Thinker mod military capability, attempt 3

[bvanevery]

Once again, I combine Thinker mod with my SMACX AI Growth mod.

Previous games have made me realize, it is impossible to compete with Thinker mod by merely building a modestly sized empire and getting on with all your peaceful city improvements.  The cost_factor and eco-damage buffs that the AI gets are enormous.  You'll be looking at distant empires across the Huge map, that are spewing piles and piles of technology.  You'll feel the inevitability of an eventual Transcend and the pointlessness of even playing anymore.

I theorize that only total commitment to a military solution will work.  I don't think I can even wait to see who my neighbors are.  I think I have to kill, kill, kill, and keep killing, until they are so dead they need even more killing.  In my last game, early on I got stuck behind the Usurpers on limited land.  Then I was starting to beat them.  Then I slacked off, thinking I needed to compete with the distant Morganite and Pirate empires on city building.  Well, I never came even remotely close to catching them.

No more slacking off!  And I gotta stop hoarding my Artifacts.  I need to turn those into valuable early Secret Projects.

Now I'll be honest, this forcing of play style is not exactly my cup of tea.  But I think it's needed, to prove a point about what Thinker mod AI does and doesn't do.  I hope the conquest mouse clicking doesn't wear me out.  I've quit games over that sort of thing.

Huge map, 30%..50% land mass, my improved continent and ocean generation, average settings, Transcend, default cost_factor, random factions.  I draw the Hive.  Morganites, Peacekeepers, Cyborgs, Data Angels, Free Drones, and Believers in the game.  I can live without Aliens for a change.

Details fungus among us

fungus among us

The 2 cute supply pods on the river, which I popped with my colony pods, blessed me with two fungal blooms.  This might qualify as the worst "natural" start I've ever experienced in a game.  Not counting map deformations like 1x1 islands and so forth.  I think those are unnatural, and in my mod, they actually don't exist.

[bvanevery]

MY 2103.  With this much fungus, the Hive's default research focus of Explore, Conquer sounds ok to me.

Details neighbors droning on and on and on

neighbors droning on and on and on

MY 2117.  I have Drones for neighbors.  We sign a Treaty.  No, I'm not slacking on the "total military commitment" idea.  I need to know what the hell I'm dealing with.  I'd like some mindworms, some armor, and some probe teams.

[bvanevery]

MY 2125.  Domai is now Belligerent towards me and won't trade.

MY 2132.  I encounter a Drone Scout.  They declare war.  Well at least I've got walled cities.  I switch to all Scout production, since I really can't see what's going on.  Also in my mod, the Hive starts with +1 POLICE.

MY 2136.  I learn High Energy Chemistry, which gives Synthmetal Armor.  I design an armored Former and set all cities to produce it.  I hope that I pop a pod next turn to complete the prototype.

MY 2139.  I meet the Cyborgs.  They try to extort me and I refuse.  They declare war on me.

MY 2151.  The Drones took over one of my Scouts with a probe team, indicating that I'm way behind everyone else.  This doesn't feel like a military commitment so much as a struggle with a fairly bad start.

MY 2153.  I gain Information Networks from a supply pod, giving me the Probe Module.

[bvanevery]

MY 2156.  The Cyborgs show up with a probe team next to one of my Scouts.  For unknown reasons, they propose a Truce.  I accept. 

MY 2169.  I research Applied Physics.  I don't need any more Conquer techs.  I need Biogenetics so I can get my Police State going.

Details the strongest weakest empire

the strongest weakest empire

MY 2170.  I sign a Treaty with the Cyborgs and buy some techs from them.  I go Green.  I have a complete rail network for my cities, but have been unable to get a Synthmetal Probe Team prototype completed.  I've popped very few pods, and the ones I have, didn't complete the prototypes.  Every city is working on that prototype. 

I don't even know what I'm testing anymore.  This start has been pretty abysmal.  In hindsight I should have cashed an Artifact to complete a Synthmetal prototype, instead of stubbornly trying to get it completed by popping a pod.  I could not afford any Scouts to go pop pods.

On the other hand, starting right next to 2 hostile factions is high stress.  I don't really understand why this keeps happening in Thinker mod.  To me, the point of playing on a Huge map is to spread factions out, but I am consistently "in close" with multiple factions.

I guess all I can really do is plod forwards and see if this turns into a viable game.

[bvanevery]

MY 2173.  I summon the Cyborgs to trade some tech.  They want war with the Data Angels and offer a Pact.  I take it.  I buy a few techs from them including Biogenetics, finally allowing me to go Police State.  Now I have +3 POLICE and my police are 2x effective.

MY 2178.  I complete a Synthmetal Probe Team prototype by sheer brute force.  I end up with 5 such units at once.  Now Domai should not be getting through with his probe teams, I hope.

MY 2181.  I capture my 1st mindworm.  Next turn Domai attacks with a probe team.  We'll see if my untrained armored teams hold up.

MY 2182.  Domai offers a Truce.  I take it.

MY 2198.  For some reason the Cyborgs give me Optical Computers, which makes the Planetary Datalinks available.  It hasn't been built yet.  The Data Angels and the Free Drones are both working on it.  I have 7 Artifacts, more than enough to get it done.

MY 2199.  I switch to Capitalist to make the Planetary Datalinks cheaper.  I cash 5 Artifacts and spend 60 credits to rush it.  I have 2 Artifacts remaining.

Details my minor standing

my minor standing

MY 2200.  I complete the Planetary Datalinks.  Not so many Secret Projects have been completed yet, so maybe I still have a chance.  I switch to Socialist as I'm mostly done making new cities.  I hope I can grow my existing ones a bit, although previous experience is that it's not so helpful earlier in the game.  I don't want to stay Capitalist though.  I have 2 mindworms and 2 spore launchers, enough to go pop pods with, but I don't want difficulty dealing with fungus right now.  I've got a lot of fungal patches I need to clear, and I need my mindworms in the field to actually kill other mindworms.  Mindworms can't do it with the -3 PLANET penalty under Capitalist, they just die.  They don't get attacked though, so they're still useful for popping pods.

MY 2203.  Domai tries to extort me.  I refuse.  He declares war again.  Currently he's threatening me with a Scout.  I ask Aki to join my war, and she refuses!

[bvanevery]

Details social evolution of the Hive

social evolution of the Hive

MY 2213.  With my bases almost completely garrisoned with Plasma units, I switch to Power.  I now have +3 SUPPORT, giving me units up to the size of my base for free.  Pity my cities aren't that big.  I've also started working on the Xenoempathy Dome, but I have competition so I don't know if I'll get it.  I've got 5 cities with Command Centers producing military units, and the rest are starting to produce supply crawlers.  My capitol is working on a Tree Farm.

The Free Drones have not built a single Secret Project.  Wiping them out with chemical weapons might be in order, but I'd need to legalize them.  I don't have everyone's comm frequency yet.  The Cyborgs have picked up Morgan's frequency, so I get that from them.  The Morganites don't like my Socialist economy but they sign a Treaty.  I trade them Doctrine: Initiative for Planetary Economics, because I am landlocked and have no use for the Maritime Control Center.  They sell me Lal's comm frequency.

Lal offers a Pact if I'll kill Miriam.  Why not!  Lal is by far the most powerful faction of the game and a natural enemy.  Stalling him might help me, and it'll be easy enough to terminate the arrangement later.  All I have to do is keep being me.

Now I have fairly complete map data.  Lal is huge.  He has +2 GROWTH as one of his faction powers, and he has certainly pop boomed.  He is Democratic Green Wealth and doesn't actually have any new techs.  Aside from a couple of things I need to steal from Domai, I'm almost caught up on tech.  Now if only I could catch up on growth.  I need Eudaimonia to trigger a pop boom.  I probably also need to terraform some food, as it'll take way too long to build a bunch of Tree Farms.

I ask Lal to join my war against the Data Angels.  He refuses.

Details who wants to sniff some glue

who wants to sniff some glue

I propose to Repeal the U.N. Charter.  We don't have a Governor yet, so I don't have to worry about a veto.  However I need another vote.  Can I convince Morgan?  He wants 1100 credits, so nope.  The rest are at war with me and won't even speak with me.  Measure fails.

[bvanevery]

Details my fearless leader

my fearless leader

MY 2214.  Lal calls the election.  I pro forma vote for him, not that it matters in the slightest.  Now everyone is in contact.  That may make techs come faster in the Planetary Datalinks.  Sure enough, I gain Planetary Networks, something I needed to steal from Domai.  Now I'm only missing Secrets of the Human Brain.

Aki just hit Domai with a pile of probe teams.  I think she's been doing it previously as well.  Anyways they are at war, which makes up for her not joining the war earlier.  We will stomp this guy.

Aki has used so many probe teams, that I think most of Domai's accessible cities have security locks on them now.  I'm having to do a very wide flanking operation with my probes, way out to the west, along Aki's slow roads.  This is still probably not enough to get my teams successfully into Domai's territory, so I'm sending my Unity Jet that way to escort them.  I won't be surprised if by the time I do all of this, I get SotHB from the Planetary Datalinks anyways.

Aki is willing to exchange her newly researched Organic Superlubricant for my useless Doctrine: Initiative.  Now I have Hovertanks!  I need to prototype it though.  I decide to build a Skunkworks.  They're expensive in my mod, as much as a Research Hospital.

I'm realizing that Domai is a source of big cities.  Maybe I don't want to chemical attack him after all.

My mindworm meets a Datatech probe team out in the boonies.  We talk.  She just reiterates her desire for war.  I kill her probe team.

I have 4 Artifacts, only 3 of which are home.  I've only barely started the Xenoempathy Dome, which needs 350 minerals to complete.  I'm not even close.

[bvanevery]

MY 2216.  I change from Power to Wealth to cheapen the cost of the Xenoempathy Dome.  I also start working on the Pholus Mutagen.

I will probably also go Capitalist, but this turn, without Socialist I would have suffered a -4 JUSTICE penalty.  It seemed like it would be bad.  For one thing my money got cut in half.  For another I worried about people getting really unhappy.  I have the police to solve that, but I'd have to stop and actually make non-lethal police units, as opposed to the Secret Projects I'm trying to bang out.  I'm already on the defensive for the war right now, so I don't think it'll make any difference in the several turns it takes me to complete some Secret Projects.

I stole the last tech that Domai had.

MY 2217.  The Data Angels are about to have a major breakthrough on the Xenoempathy Dome, so I have to complete it now or never.  I stop making new military units and switch to supply crawlers, since new units are so wimpy under Wealth.  After moving all my units, I switch to Capitalist.  It doesn't make me any more money, but does cheapen my Secret Project cost.  I use 2 Artifacts, leaving me with 1 in my home territory, and I have 12 credits left.

MY 2218.  I complete the Xenoempathy Dome.  I'm expecting some other faction to complete the Pholus Mutagen, but I'm making all supply crawlers anyways, just in case it doesn't work out like I'd expect.

Details Datatech super stack

Datatech super stack

I see a stack of at least 8 Datatech probe teams advancing through Cybernetic territory.  They have a Treaty.  I guess if there are multiple probe teams in a stack, you can't send them home?  I wonder if that's an exploit or a feature.  Well, the AI is using it.  I send a Scout Rover to kill them all in a few turns.

MY 2219.  The Data Angels complete the Pholus Mutagen.  The Morganites complete the Maritime Control Center.  I have no Secret Project to build.  I just keep working on my copy of the Pholus Mutagen, hoping I get something else sometime.  Not sure what I'll do with all the supply crawlers meanwhile.  I switch to Green.  I'm not really going to grow, and maybe some mindworm spam will help my cause.

I rehome all the supply crawlers to my capitol.  Since I have completed a Tree Farm there, they can get 2 food from any forest.  My capitol is only size 5 and my police can definitely keep a larger city happy, so I convoy from all the forests that are on my rail lines.  That way if I acquire a Secret Project to complete, I can move them the same turn.  My capitol now has +19 food!  Hey it's not Condensers or nutrient specials, but it's sustainable, and it's using what I've got.  I actually put cities on all my nutrient specials, there are only 2 tufts in my immediate territory that aren't in use.  I'll get some Formers out to those soon, but laying down defensive forest has been my priority.

I will stick with Wealth for now, since mindworms are unaffected by it.  My cities with Command Centers, will work on Tree Farms.  My cities without them, will make Biology Labs and then start cranking out mindworms.  Maybe Locusts of Chiron too.  Those can be really useful for devastating someone's back area, like destroying Sensor Arrays.

I counted 13 Datatech probe teams in that stack, when last I saw them move.  I predict their death next turn.

I rush my Skunkworks so that I can get on with a Hovertank prototype.

[bvanevery]

MY 2220.  I learn Eudaimonia from the Planetary Datalinks.  Now I have the means to pop boom.  I change to Socialist.  My mindworm spam won't be as powerful, but it's time to get big!

I intercept the Datatech probe team stack and destroy 15 units!  Now I don't need access to Cybernetic territory anymore.  If they get huffy when I go Eudaimonic, so beit.

Details Hive pop boom

Hive pop boom

MY 2221.  I go Eudaimonic.  Cities that aren't fully committed to Biology Labs yet, I change to Tree Farms.

MY 2224.  I realize I only need +12 food to get the Hive to size 14.  I reallocate my supply crawlers to other cities.  One city got its Tree Farm completed by a distant pod popping, so I focus on that.

MY 2225.  The Morganites have triggered global warming.  Seas are to rise 66 meters.  I'm not likely to be affected as I'm landlocked, but I need to watch out for puddles expanding.

The Cyborgs have lost a couple of cities to the Drones.  I'm impermeable as always.

I realize that the Hive only needs +2 food to keep growing, so long as there are squares to get another +2 food from.  There's plenty of forest, so it doesn't actually need all this food support under a pop boom.  This is generally true of all my cities.  What I actually need, are more minerals to get all these Tree Farms done.

[bvanevery]

Details the eco damage advantage

the eco damage advantage

MY 2226.  20 minerals does 21 eco-damage, with a Tree Farm on it?  Whatever.  The AI is so cheating with all these Boreholes all over the place.  If I had the kind of empire that all these AI empires have, the world would be completely under water.

I adjust my budget to 40-20-40 so that the Psych benefit from a Tree Farm is utilized.  This allows me to build a Centauri Preserve and still keep growing without a drone riot.

It occurs to me that the policy of total commitment to violence, just didn't work.  You can't do violence when you don't have the resources to do violence.  I got a bad start with a lot of fungus and very close to 2 enemies.  Then I didn't do the right thing with prototypes.  I assumed it would be like scouting for pod completions, when it wasn't.  That cost me tons of time.

I think the only thing this game can prove, is whether it's even possible to recover from a bad start.  Can one thrive in the face of Borehole empires that are fairly entrenched?  I know one thing: if someone decides to lob missiles my way, it's pretty much over.  I'm hoping the Data Angels have better things to do than worry about me.

[bvanevery]

Details a new power in the region

a new power in the region

MY 2230.  The Data Angels are subverting Drone cities.  They have the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm so it could be a pain to retake them.  These Drone cities used to be Cybernetic cities!  The Cyborgs are at peace with the Angels, and allied with me, but I'm at war with the Angels.  I don't want to be, they just have never let me stop.  Maybe if I send an emissary?

MY 2232.  The Data Angels destroy a Perimeter Defense in one of my northern cities.  I move up an armored probe team to hopefully take attacks better in the future.

The Peacekeepers complete the Empath Guild.  We're still in sunspots.

Details with a spade and shovel

with a spade and shovel

MY 2237.  I finally learn Advanced Ecological Engineering.  My whole empire has been built on ordinary Formers.

I don't think my research strategy is any good.  Lal's focus is Explore, Conquer.  I've been doing pure Explore and I certainly haven't out-Explored him.  He's my ally so I can see he's got a lot of Conquer techs as well.  I don't have infiltration with the Morganites but I doubt I can out-Build them.  I do have infiltration with the Cyborgs, and despite their Discover, Conquer focus, they only have 1 tech that I don't.  Perhaps I can out-Discover the other factions?  I'm making that my focus.

I just need one Secret Project that nobody has finished.  My copy of the Pholus Mutagen is almost done!

[bvanevery]

MY 2238.  I gain Fusion Power, greatly increasing my current advantage over Domai.  I hope it lasts.  I have a few more turns of growing to do.

Details irresponsible AI factions

irresponsible AI factions

MY 2243.  Global warming has caused a major river shift in my western lands.  It destroyed a lot of forest and ruined my rails out there.  This is the first real damage I've suffered from global warming this game.  I started deep inside a reasonably high altitude land mass, so I haven't had to deal with coastal flooding.

Most of my cities are size 14 and are finishing up Genejack Factories.  I think it's time to end the high GROWTH, low MORALE thing and get on a war footing.  I change from Socialist to Green.  That will reduce the eco-damage from the factories a fair amount.

It's late, going to bed.

[bvanevery]

Details Morgan's stunted start

Morgan's stunted start

MY 2243.  Upon waking up, I decided I should really do something about these 7 Artifacts I've hoarded.  Sunspots are over, so perhaps I can get some tech out of my ally Lal, then leap ahead to finish some Secret Project.

My finger slips on the menu and I contact Morgan.  Surprisingly, he signs a Pact with my Socialist nightmare, and trades E8 Super Tensile Solids forC4 Nonlinear Mathematics.  I guess the requirements of Explore and Conquer are quite different in my mod!  Morgan's default research focus is Explore, Build.  He has not done well this game.  Looks like he got 8-balled behind Lal's expanding empire.

I haven't spoken to Lal since we first signed a Pact back in the stone ages!  I've been a Police State this whole time and didn't want to go through the cycle of him blowing me off.  Now we'll see if we're still fighting the right people and I can get what I need out of him.  He's been launching a lot of Orbital Defense Pods so I get his full planetary map.  He gives me the expected Ambivalent tongue lashing.  He sells me Advanced Spaceflight for 100 credits!  N-Space Compression for 175 credits.  Graviton Theory, 150 credits.  Retroviral Engineering for 100 credits and I've only got 33 credits left.  I sign off before wearing him out.  If I could come up with another 100 credits, I bet I could get Silksteel Alloys from him.  Then the only other thing he has is Industrial Nanorobotics, which he isn't going to trade because he's working on the Space Elevator.

Details a secret project to covet

a secret project to covet

I bet I could get the Nethack Terminus if I cash Artifacts.  That would enable me to go after the Data Angels.

[bvanevery]

Details Labor Network needs a bubble

Labor Network needs a bubble

MY 2244.  The river system has shifted yet again.  If I had sent any Formers in there, they would have been destroyed.  Actually I think I did lose on.  I have 2 cities in danger of sinking, 1 of which already has a Pressure Dome on it.  I start on the 2nd one.  I don't rush it as it has less than 10 minerals and it's not going to sink this turn.

Details possible orbital war

possible orbital war

Lal completes the Space Elevator, which will make his rate of Orbital Defense Pod deployment even more terrifying.  Maybe the Peackeepers and Data Angels are destroying each other's satellites?  I only have 216 credit, doubt it'll be enough to buy both of his techs.  He sells me Industrial Nanorobotics for 150 credits.  He has still got Silksteel Alloys and Neural Grafting, a new tech since last turn.  I hope he isn't cranking out a tech per turn!

I switch from Eudaimonic to Thought Control.  That gives me +5 POLICE, enabling me to go Fundamentalist next turn.  I don't want my POLICE rating dropping below +3 as it's what keeps everyone behaving.

I obtain some credits from killing mindworms.  I buy C6 Neural Grafting from Lal for 100 credits.

[bvanevery]

MY 2245.  The rivers shift yet again, being redrawn multiple times in 1 turn.  It's a death zone!  Waves are to rise 666 meters.  I've got multiple cities threatened, including my copy of the Pholus Mutagen.  At this rate I'm not going to be able to invade Domai.  I need to build Pressure Domes and get some Super Formers repairing my empire.

Lal may be researching 1 tech per turn.  I am able to buy C6 Photon/Wave Mechanics from him, but then he cuts me off.  He still has C5 Silksteel Alloys.  At the rate he's going, I think he Transcends.  It will be a challenge to stop it, if I can at all.

Details The Cult of Yang

The Cult of Yang

I switch from Police State to Fundamentalist.  This makes me more money as I'm not suffering as many monetary penalties now.  I may retain Wealth for now because like I said, I can't afford to invade.  Gotta get my empire secure from the flooding, and I gotta beat Lal at whatever Secret Projects I can.  Plus some of my cities could benefit from Habitation Domes.

I start using my supply crawlers on unit prototypes, for fear of losing them in a future flood.

Details sanity prevails

sanity prevails

I propose Launch Solar Shade.  Almost everyone agrees.  Sea levels will now fall 333 meters, although I don't know if that's offset against the 666 meter rise or not.  As of right now, cities that were in danger of sinking, are still in danger.  I'll check on it next turn.

I thought about letting the floods try to damage Lal, but my experience in previous games is it merely degrades empires, it doesn't destroy them.  Lal has got enough money that he'll just spend it all on Pressure Domes and not have any major problem.  Meanwhile, the flooding is actively interfering with my ability to make war.  I think I'm better off without flooding.  I also think the flooding could get worse and this may only slow it down a little bit.