Morgan Biochemical - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.37

[bvanevery]

Details viable mindworms

viable mindworms

MY 2304.  I complete the Dream Twister, as a result of my tech heists last year.  I won't be able to bang out the Theory of Everything quite so quickly.  It may take two turns.

Details some kind of super eco penalty

some kind of super eco penalty

I rushed a Robotic Assembly Plant in my Skunkworks city last year, so that I can chuck out my prototypes faster.  Actually just about every city is working on a Plant now.  Seems like I need more expensive units to really stick it to the Cyborgs quickly.  I don't remember doing much eco-damage before, and it may even have been 0.  Now it jumps to 64??

Details you're kidding right

you're kidding right

What could she possibly have to say to me?  "Stop stealing my stuff" ?  "Quit invading me" ?  Bet you she's going to demand I spend money to gain peace.  Well she had the decency not to demand anything that loony, but why was I supposed to help her with the Believers?  Go away Aki, you're high on the liquidation list.  Although I'm going to take over everyone's key cities conventionally first.  Think of it as a historical trust, preserving the best of humanity.

Details good for business

good for business

I know how I talked about being a greedy capitalist Planet polluting pig to the bitter end, but it's just not realistic.  I don't need a mindworm apocalypse in my backyard right now.  I've also got bigger factories coming in every city and there's going to be lots more eco-damage.  It's question of scale.  The Cyborgs also have lots of mindworm defenders.  Cleaning their clocks would be very useful as part of the invasion plan.  The balance sheet is clear!  We're going Green.  I only lose 50 credits / year doing this for some reason, maybe because I don't have enough Treaties, maybe because JUSTICE goes up.  Research rate is unchanged, and frankly I don't need any.  I just need to stop the Cyborgs from learning new stuff and threatening to build yet another Secret Project.

Details modest damage

modest damage

I can handle 16 eco-damage.  I'll build Centauri Preserves and deal with a few pops.  Maybe I'll get mild flooding.

Details the victim

the victim

Aki has a poorly defended city in her back acre.  Rather than bother with my usual drill of Drop Formers and building an Airbase, I'm just going to take this over.  I can Obliterate it later when I've got better digs.  Even my measly fission Recon Hovertanks are sufficient to take this place out, and I do have 1 Fusion Missile guy as well.

Details delay of Green bonus

delay of Green bonus

Since I just switched to Green, I don't get my PLANET Rating adjusted for combat just yet.  The Dream Twister bonus is immediate though, so I believe I won't have any problem with this conquest.

Details beginning of the end

beginning of the end

That was rather easy.  I've got a landing zone!  I don't have real troops, but I did just drop in 4 probe teams.  Are the Cyborgs dumb enough to leave this base alone?

[bvanevery]

Details delusions of grandeur

delusions of grandeur

MY 2305.  C'mon man, you're my bud, but that doesn't mean I want to scrape your boots!

Details my Builder prowess

my Builder prowess

I complete the Theory of Everything.  It didn't take any longer than anything else, I just wanted it built in my capitol.  Now that my troops are indoors, some of my cities have become happier and are pop booming.  The extra JUSTICE probably helps too.

[bvanevery]

MY 2306.  Both the Cyborgs and I research the Secrets of the Manifolds, although I think they got the free tech.  Next turn I will probably rush the Manifold Harmonics.  In anticipation of this, I've started planting fungus on some Rocky terrain squares.  I will now add the Manifold Nexus to the list of things I'd like to take over before ending the world in a chemical bloodbath.

Details an actual good AI move

an actual good AI move

MY 2307.  The AI shells the crap out of my city.  As almost all of my units are quite feeble, they get badly wounded.  I tried playing a turn where I counterattack, but they can't actually harm the Fusion Artillery.  Their Fission Lasers are just too weak.  The 1 Fusion Missile unit can do damage,  but I've only got the 1.  I'm just sitting here as target practice for artillery, it's not much fun. 

Details don't be a sitting duck

don't be a sitting duck

Rather than just abandon the post, I take to the field to try to confuse the AI and do some harm in field.  I'll actually heal in field because I've got the Secret Project for that, but it's not instantaneous.

In my haste to fight all of this, I forgot to steal the bonus tech that the Cyborgs got.  I hope I don't get overrun next year.  I just don't have anything to reinforce with.  All of my production is going into Robotic Assembly Plants, and then Brood Pits to make people happier.  All of my money is going into beating the Cyborgs to finishing the Secret Projects that they get.  I may have more production, but it isn't enough production to make me a terrifying force yet.  My tactics so far were definitely worthwhile from a theft and softening defenses standpoint, as I've destroyed a fair number of Perimeter Defenses.  But an effective invasion, so far this is not.

[bvanevery]

MY 2308.  I survive long enough to steal the tech from the Cyborgs.  I also rush the Manifold Harmonics.  As I'm playing the turn, Svensgaard blows off our Pact.  I then realize I've forgotten to run for Governor in quite awhile.  Our vote totals used to be close, but now they are not.  I decided to run for Governor!  Well then I fumble some keys and accidentally just vote without bribing anybody.  Inadvertently I make the Cyborgs into the the Governor.  That just won't do.

I play my Thanksgiving prerogative.  I've had way too much family stuff distracting me from this game, to put up with this.  I should be the Governor!  I replay the turn before Svensgaard blows off our alliance.

Details hardball

hardball

And it doesn't matter.  He doesn't like being deposed.  I replay the turn again because I don't want this going to the Cyborgs.  No elections, someone else can worry about that.  This sequence of events has been brought to you by THANKSGIVING.

Details money

money

I got a fungal pop.  I don't worry about that, I've got +70% Psi attack and +50% Psi defense.  I worry about floods.  I am building the "green buildings" but eh, time.

Details CYA

CYA

On the replay, Svensgaard blows me off once again.

[bvanevery]

Details just as I die

just as I die

MY 2309.  I got a Punishment Sphere completed.  That base may not live another turn.

Details such a Greener now

such a Greener now

More importantly I got the Manifold Nexus completed.

[bvanevery]

Details fun while it lasted

fun while it lasted

MY 2310.  The Cyborgs liberate their base by brute force.  Well the AI isn't completely thick after all.  It didn't respond to me wandering around its territory without taking a base though.  Noted for future assaults.

Details AIs want more money

AIs want more money

MY 2311.  I didn't want this.  I don't think it helps me.  It could make the Cyborgs even more of a research terror.

Details the key to elections

the key to elections

I'm just really not getting around to killing anyone, am I?  There's always one more gewgaw I think I need before I make a move.

Details now I'm getting bored

now I'm getting bored

I don't think anyone knows how to launch a solar shade.

Details not terrifying

not terrifying

I dropped an anti-mindworm unit.  I succeeded in my assault, even with the orbital insertion penalty.  But I'm almost dead.  It would take piles of such units to matter.  The Cyborgs are really good at mindworm spam.  Maybe it's not such a dumb defense choice after all.

[bvanevery]

Details time to kill!

time to kill!

MY 2312.  OMG the game heard that I was getting bored.  I am so going to gas the Cyborgs!  Nobody's ever gonna know what I did to them.  I wonder if Planet gets upset about gassings that happen during sunspots?  We're gonna find out.

Details first casualty of the oceans

first casualty of the oceans

Details second casualty

second casualty

MY 2315.  The rising oceans aren't a joke to someone.  I checked my bases and think I got Pressure Domes up in time.  I'm landing mixed units to re-destroy the Sensor Arrays that the Cyborgs built up again.

Details terminating Formers with extreme prejudice

terminating Formers with extreme prejudice

The X R-Laser 3-Res Drop Infantry is the initial unit I'm landing on the Cyborgs.  I don't know what I'll be shooting at and they have a lot of mindworms, so they're designed to hopefully deal with everything.

Details before X Artillery attack

before X Artillery attack

I've also landed some X Phase Artillery via a Drop Transport.

Details after and AI cheating

after and AI cheating

It's devastating.  It's a good trick if there's only conventional artillery in a city.  It doesn't work against spore launchers.  Naval X units can do this to bases with ships in them, but it has to be a ship to ship artillery duel.  A land unit vs. a ship doesn't work.

Note that the AI was producing a Network Node but suddenly changed it to a Perimeter Defense.  Hmm maybe it didn't cheat, as I don't know how far along that Node was.  You can see that SUPPORT is still a problem for AIs that decide to field a mindworm heavy army.  Can't put a Clean Reactor on them.

Details good odds of mass destruction

good odds of mass destruction

I meant for these R-Laser units to be a field force to fight the mindworms off, but they're also enough to take out weakly defended bases with old fission units in them.  The mindworms won't be providing the usual cover.

[bvanevery]

Details end of the weirdness

end of the weirdness

MY 2316.  So Yang never let up on the Fight To The Death stuff.  Well now he's gone, and I don't think it's in my interest to free him and make him my puppet.  I'm probably going to piss off everybody not long from now.

1:45 AM.  Going to bed.

[bvanevery]

Details degradation of Cyborgs

degradation of Cyborgs

MY 2317.  I gassed another Cyborg city.  Due to mindworm defenders I also took one other.  Rather than Obliterate it, I will use it as a landing pad for now.  I think the Cyborgs are going to have a lot of trouble with their previous strategy of spamming me with mindworms, because now all my troops are resistant to that.  Still, they can wear me down, but in a battle of attrition I will probably prevail now.  My general policy is to only build units that my cities can complete in 1 turn, but it has been interrupted by my desire to build Temples of Planet.  I need my pollution under control because it's only going to get worse.  The Cyborgs are also working on the Cloudbase Academy.  I've dropped in 2 probe teams to steal next year.

Details sea skirmish

sea skirmish

My poorly trained but gaseous navy is effective against Cyborg ships and sealurks.  I will likely spam their sea bases into oblivion.  It just takes time to get there.  My mod does allow Drop Ships, but I need a coastal base to make any real use of that.  Dropping straight onto coastal land without a city, just kills your ship next turn. 

[bvanevery]

Details no reward for morality

no reward for morality

MY 2318.  This is what I get for taking time out from my busy conquest to build Temples of Planet??  This is pretty baloney unless the AI actually is counting my chemical attacks as eco-damage.  But I have not seen any eco-damage numbers rising in my cities, so I don't think that is happening. I don't quite know for sure though.

Details foolish to know so much

foolish to know so much

Boy those Cyborg researchers just don't let up do they!  This will be their undoing.  I see more probe teams in my future.  Even mindworms can't stand up to plagues.

Details leaving the stack of native life

leaving the stack of native life

Due to the Dream Twister, the enemy won't select mindworms when defending against R-Laser units.  With chemicals added, they're still tough enough to win against old fission units.  This causes cities to depopulate, leaving stacks of only mindworms!  Which can then be wiped out by a non-chemical Cloaked R-Laser unit.  I just killed 6 units at once.

[bvanevery]

Details executing the wounded

executing the wounded

MY 2020.  I complete the Cloudbase Academy and destroy another Cyborg city.  Meanwhile on the oceanic front, my feeble ship is not quite enough to pick off a badly wounded Cyborg transport sitting in port.  I die.  That's ok, more are coming right behind it.

Details for the people

for the people

MY 2021.  All of my cities have built the facilities they need, so I shift my budget.  I decrease LABS slightly as I don't need more research to win the game.  I increase PSYCH to 30%, hoping to get more serious pop booming.  I only really need money for Secret Projects now.  Wow, just checked the Cyborg tech and they're still producing stuff I don't have.  They sure have a lot of redundancy in their cities, to have lost several core ones and not feel it.  Maybe those big sea bases are putting out a lot of tech.  I tried to give them a plague this year, but they had a Nanohospital and it didn't do much damage.  I haven't quite figured out my force mix for the next stage of operations but I think it needs to be conventional Marines, to take a Secret Project city intact.

[bvanevery]

Details large sea base with no hospitals

large sea base with no hospitals

MY 2323.  One of my Cruiser Probe Teams finally gets into the fight.

Details plague gives pretty bad wounds

plague gives pretty bad wounds

The depopulation wasn't so bad for them, but they sure aren't healthy.

Details followup isn't cake

followup isn't cake

I never bothered to train my units and I got wounded by a Sealurk between turns.  The defender is Elite and they have  Naval Yard, so I actually have to fight for this.  I barely live through it.  95% wounded and the base drops to size 5.  I lose a ship but then drop the base to 2. 

Details The Graviton Corps

The Graviton Corps

Cheap, highly mobile R-Laser Skybases swoop in and pose for the kill.  The base won't live long next turn.

Details sea horde

sea horde

I had a 3rd Skybase that I didn't realize was in range.  They move really fast, 18 squares with a Fusion reactor.  I wonder if that's overpowered?  Fusion Needlejets move 14 so I'm not inclined to worry about it.  They're also more expensive than a Needlejet.  There's a reason I'm flying around with only a R-Laser armament.  Gravships are properly a Quantum reactor platform.

Details conventional buildup

conventional buildup

Meanwhile my conventional forces aren't all that tough or well placed.  I thought I'd be taking on 2 cities but realized I only have the force for 1.  I'm only at parity with the Fusion defender, which means I'll lose that battle.  However the other defenders are only Fission so I should be able to get through them fine.  I've taken time out from unit production to put Flechette Defenses in all my cities.  When the sunspots lift, I won't be surprised if Svensgaard declares war on me, because he's Seething now.

[bvanevery]

Details lotsa units

lotsa units

MY 2324.  Now I have +3 SUPPORT, giving me free unit support up to the size of the base.  With such large bases I will probably not need a Clean Reactor again.  I've also taken the Virtual World and the Supercollider from the Cyborgs.  Previously I got the Human Genome Project and the Universal Translator.  I only need to capture 2 more sea bases conventionally and then I'll have everything worth having from the Cyborgs.

Details glub glub

glub glub

My land bridge to the Data Angels has been severed.  At least they won't pester me with the occasional unit anymore.  It's 1:20 AM and I'm going to bed.

[bvanevery]

Details lock ins followed by drownings mostly

lock ins followed by drownings mostly

MY 2325.  Confirming that I do use the low tech approaches to slaughter.

Details filthy rich

filthy rich

I have more money than I need now, so I shift some more of my budget into PSYCH.  My last budget change didn't result in much pop booming.

Details those brainy Cyborgs

those brainy Cyborgs

These Cyborgs are like the cockroaches of the research world!  Even having taken over their capitol, they're still pumping out new tech like C7 Mind/Machine Interface.  Can't very well let them build the Cyborg Factory, not that they have the remotest chance of ever finishing the thing.  Of course I neglected to steal from them because I didn't believe they could cough anything new out.  I guess they can and always will, until they are dead.  Nobody else is coughing out any new tech, they're all sad.

I don't have any land access to unraided Cyborg cities anymore.  I need a boat.  In my mod you can have flying boats, but I haven't built one.  I've been building an Orbital Defense Pod screen for paranoia.  Next turn they'll all be done though.

[bvanevery]

Details Cyborg military engineers

Cyborg military engineers

MY 2326.  The Cyborgs foolishly complete a raising of Tau Collective from the water.  That was my next conventional target and it was much harder to get to in the water.  Maybe there are benefits to ignoring enemy Formers for awhile?  I make my assault.  They are well defended and although I weaken them, they hold and my attackers die.

Details roads die before mag tubes

roads die before mag tubes

I go looking for other units in theater that I can attack with.  It doesn't look like I can get there overland, but that is actually an illusion!  That seemingly blank square west of Pi Complex, actually has a mag tube in it.  I can actually bring 2 Speeders and a Hovertank to the fight.  I'm not sure if they're going to do any good, because the remaining defender is a Comm Jammer unit, but I'll try.

Details conventional war is a chore

conventional war is a chore

This is a lot like my previous assault.  Have to sacrifice a few units to wear them down.  I don't actually have any more land targets to go after with chemical weapons, so this isn't much of a loss.  My production is higher nowadays and I can crank out unarmored Drop Phase Marines in 1 turn.  My bigger bases can make a Drop Tachyon Marine in 1 turn.  Next turn, they're coming!

Details let's die again

let's die again

My 1st assault goes pretty well.  I might actually take the base this year.  Another reason to blow off the land assault units, is the land is going away.  I'm not doing any eco-damage anymore, but that doesn't mean the planet is done flooding.

Details the old gray mare she ain't what she used to be

the old gray mare she ain't what she used to be

My 2nd speeder dies as well, but it wounds the ECM unit badly enough that my Hovertank doesn't have to deal with it.

Details vengeance for my comrades!

vengeance for my comrades!

My Hovertank blows his opponent away, doesn't take many wounds, and promotes to Elite.  I have enough moves and health remaining to make another attack.  It kills the hated ECM unit!

Details let the terror continue

let the terror continue

R-Lasers mop up the stragglers and take the base, proving that sometimes, you just gotta sacrifice to meet your goals.  I find in many games, AIs aren't particularly good at figuring that out.

Details don't get used to it

don't get used to it

I'm rich beyond any possible need, and my cities still aren't celebrating as much as I'd like.  I have +4 JUSTICE, so I shift my economy into more PSYCH without taking any penalty.  Only thing lacking this year is I didn't manage to steal C7 Mind / Machine Interface.  Flying boats next year.  Theft the year after that.