Part 50: A Final (Stiff) Challenge

A Final (Stiff) Challenge

So now, the last of my intended four forays into MOO2. Despite having lost two of my three attempts - the last of which I probably should have won - on Hard, I move up to Impossible with Stock Klackons. Am I a glutton for punishment? It is most assuredly so. But also, I will not walk away from this game saying I didn't have the guts to try it on the most stringent difficulty setting. Also, there were multiple people who wanted me to try an Uncreative race. I do this expecting to lose badly, but I'll give it a full try to avoid that fate.

Let's 'enjoy' my impending epic fail together! I'll do my best not to embarass myself too thoroughly, and I'm confident the lot of you will be faithful to point out my (likely numerous) errors. But I have learned a fair bit from the previous attempts ...




*shudder*




As bug-eyed freaks, we can at least farm and build stuff. I will be known as the Overmind, ruling because I can from the planet Char. We will of course be using a red theme. My first foray with the Unification government, which boosts food and industrial production but has no morale effects.




Trilarians again. Superb. They like us though (Amiable), and are a bit incoherent as Pacifistic Expansionsists.




Fighting them would be ... bad.




Our secondary planet is not too impressive. Being able to feed ourselves instantly with a quarter (less actually) of the population is darned good.




How nice of you. It's going to be vital to maintain peace wherever we can for as long as we can. The aquatics lie and say 'there is wisdom in your words', agreeing to both research and trade deals. That's tank the treasury for a while but every such agreement we can get will help in the long run. I'm also assuming, perhaps with risk, that being Pacifists they won't go all immediate DOW on us. The Overmind does not with his minions to invest time in a combat fleet just yet.




The scouts will move in these directions, with the yellow system by far my preferred destination. The Colony Ship will go that way as well. It would extend our range the most towards the galactic centre and is the most likely to have a good landing spot.




And here's the bad news. Before I make my selection, let's look at each field, since we're told what we'll be able to choose all the way through.




It'll be freaking forever until we manage to get the slightest boost to our production. Factory builds will be a huge goal in terms of arranging some technology swaps with the Trilarians or whomever else.




Better armor types in the long run, pollution aids coming a little sooner.




Ship battle computers aren't coming for a long time. On the other hand, it looks like we'll be able to bring in every key research building.




It's a long journey from the Fusion Beam to the Plasma Cannon ...




Came to the right place if you like Bombs and Torpedoes. Might be a time to experiment with the AM Torps?




Xeno-Psych will be nice. No Spaceport but we get the other two income-boosters.




A mix here. I'd rather Biospheres than hydroponics naturally, but we'll get some growth boosts and the WCS if we last long enough for it to matter.




NO ship-mounted shields or accelerator weapons. So Fusion Beams/Torpedoes it is. Inertial Stabilizer and Radiation Shield though will definitely be beneficial.

Going Optronics for the Research Lab seems mandatory to boost our tech efforts. I haven't yet decided what to do after that. A single worker for stockpiling production will prevent pollution; that leaves five scientists, and a ETA of 15 turns. We're losing 3 BCs per right now while the deals with Trilar spool up.




Two turns and they've already taken this. Fast isn't the word. An Alkari fleet is spotted below us. The wormhole in Galos leads to the other side of the galaxy.




It is a good system. It also is occupied. All five orbits are habitable. Sheesh. WE WANT.




Uhh ... what aggressive actions?? They are Erratic Expansionists, and at least agree to a reseach deal.




Good grief. Ok let's recap the situation:

** There are four reachable systems.
** Trilarians claimed one
** Alkaris claimed another
** The remaining pair have space monsters

Do I just like resign now, or what? We did manage to escape Bethmoora, which has natives and four planets. Three are radiated. The other one is Gaia Rich 20 max pop.