The Planet Rising - May2014 GotM scenario for the Pirates

[Vishniac]

Congratulations!
I would have tried to beat it if it were the Normal version but I won't try the Hard one. No time these days.

[Dio]

I would like to thank everyone so far for the Congratulations.

On another note, I noticed that skimship probe teams cannot effect enemy non-native sea units when they are inside a base but can effect adjacent land units. Is this a bug? In particular, I got the the warning that stated only units with the 'Amphibious Pods' special ability can effect sea units from a land square.

[Kirov]

My congratulations, Dio, and thank you! Well, for a moment I thought I’d created a scenario only for myself to enjoy. I saw your save and it’s officialy accepted, good work!  Feel free to post more saves, describe your tactics or address the stuff I put into spoilers somewhere above. And let me say your time score is remarkable as well, and here I thought my time of 2110 was good. What I like the most is that apparently you managed to…

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…turn this scenario against itself by mind controlling a base with a few locusts inside. Brilliant! That’s a flexibility Santiago would be proud of and that's the kind of thinking to beat super imba scenarios. I don’t think your time can’t be beaten without tedious reloading and hoping for the best garrison to get probed, so I won’t even try. But let me know how you got to that point and I’m looking forward to your feedback.

As for naval probe teams - it's true you have to leave the base in order to probe adjacent sea units (otherwise you get the 'need amphibious' warning), but I've never heard (or tried) to probe land units with naval probes, are you sure it worked this way?

[Dio]

I tested it on another map and it currently works as I thought. Naval units in a base can attack adjacent lands with normal power and bonuses/penalities, and Naval Probe teams can subvert adjacent land units but will not move into that square. Other things I learned include the fact that drone riots at a base lower the morale of all units supported at that base by 1 (it shows as [Morale level {-}]).

[Buster's Uncle]

You can also capture NL on adjacent land w/ naval units from a seabase.

[Yitzi]

I would like to thank everyone so far for the Congratulations.

On another note, I noticed that skimship probe teams cannot effect enemy non-native sea units when they are inside a base but can effect adjacent land units. Is this a bug? In particular, I got the the warning that stated only units with the 'Amphibious Pods' special ability can effect sea units from a land square.

Seems like one.  I'll put it on my list.

When naval units in a base attack adjacent land, is it treated as bombardment or a normal land-to-land attack?

You can also capture NL on adjacent land w/ naval units from a seabase.

From a seabase?  That's very surprising; I can think of no reason that a seabase would be treated differently than any other sea square here.

[Buster's Uncle]

The circumstances for it to be possible don't turn up a lot, but yeah; I've captured adjacent NL that way in more than one game.

[Dio]

I would like to thank everyone so far for the Congratulations.

On another note, I noticed that skimship probe teams cannot effect enemy non-native sea units when they are inside a base but can effect adjacent land units. Is this a bug? In particular, I got the the warning that stated only units with the 'Amphibious Pods' special ability can effect sea units from a land square.

Seems like one.  I'll put it on my list.

When naval units in a base attack adjacent land, is it treated as bombardment or a normal land-to-land attack?

You can also capture NL on adjacent land w/ naval units from a seabase.

From a seabase?  That's very surprising; I can think of no reason that a seabase would be treated differently than any other sea square here.

More tests and a few minor revisions. Non-Psi Naval units in a coastal base can attack land units with bombardments. However, Naval Psi units (either Isles of the Deep or Cruisers/Foils with Psi Attack) can attack adjacent land units in regular psi combat. I will test to see if the naval psi units can capture land native life.

[Dio]

This is unusual. Naval Psi Units in a coastal land base attacking adjacent land units fight with the land Psi Combat Ratio (Base 3:2) instead of the Sea Psi Combat Ratio (Base 1:1). Also, the naval psi units can capture adjacent Alien controlled native land based lifeforms.

[Yitzi]

This is unusual. Naval Psi Units in a coastal land base attacking adjacent land units fight with the land Psi Combat Ratio (Base 3:2) instead of the Sea Psi Combat Ratio (Base 1:1).

That's not strange at all; the ratio is based on the defender's type.

Also, the naval psi units can capture adjacent Alien controlled native land based lifeforms.

Sounds like part of the same thing.

[Davyboy]

Hello everyone!
Many thanks for keeping the comp open past its original limit. I'll have a go with the highly humbling hard version..
No rev eng - check
Saves every - what? - 10 turns? - every turn when it gets antsy?
Straight through to the end and objective obliteration verboden.
See you in an hour after I've been taken to the woodshed.

(1st of July I look forward to clicking the spoiler links)

[Davyboy]

Yeah, punishing - and not much fun.
Got as far as 2143 before Port Sven bit the dust under the armada of LoCs.
I don't think I'm a big enough masochist to have many more attempts at this level.

[Kirov]

Hello, Davyboy! The hard version indeed does require certain mindset, to put it this way. Try first with the light or normal to get the hang of the map and Cha Dawn's behaviour. We still don't have any entry for the normal, mind you. And we can put off the deadline for some time more if you want to play but are too busy with RL.

[Davyboy]

Good advice - no question.

Losing PS in 2143was probably just carelessness
Pretty obvious CDawn was going to be Fundamentalist asap to stiff PTs
But - 30 bases vs 3? and a starting mil advantage above 40-1? Srsly?

I suppose sneaking around the back has possibilities, with an immense salt mine for luck. but economically I'm stuffed when he has every fungus square as a hybrid forest with ecoboom for good measure.

On the bright side I managed to stiff 5 (lol) of his Demon IoDs..
Of course I'll have another go. Sooner rather than later.
D

[Kirov]

What can I say, the version names seem to be too casual and not really in line with their dictionary definitions. The easy can still keep you on your toes, the normal gave headaches to several experienced players, the hard was specifically designed to be on the verge of unplayable, for jaded lovers of SMAC who just can't feel that flame in single player anymore. Playing crazy hard settings is my definition of fun, so there is that. But trust me, it is beatable.

Enemy's Fundamentalist doesn't do much to your PTs, if that's what you meant.