[ISPG] Interactive SinglePlayer Game

[Mart]

Endturn:
- Copter reveals terrain to the east. Heavy fungus, and only 2 spots where a base could be places.
One of them practical for our present task force, considering, cp is 90% damage, former and scout are like down to 50%.
- Skirmisher leaves AH, goes west. Main task, exploration
- Crawler rehomed to MM, where the second skirmisher hurried.

Colonials re-order their cp again!!!
This is just AI, and only when they started to be challenging, now, their colony pods go in circles.

2133



Proposals:
- Mining laser? Either explores more or returns to our territory. This is practically the only counterstrike-capable unit we have.
- Our western cp can push Colonials, as we talked some posts previously. This may anger them, but Basque mood is cooperative still.
- The second skirmisher can escort that western cp. Also, there unity pods to pop in the area. Once near bases, they should give something decent.
- Copter returns to Normandy Base

So AH is slowly building transport foil (2 mins/turn)
MM and AC make colony pods, and these should be completed in several turns.
However we have now 45 EC in energy banks and only +5 ec/turn.

Colonials are making 4th former! We need them too, we only have four formers.

[Mart]

Recently the river giving faster route to the east changed its flow.
A group of scientists is sent to investigate.

Patrick O'Hearn - So Flows The Current

[Buster's Uncle]

Answering the questions in the screenie - explore; base.

[Mart]

Presently, in 2133, Colonials are 6 turns from red tech (Applied Physics?) and we are 8. Most likely they are going to get it before us. And if not, we can slow our research for that. And then we could trade it, leapfrogging our research.
However, we could offer them only Industrial Base.
Should we do it?

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm a free trade guy when it comes to SMACX techs...

[Mart]

Colonials are cooperative, I wonder, if they trade it without problems.

We are loosing here, possible problem with Merchant Exchange. This may be not the most important SP, but it can well pay back itself. Especially when using crawlers. We might conquer Colonial base, in case they complete it, but, with our -1 efficiency it is even more important to have ME (if at all) in HQ base.
And the first our SP could be something different.
I am thinking about maybe some voting for that.

[Mart]

Well... I just checked tech tree.
So it turns out, not only Applied Physics is possible, it is also Doctrine Loyalty. And since Colonials have Social Psych too, it also pertains to them.

We may have a case out of 4. Then:
- it is good to wait to see what Colonials get from their red tech bar.
- in case our tech is Doc Loyalty, we at least would have option to make Command Nexus. And Perimeter Defense might be useful.

Giving Industrial Base may not be the best option, since they get armor 2, but if they research Doc Layalty, we would clear our situation.

-----
And if we are lucky, we may contact Pilgrims soon and maybe trade some techs from them. Applied Physics (or better? Impact?) would be most desired.

[Mart]

Playing 2133 endturn, and Brother Joaquin contacts our Mining Laser.
I have to decide, what to do, and the order may be important, so:
- to try to get other commlinks
- to get technology exchange
- get a loan
- get treaty/pact
- ...

[Buster's Uncle]

If treaty/pact is doable the rest might follow more easily?  Often the opposite seems to be true, though.

I'm a big fan of being on the lending end of loans.  Cash flow permitting, it's free money if a vendetta doesn't disrupt...

[Mart]

If treaty/pact is doable the rest might follow more easily?  Often the opposite seems to be true, though.

And it was not so long conversation, but we may have a chance in some future to get some benefits from this contact.
Longer report will be there soon.

I'm a big fan of being on the lending end of loans.  Cash flow permitting, it's free money if a vendetta doesn't disrupt...

You mean, that we lend energy? And then receive every turn some income?
Or, that we borrow, and then can use it immediately?

[Buster's Uncle]

It all depends on what's better in the long run, isn't it?  In my SP play, I go after the income, always.  My dad would haunt me if I assumed debt, even in a game.

[Mart]

Yes, on one side it is an investment, when in longer time you receive larger amount of energy.
On the other hand, I remember Maniac made a short treatise? about why investing energy immediately into completing/hurrying buildings or formers or similar gives much larger return on investment.
It all depends.

Pilgrims were less cooperative than I wanted. At least Joaquim was ambivalent. Not close to seething, like it often happens.

[Buster's Uncle]

Oh yeah - I get that the investment in rushing NOW and paying interest can pay off more than loan income later- I just have no personal experience with taking loans for that; so take my remarks with a grain of salt.

[Akritedes]

I generally go straight to tech exchange with diplomacy, with an occasional Pact to improve relations or boost trade. I try to stay out of the economics, it's largely more trouble than it's worth to me.

[Mart]

Endturn
All unit moves as planned. Mining laser scouts further and it encounters Pilgrims scout patrol.
It also turns out, that there is Pilgrims base, 2 tiles to the north, and we are on their territory.

[Edit]
Something to add, is that our research is slowered, so that we get red tech 4 turns after Colonials. At this moment, so with new bases we will probably recover somewhat, but let us see. Colonials should get red tech before us, what is beneficial for our research planning.



To keep good relations, we have to pay a technology.
Asking for commlinks to Brother Lal.



So we most likely will exchange no techs this time.



Not a very fruitful conversation. It will take some time to improve relations, and already push our borders. We are limited with expansion to the north already.