Part 71: Episode VI: 2675 - 2700

Episode VI: 2675-2700




Occasionally losing some of our best planets temporarily has hurt our population, but overall we're still right there with the other powers.




Just boosted trade again; these amounts are nearly a 50% increase over the prevous 2225 that we had for a while. The clean galactic divison can be clearly seen here.




The constantly-shifting yet stubbornly stable balance of power here.

** Humans(18) -- We're in the lead now, and I think we can stay there.
** Silicoids(16)
** Bulrathi(12)
** Meklar(9)
** Alkari(5)
** Mrrshan(3)

We should be able to gradually reduce the Alkari and Mrrshan holdings over time here.




I want to get a new design out there, as the Silicoids have deployed a highly annoying new cruiser, the Mako. It moves slowly but features the feared Black Hole Generator, which kills the crew of ships outright. We faced it in the nebula before they destroyed the colony at Jinga recently, which wasn't fun(only shields limit the effectiveness, so we literally had no defense against it). But first we've got some new stuff in the pipeline here. The Neutronium Bomb will help out with planetary attacks, and when we get our latest Computer project done that'll miniaturize things some more.




This and the new ECM both came in 2679.




A new Battle Computer, and the always-effective Proton Torpedoes are the next course.




And now for our latest designs. The Anti-Ship Battleship, second from the bottom, eschews the Zyro Shield for the Repulsor Beam. Their BHG ships should be completely neutered by this. The High-Energy Focus will allow it's weapons to still strike them. Second-best available jammer, computer, and shielding there. The bottom one has only one job; killing missile bases. Hence the name Uberbomber. Zyro's back there, maximum computing, shielding, and speed. And of course, a liberal allotment of neutronium bombs. I didn't put any ECM on, only because that wouldn't have left enough space for a sizable payload.




Soon afterwards we finished Complete Terraforming, hitting the top of that tree. Don't worry Guava, we'll get to that BioTerminator soon ... but I think Advanced Cloning could be more helpful. We're constantly needing to grow population as fast as possible on planets that were destroyed but still have factories intact.




I'll be. The Meklar finally colonized an open system. Rana is ultra poor naturally, and we'll see if they hold it, but it's something. I'd flat-out give them a couple systems if I could. Meanwhile we continue to have the upper hand slightly, with the deciding factor being the fact that our allies continue to sometimes park their fleet over worlds and defend them. The Bulrathi here at Altair are one example.




Here's a good example of the chaos that's been going on for decades. Just recolonized Fierias for the umpteenth time. Silicoid ships and transports are incoming. The Bulrathi are in orbit. Mrrshan approach from the right, Meklar from left, and Alkari en route as well. All six empires are literally involved here. I have no idea how this will turn out. All you can do is wait and then adjust after the debris clears, as millions of human citizens(and other races) are slaughtered over and over again fighting over pretty much the same systems. Year after year after year after decade after decade, more lives are poured in to the grinder. When will it end?

What follows is by far the longest battle I've ever committed to video in this LP so far. You have been warned.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roFCiqP0kng



Long, but an instructive battle. Notice how I kept the ships with the green repulsor beam on the bottom, keeping the Makos from unleashing their BHGs(until they very end against the already-dead planet, but it no longer mattered). That whitish spidery thing that distinegrated is the Tech Nullifier, which reduces battle computers effectiveness. That really hurt our damage in the middle of the battle for a couple groups. I kept waiting for them to use it on the third one -- I don't know why they didn't. Their capital ship, called Monitors, have ADC and basically suck for that reason.

That repulsor beam is key though and allows us to not only survive, but completely neutralize the Mako ships.

From Fierias to Quayal to Obaca we bounce, and by 2689 I feel that we are starting to wear down the Silicoids. We fight over Altair in '93 -- we lose, but take out enough of their ships that it seems a lose the battle, win the war moment.




Here's our ships late in the battle. Note the Attack Levels; -44!! Basically our weapons are doing near-minimum damage here, and missing quite often. That's their best weapon against us, and the only reason we're having to slowly wear them down. We're taking only minor losses, but every battle against those things is a slog and we've got to try to get our licks in early as much as possible. As has already been noted by some of the astute readers.

Eventually the battle reached the point where neither side could inflict enough damage to continue. We only knocked out one of the their six Monitors, but got most of their cruisers including a few dozen Krakens; they bear the Hell-Fire torpedo and are one of the more dangerous types the Silicoids have right now. Still quite a success for us overall. We also lost contact with the Mrrshan, as the main Alkari fleet destroyed Incedius. That's just fine with us.

It only lasted for a year, but our fleet was rated above the Silicoids after the battle. We hoped to press them harder. I thought about showing the whole thing, just like at Quayal(this one actually lasted a minute longer) just out of sheer just because, but decided not to.




Cygni, once Silicoid, taken by the Bulrathi, then destroyed by the rocks from orbit, was occupied a couple years later. I don't expect it to last long, but I did think it was time to test out our capabilities against a fortified target. Rhilus, shown just below here, is a rich planet that would do very nicely. Let's see how our bombers do vis a vis their bases ...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55SFbjKD1Y



Conclusion? We'll do just fine against their bases -- just need more bombers to handle large numbers of them. The next year we finished the job, ahead of a large transport force. It's time to finally take this galaxy from the Silicoids. Also ...




This arrived. And Advanced Cloning. And Hyper Drives(warp 9). All at once. Moved on with Bio Terminator(which we won't use), Improved Industrial Tech 2(which will slash the cost of factories by 60% from the current 5) and another make-work research task.




The writing's on the wall. Even the Alkari see it. A new anti-ship design with the latest toys is pressed into production.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6_SUB2LJDs


Close but not quite there. Lost almost as many as they did -- we'll get em next time.




That's the next year, 2699. I really want to win this now -- I don't want another 25 years of mop-up if I can help it. This is among the tech captured at Rhilus, and it will really give us a lot more space on the ships. We get several others ... including Adv. Construction Tech IV!!

At the end of the 27th century, fourth since we began this game, the Council says thusly:




Not nearly enough for a veto. They'll need help. I think we got this.




Our faithful allies pitch in as always.




In the lead now, but a bare majority won't be enough.




The Alkari vote here should clinch it. There will be yet one more objection ...




But it is of little consequence.




Nearly a full third to ourselves. We vote in our favor ...




And it's over! The 14th High Council declares Johann III as the unquestioned ruler of the galaxy. It is finished!! The Curse of Not Calling Myself Ender has been overcome, along with the disastrous start.

Included the video here just for the shadowy human portrait. Aside from that we've seen this already.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv-XX9CZ9yc