The Planet Rising - May2014 GotM scenario for the Pirates

[ete]

BU: added easy/hard download params.

[Kirov]

In the hard version, I got to 2194 with whopping 23 bases, but then Cha Dawn mopped the floor with me. I'll beat this scenario or die trying, but this is the hardest challenge I've ever had in AC. Anyone has any notes or comments on this version, hit me up via PM.

[Mart]

That makes some info, that anyone who in 2194 has less than 23 bases is potentially in big trouble. However it depends on base development and other things.

I was going to ask about your techs, but that would be a spoiler.

I'm in 2116 on hard version.

[Kirov]

I'm not sure if I recommend 23 bases - it appears to me that it's their placement which is crucial. And I developed them on Planned which killed my research almost entirely. I need to try another approach.

[Mart]

(click to show/hide)

2161
Locusts of Chiron are definitely the major problem. They destroyed all my formers in the field, also they seem to occasionally decide to ride a base of mine and clean it from all of the units in it.
I have some terrain improvements and have to just depend on it.
Making new bases seems to work fine.
For research, it seems the planet way is the way.
Having no SE beyond starting options. Just with no terrain improvements neither wealth nor planned works for me here.

[Yitzi]

I'm not sure if I recommend 23 bases - it appears to me that it's their placement which is crucial. And I developed them on Planned which killed my research almost entirely. I need to try another approach.

Yeah, I get the idea that research is going to be key.  The normal war techs aren't that important, but anything that boosts your psi combat, morale, or production probably is (most notably, in what's probably the best order (though I haven't really played it past one start-of-a-game that gave me some idea of what I was dealing with), secrets of the human brain, field modulation, industrial automation, doctrine:initiative, and ecological engineering.)

[Vishniac]

I just got Neural Grafting while Cha Dawn has already built the Living Refinery, Supercollider, Theory of Everything and about 10 others SPs... 

Only his erratic behavior saved me. He took 2 bases, I retook one. He has a crapload of units and a human player would have finished me without even blinking. But I resisted quitting and things seem better now. Could be or not.

I am on the Normal scenario. No way in Hell for me to touch the Hard one! 

[Yitzi]

He has a crapload of units

Starting units or built?  And are they mostly native or not?

[Kirov]

All right, I haven't finished the hard one yet and I can't even say the victory is mine, but it's definitely the closest I got. I think I can safely say now that this version is winnable. I built HSA and have air units with 12r attack and fusion reactor (in 2196). But this coincided with an extraordinarily brutal attack of Cha Dawn, right after he killed everybody else. He keeps unloading masses of demon boils and Locusts take their heavy toll. This scenario is hell and it's true you can't go with bad luck - one odd, surprising attack and you're dead. With the AI, you never know if and when it starts to actually tear down your bases instead of just harassing formers. Strong garrisons are a great deterrent, but you'll never be prepared enough for this number of locusts, isles and sealurks. However, I'm fairly convinced right now that this can be beaten. *sigh of relief*

I'll write more when I complete it. Now I can only say that I just don't see how you can win this scenario with close-to-standard strategies. Anyone else actually trying the hard one right now? I'd love to compare notes.

[Buster's Uncle]

You should make the same post at the other sites...

[Kirov]

He has a crapload of units

Starting units or built?  And are they mostly native or not?

Everything you said. I gave him quite a bunch of native units and he keeps producing them (one save at the hard one at ca 2200 shows 140 mind worms alone). He's also got some (6 at normal, 16 at hard) demon boil locusts, extremely deadly, fortunately also quite erratic in behaviour. After a while he seems to switch to regular units, but native life remains his core.

[Kirov]

You should make the same post at the other sites...

I still have yet to finish it. I secured all the necessary technologies, but the discrepancy in industry becomes so huge at some point that he may still flood me with units. But I'm not that worried and I think the worst is over - unless he goes for nukes, that is...

[Buster's Uncle]

No the post you'd just made.  Get in there and talk about your investigation into whether it's winnable at all.  It might draw feedback, and it's underlining the difficulty available for that demand I've noticed for hell scenarios.

[Vishniac]

He has a crapload of units

Starting units or built?  And are they mostly native or not?

Both as said Kirov.
Of course the locusts were especially deadly (and I still haven't be able to kill one since without Neural Grafting I couldn't make an Empath Interceptor) but now he has a dozen of 10-penetrators*2 in my captured base and of course they perform total interdiction (no crawler, no former!).
What saves me is it's Zakharov who built the HSA so I can hope to mindprobe the base with its units inside (but...more than 1000 credits!  )
In SPs, I only have the Virtual World. And won't have another one.
The fight goes on...

[Yitzi]

He has a crapload of units

Starting units or built?  And are they mostly native or not?

Both as said Kirov.
Of course the locusts were especially deadly (and I still haven't be able to kill one since without Neural Grafting I couldn't make an Empath Interceptor)

Locusts seem to be attackable with non-Air Superiority units, and it may be easier to weaken them with defense so that you can kill them with a non-empath unit.  (Or even kill them outright on defense, if they're sufficiently incautious.)  I suspect that the fact that a 3-res trance foil costs only 20 minerals will be a key part of a winning strategy.