ET Phone Home - SMACX AI Growth mod 1.19

[bvanevery]

Details cant trust a moneychanger

cant trust a moneychanger

MY 2334.  My drop pod cleverness seems to have earned me a war.  I wonder if the AI really decides to do that sort of thing, or if it's just a bug from previous military plans being laid?

[bvanevery]

Details helpful wave action

helpful wave action

MY 2236.  One less Usurper city to pick off!  Good thing I rushed 4 Pressure Domes last year.

[bvanevery]

Details everybody picking on me

everybody picking on me

MY 2338.  I just can't keep the peace.  The Pirates joined the Data Angels in a crusade against me.

Details fight like a Caretaker

fight like a Caretaker

I shift my economy to Green, since there's no point in trying to appease anyone anymore.  Perhaps my previous Truces bought me enough breathing room anyways.  I've got Flechette Defense Systems in most cities, and none of these factions are Aggressive, so they won't nuke me.  The Usurpers would, but they can't, they're too busy getting killed by everyone.

[bvanevery]

Details I know lots of things

I know lots of things

MY 2339.  I shift my Values to Knowledge, to try to get to the end of the tech tree and finish this game.  I can now build Hab Domes and I have begun the Space Elevator.  I'll get Quantum Power in 4 years.  I took over a Pirate base, but I'm getting the same bug as with the Data Angels.  2 attempts to talk to me and no communication.

[bvanevery]

Details buying a Pirate navy

buying a Pirate navy

MY 2340.  I shift my Politics to Fundamentalist, in preparation for going Cybernetic next year.  I think I will never know peace, and will be in border skirmishes until the end of the game.  Priority is going to building Hab Domes, not new military units.  I am gradually sinking or buying the Pirate ships sent against my main island.

[bvanevery]

Details saw that coming

saw that coming

MY 2341.  Last year I barely held on to Courage: To Question by subverting a Morganic unit.  I thought he might blow it away this year, so I deliberately didn't put any effort into completing the Recreation Commons there.  Upon takeover, I get the same bug where he tries to contact me and fails to communicate.

Details picking up cyborgs

picking up cyborgs

I switch to Cybernetic for the research.  My choices have left me with a nominal use of police to calm my cities.  I try to contact the Cyborgs but they won't talk. 

[bvanevery]

Details always pests

always pests

MY 2342.  I switch to Free Market, as I can still retain the use of 1 police unit with that.  Due to the Living Refinery I also gain +3 SUPPORT.  I can have as many units as my base size for free!  When the Space Elevator and Quantum Power get here, my situation will probably become a lot easier.  I'll just put some kind of armored quantum orbital drop terraformers in the way of everybody and call it good.

[bvanevery]

Details small stuff

small stuff

MY 2343.  Here I am with Quantum Power.  No immediate improvement as I'm still building Hab Domes, and honestly my old Fusion units fight ok.  But this is the beginning of the end for the rest of them.

[bvanevery]

Details smarter than I thought

smarter than I thought

MY 2344.  I'm surprised the Pirates discovered this.  Either they are finally cashing Artifacts, or I just haven't been paying attention to their research.  I honestly didn't think anyone else was viable in this game, given what I'd seen everyone fighting with.   Well I guess I'll go steal something.

Details my wants are different

my wants are different

Even Morgan and Roze had N-Space Compression.  I'm stealing it from the latter, using a reserve of 3 hovertank probe teams that I never put into action due to a sudden lack of money.

[bvanevery]

Details before tectonic burst

before tectonic burst

MY 2347.  I complete the Space Elevator,  but it doesn't matter much because I'm still too busy building Hab Domes and trying to pacify my distant conquests.  Maybe I should have used Punishment Spheres, but it's a bit out of character for the Caretakers I think.  I also completed my 1st Tectonic Missile.  I'm going to make part of a land bridge to my northern island.  I will probably complete the bridge with a smaller tectonic missile, so that the water is still passable.

Details after being summarily bored to death

after being summarily bored to death

I forgot about this aspect of orbital combat.  Oh well, not like I needed a land bridge.  I just wanted to make use of my missile, and in a sense I did that.  It caused Morgan to use some ODPs.  Maybe it would even be a good strategy to fling more of these things.  Although, I heard something about them causing eco-damage.  Can't cause eco-damage if they don't actually get through though.

[bvanevery]

Details to pluck the fungus for thee

to pluck the fungus for thee

MY 2349.  I complete the Manifold Harmonics, making fungus delicious and nutritious.  I also complete my 1st Fungal Missile and consider detonating it on my own territory.

Details whimper whimper

whimper whimper

Roze was willing to pound this city with CMs even though I had Flechette Defense.  I guess I never did put my best AAA troops in there, just the old second string stuff.  Well now I have a little problem.  I hope I can buy my way out of it with probe teams, but mine aren't as tough as they used to be, and Roze has +2 PROBE.

Details before fungal burst

before fungal burst

I'm not sure how precise the detonation of a Quantum Fungal Missile is, so I elect to blast it on my front line with Morgan.  It might slow him down, and I might get some food out of the deal.  Elsewhere I'm actually planting fungus instead of trees!  Well, uh, Morgan shot that down again, but it cost him an ODP again.  So that wasn't worthless.

Details sellin weed

sellin weed

The fungal money is so profitable that I shift my economy to Planned.  This ups my PLANET rating to +3 and maximizes energy from fungus!

[bvanevery]

Details baby killer

baby killer

MY 2350.  I shift my politics to Frontier to get rid of the ECONOMY and RESEARCH penalties.  I had more SUPPORT than I needed, and MORALE isn't that important since I have the Cyborg Factory.  I retain the use of 1 police unit.  I didn't want to go Democratic because then I would have lost my police.  I of course don't have to care about GROWTH because I have the Cloning Vats.

Details one hundred years later

one hundred years later

I make my first use of the Nano Factory's "cheap upgrades" ability.  I figure various front line garrisons need toughening.  I have to say, for having obtained Quantum Power it doesn't exactly make me feel awesome.  Quantum units take a long time to manufacture.  I'm still experiencing flooding from what little eco-damage I did earlier, so I'm not inclined to add any factories.

[bvanevery]

Details horrific Alien sensibility

horrific Alien sensibility

MY 2353.  I must say I didn't see that coming.  I've been ignoring Marr for a long time on the premise that he's basically dead.  Well now he's gonna be even more dead!  Glad I got an ODP screen up.  Due to the Space Elevator I've actually got more pods up than anyone else, although not yet enough to shoot enemy pods down.

Details the earth shattering kaboom

the earth shattering kaboom

Technically it's Planet shattering and there are no Martians involved.

Details I tried to tell them what a jerk he is

I tried to tell them what a jerk he is

Sometimes you just can't persuade people.  They have to discover these things for themselves.

Details selling bigger stronger weeds

selling bigger stronger weeds

Meanwhile my research continues unimpeded.  I learn a couple "Secrets of Whatever".

Details juiciest possible weeds

juiciest possible weeds

My fungus is worth a lot of money now.  5 energy per square!  That's as much as tidal harnesses with Thermocline Transducers, and I don't have to build any facilities for it to happen.

[bvanevery]

Details tough former

tough former

MY 2356.  My Quantum Neutronium Cruiser Former takes a direct hit from a Fusion Conventional Missile and is merely scratched!  Elsewhere, an older generation of armored Cruiser Formers caused a lot of maurading ships to sink themselves before finally being destroyed.  In a war of attrition, these chunks of armor are definitely a win.

[bvanevery]

Details the Pirates cry Uncle

the Pirates cry Uncle

MY 2357.  The Pirates have had enough!  Must be from losing so many ships against my Neutronium armored Cruiser Formers.  It's only getting worse now that I've got 12-Pulse armor as well.  I'm finally starting to make Drop AAA units to garrison distant places.