Mind Controlling Worms - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.37

[bvanevery]

Details intrinsic light bulb

intrinsic light bulb

MY 2139.  I fish my first Alien Artifact out of the water.  This is a major reason to be out here.  I usually use them to build Secret Projects, as they're very expensive in my mod.  Sometimes I hoard Artifacts until after I've stolen every tech possible from other factions, then cash them in to get a big midgame tech boost.  That's unlikely to happen this game because 3 factions should always out-research me, and I've stated my intent to commit atrocities early and often.  Production will probably go into eXtermination rather than eXploration.

[bvanevery]

Details major find

major find

MY 2144.  I discover the Manifold Nexus on the mainland just east of me.  Probably I have no competition for it.  Having to defend it, will slightly entangle me in Continental politics, but a +1 PLANET bonus is worth it.  Very useful when the mindworms come.  It could also get me an Isle right now.  Going Green is pretty easy in my mod.  I had to make it without penalties to entice the AI to use it, particularly the Gaians.  Any penalty at all, there's a bug in the original game where the AI won't touch it, even when it can.  Until at last it learns how to make Locusts, which is pretty late even in my mod.  The way I have it, it's easy to do and the AI won't avoid it.  It does make capturing mindworms pretty cush in the early game though.  If you know E2 Centauri Empathy, which currently I don't.

[bvanevery]

Details wassup!

wassup!

MY 2148.  I ring up the Morganites to see what gives.  They sign a Pact.  They don't have any useful tech or contacts, but they do have a map of Cyborg territory.  They're straight south of the Morganites.  If I ever want to trash them it'll be pretty easy, provided I retain the Morganites as allies.  But for now, it's difficult to see the Cyborgs as a credible threat.  They have only settled 3 bases.  The Morganites have settled 6 and I have settled 7.  Maybe they got their 2nd colonist killed at the beginning.

Details good green land

good green land

The Morganites are nearing at least a portion of the Monsoon Jungle.  How much is unclear.  Sometimes it splits over an intervening body of water.  It's too far away to be of any use to me.

Details landlubbers

landlubbers

The Pirates have established an unusual land base next to the Cyborgs.  Could it have been a Cyborg city that they took over, and then renamed it?  That would explain the Cyborgs' weakness on the graph.  Well, maybe not.  It has the artwork of a Pirate base, not a Cyborg base, and it hasn't been enough turns in the game for a captured base to 'naturalize'.

Let's see if the Cyborgs want to talk to me.  Nope!  They're still refusing my hails.  Well at least I know the Pirates are some kind of near neighbor, more than likely.

[bvanevery]

Details get my Green thing rolling

get my Green thing rolling

MY 2150.  I go Green.  Morgan isn't going to like that, but I have no reason to care.  I will be at +2 PLANET shortly.  Good for clearing out both the Sargasso Sea, and the supercontinent!

[bvanevery]

Details on top of it

on top of it

MY 2151.  I take control of the Manifold Nexus.  The fungal patch in front of it would be a threat, but I have a Trance Scout, so I'm not worried.

Details seeking the Police State

seeking the Police State

I'm at +2 PLANET.  In my mod, Police State gives a +1 PROBE bonus.  I'm totally seeing myself doing the Green Police State thing for the duration.  That will make Morgan and Cha Dawn hate me.  No one else will mind.  The Gaians might actually like me, if they can get over me being better than them!

Details I really am mind controlling worms

I really am mind controlling worms

I capture my first mindworm.  Feel the betterness!

[bvanevery]

Details Hi Deirdre

Hi Deirdre

MY 2154.  I meet the Gaians.  They are near neighbors to the east.  I did well to grab the Manifold Nexus before they could work their way down to it.  They sell me the comm frequency of the Cult of Planet.  They sign a Treaty.  They are Ambivalent despite our shared economic ideology.  They don't have any new techs or other comm frequencies.  They sign off.

Details until you hate me

until you hate me

The Cult of Planet signs a Treaty.  In my mod they are compelled to be Extremist.  They will hate my Police State once I eventually get it, but I'm just a Frontier society right now.  They're at war with my allies the Morganites, but I don't have a reason to care as that alliance won't last.  I ask them about comm frequencies but they don't have any.  I don't care about their tech, and they didn't have any anyways.  I sign off before I even have to.

[bvanevery]

Details operation

operation

MY 2159.  I infiltrate the Gaians using my original starting probe team.  It survives the mission, so next I'll do it to the Morganites.

[bvanevery]

Details grow a beard

grow a beard

MY 2160.  I meet Zhakarov trapsing around Morganite territory.  He doesn't want to trade me Neural Grafting, which is understandable as it provides the Command Nexus.  He signs a Treaty.  He's not selling any tech and doesn't know the Pirates, so I sign off.

Details an oddly open input loop

an oddly open input loop

I contact Morgan, hoping to sell him Zhakarov's comm frequency.  Maybe Morgan can get a map out of Zhakarov?  Actually that wasn't a well thought out idea, since Zhakarov has more tech than Morgan.  Anyways, Morgan isn't interested and just wants to yabber about how much he hates Cha Dawn.  I rebuff him.  Out of curiosity, I contact Morgan over and over again, and each time I rebuff his attitude towards me gets worse!  He rapidly goes from Ambivalent to Obstinate to Quarrelsome to Seething.  I hit him like this 10 times in a row at least, then I stop bothering.  I would have thought our interaction would be terminated, and it would have been more sensible for my refusal this turn to count as 1 ding against me, not an infinite number of them.  But pissing him off does have its uses.  By the time I get my probe team down there, perhaps he'll be in a mood for war and I can just steal tech from him.

[bvanevery]

Details money hungry

money hungry

MY 2161.  I learn Ethical Calculus, I think from my faction ability.  I know the Morganites have it already.  I go Democratic, because it raises my income from 11 to 16 without having any drawback right now.

Details my contemplation

my contemplation

I thought perhaps I researched this myself, but I didn't.  2 years until my own research completes.  I've now got the minimum weapon necessary for effective chemical attacks.

[bvanevery]

Details step away

step away

MY 2163.  I stir up a mindworm on a river square next to my 'ally'.  I step back and let it do its work!  I can always try to capture it afterwards, no rush.

[bvanevery]

Details plug it in

plug it in

MY 2164.  This I think I gained from others.  I have 3 Artifacts saved and like 500 cash, so I'm going to rush it instantly.

Details Sinder Roze is Watching You

Sinder Roze is Watching You

This I think I researched myself.  The Police State cometh!

Details full metal probe team

full metal probe team

Nobody can mind control me now.  Not that they were trying.

Details diplomatic dickery

diplomatic dickery

With my probe team about to infiltrate, Morgan of course stops to chat.  I don't do what he wants, and he ends our Pact, sending my probe team home.  No matter, home is quite nearby.

Details heck why not

heck why not

The Cyborgs wanna make friendlys.  Okays.  It'll be awhile before they can't stand me.  I get the Pirates' commlink frequency out of them.

Details bravely met

bravely met

Really!  Don't you know that I've achieved the minimum platform necessary to liquidate you?  X Laser Skimships work real good.  If you have a ship to ship artillery duel with a ship in a sea base, and they lose, the base depopulates!  Nasty little trick.  Good time to do it to them too, before they gain Doctrine: Initiative and get Naval Yards in all of their bases.  I have my marching swimming orders.

[bvanevery]

Details Artifact Power

Artifact Power

MY 2166.  eXploring is actually a pretty good way to complete Secret Projects.  You get a fair number of Artifacts, and lots of cash from popped pods and dead mindworms.  Until Planet runs out of pods.

[bvanevery]

Details unplanned completion

unplanned completion

MY 2171.  This is awfully convenient.  I just started working on this and it was going to take 12 turns.  Now I can go scare up some Isles.  And I can go kill Svensgaard, production willing.

[bvanevery]

Details I was being a little cheap

I was being a little cheap

MY 2174.  I was working on this too, but I wanted to wait until next year, so I could use 1 less Artifact.  I didn't especially want this, I just was going to block others.  Now my capitol is working on an outdated Secret Project.

Details not as cheap

not as cheap

MY 2179?  With tech acquired from my faction ability, I complete the Human Genome Project.  I can now also make mindworms.

[bvanevery]

Details their insouciant boldness

their insouciant boldness

MY 2182.  As I near Svensgaard's presumed home waters, I run into one of his ships.  He declares to murder me.  I don't think he understands how willing I am to take eXtermination to a whole new level.  He won't be inheriting a waterworld this time!  My only regret is it may not be a fair test of having eliminated the Clean Transport.

Details my first atrocity

my first atrocity

I don't like wasting atrocities on mere ships instead of cities, but I need to actually get to his cities, before I can destroy them.