Cybernetic Conquest - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.42

[bvanevery]

My previous demonstration of 1.42 was awkward!  I'll try to do a proper job of it this time.  No goofy ideas about how to put another faction down.

Details who shall lose to me

who shall lose to me

Huge map, average settings, Transcend difficulty, random opponents.  I draw the Cyborgs.  The Cult of Planet is a natural enemy, as I cannot choose Politics that they'll be happy with.  Unless I stayed Frontier, which I won't.  The Believers actually aren't a problem, because in my mod they have no social engineering compulsion at all.  They are Aggressive however, so they could go to war with me for that reason.  Same with the Spartans.  Otherwise, no predictions.  Enemies will depend on geography.  I was awfully nice last game, and I'll probably be a lot less nice this one.

I landed on flat terrain with a rainy patch south of me, so I just accepted it as my capitol.  Unfortunately I messed up my screenshot of it.  Just see what my land is like in the next post.

Details expect pirates

expect pirates

I'm in the middle of a huge ocean.  I may be on the southern end of a large continent.  So my 2nd colonist heads north.

[bvanevery]

Details dangerous barrier

dangerous barrier

I run into a lot of fungus.  I will back off and take that flat square, so that mindworms can't come eat me.  I've noticed that wandering around looking for the best spot to settle, is a good way to put yourself behind.

[bvanevery]

Details keep your distance

keep your distance

This is why you don't park the city next to a patch of fungus.  Someone seems to be stirring up trouble on that end of things.  I also think it's possible that this is the Ruins.  It has the right shape for it.

[bvanevery]

Details big barrier

big barrier

This a pretty solid looking mass of fungus.  I have a Synth Foil sailing around the continent.  So far, no evidence of another faction.  If there is one, maybe they're just as bound up as I am.  That would suggest they're not the Caretakers or the Cult of Planet.  Could the mindworm have just been spontaneously spawned from a fungal tower, then headed for the Ruins?

Details the fungus makes the man, or the woman

the fungus makes the man, or the woman

I don't usually change my research foci from the faction defaults, because I'm usually interested in the play balance of a faction, as the AI experiences it.  But for writing these AARs, I'm more interested in showing how to win.  I've got fungus in my way and I need to Explore it.  I also made Fungicidal Tanks more a part of the Explore tree than the Build tree.  They come with E3 Ecological Engineering.  I've had it as a B3 tech before.  I wonder if making it more of an Explore tech was a mistake?  Or maybe just having Fungicidal Tanks with it is the mistake.  That's not exactly singing kumbaya with the environment.  I do prefer it being a Tier 3 tech, as then fungus is a real challenge to overcome at the beginning of the game.  But should that be more of an Explore or Build way of dealing with it?  Narrative says it should be Build, as I can't see Deidre spraying down the fungus with poison.  I mean it's basically a kind of Agent Orange.

I will sleep on it.  Tomorrow, my unreleased version 1.42 may be getting a tweak.

After getting my beauty rest, I decided that Fungicidal Tanks are in the right place, but Ecological Engineering should  have prereqs in both the Explore and Build trees.  It is too intersectional.  Especially, later on Advanced Ecological Engineering is a Build tech.  Centauri Empathy will remain a prereq, that's logical.  But instead of E2 Adaptive Economics as the 2nd prereq, it shall be B2 Industrial Base.  A very minor tweak which may set things right.

Details gimme fungicide

gimme fungicide

With the tweak in place, I change my research foci.  I think this will maximize my chances of getting Fungicidal Tanks.  No factions have this combo of research foci by default anymore.  There were periods during my mod development when some factions did have this, but over time, I decided that Explore and Build were mostly separate narrative concerns.  They do have a gameplay intersection about terraforming though.  So now we'll see how long it takes to get Fungicidal Tanks in practice.  Currently it's an unknown.

[bvanevery]

Details top 'o' the world to ya

top 'o' the world to ya

MY 2135.  I really didn't expect the Pirates to be up here!  Well I guess I'd better start popping sea supply pods indiscriminately, as otherwise he'll just get them.  We sign a Treaty and trade techs, putting me closer to E3 Ecological Engineering.  He also sells me Roze's comm frequency.

Details in contact

in contact

Roze signs a Treaty but won't trade techs.  I don't have enough money to buy any.  She sells me Miriam's comm frequency.

Details northern ally

northern ally

Miriam trades techs and then signs a Pact.  Interestingly, I had exactly the same arrangement last game.  Miriam as my ally, Roze the one I eventually decided to overrun.  Will it go the same this time?  Last time, Miriam was closest to me, and I do wonder if I should have enslaved her.  Since I didn't, she kept providing me free cheap units the whole game.  I never made effective use of them though.  One needs another enemy to invade, and I was slow to build rails to get to another enemy.  Well, I won't make similar mistakes this game, but it's too early to commit to what I'll do.  I don't think we'll be struggling over land rights.  This continent is reasonably large, and she started all the way at the northern end of it.  She has probably also blocked Roze from expanding southwards.  So as long as I colonize faster than Miriam, I'll have plenty of room.

[bvanevery]

Details extensive empire

extensive empire

MY 2143.  Miriam obtains a Pirate map.  That northern sea base I ran into, was some kind of far flung fluke on their part.  Their real center of mass is to the west.  Judging by my own western coast, I think we have the Sargasso Sea separating us from any interaction, at least for now.  Eventually the pods in the Sargasso Sea will be popped, and that often causes a massive kelp spread.

I've been getting a fair number of facilities Completions, as I pop sea supply pods.

[bvanevery]

Details useless conversations

useless conversations

MY 2154.  Svensgaard has run into the Caretakers.  I buy their comm frequency, even though I'm unlikely to be able to speak to them.  I've made Progenitor Psych an E3 tech, so the play mechanic is generally that the Aliens make contact with the humans, not the other way around.  Declining the offer would be rational, as all a silent Alien ever tends to do, is eventually declare war on you.  But I don't think it matters, since nearly half the map has been revealed.  I don't expect them to be close to me.  And to some extent, I just don't care, as I'm doing fine.  I'm making a lot of money from popping supply pods.

Details cagey

cagey

Svensgaard also had the Cultist commlink frequency.  I don't ask them for a Treaty because they act like they won't accept.  They wanted me to make war on the Caretakers and that's a little premature.  I ask them for Santiago's frequency but they don't have it.

Details nice digs

nice digs

Miriam obtains a map of the Cultists.  They're sitting on the Monsoon Jungle and Mount Planet.  The location of the Caretakers is not obvious.  The Cultists are too far away to be any serious threat.  They could become powerful someday, but strategically, it will never matter.  I've never seen the Cultists do especially well over the long haul.  Even though their RESEARCH can never go below zero, they generally don't get it to go any higher either.  That tends to lead to semi-stagnation, even if they may sprawl and build lots of cities.  They usually don't do well in the Secret Project races either.

[bvanevery]

Details they get around

they get around

MY 2158.  The Caretakers show up with a Scout on their Isle.  I hope they're not in a mood to land and interfere with me.

Details cheeky

cheeky

MY 2161.  The Cultists have the Spartan comm frequency but won't sell it to me.

Details they already hate me

they already hate me

The Pirates sell me B2 Ethical Calculus, enabling me to go Democratic.  The Cultists are already Seething at me, and they'd feel the same way about a Police State.  I think making money will benefit me more, as I seem to be relatively isolated from enemies.  That said, there's a possibility of the Caretakers being immediately to the south.  I can't be bothered to make any more ships yet.  Too busy with colonization, Recycling Tanks, and Children's Creches.  I've made a fair amount of money on only 2 ships so far.

[bvanevery]

Details how did they meet up

how did they meet up

MY 2162.  Miriam somehow got ahold of Santiago.  The choice for Governor is between Cha Dawn and Svensgaard, and of course that's easy.

Details progress towards objective

progress towards objective

The research plan seems to be working.  I go Green.

Details scouting the empty continent

scouting the empty continent

MY 2163.  I capture my 1st mindworm.  I'm surprised that my first mindworm combat after going Green resulted in a capture.  Some factions seem to have a scripted event for this, like the Gaians or the Caretakers, where they always have success on their 1st go.  Other factions, I seem to fight a long time before getting my 1st capture.  I wonder if it has to do with learning E2 Centauri Empathy?  Or maybe it depends on how many mindworms you've already fought, and I have killed a few already.

Belatedly I remember I'm now in contact with Santiago.  I sign a Treaty with her.

Ok now that I'm Green, I start making some Laser Skimships.  I can use them to capture some Isles.

[bvanevery]

Details harmless

harmless

MY 2166.  Miriam obtains the Spartan map.  They are on an unimportant island-like mass far away from me.  They may be joined to my continent by a band of land in the region of the North Pole.  If so, they will surely come into conflict with the Data Angels.  Really not my problem.  So far, I have no natural enemies.  But I have not scouted the waters south of me.  The Caretakers could be there.

[bvanevery]

Details penetrating the fungal wall

penetrating the fungal wall

MY 2168.  I don't have Fungicidal Tanks yet, but E2 Centauri Empathy does give me the ability to build roads through fungus.  I'll soon be out of city spots on this side of the barrier, so this is adequate timing.  My one Command Center is in the Ruins.  I haven't started making proper garrison units yet.  I got lots of money from popping pods, so I use it to rush my remaining Children's Creches and Recycling Tanks.  Cities are now building Recreation Commons.

[bvanevery]

Details the silent treatment

the silent treatment

MY 2171.  At least nobody will be getting upset with me for awhile.  Except the Caretakers, who could declare war on me despite this.  It definitely comes across as buggy, that they do that, but it happens.

[bvanevery]

Details what is the point

what is the point

MY 2181.  Famous last words!  Roze decides to get uppity because I'm exploring her homelands with a mindworm.  I doubt there's much to be done about this, as I don't even have a road connecting to the Believers yet.  Nor is their own empire roadworthy yet.  Pushing stuff her way by sea would be boring.

The sad thing is, she didn't even manage to kill my mindworm.  It was healing from having attacked another mindworm on her land.  I almost wonder if she got confused about what to attack.  I've suspected the AI is capable of that.

Details good ally

good ally

Well at least Miriam is making herself useful.  I suppose I could try sending up a probe team.  Otherwise I'll just run around with my mindworm and see if I can cause more trouble.

[bvanevery]

Details building the navy

building the navy

MY 2183.  I capture my first Isle.

Details let's talk about our feelings

let's talk about our feelings

MY 2185.  Roze refuses to speak with me.  Let the beatings continue!

The Pirates want an alliance against the Cult, whom I am still not at war with.  They sell me D2 Information Networks.  I'm still trying to learn E3 Ecological Engineering.  After that, I'd very much like to have E3 Monopole Magnets.  I need to send troops up north.

[bvanevery]

Details beggar

beggar

MY 2188.  I'm a bit surprised that she's also learned E3 Monopole Magnets and E3 Progenitor Psych.   She won't sell the latter to me.

Details ugly face

ugly face

I try hailing the Caretakers.  I didn't think I could talk to them, but perhaps if they have Social Psych and choose to receive me, it works?  Whatever.  They declare war.  They wanted help stomping the Cult.