Cybernetic Conquest - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.42

[bvanevery]

Details cheaper secret project

cheaper secret project

MY 2252.  I rush the Command Nexus, which I originally researched myself.

[bvanevery]

Details what a ninny

what a ninny

MY 2254.  Svensgaard shows up with a Sea Colony Pod to make me quake in terror.  I start building rails and roads to his nearest coastal cities.  I'll make some Marines and crush him.  He has reached B4 Environmental Economics, which I'll steal by conquering one of his bases.

[bvanevery]

Details inconvenient

inconvenient

MY 2255.  The Caretakers rescind their Truce, just as I was bringing a feeble Transport with a land probe team on it to infiltrate them.  They did not actually kill my Transport though.  I rendezvoused with my Isle and jumped off.  Maybe I can still complete the mission.

Details lines of death

lines of death

MY 2257.  I've completed rails to the nearest 2 Pirate cities.  I'm working on completing the Believers' rail through their empire to the Data Angels.  The Hunter-Seeker Algorithm is far from done yet, because I elected to complete the cheaper Command Nexus instead.  Svensgaard has also learned C4 Single-Sided Surfaces, so I need to steal 2 techs from him.  He may accept a Truce after only 1 city is conquered, so I will use a probe team to steal the first tech, then conquer for the 2nd tech.

[bvanevery]

Details cheap trick

cheap trick

MY 2258.  I used my empty Transport as a decoy.  The Caretaker ship went after it, missing my Isle that was actually carrying the probe team.  It was able to infiltrate the sea base.  Then I killed the ship.  My Isle is badly damaged and if they have a followup ship, it will surely die.  But, mission accomplished!  As expected, they don't have any tech to steal.

[bvanevery]

Details large vulnerable base

large vulnerable base

MY 2259.  I successfully steal from the sea base that hasn't built a Perimeter Defense.  I switch from the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm to the Planetary Transit System because it's cheaper, and because I don't think anyone else can build the HSA yet.  I don't have the money to rush it.

Details pop blocker

pop blocker

MY 2261.  I use my last Artifact and some money to rush the Planetary Transit System.

[bvanevery]

Details choo choo choo on you

choo choo choo on you

MY 2262.  I'm about to build rail lines straight into 2 of Roze's cities, with the Believers providing infantry cover no less.  Roze suddenly wants a Truce.  Well forget you!  I'd crush her myself if Svensgaard wasn't spamming me so hard with stupid little ships.  I keep having to make Impact Artillery pieces and I can't get around to making any Marines to take over his sea base.  Well, eventually I'll wound him enough that I'll have my chance.

[bvanevery]

Details static

static

MY 2266.  The Data Angels are getting destroyed by the Spartans.  Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to get them to surrender.  Nor will I get the Pirates to beg off.  So, I'll need to go steal the other tech.  I activate the Plasma Cruiser Probe Team I've held in reserve.

[bvanevery]

Details Spartan progress

Spartan progress

MY 2270.  The Spartans have emptied a city that I built a rail to.  We'll be fighting soon.

Details overkill

overkill

I steal C4 Single-Sided Surfaces from the Pirates.  My Plasma Cruiser Probe Team survives the mission!

[bvanevery]

Details egging them on

egging them on

MY 2276.  Miriam gives me another unit.  I already wanted to wreck the Data Angels' sensor array, to make it easier to wail on them.  I decided to blow up some Spartans while I was at it, to ensure more safety for my units while performing the operation.  And for good measure, I killed a weakened unit inside Roze's city, without taking it over.  I'm just stirring up havoc, mayhem, and chaos!  What I'd actually like to get out of the deal, is the Citizens' Defense Force, which is sitting in that size 6 city to the lower left.  There are currently a bunch of Spartans in the way though.

[bvanevery]

Details the walled road

the walled road

MY 2277.  There is actually an open railway straight to the Citizens' Defense Force.  It's only defended by 2 units and I can take it, as long as a bunch of Spartan spam doesn't show up in my way again.  This year I had to heal up my units from the sensor array takedown last year.

Details soft target

soft target

Checking the city itself, I see there's a sensor array I couldn't previously see.  I bring up a spare Recon Rover to kill a Former that's in the way and get rid of the sensor array.

[bvanevery]

Details super whack job

super whack job

MY 2278.  A Demon Boil and a Great Boil made short work of the defenders.  I'm going to have to hold this place with probe teams though, because the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm isn't done yet.  I could also use mindworms, spore launchers, and doubled up units to deny routes of penetration.

Details defensive arrangement

defensive arrangement

I'm not going to sell off my Perimeter Defenses just yet.  The situation is not stable.  It would be best for the sunspots to lift, and to get Roze's surrender.

Details nearly safe

nearly safe

Good news, I'm very close to completing the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm!  Then I can just trash whatever I want.

[bvanevery]

Details lack of defense

lack of defense

MY 2279.  The "surround with indigenous life" idea didn't work.  The Spartans thought those were things to shoot at.  If they had enough probe teams, they could have broken down my defenses.  Or left an opening for the Data Angels.  I will simply fight back and hope I get the HSA done fast enough.  Since the Spartans didn't attempt espionage, and Roze is under a lot of pressure, that seems likely.

Details quite miserable captives

quite miserable captives

This base doesn't have any food.  It's about to riot.  I can't switch anyone to a Medic without people starving.  I can't rush the Punishment Sphere cost effectively with only 8 minerals into it.  I can't nerve staple them as my POLICE rating is -3.  Answer: bring in a Scout, disband it, then rush.

Details torture costs money

torture costs money

Unfortunately that cost enough to keep me from completing the HSA.  Punishment Spheres are cheap and readily available in my mod, costing no more to build and maintain than a Recreation Commons.  This is historically accurate, as torturing people is not an economic investment in their future.  But you still have to pay goons to, you know, wipe the blood out of the sphere when the screaming stops, and haul away the bodies.

[bvanevery]

Details Hooray! Now surrender

Hooray! Now surrender

MY 2280.  Is Roze going to see sense??

Details the beatings shall continue

the beatings shall continue

She was like this last game too.  I'm not toying with her this time.  I've got other enemies to fight.

Svensgaard hasn't amassed any new tech, so fighting him isn't important to me.  I see if he want's a Truce, but he doesn't even want to talk to me.  I'll have to continue with Plan A, seizing his coastal bases.  I'm finally getting my Tree Farms done and have started making Impact Marines.

Details lick my boots

lick my boots

Cha Dawn, the Extremist, is more reasonable.  After all, we don't have any shared land to fight over.  The only thing he's got that I might want, is the Manifold Nexus.  It's remote and it would be awhile before I could reach it, let alone reinforce it.  He barely has control of it himself.

Details a shocking development

a shocking development

I really didn't expect a Treaty.  Is this going to be another one of those 'surprise' attack things?  I just have trouble believing that they won't work themselves into a snit eventually.  But hey, if they want to sacrifice their reputation, they can do so.  Treaty works fine for me, I'll send my mindworms another direction.  Planet is almost empty of supply pods now, as I've been diligent.

Details you're so cute

you're so cute

My ally seems happy enough.  My Formers that require SUPPORT, are mostly tromping around on her land building forests and sensor arrays.  Gotta fortify against the Spartans, and it's good to spread forests.  Who knows, if she ever gets uppity with me, I might need to take her over.  But the pattern last game was, once you get past a certain point with them, they stick by you.  The Believers are unique in my mod, in that they have no social engineering compulsions.  Christians can go any direction, they have total free will.  So if they would just be smart enough to walk into open cities I give them... unfortunately they weren't smart enough to do that last game.  I suppose I could just gift cities.  I tend to forget about that possibility.

Details leverage

leverage

One of Roze's cities has been emptied.  Perhaps if I take it, she'll surrender?  It should depopulate to size 1 and then if the Spartans kill me, that's fine.  I hope they don't think to steal from it, as I'm not going to waste probe teams on this.

Details what a dweeb!

what a dweeb!

How does she figure she's going to get out of this alive?  She's got 2 land cities and 4 sea bases.  Maybe she thinks Svensgaard will protect her.

Details closing the loopholes

closing the loopholes

Taking that city might have been worth a little money.  I now have more than enough to complete the HSA.  So, any theft anyone's gonna do, has to happen now.  Have at it!

[bvanevery]

Details something to steal

something to steal

MY 2281.  Good reason to whack on the Pirate bases.  I might just send out the Cruiser Probe Team to get this underway though.  I should make some Isles, as they'll probably do a good job clearing out Svensgaard's ships and bases.  Probably better than Impact Marines will do.

Details a captured artifact

a captured artifact

Interesting.  I don't remember capturing an Artifact, and I certainly didn't move one to here.  They show up in the weirdest places.  There's no basic logic to where they jump to.  Wat... there are 2 Artifacts there.  Really don't remember doing that.  Maybe they walked by my units when they shouldn't have?  Well hey, 2 free Artifacts.  Not complaining.  Can't tell if this is buggy or not.

[bvanevery]

Details dangerous for them

dangerous for them

MY 2285.  I don't really know why I'm learning Conquer techs.  It's never been my focus this entire game.  Currently my focus is Discover.

Details random research

random research

Ok I think I've seen the University AI go through this pattern as well.  I don't have the prereqs for the next Discover tech.  B4 Planetary Economics is Build with maybe a tiny bit of Explore in it, I forget.  So in the absence of a viable Discover tech, I get random techs.  And for some reason, the random techs tend to be Conquer techs.  That could be because there are more of them, or because it's first in the list of categories of possible techs to get.  I don't know, and it would take binary disassembly to know.  I just know that, when the University AI can't get another Discover tech, it tends to get a pile of Conquer techs.  That's not necessarily a bad thing as I do need to fight right now, but I'd like more control over this.  Since I'm about to steal B4 Planetary Economics from the Pirates, I will not change my research focus.