Part 10: Between a Rock and a Gang of Wannabes
Between a Rock and a Gang of WannabesBattle at Hera
We lose the outpost, but escape and eliminate one frigate. One of their destroyers was damaged. So it seems hit-and-run tactics could work on them for now, the question being whether we could do it well enough to annoy them into leaving us alone and picking on someone else.
Two poor planets here, the Klackons have grabbed the bigger one of the two. Contact is broken anyway as we lose the outpost. Meanwhile our Fighter Garrison is finished.
Here, Sol II has finished the Automated Factory and Marine Barracks. It's ready to start pumping out the population - problem is we aren't going to have many places to send them so it won't help that much. Still, better than a citizen every six years with this focused on housing. Good proof-of-concept for the future anyway.
Elsewhere I mostly stockpiled industry and waited for the research to finish.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that picture look like we are enriching the soil ... with a scorpion? Regardless, I want to build these ASAP everywhere I can.
When done, those will free up more labor for production. So Pollution Processor followed by Robo-Miners would seem to be indicated. Advanced Chemistry it is. Then I think I need to go back for some of the cheaper categories to round out our capabilities.
Callisto IV got the Soil Enrichment done right away. Sol I and Callisto III needed a few more turns, but I was able to take a couple of citizens out of farming now that we had more food coming in from elsewhere, so that sped up the process.
This was the big one, two years later. Now Callisto III can support it's own population, with 2 food per farmer (Arid + Enrichment). That means a lot less shipping food around, just minimal amounts to our two incubator planets. Add in Administrator Felina's 30% boost, and we're looking quite good now on the feeding-our-folks front.
I'm now going for Starbases on the big planets to expand our military, and Research Labs on the small ones since our need for more population is minimal.
** SD 3516.7 - Sol I finishes up the enrichment push, and starts work on another colony ship. I want to get to Iras, the only remaining 'safe' system, and then ponder betraying the Meklar as Torrannor suggested. It seems the least hazardous course of action.
We're too late. The Meklar have taken it ahead of us.
Boosting our industry, and also giving us MIRV capability.
Robo-Miners it is next. I see little option here now but to mobilize for war with the Meklar. Things aren't going to get any better for us.
They cybernetics have some key defensive techs; Heavy Armor, Reinforced Hull, and Tritanium Armor. They have the next-level research capability with Planetary Supercomputer. Their weapons are the same except that they have Mass Drivers. We really don't have any advantages except in production - they don't have the Pollution Processor yet.
Yeah, you read that right. Our only saving grace might be production, against the Meklar. That's an awful thin thing to hang your hat on. I'd like to get our interceptors out there, but the only way I think we might have a chance is to go with maximum cheese:
The Cheeseball here has a half-dozen MIRV 2-shot missile launchers. As recommended, overwhelm enemy PD with hit-and-run tactics. This is as cowardly as all get out. It's destroyer-sized because that was more cost-effective than going frigate or cruiser, and seems the best size right now for building them in a reasonable time-frame.
I'll fill our fleet up with these and transports for taking over enemy systems ... and then we'll do this thing. Of course that's after getting pollution processors and starbases in place, so it'll take a bit to prepare.
SD 3517.8 - The Klackons and Meklar are at war. That could help us, but on the other hand we need to do this thing before the bugs take it all. Of course, the whole idea in the first place is a desperate venture, backstabbing our only friend who is providing our economy with much-needed boosts. But they are erratic, and it's not like there's a choice here. It's better than waiting for someone to come wipe us out. At least this way we are attempting to do something about it.
SD 3518.1 - Alkari and Silicoids are at war too. Apparently everbody else is now deciding that this is indeed the proper time to go set off a galactic conflagration.
Cute. This one I hadn't seen before. The magnanimous K'kalak once again refuses all attempts at negotiation.
Welp, that didn't last long.
Gives us something new to work on just as the invasion force is almost ready.
It's time to talk tachyons.
** Battle Scanner boosts beam attacks to +50%, and adds 2 parsecs to scanning range.
** Tachyon Communications allows any ship within 3 parsecs of a starbase to receive orders, and boosts the command points provided by 1 per base.
** Tachyon Scanners increases the detection range of enemy ships, further for larger ones, and reduces enemy missile evasion by 20%.
I'm going with the Communications option - I think I need every last command point I'm going to be able to get. Meanwhile, the Robo-Miner Plant costs 2 maintenance, so I'm only building those on the three big worlds.
Hello Again Mr. Talking Robot Anchordude!
More bad news all the way around, although the Silicoids have been at 7 for a while.
Just as I'm about to launch my attack. Guh. It would appear the 'fake early wars' from MOO1 are back.
The glorious Meklar Invasion Fleet. Ok, not so glorious. Two transports and a trio of Cheeseballs. I'll be able to get another destroyer or two going soon once we get the tachyon comms in place. For now though, I'm going to strike. You can see that the Klackons took Weg from the cybernetics. All the more important for us to seize what we can before they get frisky again.
Oh heck yes. We'll have the cashola in a few turns.
Looks like somebody combined a radar dish array with a crow's cage.
Fusion now.
** Augmented Engines boost combat speed by 5, a significant percentage - the Cheetah had 12 total for comparison.
** Fusion Bomb - 4-24 damage against ground installations, upgrade over the starting Nuclear naturally.
** Fusion Drives - boosts galactic speed to Warp 3.
I'm going with the fusion drives for faster reaction speed to threats. I am not at all confident in this decision.
The caps make me giggle. I like that you can't just misclick and do this though. Our task force is one turn away from Iras, so it is time.
You know, RSW-242 is not wrong about the first part. I am a royal arseface for pulling this crap, and I legit feel sorry for the cybernetics. That doesn't usually happen. But in keeping with the Maximum Space Hitler theme of MOO in general, ethics will not stop me.
Also in keeping with the theme of being a royal arseface, I am cutting off this update here on a cliffhanger. But here's the latest on how much we suck:
We're on the comeback trail compared to everyone who isn't a bug. Don't look now, but we could have something here if ... and it's a positively massive IF ... we win this war. On the other hand, K'kalak can probably stomp whoever it wants at will now. And whoever it wants definitely includes us.