Alpha Centauri 2 Forum Community Succession Game

[Mart]

You guys have left a base ungarrisoned several turns during a double vendetta?!? 

Nerves of steel, but after recent sealurk attack in 2154, I believe, we need to have bases garrisoned due to possible mindworms attacks.
Can sealurks destroy empty base size 1?

I'm almost done with my turns.

[Geo]

Can sealurks destroy empty base size 1?

I don't think so. There's more danger from IoD's disembarking mindworms.

[Mart]

2152
Lal did not move his rovers, despite giving him more room.

Yang advances through the rocky tile.
2 units: 2-2-1 (disciplined and green) Poor rookies, probably got there from draft...
Yang is ignoring communication.

And Thorny Vineyard switches its production to synth garrison.
And we have 30 EC this turn from 100% economy.
Prototype of synth garr. rushed in ChoE.

Zakharov starts Virtual World!
Yang (unexpectedly) moves two 2-2-1 units to SE from TV, not directly to the forest next to it! What does he "think"
Lal no move. He just wants to play on our nerves...

2153
Because of that action by Yang, I decide to upgrade the prototype synth garrison on monolith - we have that one more turn. It is discipled now. Equal to that best Yang infantry that is trained in harsh conditions.

Mindworm Pass established on a sensor, it has also a forest to work on.

Yang moves a colony pod, that is now on our territory. His infantry does not move this turn! Is Yang afraid now? We have higher power graph.

2154
Forest overgrows a fungus tile
A sealurk destroys scout patrol in Lucky Autumn (that was not so lucky this turn). And The Pines needs to dispatch its newly created scout patrol to defend the base. No worm hunting for them this time.

Yang makes some strange moves. He returns a cp to his territory. But a single 2-2-1 moves on that spot towards Mindworm Pass. Is he going to attack that new base?

2155
Sealurk attacks again, with starting red health, he is able to lower our new very very very green scout from 100% to 20% health!

I got screenie info about truce with Lal expiration.

Both Lal and Yang ignore our communication attempts.

Yang and Lal do not move. Yet another turn of peace.

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Note:
- both our 2-1-1 units are upgraded on monoliths.
- both synth garrisons in Thorny Vineyard are upgraded on monoliths.
- some scouts I upgraded too.
- There are 2 scout patrols near The Pines and on monolith near Resplendent Oak, that could hunt for mindworms. Best if they do it to the north, outside of bases radiuses.
- Gaia's Landing has independent scout patrol. It is relatively safe, and this cheap unit should serve the longest (Morganic thought...)
- Thorny Vineyard could grow, but it will have to have a docter, that will only "eat" two nutrients. It's ok, as long as we have that 3-2-1 forest tile available, but as soon as Yang or Lal enters there, we could have starvation, and loss of 3 rows of food.  I stopped growth by placing the worker on forest without food bonus.
- Both "hunters" are also upgraded on monoliths.

[Kirov]

1) I'm quite sure sealurks can destroy pop1 empty bases, so watch out there. On the other hand, it's a risk I'm usually willing to take.

2) Mart, didn't you try putting a 1-2-1 on the forest/sensor? I think it'd be a good idea to provoke him into attack as we defend with better odds.

[Mart]

In 2156, GoP just finished synth garrison. We could do it. But I placed also 2 synth garrisons in TV. We get there +25% defense, so it is even better. Yang is now much more dangerous with his 3 units of 2-2-1.

[Kirov]

In 2156, GoP just finished synth garrison. We could do it. But I placed also 2 synth garrisons in TV. We get there +25% defense, so it is even better. Yang is now much more dangerous with his 3 units of 2-2-1.

My first move this turn would be to move to the forest/sensor. Not only you defend there with +50 for forest, but you also deny this tile to the Hive who can use the bonus for himself (we won't easily get rid of him with our 2-1-1, it'd be 2:3). That's my two joules.

[Mart]

Yang seems to do some kind of flanking maneuver. He split his units south and north, and does not enter that forest.
We will not attack him there anyway, If he enters there, that would be to attack the base. Forest gives +50% bonus and Yang infantry has no base bonus too. But that comes with a price of leaving TV less protected. It would buy us some time though, he would need to destroy that forest post first. But we need to have there 2 synth garr. otherwise Yang could destroy one with double attack, (possibly).

TV will have 3rd synth unit, if hurried, that would be in 2159.  But if only Yang waited so long. So far, he is very slow in his advance. I wonder why.

Now, if Lal was actually our ally, he would likely donate one these 2-1-2 rovers to us. Pacted AI do that.

[Geo]

Do we know if is effectively at Vendetta with ? That could be the reason of the hesitation.

[Buster's Uncle]

Could Lal possibly be seething at a faction running democracy and in vendetta with someone he is?  Seems very unlikely before he goes nutty-aggressive past 100 turns.

[Kirov]

What secures the forest/sensor is putting 2 x 1-2-1 there. Both defend at a bonus so should survive 2 H units and likely the third one. Our disciplined units would fight at 2:2.75 and then our green ones at 1.88:2.62. In theory, both our units survive but with more than 60% damage, so then they die to collateral damage if the third H unit attacks.

We can tackle this problem in two ways.

1) put there additional unit, 2-1-1. The odds of the third fight are then 2:1.75 so we have a high chance at dying but increase the survival odds of any lucky 1-2-1 which survived with less than 60% damage.

2) upgrade our 2-1-1 to 2-2-1 (40 EC out of our 59), wait until our the H attacks the forest/sensor (his third unit is going to be damaged), then go out with this 2-2-1 and finish his unit.

Do I make it clear? Because I feel like I'm trying and failing to put a simple thing in simple words.

There is also one thing - please remember about the "self-destruct" option. I checked and 2-1-1 on self-destruct deals 10% damage to 2-2-1. The AI is super reluctant to attack with damaged units, so there is that - he could even pull them out. And right now we can damage 3 units at the cost of one. I'm not saying we should, I'm just saying it's worth remembering that we can.

[Vishniac]

I played without waiting for your advices...because I felt like it.
I must add that I would have not taken 2 full hours to play if I wasn't thinking all the time about "they would say so". It gives a lot of pressure and takes out a lot of fun...so play my legacy and don't complain! 

2156
I reallocate workers to have more minerals by base.
All productions of synthmetal garrisons changed to scout patrols: faster, and we earn enough to change 1  scout to synth every turn.
Scout in Mindworm Pass upgraded to synth.
The Hiverian colony pod goes away.

2157
‘Roquade’ between scouts green and very green from Children of Earth and Mindworm Pass.
Scout from CoE upgraded at monolith. Synth from GoP upgraded too.
Hiverian colony pod is back and a former is now on the isthmus.

2158
Forest expanding.
Put Children Creche as a placeholder till we get something interesting to build.

2159
Hiverian colony pod advancing to 115,7 ! I was ready to kill it before he establish on our territory but then Yang called and I secured a truce against Ethical Calculus.
A third PK rover (hardened) appears on 114,14. Following the Hive truce, I decide it’s time for a reckoning: VENDETTA! We lose one 2-1-1 but kill the 2 rovers outside Thorny Vineyard. I put a synthmetal on the forest sensor to block further access.
Rushing a Rec Tanks (we are at 40EC/turn, enough to turn a synth to 2-2-1)

2160
The 3 Hiverian laser infantries are bordering Thorny Vineyard. I smell a surprise attack but what can we do?
PK rover at point blank. I upgrade a scout to 2-2-1 if synth garrison defence fails.

2161
Yang launched a surprise attack (why am I not surprised?). His laser infantry dies, our defender upgrades.
PK rover attacks and dies. A probe is coming. PK ship spotted near Blackroot Palace.
Forest expanding.
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So here we are. The 2 children creches are only placeholders, I don't know what to build. If you can fend off more attacks and don't need money to upgrade units, I think we should go back to 100% research (after we rush the network node for connecting the artefact).

[Geo]

Vishniac, did you demand a withdrawal from Lal, or simply attacked?

[Vishniac]

I just attacked.
You know: cutting the snake's head and all these things...
The third rover was a clear and present danger and a clear sign of Lal's hostile intentions.

[Mart]

Lal will be able to mindprobe our 30% damaged synth on that forest in this turn yet. If he has enough EC, but we do not know it, and damaged units are easier mindprobed. Putting a second unit there will prevent it. You cannot mindprobe a unit when it is not alone on a tile.

[Mart]

Vishniac, did you demand a withdrawal from Lal, or simply attacked?

For some reason, there was no such option in 2156. I guess, there are cases, when you can and you cannot do it. Maybe this is due to no diplomacy standing, like the truce ended some time ago.