Group AAR #2: Fight for the Future

[Flux]

*pokes jarlwolf*

[Buster's Uncle]

[JarlWolf]

*pokes jarlwolf*

c'mon guys, last time we did four 20 turn rounds in a day and a bit, this time it's been a week and we've had two 15 turn rounds, and i've still not had a turn. rounds should even be shorter since we're starting from scratch. i'm getting so impatient i mostly made six aquatic factions (with help from sigma, yitzi, and BU). (next group aar is all aquatic, get your practice in now)

jarl, let me know if you've played/are going to be playing tomorrow, three days will be up next time i'm online and i may take my turn if you're not going soon (with you able to go after if available). i'll post before starting though, so if you can play first go for it.

I've had stuff come up so I am afraid I am going to have to withdraw from this.. I am terribly sorry I just lack time now, and won't keep pace with you guys if it is this rapid.

[Flux]

*pokes jarlwolf*

c'mon guys, last time we did four 20 turn rounds in a day and a bit, this time it's been a week and we've had two 15 turn rounds, and i've still not had a turn. rounds should even be shorter since we're starting from scratch. i'm getting so impatient i mostly made six aquatic factions (with help from sigma, yitzi, and BU). (next group aar is all aquatic, get your practice in now)

jarl, let me know if you've played/are going to be playing tomorrow, three days will be up next time i'm online and i may take my turn if you're not going soon (with you able to go after if available). i'll post before starting though, so if you can play first go for it.

I've had stuff come up so I am afraid I am going to have to withdraw from this.. I am terribly sorry I just lack time now, and won't keep pace with you guys if it is this rapid.

Aww, I really liked how you did your AAR last time.

[Flux]

*pokes ete*

[ete]

I've had stuff come up so I am afraid I am going to have to withdraw from this.. I am terribly sorry I just lack time now, and won't keep pace with you guys if it is this rapid.

ah.. that's unfortunate. I've always enjoyed your AARs, perhaps next one you'll have more free time.

*pokes ete*

Yep. I'll do it this evening, just talking to Sigma about factions and stuff on IRC now.

[ete]

Cryopod opening... taking over leadership duties from steward AI.. functions restored.

I awake from my long sleep, sadly necessitated by my early neural link implants, to see how the steward AI has been operating in my absence.


My empire seems.. remarkably in order. Rec tanks and formers on their way, only one defender per base, reasonable base placement, good diplomatic relations. The AI has done well.

Still some optimizations it lacked the understanding to implement, but rushing those rec tanks nearing completion and increasing former production will help.

Let's attend to diplomacy. First the Creche, a group of children no less, surviving on Planet. They seem friendly enough, and share our love of technology.













Two techs up, in exchange for a tech and my maps. Neither of the techs are particularly important to my faction with our relatively small populations, but they may well lead to more useful discoveries.

Onto Atsumi and her "family". She's never one to put trust in, but could be a valuable trading partner.



I would prefer she started exploring the sea than had strong defenses, if it ever comes to war. And she may gain commlink frequencies or artifacts for technology from the sea that I could trade with her.






No technology from her, but a treaty and perhaps more importantly a map of the Jungle..



Ah.. Sepsu. He's always been a brute, organizing with ruthlessness with no care to bettering ourselves as a whole, preferring to just let those who don't fulfil his standards fall behind. He seems to have quite an impressive population, most likely due to that fertile Jungle he had the fortune to land in.. I will have to tread carefully with this next call.










I breathe a sigh of relief. He is even more intimidating now, at the helm of his "Imperium". I refuse to bow, though he could certainly do great harm to my civilization, I will not give him access to terraforming equipment. He will come for us one day, I am sure of it, and I intend to do everything in my power to ensure he is not strong enough to defeat us. Bah, talking of wrongheadedness and inefficiency while his own citizens starve and are beaten! I only hope Atsumi and Ron will stand with me when it is time for war against his horrific imperium..

[ete]

As part of my drive for optimization,  I am moving all scout patrols one base to the west, allowing Mind Foundry to focus on developing infrastructure and teraforming units. Many bases will be undefended for a short time, but this is better than leaving Mind Foundry undefended for the time it would take an eastern exploring scout to cross over and defend. Additionally, our Western scout rover has located a strange artifact, believed to be of alien origin. We are bringing it to the nearest base for further study.


All scout movements going well, and a tower of the local fungus which was impeding growth has been destroyed. It did, however, do significant damage to the attacking squad. We must be wary of these natives in future.


Another artifact has been located far to the East, whatever left these must have been widely spread across Chrion's surface. This will take longer to bring back, and the guard is weakened.


"It's reached Mind Foundry? Yes, yes, I will oversee it personally by vidlink."




Incredible.. this artifact contains blueprints and information for constructing batteries, solar panels, and power transfer devices vastly superior to our cutting edge... We must unlock the secrets behind these artifacts, and endeavor to collect as many as possible. In the mean time let us put this technology to use!


I have requested a study of the likely effects of restructuring our society using the technology gained from the artifact. Unfortunately, our best models indicate significant unrest and more importantly harm to the eco-system, despite the significant gains to research and power supply that it would supply. For now we will remain with a planned economy.



"What is that? You have a radio report from the western patrol? The report is coming from WHERE? No, no, okay.. At least they maneged to defeat the natives. Tell them to press on, they are in uncharted land and may discover something important."


The first forest was being planted, but a swarm of worms consumed the terraforming unit.. The natives do not like us changing their world.

[ete]

Damn, what does he want.





"You want us to gift you our technology, the fruits of our greatest minds, so you can do what? Grow your petty imperium, and further your goals of enslaving the rest of us? Your army is strong Emperor, but we will not give in to your blackmail! If you want our technology, you must first prove yourselves worthy partners in our shared mission, not playground bullies angry at not having the best toys.

You will get nothing from us."



"Very well. And we shall do our best to remove you from power, then begin to repair the damage you have wrought on your own people."


Another not particularly useful technology, but with a war coming it may be of some help.



A good system of government is key to any society.



Ah, Ron. Finally a reliable ally to talk to.



Sure, sure. You'll need it if you join me against Sepsu.




Nothing of much note.


"Do you know what time it is? ... What, no, repeat that... Aliens? Yes, yes, no, I'll be in the comms room in ten minutes."










Debriefing Room

So, let's go over this again. What are the key things we've learned?

They are called the Bree.
They are not true aliens, but hybrids. Human hybrids. Merged with natives, created as an experiment by yet another alien species.
The other alien species has not been detected by the Bree for some time, and may no longer have forces on Planet.
They are keen to have our terraforming technology, which means they are not significantly or generally above us technologically.
They are not highly co-operative, but also not actively hostile.
They want to talk to other human leaders, such as Ron.
They have no interest in re-integrating into human society, nor in trade.

Unknown:
Population
Growth rates
Accurate technology level
Which group made the artifacts
Long term goals
Relations with other factions (esp. are they close to the Imperium)


Not true aliens.. but closer than I'd ever imagined I'd find on Planet.

[Flux]

This is interesting.
Although when I get my turns again I'm going to expand as fast as I can.

[ete]

Another infested pod.. Those early artifacts are starting to seem like lucky strikes.


"Founder, the Worms that had taken out our first former have been destroyed."
"Good. Have the next batch of formers continue the road construction and forest planting."


Useful, but no where near as interesting as another AA would be..


"We've lost the far flung northern explorers, founder. Their last report was several masses of worms approaching their location."
"Blast it. We needed them. Now we have no way to monitor the Bree operations."


The far eastern peninsula and western area are worthy considerations for colonization, but ultimately the Pholous Ridge is by far the best and closest location.



Very well, if a simple scout bothers you.. I will send it into Imperium territory, and try to retrieve any artifacts they may have missed.




Back in the west, a scout rover is lost to another worm-infested pod. We must respond to these, or they will cripple our terraforming.



Excellent, the other artifact has arrived. Inside this I find.. designs for extremely strong containment vessels, and many reactions which can take place within them to produce useful chemicals. Another piece of the puzzle...



Not the most fertile of locations, but holding the channel between two oceans will be invaluable once we take to the water. Worth making those formers quickly.





The worms attack again, but this time the rover team flees before total destruction. And apparently a group calling themselves the Free Drones has build the HGP.. I look forward to contact with them.




That seems to have provoked a burst of interest in building The Weather Paradigm.. I wonder whether the steward AI will adopt a similar policy when I sleep, as I most shortly do.


One of the Spore Launchers destroyed, with a former acting as bait for the ranged attack while the rover closed for the kill.


Another base founded. This will connect a small lake to the larger sea, and is in a more fertile location with both nutrient and energy resources available.


Pholous Ridge is ours! Once all this fungus is cleared, this will provide energy for our entire civilization for generations.

[ete]

This is interesting.
Although when I get my turns again I'm going to expand as fast as I can.

I'm afraid I'd already claimed the Pholous Ridge by the time you posted, but you're welcome to the eastern peninsula, or to expand towards the Imperium. I'd rather you not border push and steal monoliths or specials from my territory though.

[ete]

Before my sleep, let me review progress.





All seems well, I only hope the AI is competent enough to handle this more complex organization.


The powergraph seems good.

Now for some last minute diplomacy with our allies..










Excellent, two new technologies and we did not have to give up Planetary Networks, which may have lead to others starting the Virtual World. I ponder asking her to join the fight against Sepsu, but though she is a sharp trader her forces lack the discipline to fight a long war, and her playing neutral while remaining as a physical barrier and keeping him off much of the Monsoon Jungle is probably the most useful thing she can do for now.

Ron on the other hand...












Ron will make an ideal ally. As much as I hate the idea of child soldiers, we must focus on the long term goals, and future of humanity. Defeating Sepsu will end a much greater evil, and we need all the assistance we can get.

I take one last look at our maps and statistics






Then return to the cryo pod. My last emotion is hope, tainted by a fear of the consequences of failure.

[ete]

I like playing a leader I can really get into roleplaying, and Federov's probably the closest a leader gets to how I'd imagine a slightly idealised me.

Overall the AI seemed to do shockingly well with the Technocrats, especially given my not-horrible but entirely bland start location.

Sorry about pushing you into war BlueFlux, but I think you can handle it. Just get some formers and forests ASAP, and remember to build a road then forest since it's faster than forest then road. A couple of impact rovers and you'll be able to kill waves of poorly trained Imperium troops. Worst comes to worst I'll evacuate you to a western base.

[Flux]

I like playing a leader I can really get into roleplaying, and Federov's probably the closest a leader gets to how I'd imagine a slightly idealised me.

Overall the AI seemed to do shockingly well with the Technocrats, especially given my not-horrible but entirely bland start location.

Sorry about pushing you into war BlueFlux, but I think you can handle it. Just get some formers and forests ASAP, and remember to build a road then forest since it's faster than forest then road. A couple of impact rovers and you'll be able to kill waves of poorly trained Imperium troops. Worst comes to worst I'll evacuate you to a western base.

Yeah. I think I can get into Ron pretty well aswell 
The war is okay. At least I have a brother in arms to do battle with! I just hope that during Yitzi's turn I survive. I don't want to go the way of the Red Unit again. That would be horrible.