Alpha Centauri 2 Forum Community Succession Game

[Kurvivor]

A short summary of events that transpired.
Our foil met with one of Miriam's at sea. Deluded fanatic had the audacity to demand Industrual Base from us without offering anything in return. Naturally, she got nothing (although she did sell Zakharov's frequency) and declared Vendetta. Fortunately, there was enough time to upgrade 2 scout patrols to Impact Squads and wipe out her forces as they landed.
Our forces continue slow track to last Peacekeepers base. They have destroyed their former en route, but now they are finally at their doors.
Taking clue from Hive, a switch to Planned economy was made. I believe that would stimulate our population growth, at least in short term.
To make use of alien artefact at hand, another Network Node was constructed. Since currently research rate is slow, it should prove most beneficial in next decade or two.
In related news, our sea exploration team made away with another alien artefact and is currently enroute back to the land with it.
Negotiations with other factions in regards to governor election went poorly. There will be lots of buttering needed to elect Deirde into Governorship.
Captures cities were pitifully starving. it seems they are close to naturally stabilizing, though. We shopuld probably rename them more fittingly.
I have also started a small military foil building program, if only to prevent further Believer incursions.

[binTravkin]

It might help to put some psych allocation.
2 energy adds an extra worker to many of our cities.
And that extra worker brings back at least 1 energy and also 2 minerals.
We should have a period of growth before the elections so we can possibly elect ourselves without help.

[Mart]

I will wait some time and then play.
There are very interesting issues at this point...

[binTravkin]

I think governorship should be our short term (~10-15yr) goal.
Before Miriam gets all commlinks and elects herself.

We can grow by a total of 13-14 pop in next 4 turns by rushing a few half-built creches, which is probably not enough to elect ourselves governor.
The main limitations are:
1. 3 of our bases with infrastructure to boom (or in production) still lack condensers. Those are Children of Earth, The Pines, Resplendent Oak (has food resource). 3 of the condensers are not finished - near Garden of Paradise, Mindworm Pass and Thorny Wineyard.

2. Many of our bases are having a doctor (drone). We can fix this by temporarily allocating psych. Or we can wait until II and mass upgrade to police units. IIRC that upgrade is 10EC per unit. If we set 100% labs, we can get to II in 3 turns.

3. These conquered bases could boom, but need creches: The Hive, U.N. Information Agency

4. U.N. Equality Village could boom, but needs reccomms (has creche).

If we can get these new/lesser bases in order to boom, it could be possible to elect ourselves governor in <10 turns.

Also, Blackroot Palace needs some terraform attention.
It has boomed to size 6, but only 2 of it's tiles are efficient.

We have 489 ECs.
We should rush reccomms wherever they reach 10 minerals as the cost pays for itself in ~5 turns if 2 doctors and ~10 turns if 1 (2 citizens = 4 minerals, 2 energy).
Rectanks pay for themselves in <15 turns, so we can rush those too.

[Kurvivor]

On the other hand, we can probably buy votes of Morgan or Zakharov. Either one of them will be fine. That will cost us a lot, though. Probably all energy we have.

I suggest setting blackroot palace to sea colony pod production (i have set it to secret project, which was probbly not optimal at all). That way it can provide a steady contribution to our expansion.

As for the tech, we could probably get it faster via AA

[binTravkin]

That will cost us a lot, though. Probably all energy we have.

Yes and I think we're not that desperate.
Spending some (but not all) ECs on enabling faster vertical growth will help us in more ways and will eventually enable us to take governorship.

I suggest setting blackroot palace to sea colony pod production (i have set it to secret project, which was probbly not optimal at all). That way it can provide a steady contribution to our expansion.

Agreed that Command Nexus is probably not best use of our investment as we will only receive half of it's bonus after switching to Wealth ("morale bonuses halved").
Sea colony pods are expensive though.
If we can't find better ROI in vertical growth here, we should build normal Colony Pods instead and raise land.

As for the tech, we could probably get it faster via AA

My thinking is that this is inefficient, as we only really want very few of the techs that we have prerequisites for, thus the chance to get what we want is very low, probably 10% or less.
In any case, we should first see what we can trade from AIs.

[Mart]

Playing turns...

2211
I decide, that infiltrating Morgan is of importance, more than Yang, so Hive will need to wait.
Checking a pod near Hive base: tidal wave! -> going 6 tiles east.

Lal is ignoring our transmissions.
The attack against sole PK defender is 20:7, defenders destroyed.
And Lal refuses to talk.
The last base of Lal, U.N. Commerce Committee taken. Deirdre will take care of conversations from now on.

So Westeros Island has a fungal tower, interesting. Unity rover gets 7:9 odds. Returning to foil.

Morgan would like Adaptive Doctrine, but not for High Energy Chemistry. Taking loan of 356 EC for 8/turn for 80 turns. A Pact, CEO? No, Morgan refuses.
Zakharov demands Doc Loyalty... What to tell him? Now, that Lal is in Gaia's Landing prison, I propose U.N. sanctions, he can contact Lal for that.
Santiago is talkative, but will not sign Pact. And I do not want to check some options, like paying her for that. We need EC!

We get total 50 EC from planetpearls.
I set 40% to psych, some rearranging workers and doctors to have growth or better production.

2212
Children of Earth starts Planetary Energy Grid.
Fallow Time established. This is a coastal curort for Gaian doctors and other medical personel.

Chopping down forests for PEG

A sonar buoy!?

Morgan refuses Pact.
Santiago somehow found out about commlink for Miriam, and now asks for it offering 50! A dilema... but I agree. We can benefit here, while stil winning elections.
But no Pact, either for techs of her price.

And it happened! Santiago calls for elections.

First Round:
Deirdre |66| --
Yang    | 3| for Miriam
Zakharov|37| abstain
Morgan  |19| abstain
Santiago| 7| for Miriam
Miriam  |58| for Miriam

Miriam --> 68 votes

We do not need much, let's talk to Santiago. She wants 444 EC.
Morgan 1068! Do you have some sales occasionally, CEO?
Zakharov 624.
Yang refuses to talk...

So... paying 444 to Santiago.

Second Round:
Deirdre |66| for Deirdre
Yang    | 3| for Miriam
Zakharov|37| abstain
Morgan  |19| abstain
Santiago| 7| for Deirdre
Miriam  |58| for Miriam

Deirdre--> 73 votes ELECTED!
Miriam --> 61 votes

2213

Checking infiltration. Morgan's PEG:
120/180 (15 turns)
11/180 (23 turns)
He has 397 EC in the banks, +24 EC/turn. Dangerous, he can buy rush it.

Infiltrated Morgan, but probe foil was compromised.

2214
Checking Morgan, 14 and 22 turns to PEG.

Chopping forests...
---

Suspicious sentimental activity among Gaians
As recently could be noticed, many Gaian citizens enjoy old games from Earth. Sid Meier's Civilization 4,
being the best in the series for over two centuries now, at least on Chiron since 2060, gained tremendous
popularity. In interviews players report, that their most favourite action is chopping down forests
to build so-called Great Wonders. Gaian Voice News Network just yesterday suggested, that mysterious
decrease in forestation of Gaian territory has something to do with it.
Meanwhile, Central Bureau of Internal Affairs and Morale started an investigation into possible mind control
hostile action by another faction, which makes so many Gaians to behave so un-Gaian, even being it in a computer game.


Santiago offers Miriam map for 50 EC, no, we do not need it now. And anyway, it's too expensive,
and we do have need for every joule.
I have some other plans. Gaians recently showed so much care for Spartan economy, it is time to return the favor.
Wanting Adaptive Doctrine? Not for free...
Returning 18 EC to Santiago.

Virgin Soil base established.

Just got a second unity foil... we will have soon a fishing boat navy
Two tidal waves in a row, plus isle of the deep. This planet is stormy!

Zakharov starts PEG.

2215
We have Intelectual Integrity
Morgan PEG: 13 and 21 turns.
Zakharov PEG: 24, 32, 57, yes, he started that in 3 bases!

We have yellow bar. Possibilities:
- Gene Splicing
- Cyberethics
- Planetary Economics
- Industrial Automation
This gets more and more interesting

Morgan refuses Pact. And I am not going to exchange or sell for 100 EC the Intelectual Integrity.
Free perimeter defense is too important. Both it's better to have it and denial to others.
Santiago refuses to talk.

Ok, so PEG ready for completion:
- 3 units disbanded
- some forests chopped
- 2 AA units included
- 356 EC

2216
Built some police units.
We have Planetary Energy Grid.

============
Notes:
- Almost certainly Unity Wreckage is not explored. Some possibility is, that Yang got there recently,
but we still have a chance. There is now close a foil transport with rover.
- I would take another loan from Santiago, as soon as she wants to talk.

[Mart]

And that is something!!!
According to what I checked, Morgan has yellow bar on F2 screen.
But this is the best:
His only option (prerequisites) is:
Industrial Automation
Ready in 3 turns!!!

So future governors, probe teams get in line to be the one to make that action.

[binTravkin]

Haha, you sure seem to have had a good time. 

[Mart]

Just noticed, Morgan has a base near the Wreckage!!!

So, there is a probe team in Black Root Palace. The closest to probe would be Morgan Robotics, from coast through fungus.
Morgan is doing a probe team there, but ready in 10 turns.
We can probe Morgan for Industrial Automation like in 5 turns (my guess).

[binTravkin]

Yes, we definetely should!

Haha, I loaded up the turn.
THAT Miriam build screen. 
Just look at the base called "The Lord's Mercy".
Her techs are amazing too.
Wow, but.. she has 16 formers! I think I've never seen AI have that many. Usually <10, often <5.

Btw, could it be that my game is showing things differently than yours?
I noticed these things:
UN Equality Village and Chiron Preserve and Blackroot palace are all 3 "red" (>drones than talents), but not rioting.
Do you see the same Mart?
This would indicate that your game "thinks" these cities are ok, as otherwise they'd have the "riots" flag.

Also, when looking at F4 screen, the "Police" units seem to be lighter green for some reason, whereas they look yellow when looking at single city screen.

I'm using fresh install of GoG + Yitzi's 3.4 linked in the downloads section.
Am I doing something wrong?

[Mart]

Yes, I may have drones rule at 0, which is default "vanila" SMAX value...
Yes, that is the case.
Yitzi left that from some testing. For me, that is a bit too harsh rule, not to mention, you no longer can have all-specialists bases, that solve drone problem

I made Police name as:
{Police}
that's a trick with SMACX text parser.

[binTravkin]

But what should it be "normally"?
I understand it's in alphax.txt.
Is it "Drone rules code" ?
I have 8 there.

[Mart]

But what should it be "normally"?
I understand it's in alphax.txt.
Is it "Drone rules code" ?
I have 8 there.

Yes, that 8 is a game changer, in that it:

Code: [Select]

8:  If a base is all drones, and some are turned into specialists, an equal number will be turned into
    superdrones.  If a base is all superdrones and it is supposed to have even more drones than that, "phantom
    drones" will be created.  Superdrones and phantom drones do increase the number of talents needed to prevent
    drone riots.  (Thus, there is no way to stop drone riots other than psych, drone control facilities, and
    police.)  If a base is all talents and is supposed to have more talents, it will create "phantom talents",
    allowing a specialist base to still have golden ages.


[Vishniac]

You (a general "you") guys shouldn't make this already complex game into something overly complicated.
Why can't a drone be a drone and that's it? Which number should I put where to have it so simple?

And also: how is it in multiplayer ? (I have a game running with 3_4 and I wouldn't like to have stricter rules than my opponents)