The Final Solution - SMACX AI Growth mod 1.17

[bvanevery]

Details groan

groan

MY 2220.  I can't believe these bastards successfully defended themselves!  First the base grew to size 2, so I had to knock it back to 1 again.  Then a reinforcing ship showed up, killing 1 of my ships.  With my 2nd ship I decided to attack the base directly, figuring the Isle was nearly dead and this should be cake.  I can't believe he summarily died when attacking!  That's a crock.  Well, I guess the Cult has a sick weapon up its sleeve, with these captured Isles.  It basically ate my entire fleet!  What a waste of time.  Well at least I know not to bother with this in the future.  I will wait for some other means to eliminate them.

I have researched Adavanced Subatomic Theory, no thanks to the ailing Zhakarov who has had it for awhile.  In my mod it gives Plasma armor and The Citizens' Defense Force.  I am likely to get the latter, as I have 2 Artifacts on my home soil, 2 more sailing home, and I've been making a lot of money popping pods.  Morgan doesn't have the tech, although he's working on The Plantary Energy Grid and The Virtual World.  The latter comes from Secrets of the Human Brain in my mod, which also gives Knowledge.  The intent was to make it a path for Discover oriented factions like the University to get to first.  Morgan, however, has enjoyed safety from the Usurpers and the shores of the Monsoon Jungle this game, so he has taken over the role of "lead researcher".  So far he's completed The Human Genome Project (from Gene Splicing) and the Planetary Datalinks (from Optical Computers).

Belatedly I remember that I don't even need a free Perimeter Defense, I already have one at every base!  I'm either blocking other factions from getting The Citizens' Defense Force, or I'm hoping to turn it into a different Secret Project.

[bvanevery]

Details bureaucrats

bureaucrats

MY 2226.  I've hit the base limit for +1 EFFICIENCY.  I need Knowledge or Wealth to increase my EFFICIENCY again.  I will stop making Sea Colony Pods for now.  Meanwhile it may be time to switch to a Green economy, so that I can increase my POLICE.  Switching now won't do me any immediate good though, because I only have 2 army units in all of my cities.  I have to actually make more garrison units before increased POLICE can benefit me.

I sure could use E4 Intellectual Integrity right about now.  It gives Non-Lethal Methods and The Ascetic Virtues.  It is on the Explore tech path and I'm researching Build, Conquer.  "Explore" actually means colonization and growth, according to the various .txt files.  So in my mod, anything that makes people happy is deemed to be an "Explore" tech.

I have found a bug!  E4 Intellectual Integrity is supposed to have 2 prerequisites, but it only has one.  I'll need to fix that.

[bvanevery]

Details speaking my language

speaking my language

MY 2228.  In my mod, Advanced Military Algorithms gives the Command Nexus.  This is much more useful to me than The Citizens' Defense Force, and Morgan is also working on it.  So now he's not gonna get it!  Rushed for next year.

Details new power

new power

The Power social engineering choice does not have as severe an INDUSTRY penalty as in the unmodded game, but it is still enough that I don't want to do it right now.  I'm trying to compete with Morgan to build Secret Projects.

[bvanevery]

Details back to business

back to business

MY 2235.  I switched to Green because I need a maximal level of POLICE repression, to keep my growing cities in order.  Morgan may eventually become unhappy with me.  If he's too unhappy with me, I won't mind taking his Secret Projects as a penalty for transgression.  But we aren't there yet.  I will simply avoid talking to him for now.

Now that ships can have chemical weapons, I notice their indirect fire attacks get a choice of making a chemical attack or not.  I opted for a conventional attack, because I'm only trying to keep Cha Dawn busy while my Foil Probe Team approaches to steal a tech.  After enough chemical attacks, Planet throws a hissy fit and tries to gut you, so I don't want to use them on things that don't matter.  I didn't think about whether artillery bombardment could depopulate a city though!  I hope not, because that would be cool to the point of overpowered.  I will try it out next turn to see what's up.

[bvanevery]

Details the tools of the trade

the tools of the trade

Well I don't think I'll be worrying about Morgan at all.  He'd better behave himself!  In my mod, I don't mince around with drop pods or copters being some other tech's capability.  It's all just "air power".  This is a really powerful offensive tech to have.  One could make an argument for spreading these things out over more techs, but I haven't seen fit to worry about it so far.  Maybe I'll make a long distance air campaign against Cha Dawn, but I'd need to build some Air Bases for that.

Or else get Doctrine: Initatiative, which I've similarly consolidated as the thing that gives you Carrier Decks and Submarines.  It also gives Deep Radar.  Maybe I should give that back to Advanced Military Algorithms.  Yeah, that's been bugging me for several games now, needing to get a ship chassis for something that planes need.  I've already got a bugfix for Intellectual Integrity, might as well add another change.

[bvanevery]

Details I am so kind

I am so kind

MY 2245.  I have belatedly researched Monpole Magnets.  Morgan has had this for awhile, but I have declined to steal it from him.  He even recently completed The Planetary Transit System.  In my mod, mag tubes become available relatively early, although we're still in midgame now so not necessarily that early.  I haven't been researching Explore techs, only Build and Conquer, so that's why it's taken me awhile.  It is also a Conquer tech in my mod because that's what rails are good for.  Not so much for my sea based empire though.

Morgan has Intellectual Integrity and is building The Ascetic Virtues.  However he needs 36 turns to build it, so hopefully I will research it myself and then just insta-complete it.  Morgan also completed The Citizens' Defense Force.  I let him do it, and I still have an orphaned copy of that being built.  That's how I'm going to instantly complete The Ascetic Virtues when I finally get the tech.  At present I only need 12 turns to complete whatever this Secret Project turns out to be.  It won't be the Xenoempathy Dome though, as Morgan only needs 3 turns to finish that.

In general Morgan is doing a much better job at building than I am.  I'm definitely feeling limited by my unhappy citizens.  I almost wonder if I should put Punishment Spheres on my own people?

Details western theater

western theater

I've had a lot of good shallow water with resource bonuses to the west, so I keep sending my Sea Colony Pods that way.  I'm almost in range of Cha Dawn's satellite island even without an air base.  I have 2 Formers approaching via that Transport.  I have another Transport with 2 more Formers coming.  The interior of my island is producing untrained X Missile Needlejets.  I figure wiping out Cha Dawn on this island will be a cakewalk, as he doesn't have air anything yet.  Once this island is sterilized, it will be onwards and upwards to his main territory.

[bvanevery]

Details wtf

wtf

MY 2249.  I'm not sure I've ever seen an AI attempt Economic Victory before.  Is this a testament to my mod being "worth something" somehow?  I'm baffled; this is almost like seeing a bug.  I mean, I'm the Governor, and I just got re-elected this very turn too.  How is Morgan pulling this off?  I must dissect.  His energy reserves now are 1071 credits.  What were they last turn?  2032 credits.  The turn before?  2035 credits.  Ok, this makes no sense.

Ok, well, I read a bunch of formula gibberish about Economic Victory.  Due to my wonderful mod, which gives bonuses to ECONOMY for all kinds of things, Morgan can be presumed to have +5 COMMERCE.  My economy is nothing special so I presumably have +0 COMMERCE.  The most important point is:

This is calculated for each base and added up. If more than 1000 this is the cost of cornering the energy market; if it is less than 1000 then it only costs 1000 to corner the energy market.

So yes, Morgan could have paid 1000 to try to corner the energy market.  I've never seen that as possible in any game that I've played before, it's always been a fortune.  But then, I wasn't playing Morgan in my new mod!  If it's that easy for a human player to corner the market, I may have broken the game.  I'll have to test that at some point.

I guess I have to blow Morgan away.  This isn't how I thought things were going to go.

Details finishing my stuff

finishing my stuff

This has caught me flat footed and I'm not ready to go on the offensive against my peaceful northern neighbor.  I'm recalling most units home from the western front, although I'll leave one X Missile Needlejet out there to wear the Cultists down.  I have several Sea Colony Pods that need to make new cities out that way, and they need to get clear of Morgan's territorial waters.  I've got 2 X Missile Needlejets headed home and 1 more being built.  I'm badly in need of defensive probe teams.  I've got 2 Foil Probe Teams for theft, only 1 of which is in position, and a 3rd being built.  I have no AAA units and Morgan has just gotten air power.  I will need some Drop units to take Morgan's capitol.  I've got a lot of civilian projects that I need to finish quickly, so I've switched to a Planned economy.  I raised my Psych to 30% and lowered my Labs to 30% to keep a few more people happy, as I won't be needing tech to take Morgan on.  When I'm producing only units I will also change to Power and thereby get +3 SUPPORT.  That will gain me as many units supported as my base sizes.

Details I hope this helps me

I hope this helps me

Maybe if I have more allies, I will have an easier time with things.  Last I looked I had 41 years of sanctions to get through.  If I can get some votes in the UN together, maybe I can Repeal the U.N. Charter.  That would end the sanctions for my atrocities and make me some badly needed money!  Roze has been bugging me to kill my ally Zhakarov, but he's nearly dead anyways, so the point is moot.  In my mod, Roze's fixation is Thought Control, so in the longer term we might end up being politically compatible.  I could use a serious pile of POLICE.  So, I give her Doctrine: Air Power, because Morgan already has it and won't be getting anything new from the Planetary Datalinks.  Maybe Roze will kill a few Aliens while she's at it.

I talked to Roze and Zhakarov about buying their votes.  They want far more money than I've got.  I will have to drain Morgan of cash to finance that swindle.

[bvanevery]

Details what luck

what luck

MY 2250.  This is deeply unpleasant.  Morgan has run into me deep at sea and has threatened me.  I couldn't pay the bribe even if I wanted to, I can't afford it.  So now he gets to start the war his way.  It is very likely that one of my sea bases will immediately go bye-bye as he mind controls it.  I was trying to get set up to take out his Foil Probe Team with a first strike.

Details phew

phew

He let it slide!  I've dodged that bullet for a few more turns.  I'm happy that I retain my first strike initiative.  He gives me the usual chewing out about my Planned economy and I sign off.

Details does it make me money

does it make me money

Sunspots set in.  Looks like I won't be repealing the U.N. Charter anytime soon!  I doubt it will lift the sanctions already in place, but it will keep me from getting new penalties as I grind Morgan up.  I can also nerve staple my people if I feel like it.  I've got a lot of drone riots now.  Due to my faction bonus and my Planned economy, I've got +2 GROWTH, it's getting worse.  Yep maybe it's time to get the drones ready for war!

Details the cranium is moved into position

the cranium is moved into position

This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.  This is essentially "preventive" stapling, at a base that already had a Doctor.  I'm not waiting for my +2 GROWTH to create even more drones next turn.

Details brain brain what is brain

brain brain what is brain

I hadn't thought about it, but it might keep me from getting mind controlled by Morgan as well.  Although with my luck, he'll have plenty of cash to do it anyways.  I've done everyone in my empire.  That was a lot of nerve stapling, more than I've ever done in any game.  It was the right place at the right time.  Shortly I'll have the Ascetic Virtues and won't even have a drone problem anymore.  This has been mildly helpful to my bottom line, as my net income has changed from something like -8 credits / turn to 0 credits / turn.  At least I'm not losing money anymore.  It's going to get worse when I change to Power though.

[bvanevery]

Details first strike

first strike

MY 2252.  I don't have perfect prep, but I do have 3 X Missile Needlejets and 2 Foil Probe Teams ready to launch.  The plan is to steal stuff and destroy the enemy's 2 Foil Probe Teams.  If I'm lucky I'll acquire Intellectual Integrity and be able to change my Secret Project to the Ascetic Virtues.  If not, I'll have to keep destroying and stealing until I get it.  I am 2 turns away from completing my Secret Project and I want it done, so that I can change to Power.  I've still got some bases building civilian stuff, but I can't wait for my offensive much longer.

Details better than a hole in the head

better than a hole in the head

My 1st theft doesn't particularly help me, but it's a tech.  Unfortunately I lost the Foil Probe Team.  If I lose too many of these, I could have trouble with my program of theft.

Details you look cute when you are angry

you look cute when you are angry

Morgan of course declares war.  Not a problem, that was the idea.  Although if I had enough stealthiness to have done this undetected, I would have tried.

Details awesome

awesome

My X Missile Needlejet destroys the 1st enemy Foil Probe Team without a problem.  I steal my primary objective, Intellectual Integrity!  My citizens are never going to be unhappy again.  In 2 turns all my units will double their police ability, and that's not even with non-lethal methods.  Sadly I lost that Foil Probe Team as well, but since I've secured the primary objective, it doesn't matter so much now.  I have 2 more teams en route.

Hmm... I'm now being made to wonder why it should take so long for a society to develop non-lethal methods.  I mean, aren't we talking about the invention of cops?  Should I make it available earlier?  If so, from which tech?  Maybe I'll just accept that this is a game mechanical thing, about when you get a better way to deal with drones, and leave it at that.  I'll think about it.

Details turkey shoot

turkey shoot

I destroy the 2nd Foil Probe Team without incident.  It didn't even scratch my Green planes.  They're going to be terrifying once they finish wiping out everything in the region.

Details lucky break

lucky break

While moving a Sea Former, I discover an unwounded Morganite ship prowling my coast.  I happen to have a Foil Probe Team in the region and subvert the ship for a mere 42 credits!  That was timely, as warships were exactly what I didn't have out that way.  With that ship I destroy the other wounded Morganite ship.  It had a previous run in with an Isle of the Deep.

[bvanevery]

Details I wanted to steal that

I wanted to steal that

MY 2255.  I suppose I have never changed my Build, Conquer focus, so it's to be expected that I'd finally research this.  At least my tech gap with Morgan is narrowing.

Details machetes work too

machetes work too

My chemical attack last turn left this base empty.  I've already stolen from it so it's of no further use to me.  I certainly don't need new bases, I'm barely keeping people happy as is.  Although, having completed the Ascetic Virtues, I shouldn't have as much problem with that in the future.  Anyways I've now completed my short term objective of ridding my immediate waters of interlopers.  Next step is to destroy all cities with in air range of my own.

Details satisfying

satisfying

I think Morganite businesspeople make a crunchier sound when the machete sings through their necks.  Must be their enhanced diet.

[bvanevery]

Details fruition of the new Hive

fruition of the new Hive

MY 2256.  I completed the last of my base facilities, except for an Aerospace Complex that I can't afford to wait on.  I've transitioned to a full war footing.  All of my new units will now get a MORALE bonus.  And surprisingly, thanks to my energy limits being lifted, I'm making 5 credits / turn.

So this is the new Hive.  How does it compared to the old, unmodded Hive?  Well the old way, I would start the game with a -2 ECONOMY.  I'd also probably never do anything other than Planned, due to the immunity to negative EFFICIENCY.  In this version, I end up with a -2 ECONOMY if I choose to go down that road.  My SUPPORT is similar now, in that I get free support up to the base size.  In the unmodded game I'd have more SUPPORT earlier, because I'd start the game already knowing Doctrine: Loyalty.  Just have to save 40 credits to make the change to Police State and you're good.  In my mod, Yang starts up more slowly and is even with everyone else to begin with.  Not much in the way of bonuses or penalties.  My Yang is less EFFICIENT, but only for having chosen this path and -1 is not that bad compared to 0.  You can never escape 0 in the old game, whereas I can get positive or negative EFFICIENCY.  It's my choice.

So I feel decent about these changes.  At this point in the game I haven't overpowered or underpowered the Hive, it's actually pretty similar.  I thought historically, the Hive had way too much of an advantage over other factions.  It was a real killer.  What has happened in my mod, is all the other factions got beefed up.  At least, I think they did.  Most have been verified through playtesting by now, but perhaps not all.

The most basic trick is nobody gets a SUPPORT bonus for free anymore.  You have to earn it with your social engineering choices, and take the consequences of those choices.  Well except for IMPUNITY, in the case of the Hive with Police State, and the Cult of Planet with Fundamentalist.  They still have to earn their SUPPORT for Planned and Power choices, and they have to take the penalties.

[bvanevery]

Details eat rockets

eat rockets

MY 2260.  Sunspots have ended.  Last year, Morgan pulled a groaner and mind controlled my most remote northwest sea base.  This year, he's attempting to fortify it with Needlejets.  I have Interceptors en route, that I started producing awhile ago in anticipation of an air war.  I'm tagging one of his planes now.  I have taken losses elsewhere though, due to attacks on bases going badly, or my own Needlejets getting intercepted.  In short, Morgan is no longer displaying complete helplessness.

I am worried that I am not going to have the productive oomph to actually take his capitol before he corners the energy market.  The possibility that this could happen simply never occurred to me, because I have never seen it in any game I've played, ever.  In almost 20 years of play.  I had no idea that it could cost as little as 1000 credits to corner the market.  It is easy to make 1000 credits with my new social engineering choices, I do it all the time.  Nor have I ever gotten a 1000 credit price tag, it's usually been 10,000 to 20,000 when I look at it.  If I had known Morgan could be this much of a threat, I would have invaded him earlier in the game.  It has always been a completely convenient thing to do, he's been just north of me the whole time.  As it stands, I'm at risk of getting punked by this guy.

Details a sad little man

a sad little man

Looks like my ally Zhakarov declared war on my ally Roze during the sunspots.  I got him to beg off.

Details marked for termination

marked for termination

Only to have Roze contact me and demand to be loaned money.  Of course I refused, because Morgan is about to win the game and I'm only making 11 credts / turn.  So she broke our pact!  That means once upon a time, she got Doctrine: Air Power from me and I got no benefit from that transaction at all.  Not even any COMMERCE due to all the sanctions I have leveled against me. 

Details thank you sir may I please have another

thank you sir may I please have another

Did the AI decide I have a Kick Me sign on my back?  I've about had it with this.

Details I prefer lethal methods

I prefer lethal methods

I get my first drone riots of the post-sunspot era.  A few more cities follow suit.  I suppose it wouldn't matter if I nerve stapled them, because I've got 56 years worth of sanctions to go.  I think they just imposed 30 years for the last chemical attack I made, post-sunspots.  But I can't quite bring myself to nerve staple my people when I just need a police unit.

Details go away

go away

Morgan threatens my coast with a probe team.  This causes me to divert an X Needlejet to the task, which could be hitting Morgan's cities.  His spam will be the death of me.  If I had completed a rail system earlier, I might have used some artillery pieces to take out that Transport, but I didn't.

[bvanevery]

Details more Morganic toys

more Morganic toys

MY 2262.  I steal Adaptive Doctrine from Morgan, which in my mod gives both Pulse and Resonance armor.  That was a side effect of taking free Resonance armor away from the Aliens, but letting them have Trance instead.  I'm not entirely happy with this arrangement, but I haven't given much thought to how I'd do it otherwise.  I've revised the tech tree a lot and I don't like I have much wiggle room left to make changes.  Still, I will take another look, since I've got this small list of other minor things to deal with.

It's not good that Morgan has this.  It's yet another way he can resist me taking his capitol.  I honestly don't think I'm going to make it at this point.  My rate of progress has been terminally slow.

Details unfortunately he can afford it

unfortunately he can afford it

After some losses in earlier turns, Morgan Dock finally keels over and dies.  This flank is safer, at the cost of major distraction from the actual mission, island hopping to Morgan Industries.  Oh well.  If the game beat me with a cheap shot I've never seen before, so be it.

Details this has better work

this has better work

I have built up a substantial force at Hole of Aspiration.  I have 2 Drop units about to arrive by Transport as well, shielded by a AAA Plasma Foil.  The land base Morgan Solarflex will fall, but my planes could take heavy losses due to a spore launcher he's put in there.  I don't really have an answer for that, at least nothing that can be put in position in time.  Even a sealift of artillery will be too slow, as I didn't think to build speeder artillery units.  I do have other X Needlejets in production, so maybe I'll be able to just plow through.  Maybe.

[bvanevery]

Details I hope this is a diversion

I hope this is a diversion

MY 2263.  I thought I was about to win the air war in the west, but Morgan keeps stocking more Needlejets, and he's building an ECM unit to keep my ships at bay.  Maybe it will be a net positive.  Maybe it'll keep his air force away from his main cities when I finally go for his heart now.  Although, I can think of a lot of ways he could just toast me.  Not the least of which is one probe team, which I really haven't got a plan for.  I was supposed to have gotten a foothold on the island north of me, a decade ago.

Details lucky shot

lucky shot

Fortunately the Spore Launcher died on my first strike.  There is only a Trance unit remaining, so I will take Morgan Solarflex intact.  OH GOOD GRIEF.  I threw away a Tactical because I thought there was a Trance unit in there, and it wa an ECM unit.  Complete brain fart!  Dammit, I don't need to lose planes for nothing.  Well, that attrition isn't as bad as I was expecting.  I will push on.  I take it not-so-intact, knocking it down to 1 population.

Details cant buy nothing

cant buy nothing

Oh heck I'm obliterating this thing.  I don't want to get mind controlled and it's not the real jumping off point for taking Morgan Industries anyways.

[bvanevery]

Details dont know the meaning of the word garrison

dont know the meaning of the word garrison

MY 2265.  Morgan has done me the inestimable favor of flying his Missile Tacticals away from Morgan Mines, leaving it all but defenseless.  Since he is only at war with me, I don't know what possessed him.  He seems to prefer to keep them in Morgan Hydroponics to the east.  This mistake on his part may end up being the difference between me winning and losing the game.  I was going to take Morgan Metagenics, which is also in striking position of Morgan Industries, but Morgan Hydroponics is definitely the more defensible position.  Other cities, I might be able to destroy even this turn as I do have a lot of X Needlejets built up at Ark of the Edicts.  My production doesn't seem to be too late after all.

Details Morgan Mines mine

Morgan Mines mine

Morgan had a mindworm just outside the city.  I had to use a plane to kill it.  I did not use planes on the other cities because I need them to strike at Morgan Industries.  I may have to destroy it with chemicals rather than capture it.  That would wipe out both the Human Genome Project and the Planetary Transit System, but it's better than losing the game.  Even 1 AAA unit, or some Tacticals, could make it impervious and Game Over.  I really need the AI to keep screwing up, which fortunately seems likely.  I also need it to fail to counterattack Morgan Mines.  Next turn would be a great time for it to do so, although I did at least block the roads leading to it.

Morgan wins in MY 2268, so I have very little time.