Part 145: Episode XIII: 2450

Episode XIII: 2450 -




We were a lot closer in terms of the economy until the other races got another boost recently. Still at least competitive there -- despite the number of systems a number of them are smaller and we need to catch up in robotics. Technology is now close to the weaker competitors, making progress there and also starting to in terms of the fleet. But we are definitely not in position to be starting any major conflicts just yet.

On the diplomatic side, no wars yet. Humans recently allied with Bulrathi but everything else has dissolved. Basically the galaxy is everyone leaving everyone else alone at the moment, but it's time for cracks to start showing in that.

I messed up the rest of the usual start-of-update screenshots. So, the short version:

** 6-8 destroyers coming out per year, and most planets have enough bases for the time being. Trade income is also becoming significant.
** All of the Gatling Laser ships are gone now, the Warcat taking over as the beast of burden. Getting them out to all the blockade planets is becoming a rather annoying micromanagement hassle.
** Nothing imminent tech-wise. Terraforming and Robotics, the most important ones, aren't near completion.




This is our current cause for concern. Regulus is our smallest system(20M max), and has no shield, only a single missile base. Still I think it could handle the destroyers based on previous experience, but maybe not those new cruisers. Right now our relations are strained(Unease) with the shape-shifters, so a diplomatic solution really isn't an option unless I want to give away the store. I decide to try and fight, redirecting as many ships as I can get there in time along with rushing the planetary defenses to try and get the shield done before they arrive.

I sign a NAP with Sauron of the Sakkra. They are at the same point we are in the Planetology tree and aren't going to get anything better than Dead landings it appears, so I'm not worried about sneak-colonizing from them. Might as well make what friends we can for the moment.

2452: The crash program results in completion of the Planetary Shield V on Regulus. Darlok fleet is still a year away, and more cruisers are following it in.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2VQakg8H7A



Lots of ion cannons on those Darlok cruisers, but our bases are still quite effective against their ships. We lost some destroyers there of course but were able to inflict significant damage as well. It's enough to keep me confident in our ability to defend against Darlok attacks for now, so long as the numbers of those death spore ships are limited. Nothing they have there is going to penetrate our planetary defenses.




2455. Ryoun is one of our larger systems(Terran 95M max, Poor). This is basically an annoyance but it will slow down progress some. I have to pull troops from three nearby systems, but a couple years later the planet is back under imperial control.

Trade deals are also upped with the Darlok and Alkari -- both were at 325 BC, now up to 700 and 650.




2458 now. We don't need this right away but for some while it should be enough to give us the option of going on the offensive when the opportunity presents itself. I gamble that the Fusion Beam will be enough to hold us for a while and go Pulson Missile next. The current Scatter Pack Vs are effective now, but the shield tech of our rivals is increasing to the point where that will only last so long. A new primary ship weapon is definitely going to be a goal for the next round though.

As an aside, this set of research is going significantly faster than the last one, even though it's more expensive. That doesn't happen often, but such is the growth the empire has experienced with almost all planets now contributing to research to some degree(except the rich ones).




A couple years later. Interestingly enough, the four races we've met have no active alliances or wars. I think the erratic Humans are part of that, and the fact that the untrustworthy Darlok seem to be in the position of linchpin probably contributes as well. But it's still highly unusual. Relations are Calm with the lizards, but I get the feeling that the slightest aggressive move on our part will light the powder keg.

Darloks put in their two cents as well.




2463, and the next economic wave begins. When it's over, I'm considering gearing up for war with the Alkari -- but we aren't quite ready yet. This will help. Bio Toxin Antidote is next, to take the bite out of the Death Spores which most of our competitors have. It also wasn't worth considerably more to get Terraforming +40M, the only other choice.




Human power is a joke, but still it's a sign of the times. War is coming.




Reduced Waste 60%(we were at 80%, so this is a one-quarter reduction) joins next, our first Construction project to finish in quite some time. Industrial Tech 6 is the only forward-moving option. Automated Repair would be nice, but not nice enough to delay getting better armor or similar things.




It isn't the deal we wanted(Toxic Environs of course), but they give us this for our recently acquired waste-reduction tech. Shipbuilding has been halted for the terraforming/industrialization/missile-building round, but this will give us a reason to make a new design when that's finished. This is twice as good as our current Mk II variant, and will fit on our ships with no reduction in other capabilities.




The latest doubling in our trade deals here. Might forestall them picking the nuclear option with us for a bit longer than would otherwhise be the case. We still have a NAP, our only active one. They are also willing to part with Industrial Tech 5(for RedWaste60 again). Better than we're going to get for a while, and it will accelerate the current buildup and even moreso the one to come when we boost Robotics. Our current prices(Tech 8) are slashed by more than a third. We hand over the Omega V-Bomb in exchange for Battle Suits. That could obviously be problematic when we fight them, but it'll help our ground troops in the interim and despite their warnings I think they are the least likely to attack us at the moment. Besides, I think we can handle them if it comes to that.

2472: War has broken out, sometime quite recently. Darloks vs. Humans + Bulrathi. Time to get some Colonizers active, even if we can only land on Inferno or more friendly. There's also multiple races with Repulsor Beams now, so I think I want to go with Heavy weapons.




Practically speaking, that means upgrading to cruiser size. I have built a modest number of destroyers(Lynx class) with the upgraded battle computers, but we can't fit the Heavy Fusion Beams on that hull and I don't want to get caught with a fleet that can't do anything.




Recons are gone, Leopards will be next to go. I toy with getting some bombers built but I want to wait a bit on that. Probably not a hugely-long time now though. After we get robotics upgraded I'll reassess the situation.




Same nominees, but this here is a surprise.




This isn't; Sakkra/Darlok/Alkari have recently banded together against Human/Bulrathi. Meanwhile 8 votes for the Sakkra, who are still growing a bit on their worlds ...




There we go. I figured somebody would side with them. We get one vote from the Bulrathi, and have 11 of our own. This time we have to abstain. It's a divided Council; vote would be 18-15 in our favor if we voted for ourselves.