Alpha Centauri 2 Forum Community Succession Game

[Buster's Uncle]

I always play Gaian, and I go to Planned as soon as I can - still have a +Planet, and the pop compensates for the research/energy hit pretty quickly, and the production bonus, oh my goodness.

[binTravkin]

Planned only really gives 10 minerals toward WP.
Because you spend equivalent of the other 10 switching to it.

Also, we don't need help with WP - 2 AAs and 2 probes gives us >200 minerals and we have another probe nearby + a lot of cash.

[binTravkin]

I did a single player test run as Gaians, using only Build priority.
Here's what it resulted into;
1. Social Psych
2. Biogenetics
3. Information Networks
4. Ethical Calculus
5. Industrial Base
6. Doctrine: Mobility
7. Doctrine: Flexibility
8. Industrial Economics
9. Planetary Networks
10. Gene Splicing
11. Some kind of Explore tech (did not finish to see)

It looks like AI research algo values Gene Splicing higher than IA.

[Bodissey]

2196
Our forces didn't take The Colony this turn despite heavy fighting. One (2-1-1) laser infantry lost. 
Using The two AA, a probe and a mere 32 EC cash we are finishing the Weather Paradigm this turn.
A probe action turned sour in The Colony but we managed to divert 11 EC from the Hive network.
Started a farm in (105,15 - Nutrient bonus) east of Blackroot Palace.
 
End Turn
House of Martyrs (Morgan) builds The Merchant Exchange.
University redirects efforts toward The Weather Paradigm.
A rogue worm attacked UN Headquarters.
Gaia's Landing builds Sea Formers. Started a Former.
The Pines builds The Weather Paradigm.
The Morganics redirect efforts toward The Planetary Energy Grid.
The Pines start a former.
Children of Earth builds a skimship probe team. Started a former.

2197
Took The Colony that was left with only one defense unit. Yang has moved 4 synthmetal sentinels outside of The Colony.
Yang demands Non Linear Maths to end this vendetta. I suggest he tends his own garden.
Destroyed two synthmetal sentinels in the open around The Colony @(124,6) & (123,5).
Moved the formers toward the marked borehole site @(109,11).
Partially rushed RecCom @Lucky Autumn.

End Turn
The two Hive Synthmetal Sentinel suicide @(124,10) attacked the stack @(122,10) freeing the road to Unification Cavern.
Lucky Autumn builds RecCom. Starting (4-1-2).

2198
Unification Cavern is defended by a single synth sentinel. Bombardment is on. One of our probes sabotages PD in Unification Cavern. We might be able to finish the quest after all.
Starting borehole @(109,11) and condenser @(105,15).
Partially rushed (8EC) the RecCom @ The Hive.

End Turn
We achieved Adaptive Economics. Next tech is an Explore.

2199
Quest done! We have eradicated the Hive. 50 EC bounty. With one (2-1-1) as the sole casualty during my mandate and no upgrade.
Escape pod tracked @(91,43) along with 2x(2-2-1), 2x(1-2-1) 2xColPods and 1 former.
I pledged truce with the good Chairman and signed a treaty.
Changed production in Lucky Autumn to a Transport Foil.

End Turn
The Pines builds former. Started a NetNode. (6 Labs)
Resplendant Oaks builds SkimProbe. Starting a NetNode (7 Labs).
Mindworm builds RecCom. Starting Probe team.

2200
Spore launcher captured @(112,0).
Sent a few units to the monolith @(125,13) for seasoning and repair.
Paid 25 EC for the Morgan commlink to Santiago.
Contacted Morgan. He wants to hear for Yang. We sell him the commlink in exchange for 50 EC. He demands Ethical Calculus. No. Treaty of friendship signed. Sadly, no technical data. No other commlinks. Possible loan of 361 EC for 8 EC x 90 years. Didn't follow through.

End Turn
Forest expands near Garden of Paradise.

Suggestions
We might want to establish another base around (108,16).
Started a transport foil in Lucky Autumn to pop some sea pods.
Starting some land gain would also be in order. Maybe in (103,13)?
Sea probes are on their way to infiltrate (Morgan, Santiago?).

We now have 277 EC. We're leading in tech and overall. And we're at peace with everyone we know.
Our first borehole and condenser will be ready during my successor's turn. Two more formers are being produced.

[binTravkin]

Quest done! We have eradicated the Hive.

Nice one! 

Explore tech is Intellectual Integrity I guess, that's the only Explore we can do at the moment.

[Mart]

2199
Quest done! We have eradicated the Hive.

And after viewing 2196 I lost hope for it.
Congratulations! To all three governors.

Bodissey, now you name another quest.

...
Escape pod tracked @(91,43) along with 2x(2-2-1), 2x(1-2-1) 2xColPods and 1 former.
...

Hmm, if that area was selected for escape for Yang, it means, the Unity Wreckage may still be unexplored.
This would be map for all other escape pods, two units (copter! and mining laser) and possibly quite large amount of EC.

[binTravkin]

Took a closer look at the turn.
Some conclusions

1. The tech IS Intellectual Integrity. There are no other Explore techs we have prerequisites for.
2. One tech now takes 17 turns @ 80% labs, which means:
 - IA is a minimum 25 turns away at the most optimistic (we grow fast and IA is next) scenario, more likely 30+ turns and 40+ if IA is not next tech.
 - EE is 50+ turns away at the most optimistic (II -> IA -> GS -> EE) scenario
 - which leads to: no use building boreholes now, we have plenty of time to pre-build them, focus on what can be used sooner
3. We can and should resume ICS by raising land. I suggest W&SW direction from an imaginary line going from Blackroot Palace to Lucky Autumn - does not eliminate any known bonus tiles and is close to our core territory; BP also needs some more tiles as the current ones are fairly useless until EE.
We can also raise land northwards, but this means we should stop kelping that area and move the sea former towards former Hive territory.
4. We should produce one colony pod ASAP to "hook" the territory just W from PK HQ.

[Mart]

Time to have network nodes everywhere.
Population to have more librarians...?

...
We can also raise land northwards, but this means we should stop kelping that area and move the sea former towards former Hive territory.

Such an "inland" sea has its benefits. We could keep it with having some way to sail ships out of it. And raise land a bit farther from there.

4. We should produce one colony pod ASAP to "hook" the territory just W from PK HQ.

We may put 2 bases there:
- one on that forest tile with sensor, near the border and 3 tiles from GoP
- one to the SW from there.
This will push PK border to the east.

[Kirov]

binTravkin and Co., congratulations on handling the Hive, the timing was really suspenseful (unfortunately I prototyped A4 after I took the Hive with heavy damage).

bT, I fully understand your concern with boreholes, but I'm afraid their issue is closely tied to land raising. If we start raising now, core bases won't get their boreholes due to that 'adjacent slope too high' thingy. We can at least start several boreholes with 1 former each and then raise terrain with others. Otherwise we'll never be able to pack them densely enough. You okay with that, guys?

[binTravkin]

IIRC boreholes are destroyed if land nearby becomes sloped.
So, building boreholes would mean that the area they are in is off-limits for land raising.

In any case, if terrain becomes too uneven, you can always lower the higher points back to just above 0.

Our priority is to grow. We've stagnated significantly.
Anything that is useful in some far and uncertain future, is not exactly helpful for growth.

Time to have network nodes everywhere.
Population to have more librarians...?

Pop growth past 4 is very slow, unless you popboom.
So by building Nodes now and Creches then, we're just delaying those Nodes becoming fully useful by the amount of time we spend building Nodes, which is 10+ turns.

I'd say either get serious about ICS by raising land or get serious about popbooming, by building what's needed and starting boom.
We have all the needed things in place for both, including the willingness to spend large amounts of production for expensive infrastructure.

Boreholes, crawlers, tree farms - when we have them or are soon to have them, then we can "put them into picture".
For now, we're talking future and missing the opportunities that already exist.

[Kirov]

Oh I would know if boreholes get destroyed in such cases, trust me they don't.

[binTravkin]

I still fail to see how investing former-turns into something that will be usable no sooner than 50 turns from now, is a good idea.
For the same amount of former-turns we can raise land 3 times, which means space for 2 new bases.

[Kirov]

We should be picking up our tech rate soon, but ok, grumble grumble. But when we do get close to EE, I want all the boreholes.

And although I find ICS most efficient, here I recommend vertical growth. ICS is time consuming, boring even and its main advantage consists in providing an edge in multiplayer environment. Otherwise no need to bother. I'm probably going to drop out when/once we hit 50+ formers, SMAC is really no fun at that moment.

[Mart]

I may point to one thing, this game has settings:
- quite large map
- tech stagnation
- blind research
So though it may seem, like compared to "standard settings" game we are lagging in development, we may actually be "on time"
On one hand, we are no. 1 at the moment, on the other hand, we lost race to 2 SPs now.
What worries me more now, is Morgan getting PEG. This SP is really good (Morganic thought... )

[Buster's Uncle]

I tend to prolong my games and play builder around a rendered-impotent enemy like it was Sim City w/ terraforming, and Kirov's right about sloping up not destroying boreholes (and one lower land action on the slope always works around starting new ones, except on coast-level squares, and on borders where you don't want to provoke a fight).