Cybernetic Conquest - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.42

[bvanevery]

Details can't have that

can't have that

MY 2366.  Cha Dawn starts the Space Elevator.  Maybe I'm not as far ahead in tech as I thought.

Details global warming sign

global warming sign

No flooding yet, but this usually presages it.  In 5 more years I could propose to Launch Solar Shade.

Details blunt instruments

blunt instruments

Raising large amounts of land could be useful for improving my sea bases.  Except that detonating a Tectonic Missile apparently does the equivalent eco-damage of a nuke.  I'd like Planet to sleep!

Details sensible provocation

sensible provocation

This is where the Nano Factory lives.  I could take it over this turn, but I'm going to wait for that nuke to launch.  It's probably not aimed at me.

[bvanevery]

Details poor Miriam got it

poor Miriam got it

MY 2367.  Yes an once of prevention is... not worth the glory of denying someone else's mushroom cloud.

Details the AI cheat rate

the AI cheat rate

Ok, hold on.  This would happen again in 7 turns?  *My* nukes don't churn out that fast, I don't think.  I thought they cost a flat 300 minerals.  Yep, that's what I'm paying on them.  I'm having trouble adding up squares that are so small, but it looks like he's paying roughly 200 minerals for his.  Well, maybe that's just the standard Transcend INDUSTRY goosing.  But I see why the planet is warming up, at this frequency.

Details true invasion

true invasion

My missiles are within range, but I have to be careful walking them up, lest I hit something inadvertently.  Missiles are a pain that way.  Would be better if they were ballistic and just dropped out of space onto what you wanted to hit.  Planetary animation optional.

Details base busting

base busting

Damn Spore Launcher took out my 1st missile.  I forgot how easy and seemingly unintentional it is to defend with those from air attacks.  Seems like a really cheap hack.  My 2nd missile did a better job of obliviating an AAA defender.  Huh, just noticed that missiles actually have training.  I have both a Green missile and some Hardened missiles, depending on whether I built them in an Aerospace Complex or not.  I fire the Green and it still does its job.  4th missile takes out the last AAA.  Drop Gatling flies up from the Nexus to finish off the Spore Launcher.

Details multi purpose

multi purpose

Look at that, a Drop Missile Interceptor can take over a base!  Handy. 

Details blessed silence!

blessed silence!

And here's a odder, juicier thing.  Landing right next to an enemy Former, *didn't* trigger dialogue with Cha Dawn.  I could land my entire air corps, destroy stuff, *then* negotiate his Truce.  If I was confident that he'd give it.  Which I'm not.  So I destroy the Former and then ring him up.  But this is really good to know, for times when I *don't* want to talk.

Details holding forces

holding forces

I drop in a ship with 2 old AAA units.  I will upgrade these to modern units.  The point of seizing the Nano Factory is to make my upgrades cheaper.  120 credits later, I have 2 AAA ECM Probability garrisons.  I do this with a few other old unit types.

Details I will rub your round head vigorously

I will rub your round head vigorously

Cha Dawn is good with the Truce.  I am glad.  I'm feeling rather lazy about military action.  Guess my 2 new Drop Chaos Gravships will stay put.  Will fly in some Interceptors and call it a day.  He won't sign a Treaty.  There's no point in talking about other factions and peace, as Cha Dawn has nuked everyone but me, I think.

Details elevating my status

elevating my status

I rush the Space Elevator, blocking Cha Dawn.  I still have 915 credits left.

Details terrifying probes

terrifying probes

I also have enough to rush the Nethack Terminus.  With all this probe power coming to me, what if I just buy the Caretakers instead of exterminating them?  That's a lot cheaper than buying the whole planet.  I don't need to buy everyone else, they'll unite under my banner eventually.

I'd be ok with overruning their capitol, for the sake of the rest of their population.  Actually they don't have a captiol.  Decision: Manifold got overrun multiple times.  Every base is vulnerable to buyout.

Now the problem is, I bet a buyout still depopulates the base, and results in little Caretaker sea colony pods fleeing everywhere.  Which will make new bases, requiring me to buy them all over again.  Unless they get killed, which ethically is not any better than committing xenicide to begin with.

I could "herd" all these colonists, if I had enough ships to block them from going anywhere when they sprout.  It would take a lot of ships!  I believe I can even stop air attacks on them, if they're completely cut off from moving anywhere.  I could herd them into their own sea bases, which I could then buy out, converting the colonists into *my* colonists.  Maybe that's technically still xenicide.  But, it *is* cool, and it doesn't result in loss of life!  And finally, I've never done any such thing before.

Hmm.  If we're in a Truce and they're in my territorial waters, they can't settle a new sea base.  However their old sea bases will exert a larger than 1 square distance.  They can settle anywhere within that perimeter, and the AI often *does* just march bases through the water, in a completely silly way.  So I can't ever actually herd the colonists into a sea base and take them all over.  I might be able to take over subsequent bases and snare a few colonists within the sea base's radius, if they're packed rather tightly.

I could also just mind control the colonists.  Probably at great expense.

This really isn't letting them keep their cultural diversity though.  Destruction of a culture is still genocide according to U.N. definitions.

It's 1 AM.  I think I'll sleep on their fate.

[bvanevery]

I'm all caught up!  I can't believe the number of mouseclicks I've made to do these posts though, particularly for the inlined images.  I'd really like an image interface that gets the job done faster.

Details automated militancy

automated militancy

MY 2368.  Ain't making loads of money great?  1450 credits/turn and I haven't even learned how to make Orbital Power Transmitters yet.  I've thought about the Caretakers, and Economic Victory is the only civilized way to keep them on Planet.  Diplomatic Victory is just too brutal when Aliens are involved, it's not basically pacifist.  I may not be pacifist but I do believe in pacification.  I make war to stop other factions bothering me.  And I'd like them to stop throwing nukes around, as they're ruining Planet.  I may have to do covert ops on bases producing nukes.  But I'm not ready to start bothering everyone with that, because my military position is not impregnable.  It's really only all the factions' willingness to make war with each other, that's keeping them off of me.  I'm the one and only faction they're not fixated about.

[bvanevery]

Details turning the thumbscrews

turning the thumbscrews

MY 2369.  Other factions are really in trouble now!  Soon to witness my super-growth.

Details up the Build tree

up the Build tree

I switch my research focus to Build, to try to reach B9 Global Energy Theory.  That makes Economic Victory possible in my mod.  The reason it's so late in the game, is because the Morganite AI was trying to corner the energy market with trivial amounts of money much earlier in the game.  1000 credits to buy Planet, don't think so!  Can't remember if that's still a problem now, and not that motivated to look through my design notes to muck with it.  It's probably going to be absurdly expensive anyways, not something one could accomplish without Orbital Power Transmitters.

Details license to print people

license to print people

The Cloning Vats are expensive.  I switch my Pholus Mutagen city to this and begin it again somewhere else.  They're not that much more expensive than other SPs I've recently paid for though.  Maybe they should be?  I'm not sure it's possible to make anything have a sting this late in the game though.  The truth is I have more money than God.  And I haven't even started on Godlike money yet.

Details living by the gun

living by the gun

I cannot rush a SP this year, so I think about using my money to improve my safety.  Unfortunately I designed the old Silksteel units with a Laser, because that didn't cost me extra.  The same is not true of subsequent unit designs.  This version with a Laser costs 120, and with only hand weapons it would cost 90.  The real world value is exactly the same, as I'm never going to attack anyone with these things, and half of them are sitting in the water unable to do anything anyways.  Yet, for defense, this is what I'd have to upgrade to right now.  I could wait until Quantum Power to do the upgrades and then I wouldn't have this problem, but that will be awhile, and the point is to increase my security now.  So what will it run me?

Details more than I am worth

more than I am worth

That's on par with the cost of the Pholus Mutagen.  It ain't happening, at least not yet.  I will try a cheaper unit.

Details halfway to better

halfway to better

This is almost half the price.

Details make do

make do

I sign the paperwork.  My sea bases, especially, are a bit safer than they were.

[bvanevery]

Details close for comfort

close for comfort

MY 2371.  Actually that nuke did not go off.  Various factions have been building Orbital Defense Pods and I presume it was shot down.  Maybe I won't have to be the world's covert ops do-gooder after all.

Details here it goes

here it goes

Will I switch to Thought Control?  It would be great for probe stuff, but I don't really have anything I need to do that way.

[bvanevery]

Details got nukes

got nukes

MY 2372.  Just in case I totally change my mind about how to end this game.  I forward position it at Dumb Pirate.

[bvanevery]

Details do pirates nuke better

do pirates nuke better

MY 2373.  Well this one certainly went off.  The Pirates and Spartans are developing good Orbital Defense Pod screens, but the Cultists aren't keeping up.

Details nuke Invictus please

nuke Invictus please

It put a big hole in the Monsoon Jungle.  In terms of natural landmarks that's rather insensitive, but it actually improves my base squares!  Now I'm competing with one less city for resources.

Details so sensitive

so sensitive

I am an eco-kitten.

[bvanevery]

Details the game cheating problem

the game cheating problem

MY 2174.  Unfortunately I think the game is ignoring my research focus and beelining me to the Dream Twister.  Scient discovered that this is hardcoded.  It depends on some research focus choices, although I'm not sure if it works the same way as with the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm.  I thought that by moving the Dream Twister very far up the tech tree, I'd stop the problem of it interfering with research.  However this is not the case, as the game can actually go on this long if you're not doing outright conquest.  This is actually blocking me from getting on with Economic Victory, although at least the disruption will soon be over.  I predict that my next tech will be C10 Sentient Resonance, where I put the Dream Twister.  I'm not sure where else I'd put it, as there aren't that many mindworm oriented techs this late in the game.  Well, back to the drawing board.  I'll go back to Scient's information and see if I can understand exactly what research choices make this happen.

[Geo]

Details nosey

nosey

I'd dearly love to blast those planes that attacked me to smithereens.  This is the cheapest Drop Interceptor I can come up with, that has a good gun on it.  I can't upgrade my Missile Interceptors all at once as I don't have enough money for that.  I do have a few other old planes sitting around.  Let's see if Air Superiority restricts my upgrade choices or not.  Oops, it does.  Also I can't upgrade old Missile units to a Gatling design, even if I had the money.  This is a good unit idea, but it'll have to wait.

Details causing trouble

causing trouble

I may not be able to shoot down the planes that offended me, but I can cause an equal amount of havoc somewhere else.  100 credits later, I've got 2 planes ready to go!  I make a similar Drop Missile Needlejet design, to upgrade a plane that Miriam gave me.  60 credits later, I have another instrument of terror.

IIRC, a dropped unit can attack with 50% less offensive power in the same turn, right? Can those drop needlejets do the same if they're dropped?

[bvanevery]

I know it's a penalty, and you're probably right that it's 50%.  Yep drop air units can drop, move, and fire in the same turn.  It would actually be quite an exploit, if it weren't for that 50% penalty.

Details glub glub

glub glub

MY 2376.  Well it's remarkable that it actually took this long to happen.  At least the flooding is mild.  Does make me wonder if I should wipe out the Cultist polluters as an irrational, undesirable element.  They don't have the benefit of being cute or cuddly in a gross way.  They're just evil.

Details I judged too harshly

I judged too harshly

The game isn't beelining me to the Dream Twister after all.  Don't understand why I was getting all Conquery there for awhile.  I haven't researched that since the stone ages.

Details wimp

wimp

Santiago and Svensgaard signed a Treaty this year.  I thought they had nuked each other, but perhaps not.  This may have emboldened Santiago.  While moving my units around, she decided to bother me.  After we got through the preliminaries of the usual things a faction tries to shake me down for, she declared war.  Well, there's been that isolated city in the middle of my other cities for quite some time.  Should be trivial to mind control.

Details death from wherever

death from wherever

I have 2 fission speeder probe teams from the stone ages.  I use the unit type upgrade trick, modernizing them before they've even moved.  They have to be on a speeder chassis, so I make a good a version of that as I can.  With the Nethack Terminus any fusion probe team is algorithmically enhanced, and that's the real point of this exercise.  I'm supposed to be a PROBE faction, so let's see what they can do.

Details pretty easy

pretty easy

It's only a size 5 base, quite far from Sparta Command.  Sadly I lose my fancy probe team in the exercise.  This makes me think Algorithmic Enhancement and the Nethack Terminus are a load of hooey.

I wish I could have gotten a screenshot of the seriously baffling BS "commemoration" interlude I just read, but the minute I hit a key to start my usual screenshotting process, it disappeared.  Why was I talking about "Caretaker" and "exploit the Nexus" or whatever?  I think the game accidentally read the wrong .txt file, as these are the first few entries of the Caretaker faction file.  Possibly it gets scrambled when a base changes hands a few times.  I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be the conclusion of the "first mindworm commander dying" story.  Maybe it got scrambled because the Data Angels are out of the game and this is Data DeCentral, so the next faction was used instead.

Details they renamed my base

they renamed my base

What cads!  Don't you think I lost that officer rather a long time ago??  Wouldn't you think I'd rather celebrate the final conquest of an annoying faction?

Details Cyborgs can do better

Cyborgs can do better

Roze was always too messy.  And we'll forget that this was the basis of peace with the Spartans for so so long.  A Treaty this whole time.  Most remarkable!  Well Santiago still wants to fight.  Where's next?

Details this is weak

this is weak

I've got all kinds of troops over there that can overrun this 1 unit.  It would clean Santiago out of these waters, and I can eat that fungus just fine.

Details tough nutjob

tough nutjob

I thought 2 Missile Marines would be enough to take this guy out, but I was wrong.  Instead I have to kill it with the Isle they rode in on.  Pity I can't drop air units into the sea, they don't get any kind of special deference.  I sail in a wimp ship, the original Plasma Gunboat.  And still Santiago wants to keep fighting.

Details for real

for real

I still have Marines in the area.  Moonshadow is vulnerable.  I just have a hard time believing that this Transport can withstand a Chaos Gun.  I don't really want to lose it finding out the odds calculator is non-buggy though.  Instead I shell it, which only does 5% damage.  Maybe they're for real, and these boats are actually tough. 

Details beg to differ

beg to differ

I bring up an Isle instead.  Pretty sure this odds display is wrong, as reactor size doesn't matter in Psi combat.  It might be an even fight with me having a slight advantage though.  I'm remembering I had trouble earlier against the Pirates, and that these aren't super duper indigenous life forms.  Nevertheless I'm going for it, as I have to break this ship somehow.  I'm too cheap to spend for upgrades or fly in stuff, yet.

Details told you so

told you so

As I suspected would actually happen, I took wounds but readily defeated the mere Transport.  The odds calculator definitely exaggerates when it comes to Psi combat, it's basically wrong all the time.

Details the contingent

the contingent

Oh shoot.  I screwed up.  I needed that Isle to move the Marines for the assault on Moonshadow.  I was worrying about ship and base transfers, and though having that Isle out of the way as my Transport came up, would be an advantage.  I miscalculated.  I'm in position to attack next year, but by then it probably won't matter.  I bring up a ship to cover my wounded Isle and shell the Sensor Array, forgetting that there's a battery in the city to keep me from doing that.  Oops.  I'm out of sealift now.  Need the rest of my boats and Isles for base defense. 

Details cheaper defense ship

cheaper defense ship

In my mod the jump in expense from Missile Launchers to Chaos Guns is quite large.  It's commensurate with the cheapening of units from Fission to Fusion reactors.  The idea is that if you realistically want to use Chaos weapons, you need Fusion reactors.  My older boats can stand to be tougher on defense, so I upgrade them all to this.

Well it's about 4 AM.  I'm too tired to continue this unexpected war.  I'll resume tomorrow.  Probably I need to hit this base with my drop air units.  It doesn't actually have any AAA defenders.  Unfortunately my drop air units will be attacking at reduced strength after a drop, so perhaps I need to upgrade their weapons.  I did learn Tachyon weapons recently, and for some inexplicable reason, they're already prototyped.  This has been true in my mod for a long time, and I don't know what the problem is.

Details that was easy

that was easy

Except one more thing.  Must vote for Launch Solar Shade before I forget.

[bvanevery]

Details super spendy

super spendy

By design, Soporific Gas Pods are extremely expensive in my mod.  But if you're rich, and fighting the highly trained Spartans, they could have their uses.  Just how much would it break the bank to have some of these on hand?  Is it cheaper to upgrade existing units than build these things outright?  Let's find out.

Details I'll take 1

I'll take 1

It's like buying a Hab Dome.  Certainly within my wealth, but I'm also trying to save to win the game.  I don't think I'd want a lot of these things.  Let's see if it works as a drop shock troop against a non-AAA unit.

Details you've gotta be kidding me

you've gotta be kidding me

I don't feel like losing this gold plated unit for this rubbish.  Guess I'm taking out the Sensor Array with a lesser plane.  Hmm, that defender really is only a Veteran though.  The odds calculator isn't showing the effect of the gas.  Still not taking any chances with this, especially since there's no value in upgrading Interceptors.  They can kill any air unit just fine with what they've got.

Details the odds and reality

the odds and reality

With the Sensor Array gone, the apparent odds are improved, but not particularly good.  This is without AAA, a Perimeter Defense, or an Aerospace Complex being involved.  I just don't believe it!  I attack, and I take 75% wounds.  They weren't kidding, although I think my victory was certain and they were failing to take the gas into account.  This is no Secret Wonder Weapon of the Luftwaffe.

Details jaded

jaded

I don't really want to spend a real plane on a wimp that's supposed to die readily.  I don't trust the odds calculator and think it's lying about my chances.  We're about to find out if Air Superiority attacking a ground unit is a big problem or not.  Yes, it's a bit of a problem.  I took 90% wounds.

Details loser

loser

I drop a Drop Missile Interceptor on the base.  Then I ring up Santiago.  She's finally ready to call it quits.  For sake of form I propose a Treaty, but she doesn't bite.  I was surprised she went for that all those eons ago.  I'm going to get my Formers out of the way of her ships at sea, because I suspect a 'surprise' attack.

Details holding fast

holding fast

I bring in some garrison and support units, and a Chaos Gravship, just in case Santiago gets "ideas".  If she acts up again, there aren't going to be any more orbital drop penalties.

[bvanevery]

Details the Rapture

the Rapture

MY 2377.  Life is so unfair to the faithful.  Well I guess God came to get them.  If only they had been Extremist, they might have gotten along with Cha Dawn!  I wouldn't say these turned out to be nicer Christians though.  They're Police State Socialist Power Thought Control, which sounds about right.  I wonder if they ever use that +3 PROBE for anything important?  Sea bases maybe, but I don't remember anything changing hands.  They clearly didn't take over Santiago's base despite many years of war.  I had to do that.

[Geo]

Details I'll take 1

I'll take 1

It's like buying a Hab Dome.  Certainly within my wealth, but I'm also trying to save to win the game.  I don't think I'd want a lot of these things.  Let's see if it works as a drop shock troop against a non-AAA unit.

What's up with the Fungicidal part of the abilities? Is it a third hidden upgrade for all Consciousness units in your mod?

[bvanevery]

Fungicidal Tanks on every unit is a bug.  I don't know why it happens.  It has something to do with when E3 Ecological Engineering is learned, and when I've designed my own version of a Rover Former.  I suppose it is possible that the high bit twiddle fix for upgrades, affects the logic of this negatively.  Some games I just get this notice that everyone has been upgraded to Fungicidal Tanks.  Sometimes after that notice, everyone's got 'em, and other times not.  It could be that my modding has nothing especially to do with whether it happens, although I do think it's circumstantial in my tech tree somehow, in a way the original game is not.

I've seen a Fungicidal Tanks bug way back in the stone ages though, I think before I even started modding.  So I'm not convinced I should accept any blame.  I do think something about my mod, causes it to manifest more frequently though.

Details so unkind

so unkind

MY 2378.  I guess the good news is Cha Dawn's eco-damage is self-limiting.  Spend too much time making factories after you've ticked everyone off, your cities get vaporized.  Svensgaard and Santiago both have the more practical idea of building an Orbital Defense Pod screen.  They probably dwarf mine at this point, but we're not in an orbital war.  I believe firmly in punishing people on the ground, because the AI gets downright obsessive about winning ODP races.

Details forgive and forget

forgive and forget

I've wondered at how Svensgaard and Santiago managed their recent amicability.  Although AI factions are required to declare vendettas because of nukes, it must not last.  Maybe it's 20 turns until softening up?  I'm not sure.  But here we go again.  Well I certainly don't mind the other factions squabbling.  It will keep them busy while I win the game.

Details evil thoughts

evil thoughts

I could commit a total genocide during these sunspots and nobody would ever know I did it.  However, that wouldn't help me win the game.  In fact it would make everything take longer, pushing so many units around.  Might be nice to have Cha Dawn gone though.

Details showtime

showtime

Fortunately for him, I've got bigger fish to fry.  I push the dark thoughts from my mind.  Who knew that moneygrubbing would be so peaceful?  There's no other way to maintain species diversity.

When I select Corner The Energy Market, the results are not easy to take a screenshot of.  I need roughly 160k credits to win.  And then I'll have to wait 20 turns.  Ho hum!

Details super planner

super planner

The people regard me as so fair and just, that they will let me make any budgetary decision for their wellbeing.  I jack up the ECONOMY.  I don't need to know anything new anymore.  My few bases that are "done" and merely making Clean Cruiser Formers, I switch to Orbital Power Transmitters.  These generally take 2 turns to build because I have the Space Elevator.  I only get bonuses up to the size of a base, and my biggest bases have population 22.  I've never bothered to build many Sky Hydroponics Labs, been too busy.  It doesn't matter as even my Hab Domes aren't done everywhere yet.

Details bor ring!

bor ring!

I finally remember to finish the Living Refinery.  It's totally unimportant at this point in the game, with all the minerals about.  The problem with making it earlier is the lore.  The video for it shows off-world asteroid mining.  I don't really want to butcher the lore, just to have it somewhere more game mechanically appropriate, like midgame.

[bvanevery]

Details pirate love song

pirate love song

MY 2381.  Cha Dawn really should work on a nuke screen.