT, to my front with the Hive. They didn't have much to do, but I thought they could rip up some fungus while waiting for rails to drop. Now they've dropped, and I won't have that problem for several years.
don't want to talk |
I opt for better armor. I think I can just steal Social Psych. Why bother to research it? Famous last words!
massive construction |
I have a lot of Formers. This will all be done within 10 years. By which time, I'll probably have the Citizens' Defense Force done too. Command Nexus is done next year.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 10:15:03 PM
look out humans |
MY 2186. This is a good start on spamming my enemies into oblivion. Thing is, I never wanted Yang as an enemy.
dumbass |
MY 2187. Yang finally makes his play with the Ogre. He dies. Many Recon Rovers are coming up, but they will die too. The AI is not very bright this way. It's unfortunate that much of the game, consists of finding these "kill zones", where in practice the AI will squander lots of its units. That's how you achieve "combat profit" and clean up. Someday I swear I'll write a game with better tactical AI, so that I don't feel like I'm playing against such a dummy. It's not the worst game AI I've seen by any means, but it definitely could be better.
The 3 Recon Rovers that Yang parked next to my base, I destroy easily. 3 more are coming to strike next year. I put another Synthmetal Garrison into base to defend it. They won't be getting through.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 10:27:53 PM
send in a parade! |
MY 2188. Honored guest. Deirdre has figured out how to speak Progenitor. Surely she will have the most wonderful propositions for us! Hmm, she's signed a Treaty with Lal. That's not what I wanted to hear. She must have gotten E3 Progenitor Psych from the Planetary Datalinks she built. Only 1 other faction would have had to research it. Maybe she figured it out herself. Maybe the Caretakers learned E1 Social Psych, talked to some humans, and traded it to them. Yeah, that's probably how it went down.
I sign her Treaty. I don't buy or trade tech from her. I want to see what I can steal from Yang first. She doesn't want an Alliance. She's got a map of Caretaker territory, but I'm not trading anything to get it.
battlefront |
I have a really big chunk of rail completed.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 10:52:23 PM
nautical harassment |
MY 2190. I was trying to sneak my Transport carrying an Artifact around a Caretaker ship. But a 2nd ship suddenly appeared and sank it. That's annoying. I need a navy. I've not had much coastal presence, but I do have 2 Colonists in the works. They are no longer happy in their size 5 cities.
backdoor |
Belatedly I realize the land front is not the only place I can infiltrate and steal tech. Previously my Transport was focused on popping pods at sea. With none left in the bay, I was about to head out to sea, when I turned around and got on with the infiltration job. If Yang doesn't bring up a Recon Rover to kill my delegation, I've got this.
Post by: bvanevery on September 05, 2020, 11:11:30 PM
the antisocial tyrant |
MY 2191. I infiltrate the Hive. Yang has never learned E1 Social Psych, which meas I can keep stealing his techs until I want to finally talk to him. He's not learned C2 Planetary Networks, so he has not initiated his Police State. But has learned C3 Advanced Subatomic Theory, which I am currently researching. I've got 5 years to steal it from him before I learn it myself.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 12:57:12 AM
mission accomplished |
MY 2193. I steal it! I change my research to C4 Single-Sided Surfaces to get some 3-Pulse armor. That will play havoc with the Cloaked Recon Rovers he's building. My garrisoned road also completes on the main front, giving me access to 2 more cities and I steal Yang's remaining techs. Only thing left now is his map.
hi Cha |
At sea, I run into this guy. Seems that others are figuring out E3 Progenitor Psych.
wat |
That was confusing. I didn't even get a word in edgewise. The way the screens went by, it felt like a bug. Well, whatever. I'm not losing sleep over it, considering I don't even know where they are.
my proxy |
I look at other factions to see what's up with the Cult. The Peacekeepers are at war with them. The Gaians haven't even met them. I notice they're Magnanimous towards me, so I pick up the Alliance I was expecting to happen. I try to plead poor so that Deirdre will give me free tech, but she wants to charge me for it. No thanks, I've got a Citizens' Defense Force to build. And in principle, I've got everything I need to kick someone's butt.
ouch |
Deidre has more of a map to look at. The Cyborgs have had a truly hard time. Couldn't even prosper with access to the Monsoon Jungle. That spore launcher south of Alpha Prime, that's where I stole an Artifact from them. It's been shelling that city forever! An odd thing is, I've had a Truce with them for a long time. Can we actually speak? Nope. So I don't know how we got a Truce. Maybe a bug from when I took the Artifact.
Marr banker |
I contact Deirdre again to sell her comm frequencies. She comes back with the Caretaker map. I loan her money because I haven't saved up that much, and I could use a little extra cash flow in the future. I don't think she'll be messing with me, as I intend to go Green when I can.
bigger than Yang |
I'd like to get Yang's cooperation for destroying the Caretakers. Problem is, they have a Treaty. Well, give it time.
The graph says the Cult is beating everybody. Just how big have they gotten? Deidre doesn't offer to buy their comm frequency, so it's a mystery for now.
unassailable |
I blow 4 Artifacts to rush the Citizens' Defense Force. Since Yang and I both know the tech, I'm a little nervous about Deirdre getting it through the Planetary Datalinks. I have 2 other Secret Projects in progress, that are actually farther along than this city was. I couldn't get away with using just 3 Artifacts so I used this base instead. That choice probably did not matter.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 01:10:16 AM
bad for diplomacy |
MY 2194. Roughly 20 more years of war with Yang. Great. Sunspots doesn't give me any atrocity benefit either. I could already use them on whoever I wanted, long as I wasn't worried about them living long enough to take revenge.
Hmm, if I just take Lal's techs during sunspots, can he do anything about it? In practice, no he can't, as Deirdre is in the way. But I mean, can he even declare Vendetta on me? We don't have any diplomatic relationship, so there is no diplomatic violation, I think. And if he did go to war with me, I don't care. I don't expect to be able to remain at peace with him. I think I'm going to go tech shopping!
I pick up the rest of Yang's map. I already knew most of it, so that was not exciting. Perhaps I should just smother the cities I've stolen from and call it a day.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 01:20:40 AM
space cadet |
MY 2195. I totally forgot to work on a Plasma unit prototype. So it's just as well that C4 Single-Sided Surfaces makes one available to me. Now to upgrade these to 3-Pulse and I'm good. The next prompting screen offered me exactly that, so I'm double good. I start researching E2 Centauri Empathy because my people are getting unhappy as my empire expands. I need more JUSTICE, and keeping the peace with Deirdre is useful. She's got it, but we're in sunspots. Lal's got it too, so maybe I'll be able to steal it from him.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 01:35:44 AM
cold war |
MY 2197. Lal and I have a probe team battle where we each lost 1 unit. Mine are cheaper to make than his though. I've sent all of my relatively inexperienced probe units to the front. They're still Veteran though. I've got an Elite and 2 Commandos on home guard duty.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 01:53:37 AM
displeasure |
MY 2198. Highly amusing that I can't make a Rec Commons to deal with a simple unhappiness issue. I don't know how! I have to use police and take the SUPPORT minerals hit. I will do this with any base that experiences unhappiness at size 4. Size 5 can make a Colonist. Unless Deirdre happened to give me a free police unit, as happened in one case.
slog |
Lal and I each lose another probe team. I'll be "in" one of his cities in 2 turns. Possibly the other, if his probe defender doesn't heal soon enough.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 02:12:22 AM
penetration |
MY 2200. Lal kills his probe team attacking mine. I steal B2 Industrial Economics from 1 city, but the other city has been stolen from and has a high security interlock. There are no diplomatic consequences for my theft, so I guess the sunspots are doing me some good. Now the trick is, how will I get to farther cities to steal more stuff? I decide to send my Elite Infantry Probe Team into the field, since it moves 2. I'm too lazy to build new units that move 2.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 02:33:57 AM
damn Cultists |
MY 2202. Just as I finally show up to infiltrate the Cyborgs, a Cultist Rover has appeared. And fungus is in the way of me going around. Joy. It could, in principle, go back up the road and kill me next turn if I wait here. Or another unit could come down the road. I back off.
what's the plan Stan |
I finally have a surplus of Clean Scouts. I'm trying to take the Borehole Complex away from Deirdre, and I've got 3 of them out there waiting to make a new city. This one is extra and has no purpose at present. Clean Scouts are not good enough to smother an enemy that's at war with you. My original idea was based on the long term Truces I had last game. So what to do? No kind of Scout is going to work on Yang, he'll just kill them. So I figure I need to use plain Plasma units and accept the loss of SUPPORT. My naval war with the Caretakers has also been distracting. I'm doing fine with that, but it diverts the Scout-centric agenda I intended.
we don't know the meaning of fun |
Popping pods at sea, I finally learn E1 Social Psych. I get a weird graphical error while switching context to my web browser as well. The tech is not supposed to be behind the rest of the dashboard. Well let's see what Yang wants to do! Oh, right, we're in sunspots. Well I just kill his ship then.
I think I'm going to just build Rec Commons and other infrastructure, and forget about Plasma based smothering. I don't even want to fight Yang. Circumstances have just forced this fight on me. I'll stall until the sunspots clear, and work on stealing from Lal. Actual fighting, well I can wipe out the Caretakers at sea. I think Obliterating their sea bases is the best policy, because if I don't, they're only going to steal from them and then mind control them. They're a liability. They will be annoying to pacify, will produce few to no resources, and will make no economic contribution to my empire. In fact, they'll just increase the number of unhappy cities I have, due to the Bureaucracy penalty.
Post by: bvanevery on September 06, 2020, 03:28:58 AM
But this is not a good After Action Report. I said I was going to do, "Scouts". It's in the bloody title. In almost 100 years of play, what have I actually done with Scouts? Nothing. Not a damn thing.
There's no way I'd publish this on Reddit. Talking about how I was going to do Scouts, then totally not doing them for almost 100 years, then going passive because sunspots are on and I can't go after my preferred enemy, and talking about Plasma smothering instead, but not actually doing it. This is stupid.
I don't see myself going through these web pages and re-titling everything. Nor editing a bunch of text to try to salvage and re-describe the experience. For that kind of effort spent, I could just write a new, better focused AAR.
The idea I had in mind, obviously doesn't work. I didn't anticipate that despite Clean Reactors being available at the beginning of the game, using Scouts for smothering requires a minerals surplus. I don't have that surplus. It takes a lot of production to keep a fledgling empire happy. Even with Clean Scouts as my basic garrison unit, preserving my SUPPORT to a large extent, my people are barely happy.
Furthermore, no Scout will stand up alone in a war. A Truce, yes, but not a war. My last game was full of Truces and I didn't really think about war. Frankly I stopped all wars before they got started, just taking enough cities every turn until the uppity snot faction sued for peace. That's not how this game's been going at all.
This AAR isn't a total loss, because I did learn some new tactics. I didn't know that a lack of diplomatic relationship, can be exploited as hard as I've done this game. You can just walk your probe teams around! How about that. You can steal stuff without any negative repercussion at all. My kinda strategy!
If you're the Alien, you can maintain silence with the humans for a very long time. I already knew that from other games. I just made better use of it in this game, than previous games. Except that, when you suddenly decide you actually want to talk to the humans, you can't just turn on a dime. Factions can declare war on you meanwhile. And stupid things like sunspots can disrupt you further.
Fine, lessons learned. I need a concept for a new AAR. Something about "smothering" maybe. I'm not sure what the sales pitch / hook should be.
But not "Scoutmaster". I don't feel like getting laughed out of r/4Xgaming. More seriously, I don't feel like having any perceptible drop in the quality of my AARs. This is not a good one. So it's over.