Part 17: The Grim Reaper Cometh

The Grim Reaper Cometh

This one is fairly video-heavy, but each one is unique and most of them are short.

The High Council

This is a thing that's back. I liked the old presentation better personally where the was someone at the 'podium' or whatever putting in their two cents when it was their turn to vote. Here, it can be hard to see who's speaking when it's one of the nominees. Not obvious enough. But otherwhise, this is a cool look graphically. Gameplay-wise it works the same as before from what I can tell.




Note that K'kalak couldn't care less that we voted for them. It seems to be a lot harder to manipulate the diplomatic system, which is weird because I've been able to do it in previous games easier. Maybe we're just in a 'you suck, we're going to kill you, nothing else matters' corner or maybe I'm misremembering things.

In any case, we now know that the Triliarians are a major power as well, else it would be the Psilons as the second nominee. Also, two Klackon battleships are en route to Sol, a year apart from each other. Bad things could be about to happen.




Or not. They take out one of our destroyers then retreat on the first approach. And then we get this, which may buy us some time. Pretty cool graphic I think.




So long as I just got the shield, might as well move up to Ion Fission.

** Ion Drive is an upgrade to 4 parsecs per turn speed. I think this would be worth considering if we didn't already have Fusion Drives (3 parsecs). A one-third speed increase on the galaxy map doesn't look like its worth it.
** Ion Pulse Cannon bypasses armor and structure, doing 2-10 points of damage via system overloads. Useless against space monsters and those things that shall not be mentioned which are not part of this game.
** Shield Capacitors are worded confusingly. I THINK they more than double shield recharge from 30% to 70% per turn.

Capacitors are supposed to be a good pairing with Class III Shields, or so I read somewhere once. Having the shields last longer in a fight seems useful, and they are among the cheaper tech options we have, so let's do this thing.




The Klackons are swarming.

Callisto IV Breakthrough


Well, that's that. The whole boarding mechanic thing is shown in action. Our destroyers existed only as something to be shot at and then our defenses overwhelmed. It was only a matter of time. We have two planets left.

3526.0 - The Battleship/Cruiser combo comes to Sol. I concentrate all firepower on the big one, barely managing to destroy it. But they still capture the Starbase - took two attempts this time - and bomb our homeworld, destroying a bunch of stuff but we still control it for now.

The next turn they finish the job. Magistrate Vott and all of humanity's most priceless creations are gone. Only Callisto III remains.




Felina begins work on building a Capitol on the sole remaining presence of our species. Note the big morale hit we take for not having one. Mostly though, people alternatively riot and get their affairs in order. They know homo sapiens are not long for this galaxy.

3526.3 - The cruiser attacks on its own. This is a mistake, and we blow it up. A temporary reprieve. It is simply a matter of how long they decide to take to eliminate us.




Another two turns, and we have a Capitol again. Also, this looks scary but isn't. TEN Klackon transports. Unescorted. What is even the point of that? Meanwhile contact was broken with Alkari/Psilon when Sol was lost, so we can't even reach out to them.

Meklar Battleshipo


The Meklar Tormentor battleship can take a beating, but we eventually took it down.

We rebuild the fighter garrison ... just in time for another one to come back and a repeat of the same fight. However, two Klackon destroyers decide to take advantage of our weakened state this time ...

One Location/Turn, Two Battles


Wouldn't think they'd pose much of a threat, but they shoot down most of our pulson missiles in flight. We do eventually win, but they do significant damage. It won't take much to finish us off ...

Klackon Upgrades ...


The latest Klackon Batteship, armed with a LOT of Neutron Blasters along with a few of the Thotimx Special(AM Torps). They are almost a match for our starbase/fighter combo by themselves.

No Rest for the Weary


Another one comes the next turn. I had some industry stockpiled but couldn't get the Starbase nearly ready in time. By themselves, the fighters have no chance.




Here is what's left. How pathetic. Magistrate Felina does not bother even attempting to console the few remaining survivors of this wanton destruction. Gathering together in caves like primitives, or in air pockets within the rubble of the once-great cities of Callisto III, they know they have only weeks to live until the latest supply ships arrive. Then the bug battleship will open fire again, and all life on the surface will be extinguished without mercy.

The End


Well wasn't that lovely. So I have a mark to beat. It's not a high one, something like 40% of the lowest rung on the starting Hall of Fame. I raise only one objection to that closing video - my people were not 'enslaved'. They were obliterated, genocided, nothing left of them but a memory among the endless eons of the Orion Galaxy. Bonus points though for the ships searching through the wreckage for more people to kill with their floodlights, and the evil laugh at the end.

Go pound sand, MOO2, for I shall return with vengeance. And increased knowledge of your trickery. And, most importantly, with a much better race.

Post Mortem

So a number of mistakes were made here. Got some good luck with the leaders, wasted resources in the early attack on the Space Crystal at Rav and some other places. A few tech choices have been clarified. Going Biosphere would have helped early growth. Not having Silicoids and Aquatic Klackons would have been nice too. And I need to Always Be Stockpiling!, unless there's something more vital to be doing.

Despite all that though, I should have given K'kalak his bloody Robo-Miners - he eventually got them anyway, and if I could have continued the Meklar campaign I would have eventually conquered them I think without Klackon interference. That would have put me solidly in 4th position behind the Klackons/Trilarians/Psilons. From there, I would have had a chance for a long comeback victory. The bugs may have come for me anyway, but it would have bought me time to potentially not be such an easy mark for them. So I think that was the fatal error. Clearly I can't treat MOO2 diplomacy the way I treated MOO1 diplomacy, at least not until I understand it better.

The MOO2 AI's aggressiveness is shown here - also shown though is the fact that they clearly don't have a great grasp of risk, which means that aggressiveness could be a liability. They kept sending insufficient force and getting blown up more often than they retreated. Had I been more competent, that might even have mattered.

Next up, I pick myself up off the canvas, and begin my revenge. Or at least the attempt at it.