Part 109: Episode X: 2525 - 2550

Episode X: 2525-2550




Still not in contact with the Alkari again, but its a small matter.




At this point it's territory that matters most.

** Silicoids -- 26
** Bulrathi -- 16
** Mrrshan -- 10
** Meklar -- 7
** Sakkra -- 4
** Alkari -- 1

The Bulrathi clearly have more-developed planets, and right now they have the momentum. They have the Meklar on their side against the other four races. There's really nothing positive for us to do to be honest. I'm not so much playing this game as observing the carnage.




You've got to climb Mt. Everest on a cold day to pull off espionage against the Meklar in the mid-late game.




I went computers, just because(as has been noted) it will increase your chances at future stealing. We're researching VI, but currently are stuck at I so this definitely helps.




After some years of nothing, both these occurred in 2531.




A few years later. This is the 3rd or 4th time we've tried to colonize it. Meklars chased us off from another nearby world. The only reason I even mention this is to show that I'm still trying, doing what I can. It isn't much, and there's virtually no hope of retaining these brief acquisitions, but for the moment the bigger powers are mostly fighting each other, and it's not as if I have anything better to do.




The second of two tech trades: we got the Hard Beam from the Mrrshan in the first one. Had to give up Robotics IV here. The goal in these is not the weapons themselves, but merely getting something -- and strengthening the most powerful race in the galaxy, oddly enough, it actually much to our benefit here. The stronger they are, the larger the(now-infinitesimal) chance that we can profit from their war.

Then more sabotage of our factories, and Rayden destroyed from orbit. Again. This time the Meklar. They are the ones profiting, doing what I'd like to do but don't have the fleet to accomplish.




This kind of thing hurts worse. We only have 20-30 bases per system at the moment, so it takes down a significant amount of our defenses and resources must be diverted from research. Academic anyway, but it still sucks.




What goes around comes around. Two dozen Bulrathi cruisers retreated from a single colony ship because random. Of course the Meklar incinerated the colony the next year. Our new function is that of very marginally distracting the real combatants.




Nothing but a roadbump for the bears, but every little thing helps. In 2542, I first notice signs of conflict over the regularly-glassed systems between the Bulrathi and the Meklar. That can only be a good thing. They are both at war with the Silicoids, but that seems to be as far as their friendship goes.

It really is a galaxy of opportunity right now for anyone with enough strength to reap the harvest. Unfortunately that's not us.




I've probably never had a more important late-game range advance. Granted we are still in the mid-level techs, but not the other races. Now we can widen our net potentially in terms of where I send colony ships and looking-for-Orion Recons. If only I could get faster engines ...

But all that is available is Trilithum Crystals(Range 10). Grrrr.




There. Now we can begin to think about fighting on a very limited level. My design goal is simple; in what way can I get the most torpedoes in play for the least amount of funding. I'm not planning to attack anyone, but seizing an 'open' system with a minimal fleet commitment might be possible. Limited defense of such a system or at least forcing a more substantive commitment of ships to drive us off. That's all that is in view here. Ukko, our only rich system, would do the building.

Stinger Missiles will be next, an upgrade to our horribly-outdated bases.




A Bulrathi fleet was here, leaving just as we arrived in 2543. Sure, we'll take that, if for nothing more than the temporary range increase. Very temporary -- it was destroyed the next year per usual and didn't give us access to anything new that was interesting. However, we've now had Rayden for almost a decade, population is starting to become significant there. It seems that the demands of the war have caused everyone to ignore it for some reason.

The new ship is called the Hydra. Cruiser class, it has no computer but the best armor, shields, and engines we have. 4 Anti-Matter Torpedo launchers. At this point we won't be able to avoid contact with the enemy so I wanted it to have some survivability. That seemed more important than a slightly larger payload. Here's hoping we are able to usefully deploy them once we get a decent amount built.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3R...eature=youtu.be



Well, there goes Ukko. And another empty system scouted. Still, it was just a case of the Bulrathi deciding we were worth the effort of attacking.




Complete Eco Restoration is in, and we'll snag the +80M terraforming next.




New Council, same nominees.




Every vote counts ...




Gotta hand it to Smurch. He's played this one pretty smart in general.




Galaxy still quite divided.




We have 5 votes again. I decide to throw our lot behind Smurch for the first time. Partly because it looks like they are winning, and partly because there aren't many Silicoid ships out there. We'll have more luck trying to salvage their successes it looks like. It's a long way from being at war to the alliance we'll need to manage that ... but this is the one way we have of starting that process. And what do we have to lose?




This is about it, really. And what have you done for us lately, again??




So the next task is definitely set. Whether it does any good remains to be seen.