Thinker mod military capability, attempt 4

[bvanevery]

Another test of Thinker mod combined with my SMACX AI Growth mod.

Game 3 was a total drag.  I got a bad start, then compounded it by doing foolish things with expensive prototypes.  I never recovered.  I could never advance against even my next door neighbors, the Free Drones.  At a great distance, Lal's industrial output ruined Planet, forcing me to react to floods that destroyed part of my empire over and over again.  His economic runaway made it impossible to build Secret Projects, he'd just get them all.   Or the Data Angels would, same difference.

I don't know if "early militarism" is going to make a difference or not.  Strategically, it may not.  It may be that some faction always gets huge on the other side of the map, and that I won't be able to do anything about it.  I'm going to play this game to see though.  I'm determined not to have a "bad" start.  If I manage to do that anyways somehow, I'll just start over.

I do wonder if the new faction placement algorithm is actually equitable to human players.  I've started with an awful lot of factions breathing right down my neck, compared to what I'd expect to happen on a Huge map usually.  Let's see if it happens again this game.  At least now I know to make a lot of Scouts, and not to fool around with the expensive Synthmetal Armor prototyping.

Huge map, 30%..50% land mass with my large continent and oceans settings.  Average settings, Transcend difficulty, default cost_factor.  Random factions, I draw the Free Drones.  Hive, Usurpers, Morganites, Peacekeepers, Cult of Planet, and University in the game.  The Peacekeepers were damn scary last game.  Their +2 GROWTH makes it really easy for them to pop boom early.

Details lousy land

lousy land

Looking at the radar echo, it looks like the Pholus Ridge was drawn over the "Freshwater Sea".  Or they don't know how to put the label in the right place.  This land sucks.  I hope I'm actually near something good, as otherwise this is restart territory.  I'm just gonna go ahead and found my capitol in this lousy, defenseless spot with no pods, rather than wander around looking for something better, because there's a good chance it all sucks.  Better to get Scouts out to see what's around me.  This start is really making me question the new faction placement algorithm. If I have to restart because of this, then I'm turning it off.

Details long distance radar echo

long distance radar echo

The radar echo suggests that Mt. Planet and the Sunny Mesa are far to the west.  Much farther than I'm going to be able to settle.  Probably someone else is settling them.  It is probably still good to press towards them and find out, so as to give my own empire more of a land claim.  Assuming we're even peaceful to start with.

Details eastern radar echo

eastern radar echo

To the east looks like the end of the land, then some ocean.  Across the water, the Garland Crater.  Probably nobody is to the east.  If there is someone on land to the east, I'll probably restart the game.

The strategic situation duly considered, I send my Scout and remaining Colonist 1 square west.

[bvanevery]

MY 2102.  The default research foci for Domai is Explore, Build.  I change it to Conquer, knowing how wonderful my neighbors were last game.  This will not interfere with making Formers in my mod, as building roads is regarded as a technique of Conquest.

Details what a precious gift

what a precious gift

MY 2103.  The 1st pod I encounter, the little creep gives me a mindworm.  Well it's not as bad as the 2 fungal blooms I got immediately upon starting last game!  Still that's irritating.  I deliberately used my Scout instead of my Colonist, as lately my "pop with Colonist, survive mindworm hit" trick has not been working so well.  Not sure why, it worked in many games until recently.  I didn't change any mindworm settings, so it's a mystery.

Details twin cities

twin cities

MY 2106.  That may not look like the optimal spot for a 2nd city, but that river square is Flat terrain.  Settling there boosts the minerals on the square.  The other clear river squares are Rolling terrain, good for farmland.  The site is in range of 3 pods which might turn into Monoliths or resources, and I'm in range of all the river squares for more energy. 

Before popping any pods, I take the precaution of setting the production of both cities to Colony Pod.  That way, I won't waste a pod completing a mere Scout.  Colony pods never complete if the city only has 1 population.  And sure enough, I pop a Monolith on the river and life is ok now.

MY 2107.  I pop a Battle Ogre.  I consider marching forwards with it, but their main armaments aren't that tough in my mod.  I reduced R-Lasers to strength 3.  It's very easy to get these things killed by mindworms, even with all the defensive buffs I gave them against psi attacks.  2 mindworm larvae hits will destroy one of these things.  It's more valuable as an early police unit.

MY 2109.  I pop a 2nd Monolith, justifying my base placement.  I am remembering that Free Drone cities can go to size 3 before people get upset.  However it's not usually a good idea to do that at the beginning of the game.  More important to bang out colonists and make new cities.

MY 2119.  I have already amassed 4 Artifacts.  I haven't even founded my 3rd city.

Details boring holes

boring holes

MY 2121.  I discover the Borehole Complex.  This is not an advantage early on, as it's difficult to defend from marauding mindworms and spore launchers.  Plus I popped 2 fungal towers next to it.

[bvanevery]

MY 2123.  I gain my 5th Artifact.  It's worth noting that in my mod, no Secret Projects are available until Tech Tier 3.  Also, all Secret Projects cost at least 300 minerals.  That's 6 Artifacts worth.  So, I'm not quite as amazingly far ahead as you might think, but it will definitely help me complete something sometime.

MY 2125.  I design a Rover Former.  I set my coastal base's production to that, in preparation for popping a pod at sea.  My hope is that it will complete the expensive Speeder prototype.  Nope, but I get a Unity Rover.

MY 2127.  I rush all units that have only a few more minerals to go.  My exploring units are stopped next to 3 pods.

MY 2128.  I set all 4 of my cities to the Rover Former prototype.  I'm hoping that 1 of these pods will complete the prototype.  No luck, but I get my 6th Artifact. 

Details fungus abounds

fungus abounds

MY 2129.  The Pholus Ridge is mostly dry and covered in fungus.  I don't know if I'd say this land completely sucks, but it's not good land.  I really question the idea that Thinker mod "takes land quality into account" when giving out starting positions.  Unless I've got this entire continent to myself.

[bvanevery]

Details !@!!! you game

!@!!! you game

MY 2130.  You gotta be !@!!! kidding me.  My Transport with an Artifact and Unity Rover is sunk by a Sealurk.  Like I'm doing so well, that I deserved that.  What game designers can we shoot at dawn?

MY 2133.  I can't even kill a freakin' spore launcher.  I almost wonder if Thinker mod has changed the psi combat settings somehow.

[bvanevery]

Details western neighbor

western neighbor

MY 2150.  I discover the Hive.  They're pretty far to the west.  I've been deliberately avoiding expanding in the direction of the Borehole Cluster, because I think it survives better when it's in neutral territory rather than my own territory.  I also can't much utilize it until I get Ecological Engineering anyways.

I consider avoiding talking to them.  I gain an Artifact out that way, so I choose to bring it home and not make any contact.

[bvanevery]

MY 2158.  I meet a Hive probe team out in the field near his base.  He tries to extort me and I refuse.  He declares war.  I have acquired 10 Artifacts.  I blow one to complete an Infantry Probe Team prototype instantly.  I also have 622 cash.  I've had a Synthmetal Skirmisher prototype being worked on in my coastal base for quite some time.  I never did get any sea pod to complete it.  I spend 37 credits to do so.  I start working on Network Nodes everywhere.

MY 2159.  I meet the Usurpers even farther to the west.  We can't talk.

Oddly, Yang does not subvert my unit.  So I kill 1 of his 2 probe teams.

I rush a Network Node.  Next turn I'll cash for a tech and see if I get a Secret Project.

MY 2160.  I gain Doctrine: Loyalty.  Not particularly exciting as I don't want to go Fundamentalist right now.  I rush another Network Node.

MY 2161.  I gain Polymorphic Software, which merely offers Polymorphic Encryption and a Rover Probe Team prototype I've already completed.  I rush another Network Node.

MY 2162.  I gain Adaptive Doctrine, again not exciting.  I rush another Network Node.

MY 2163.  I gain Secrets of the Human Brain, which does nothing as it's already been discovered.  I rush another Network Node.  I guess I'm really isolated, having to do this.  I could probably buy all these techs for 100 credits from somebody.

MY 2164.  I learn the Citizens' Defense Force, so perhaps all that tech gaining wasn't worthless.  I blow an Artifact to instantly learn a Plasma prototype.  I cash another Artifact and learn Synthetic Fossil Fuels.  In my mods it gives Fungicidal Tanks and Capitalist.  Those are both actually useful.  I switch to Capitalist, which gives +1 INDUSTRY +1 ECONOMY -3 PLANET.  I switch 4 Rover Formers to Fungicidal Formers instead.

Details distant moneygrubber

distant moneygrubber

I meet Morgan.  We sign a Treaty but he's uninterested in trading for my newly acquired techs.  Why do I have the feeling that I just spent a lot of money on stuff that wasn't very valuable?  But I've had the problem of hoarding Artifacts and never using them in previous games.  I hadn't met Morgan before, so, I guess I did what looked reasonable at the time.  It takes forever to make Foil probe teams and send them down to Yang.

Morgan sold me the comm frequency for Cha Dawn.  He signs a Treaty and sells me the comm frequency for Lal.  We sign a Treaty and trade some techs.  Among them is Progenitor Psych, so now I can talk to Marr.  We sign a Treaty.  The whereabouts of the University remain unknown.

MY 2167.  I start the Citizens' Defense Force.  I have gained 2 more Artifacts and some money.  I rush another Network Node.

MY 2168.  I cash an Artifact and learn Applied Physics.

MY 2169.  I burn an Artifact to instantly complete a Cloaked Laser Speeder prototype.  I rush another Network Node.

MY 2170.  I cash an Artifact and learn Industrial Base.  That gives Recycling Tanks and Democratic.  I stop work on the Citizens' Defense Force and start making a lot of Recycling Tanks.

My 2171.  Most of my cities are only size 2, so I switch to Democratic.  This wouldn't be a good idea for most factions, but I have extra starting happiness.  Belatedly I realize that the Battle Ogre doesn't work as police now.  I have 2 cities threatening to revolt.  One of them I simply turn a worker into a medic.  The other, I don't have enough food to do that.  I bring in 2 Scouts and disband them, so that I can complete a Recycling Tank there.  Next turn they'll revolt, but by then they'll have enough food.

MY 2172.  I sign a Pact with the Morganites, but they won't trade their meager techs with me.

Lal sells me Zhakarov's comm frequency.  Lal wants to trade his less valuable techs for mine, and I refuse.

I sell a comm frequency to Cha Dawn.  He doesn't have any tech and doesn't like my Democracy.  I won't be speaking to him for a long time.  He's the worst faction in the game.

The Usurpers are 2nd worst.  They don't have any tech to trade either.

Zhakarov manages to trade a Tier 2 tech for the same.  We sign a Treaty.  If I get some money together, I can reach tech parity with everyone.  Actually I have some techs they don't.

Details likely center of world power

likely center of world power

My ally Morgan obtains a lot of maps.  I can see everyone's lands except the Usurpers.  I wonder why the Cult of Planet has done so badly?  They only have 3 cities on the Garland Crater.

[bvanevery]

MY 2173.  Morgan stopped trading because he's working on the Weather Paradigm.  I buy Adaptive Economics from Lal for 100 credits.

MY 2175.  I gain the last of Lal's techs.

MY 2176.  Yang offers a Truce and I decline.  I have the military advantage and I want to claim the Borehole Cluster now.

Details fighting for boring holes

fighting for boring holes

MY 2182.  I have a sinking feeling that my actions in the game don't matter.  The AI factions simply get overwhelming production advantages.  I didn't have a great start, but I didn't have a bad start either.  I am bothered that despite all I spent on Network Nodes and all the Artifacts I've cashed, they don't give me an advantage.  All they've bought me is technical parity, for now.  Lal is working on the Citizens' Defense Force, it's not special to me.  Popping Artifacts didn't gain me any kind of Secret Project advantage.

It could be that the Thinker AI has essentially implemented an "economic runaway timer".  Where once it goes off, you'll never catch up.  If I get into another one of these "can't make any headway" situations again, like it was with Domai on my border last game, I'll just quit.  I'll call Thinker AI thoroughly tested.

Going to bed.  Sleep is sounding more attractive than this.

[bvanevery]

Details Lal is sensitive to chemicals

Lal is sensitive to chemicals

MY 2182.  Upon waking, I think about how my life might be easier if I can use chemical weapons.  A sufficient number of factions are down with it, but Lal isn't.  He wanted a 1440 credit bribe to make it legal, and of course I don't have that kind of cash.

MY 2184.  Morgan sells me Optical Computers, which in my mod gives the Planetary Datalinks.  Oddly, it hasn't been built yet.  I have 4 Artifacts, enough to get it done now, but I feel a little cheap about wasting part of an Artifact.  I wait to get some more cash.

Lal trades me Ethical Calculus for a copy of my maps.  In my mod that gives Hab Complex and the Planetary Transit System, which has already been built.

MY 2186.  I use 3 Artifacts and 72 credits to rush the Planetary Datalinks.

[bvanevery]

Details distant Nexus

distant Nexus

MY 2192.  I found the Manifold Nexus.  It is unclaimed and I could colonize it.

MY 2200.  I sign a Pact with the University.  They give me a free tech because I'm a po boy.  I research Doctrine: Air Power.

[bvanevery]

MY 2203.  I switch my research focus to Build, as I don't have the productivity to build all these expensive weapons I'm capable of making.

MY 2205.  I rush the Human Genome Project with 1 Artifact and cash.

MY 2209.  Cha Dawn declares war on me.  He's super weak so I don't care.

MY 2213.  I rush the Neural Amplifier with 1 Artifact and cash.  I have 2 more Artifacts coming from the sea.

[bvanevery]

Details can I compete now

can I compete now

MY 2216.  I gain Industrial Automation from the Planetary Datalinks.  Can I now get the Xenoempathy Dome done before others do?

Zhakarov is at war with Lal.  I refuse to join in.  Lal is far away and there's no strategic value in me dealing with him right now.  I ask him to quit the war but he says Lal has to agree.  I whine for tech and Zhakarov gives me Environmental Economics.  Why did he do that?  The Planetary Energy Grid isn't even built yet!  Maybe the game thinks I truly and totally suck and need a freebie.

[bvanevery]

MY 2117.  Morgan completes the Xenoempathy Dome, leaving me with 2 copies of the Planetary Energy Grid in progress.

MY 2218.  I complete a Gun Needlejet prototype.  I have an Aerospace Complex in the city closest to Yang, near the Borehole Complex.  He has hit me with so many probe teams that he actually destroyed one of my armored probe team units, but I have been doubling the guard so he has not gotten through.  I've lacked units to simply kill his probe teams and I hope this plane helps in that regard.  Planes are too expensive to build more of right now, so instead I work on a Perimeter Defense.

I think about switching to Wealth, but I'm in combat and really don't want -2 MORALE.  I will wait until I get closer to completing the Planetary Energy Grid before making a decision.

MY 2219.  I gain Planetary Networks from the Planetary Datalinks.  In my mod that gives the Command Nexus.  That's rather useful, and a lot cheaper than the Planetary Energy Grid.  I switch the less complete of my 2 cities to the Command Nexus.  My ships at sea manage to pop some energy, raising my total to 616 credits.

I send out my plane.  I see that Yang is approaching my border city with a pile of Speeder units.  Some armored, some with Impact weapons.  They can crush my city if they make it in close, pretty much Game Over.  I end my plane in a square to try to block them up.  This is a case where I'm definitely getting spammed from too many directions.  The distant powers are competing way too hard for Secret Projects, and Yang's breathing down my neck with real military force.  I either succeed in the short term here, or this is the end of any Thinker mod testing.

I bribe a Scout that was preoccupying another city with a Plasma defender in it.  I move the Plasma defender to the threatened city.  I need the Perimeter Defense to get finished but it's only at 9 minerals.  I bring another Scout to garrison the other city, that had been tied up preventing the enemy Scout from advancing.  The Scout I bribed, I bring to my threatened city and disband it.  This puts my minerals total over 10.  I then rush the Perimeter Defense.  If I survive this turn, then perhaps I have a defense.  Bribing some of Yang's advancing units didn't look viable as many are double stacked, and the exposed ones aren't Impact weapons.

Due to the need for the Perimeter Defense, my cash has dropped to 546.  It is not enough to complete the Command Nexus by itself.  I cash an Artifact and rush the project.  I have 82 credits remaining.

MY 2220.  I complete the Command Nexus.  I sell my 5 Command Centers.  Yang destroys one of the Boreholes, emphasizing the complete pissiness of bothering with that stupid thing.  How many units have run across it before, and didn't do it?  I'd say a dozen.  Whatever.

I've got a wall up, but he's got 6 units to attack with.  I can't subvert any of them because they are stacked.  At this point my only hope is that he's timid on attack.  My mod does make base defenses stronger than the stock game, so maybe he has reason for concern.  Still, this doesn't look good.

Yang has also got a Scout Rover coming in from some other random direction towards another city, indicating that I can't stop building Perimeter Defenses elsewhere.  That one, I bribe for 26 credits.

Belatedly I realize I actually have 1-3-1 defenders in several other cities.  I forgot I did all of that.  That's the problem with games you don't finish in one sitting.  I move a lot more Plasma defenders into the threatened base.  I think with 5 Plasma units, he can't get through.

Of all the stupid things I haven't learned, I don't have Ecological Engineering for some reason.  I need to put a supply crawler on top of a mine I recently finished.  I buy it from Morgan for 125 credits.  I have 91 credits remaining.

MY 2221.  The completion of my first Impact Infantry causes Yang to scatter his forces away from my city.  He leaves 2 probe teams exposed and I kill them with a Speeder.  He's poised to hit me with 4 probe teams that I can't get to.  I put 4 armored probe teams into the base to match his, which leaves me with not so much probe defense elsewhere.  I fly my Gun Jet and see more stuff approaching.  I block one of the Boreholes and kill another probe team.

[bvanevery]

MY 2222.  I infiltrate the Peacekeepers.  He doesn't have any new tech.  On the way in, we have a chat.  I get him to call off his war with my ally the University.

My Impact Infantry kills one of Yang's units and wounds another.  I subvert an Impact Speeder that's sitting by itself for 70 credits.  I bring it into my base and kill the 2nd unit and 2 probe teams that were with it.  I rush a Perimeter Defense on a flanking city.  I have 89 credits remaining.  I'm not anywhere near getting the Planetary Energy Grid done.  Morgan only needs 10 turns, assuming he uses no supply crawlers at all.

MY 2223.  Zhakarov wants war with the Usurpers.  I agree, as they're far away, weak, and no direct threat to me.  I beg Zhakarov for tech and he gives me Nanominiaturization.  Surprisingly, the Nano Factory hasn't been built yet.  Either Zhakarov has a hole in his diplomatic head, or I'm getting special dispensation for being such a weakling.  Am I being damned by false hope?

I don't understand why Yang's probe team killed one of my wounded armored probe teams.  I had 3 other unwounded ones.  It's as though my wounded unit became the designated defender for probe teams.  That totally freakin' sucks man!  Previously I had been rotating wounded probe teams out of the fight, to other cities.  I will resume that bureaucratic exercise, since the AI seems to have an exploit with this.

I open up with my new Impact Artillery onto a stack of 1 Impact Speeder and 2 probe teams.  I don't know why the Speeder didn't get wounded, but the probe teams get knocked down to 10% health.  That will definitely cut down on the probe team assaults.

My 2 offensive units rotate out of the fight to a Monolith for healing.  There's a gap between my 2 cities, and technically the AI could ride my rails to the middle of my empire and make some trouble for me.  I send in a Unity Jet to block the way.  I picked it up recently from a supply pod at sea.  Now that I have 2 such jets, I'll be able to herd and corral Yang's troops better.

Another good use for a mere Gun Jet, is flying behind an enemy Speeder that wants to disengage, so that you can kill it with a mere Impact Infantry unit.  Good tactic to use against armored Speeders who think they're entitled to park next to my cities.

Details cool clear water

cool clear water

I finish my first Condenser.  It makes some land that had dried up, a lot more reasonable.  Unlike the AI I don't have a whole fleet of Formers to spam this stuff out.  I've been under way too much pressure.

I'm actually building 2 colony pods because 2 of my cities were about to become unhappy if I didn't.  I don't have time or funds to be building stuff to make anyone happy.  Size 5 is pretty much my limit right now.  That's with Democratic, no police, the Human Genome Project, my faction making 1 drone happy, and a 50-0-50 budget.

[bvanevery]

MY 2224.  My planes do a pretty good job of cramping and killing Yang's speeders.  I kill 2 of his armored Speeders, but lose 1 Impact Infantry.  I will need to make more.  I'm feeling pretty comfortable on the armor defense now.  I've reduced my main fighting garrison to 3 Plasma units, putting 2 in the flank city.  My artillery mildly bothers units which stay in range, and Yang hasn't brought up any artillery.

Details somewhere safe

somewhere safe

I will put 2 cities on my northern peninsula.  Away from Yang, and hopefully away from the depredations of wild mindworms.  At least I've already popped all the sea pods out that way.  I don't have roads built to these sites, so they will likely be disconnected for awhile.  Maybe this would be a good reason to build air transport or a truck.  I don't think air transport works because I think you have to be in a city to drop units off.  A hovertank truck would work, although I haven't prototyped a hovertank yet.

My idea of colonizing the Manifold Nexus, really hasn't gone anywhere.  Too stressed out at home.

[bvanevery]

MY 2225.  Yang does have 2 artillery pieces but he's keeping them out of range of my city.  Belatedly I realize I had a 2nd piece at a sea port.  I bring it to my threatened city, since I haven't seen a Yang ship in quite some time. 

My Jets are doing a good job of bottlenecking Yang's front, forcing him into open ground in front of my city as a kill zone.  I almost felt relaxed enough to start building supply crawlers in other cities, but decided I still need to replenish Plasma units.  I've got enough offense to kill stuff though.  I even have a small reserve.

A hovertank truck would also be useful for getting slow Artifacts home over land.  But again, no prototype, and no money for a Skunkworks.  My 3 supply crawlers will go into the Planetary Energy Grid when it's time to complete.  Morgan only needs 7 turns so that needs to be Real Soon Now.  I've got 1 Artifact coming home by boat next turn, so I think I've got it!

I'm realizing the 2 cities I want to settle are coastal.  If I had kept a Cruiser Transport in my home waters, I could have settled them quickly by water.  But they've been out making me money and Artifacts.  Perhaps I should look at the Manifold Nexus as "relatively close by water".

Details an unprincipled tyrant

an unprincipled tyrant

MY 2226.  I don't think I should switch to Wealth to cheapen my Secret Project costs.  Yang's got lots of Veteran units and some Commandos scattered in there as well.  He's Fundamentalist Socialist Survival.  I just realized this is another instance of Thinker mod cheating / ignoring the factions' duly designated compulsions.  Yang could chew me out for not being a Police State, while being Fundamentalist himself! Basically a big part of the diplomatic game is trashed, because factions are doing whatever Thinker mod wants them to do, not what they're supposed to do as AI players.

I send 3 supply crawlers to the Planetary Energy Grid, that used to be collecting minerals for the project.  Surprisingly, I don't have to use any Artifacts at all to complete it, just cash.

I belatedly realize that I've had 1 independent Cruiser Transport and 2 independent Foil Transports sitting in port this whole time.  I picked them up and sent them home a long time ago when popping pods.  Like yesterday or the day before or something.  Can't keep track of everything when Yang is pressuring me and it's taking multiple days to resolve a war.  So, I could have colonized the peninsula much more quickly.

I start making a lot of supply crawlers.  I now have confidence that Yang can't break through.  I begin the Nano Factory in another city.