The Clean Death of Us All - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.52

[bvanevery]

Details irritant

irritant

MY 2198.  The fleet is getting built because the Caretakers seem to be trying to shell my coast.  Gotta put 'em in their place, then starve 'em out.

[bvanevery]

Details can't say a thing

can't say a thing

The downside of sunspots is you can't trade techs with your allies.  However they're all busy building various Secret Projects and are not trading right now anyways.

The upside of sunspots is if you want to commit otherwise illegal atrocities, no one will find out!  But it's still distasteful to Lal, and irrelevant to fighting Aliens anyways.  You can commit as many atrocities against them as you want.  Or if you are them, to anyone else.  Only humans have to worry about the pesky U.N. Charter.  I'm in a good position to repeal it, but I'm still determined to partly roleplay this, so a monologue about repeal is not yet forthcoming.

Heck, I don't even have lasers yet.  Nobody does!  This is an oddly pacifistic game.  Nobody has research foci that reward much in the way of conquest techs, with the possible exception of the Usurpers.  I have half a mind to get a Foil Probe Team up their way to see if they're the military "superpower" of all these rockfights.  But presently I'm more interested in blockading the Caretakers.

Details forgotten designs

forgotten designs

This reminds me that I acquired Neural Grafiting some time ago.  In recent versions of my mod, I moved it quite early.  I also forgot that I decided mindworms were overpowered, and made Hypnotic Trance free in order to partly nerf them.  This is actually no different than the original game, and for all I know, was done for exactly the same reason.  So, I should be putting it on my blockade ships.

I also keep forgetting that I went Green and could capture some indigenous life forms.  Boy, the WTP mod has really warped my brain!

[Buster's Uncle]

FWIW, I'm reading this and enjoying.

Good work.    Hope the minion can get you some sharks with freakin' lasers soon.

[bvanevery]

Hey, an audience of even 1, can make it all worthwhile!   

Details insta secret

insta secret

MY 2213.  I researched this a few turns ago, then forgot about it.  I have a load of cash from exploring, and plenty of Artifacts again, so I mostly spent cash to rush this.  It won't help me at all, but it will block others from completing SPs and acquiring techs.  Lal prefers democratic hegemony.   

WTP plays very differently than my mod, regarding Secret Projects.  In my mod, you just save up your cash and blow it, maybe with a few Artifacts to goose it along quickly.  In WTP, you must do it in one city for most of the game, and the SPs are super expensive.  I made mine cost "more"; WTP costs like, you would not believe how much!  Well you would if you played it, but... I'm not used to being able to build SPs.

I got to the point where I had played my own mod so much, that I was bored.  It seemed better to put my gaming energy into playtesting WTP for awhile.  Then I thought, gee, I really should kick my 1.52 release out the door.  So this becomes the vehicle by which it is done.

[bvanevery]

Lal clears his throat, AHEM.

Details nearing the target

nearing the target

In our long campaign to suppress the Alien aggression, we have suffered few defeats and many victories.  Yet for lack of a simple laser, that we were pretty sure was "less than theoretical" upon leaving Earth, we have been utterly unable to penetrate their defenses.  In the field, they can do nothing to us, and we burn their strange foodstuffs at will.  Yet they stack their bases with the same cleanliness of reaction, as we ourselves favor.

It is a stalemate.  About to be resolved, by the final cutting of supply to their forward city.  In human warfare it has been decreed a bit unconscionable for a few centuries, but medievalists and Romans would surely understand, the necessity of our action.  We simply lack another way.  We cannot induce surrender, in the absence of decisive force.

They have resisted with some vigor at sea, foolishly firing shots that cannot penetrate our armor.  We mostly decline to return the favor, except to the extent they encroach upon our home waters.  Which has not happened in many years now.  Our ships have steadfastly sailed to target.  When they arrive, there will be a great wailing among the Aliens, I predict.  I have not often liked to use food shortage as a weapon, as it has been the province of many rogue warlords, back on Earth.  I had an entire department for food security.  Here, it means something else.

[bvanevery]

Details partial arrival

partial arrival

MY 2217.  It has begun.  They have been busy, building sea based mining platforms to offset their lack of food and minerals on land.  We would prefer that their trawler leave without weakening our defenses, so we shell it.  However if they do not move, we may have to bring up our one tame spore launcher to induce it.  Or wait for more ships to arrive.  Always so much waiting.

Details the devastating effect

the devastating effect

But we do have their attention now.  It is a pity the sunspots continue, that we cannot hear a surrender.  Even if we could, I think it likely they will blame themselves for their misfortune, and not credit us.  They will remain defiant, which poses a difficulty for peace.

[bvanevery]

Details the truth of it

the truth of it

MY 2218.  And now my conscience is tested.  I preferred the simpler calculation, of having no "choice".

Details is he mad

is he mad

My dear allies are exemplary civilians, not a thought of armament among them.  But Morgan, although carping at our planetary friendliness, has made us an astounding offer.  Not only does he propose to breed mindworms in captivity, he has shown us a blueprint of the entire human genome sequence, to control it.  It is a gift!  Why does he not think to keep this knowledge for himself?  I ask no questions; I sign the dotted line immediately.  Perhaps he is too busy building his "Planetary Energy Grid" to care for other contrivances.

Details reinforcing the supply

reinforcing the supply

In our war room, I examined the disposition of new ships, guarding their mining platforms.  I meant to speak with more allies before conversing with Aliens, but my finger slipped upon a comm switch.  Old horse-mouth graces my screen.  Has her attitude improved?  No, she still demands money.  Well, my conscience is clearer now.  Back to work.

Details the bellicose

the bellicose

Marr... Marr... I only needed to move a few wounded life forms on a corner of your land.  I had no hostile intention.  If you had but asked, I would have gladly spirited them home.  Instead, you make preposterous demands.  Do you not realize that even now, a team of probes comes to spy on you?  I would have merely infiltrated, but now, I will just take.  If you have anything to take.  Where are your lasers, Marr?  And no, I didn't like Cha Dawn that much either, you are a fool.

[bvanevery]

Details productive magnate

productive magnate

MY 2219.  This may be why Morgan was so free with his Human Genome.  He may think he's about to complete it!

Details shotgun

shotgun

With several redundant copies of his Grid underway, he may have enough piled up, to have masked his true intent.  I could look into his cities to find out.  But it is of no use, as I can either build this now, or I cannot.  My accountants say, not.  We are perhaps 68 credits short of a rush job.

This is a valuable happiness, that will assist our United Nations citizens for generations.  It is worth a few bribes to a plumbers union to get this done!

Details scrapping intelligence

scrapping intelligence

We can do without the 4th probe.  I'm sure that Marr is not worth it anyways.  We must build the Project here, as it's where we happened to mothball our last Artifact.  We had wisely sent our other Artifacts to join it, just down the road.  They will arrive by nightfall.

Details excess exuberence

excess exuberence

We surely don't need so many sea formers.   We aren't even utilizing the many tidal harnesses we've already built.  We have land formers running around the Monsoon Jungle planting trees, for when we eventually settle there.  It's all quite absurd!  But cleanliness is next to godliness and formers run out of things to form eventually.

Details the drop sheet

the drop sheet

My accountant says 4 Artifacts produce 200 minerals worth of supplies.  We have the credit reserves to buy the rest!  But a little voice inside my head, says to wait until the end of the fiscal year, to make the purchases.  You never know how your budget may change.

Details stay put

stay put

The Caretakers foolishly abandoned their sensible sea position, hastening their death.

Details profitless scrap

profitless scrap

We found the broken engine of the USS Unity.  But someone, presumably the Caretakers, had already salvaged it.  I'm sure we shot their fat, grubby mindworm near this peninsula years ago.  This is a marker of old, sad things.  Very personal failures.

Details ritual of progress

ritual of progress

We made no additional money this year.  It is time to buy!  I don't know what incantations our techs perform to get these exotic lightbulbs to work, but they sure do work.

Details so close

so close

We have 1 Artifact left.  I really hate the idea of using a valuable Artifact, when a pair of scouting boots might do.  Accountant, what's the going rate on a used pressure suit?  Is it enough?  ...You don't know?  Well, send them to the site anyways.  Have them strip.

Details whiners

whiners

They complained that they thought guarding the Monolith from hostile life forms was a permanent job.  In perpetuity, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier back on Earth.  I pointed out, they were well known.  Beers in the mess hall every Sunday, and we'd buy them new boots.  Later.  I finally settled the squawking with the offer of a small honorary plaque.

Details can you believe

can you believe

One lousy scout, the key to our greatness!  I did promise them a plaque.

Details honorarium

honorarium

It is a little known fact of our early expedition, that the skin cells of Corporal Lance Jensen and company, were instrumental in the sequencing of the human genome.  Their boots had suffered long term exposure to the ancient monolith near the city. 

    - Commissioner Pravin Lal
      Mission Year 2219

Hogwash all of it, but it will delight schoolchildren forever.

[bvanevery]

Details broken siege

broken siege

MY 2220.  One of our land squatters was summarily eaten by a Caretaker controlled mindworm.  We've known for awhile that they can capture them.  Fortunately breeding in captivity, that is our new ability.  Our synthmetal sentinels were minted in an earlier era when we did not understand the mental effect of the mindworm.  We begin training of units that can calmly withstand these horrific attacks.

Details decamped

decamped

Meanwhile, I see no choice but to remove our limited troops to safety.  They are no match for these horrific attacks.  And it's not like putting them on guard duty somewhere else, costs us anything.  We will have proper troops on the front line shortly.

[bvanevery]

Details jacked

jacked

MY 2221.  And now we do not command the oceans.  I'm surprised our sailors were so easily brainwashed.  Do we not pay them well enough?  Maybe we need new ships as well.  With a political morale officer on board each one.

Details strength in numbers

strength in numbers

In the interim, we double our forces to prevent further hijackings.  I'm not sure if it'll make us easier targets for conventional attacks.

Details they have the laser

they have the laser

And now at least we have something to steal.

Details unreliable

unreliable

We're not extremists, we're pragmatists, you greedless goat!  Possessing the only viable weapon on this Planet, that you designed, do you not think we would seek to maximize it?  We're in a war, and you're sitting back nicely profiteering!  Well good riddance to you.  Don't come begging for help when your conquering neighbor comes knocking down your door.  We've got Caretaker mindworms to clean up.

[bvanevery]

Details vigilant

vigilant

MY 2222.  We deliberately scattered to avoid this subterfuge, and were tagged anyways.  Did we get confused about which Alien is subverting us?

Details overvalued

overvalued

Our probe team is blocked from quick theft by a slowly moving trawler.  We consider buying our way through the obstacle, but the price is impossibly steep.  How do they achieve such high-mindedness, when seemingly our own sailors drop anchor for pennies?

Details echoes of the chairman

echoes of the chairman

Because they are a police state.  I must not let my blood boil this morning.

Details naval threat

naval threat

We attempt to select a new target, and unfortunately sail past a ship meant to kill us.  Well at least we won't die in ambush.

Details cornered

cornered

Meanwhile, our tame spore launcher is ineffective against their giant, well-fed mindworm.  We see no choice but to attack this boil, as retreat will simply let it attack first.  We scatter it to bits, but we are weakened.  Hopefully our enemy is weak enough not to press again, but we will be retreating.

Details changing of the guard

changing of the guard

The first of the Trance troops arrive at the front.  I hope we can reestablish our siege.  We're using dirty reactors because we expect some casualties.  Those were awfully big mindworms!

[bvanevery]

Details bad coin

bad coin

A Caretaker probe team, threatens our new front line troops.  It prevents them from spreading out and starving the enemy.  Soon though, we will have mindworms, which cannot be bribed.

Details a late transaction

a late transaction

Morgan, that savvy profiteer, allows me to simply buy a laser.

Details aftermarket options

aftermarket options

They can come with nerve gas tanks as special enhancement.  He thinks of everything.  I am... not yet ready to see our foes as irreconcilable.  But I surely must have these Caretakers beaten.

Details reveal thy kingdom

reveal thy kingdom

This frees our team to do some very basic spying.  It took a long time to get here.  We took the long way round, to avoid those pesky laser ships, which we suppose were headed for Caretaker territory.  Infiltration was a wise move, as they had no other tech.

[bvanevery]

Details weapons

weapons

MY 2228.  How long has it been since we researched something of military importance?  It's 1/3 of our appropriations budget, and yet, we do nearly nothing in this area.  I can't in good conscience pull our people away from exploration and basic research though.  It just feels... wrong.  We generally leave the money grubbing stuff to the Morganites and buy those few products as we have need.

Our brilliant scientists have found a way to shoot little guns off our little ships, by pointing them at land.  And I have to wonder what took them so long.  On the other hand, linking all our barracks together in one massive network, might help us when we someday expand.

When will that be?  Our people are awfully comfortable in this little 3 spoke corner of the world.  We don't even pay anything to make them happy.  They are playing video games in the virtual world, turning their skin blue with white stripes because they can...

Details field test

field test

Our first mindworm food is a Caretaker probe team that's getting too close for our comfort.  It dies readily, which was the plan.  Their front line should evaporate similarly.  I believe the Aliens landed on this planet with knowledge of the Trance, but they've done quite a poor job incorporating the practice into their troops.

[Note: real observable defect of the mod.  Not sure what the holdup is; should probably do something about it.]

[bvanevery]

Details uh oh

uh oh

MY 2232.  The Caretakers finally figured out lasers.  There goes our naval blockade.

Details rapidity

rapidity

With an Artifact, we goose the Command Nexus along.  We need another pair of boots to finish it off.  And I'm not renaming UN Headquarters, no way.

Details the pension is good

the pension is good

This time we just order someone to do their duty and quit hustling.  You won't have to face mindworms anymore anyways.

Details orderly retreat

orderly retreat

This isn't going to be resolved by siege.  I don't think we need to test whether that new laser infantry can fry us on open ground.  I'm starting to wonder whether we've let them build up too much.  We used to be certain of our industrial advantage, but they have a lot of bodies in the field.  I don't think we need to worry about another probe team incursion just yet, as we're monitoring their production of such units.

[bvanevery]

Details tragedy!

tragedy!

MY 2233.  I've lost control of the elections??!?  Clearly I've fiddled with these Caretakers too long.  We should have expanded into the jungle.  We still can, but... this is madness!  Cha Dawn, I am so insulted, but I will take your money.  Better you than Morgan.