Part 78: Episode VII: 2425 - 2450

Episode VII: 2425-2450




I think it's getting worse, not better here.




A bunch of stuff coming in soon. Kakata and Darrian are still developing but nearly there. The research and intermittent base-building will continue until we get the Mass Driver or something else breaks.




2427, and we get Industrial Tech 8 and Controlled Tundra. While the armor would be nice here, the reduced waste is absolutely essential. It's way past time.




Two with one blow. Enhanced Eco is going to be 50% better(60% reduction in spending on waste compared to 40% for the direct waste reduction) and is also slightly cheaper even with our planetology penalty. So we'll be focusing efforts into planetology, then construction once we get this. This isn't going to save us, but it sure as heck is going to help. In the meantime all base construction is on hold. We can do that much more efficiently once we've taken care of our ecology resource sink.




Bite me. Seriously. That's over 60% of the industry on Darrian gone, and it'll take years to rebuild it.

In 2433, we get Class III Deflectors. Good news is we do have the first tier of Planetary Shields available, so that's next. Also ...




Super.




A few years later we get the Improved Space Scanner. We'll still die, but we'll know about it first. Definitely going for the latest Battle Computer here. Also, Kakata is now maxed out, the fifth system to join the research effort.




2440. It took 13 years of near-maximum effort. Almost a century and a half for the first ecological improvement. That's freaking stupid.

Yes, I called you stupid. Quit staring at me with that pale blue eye, it's annoying.




And ... we don't get Radiated landings. That would have been real nice. There's an outside chance we might have been able to do something with those two systems, but now they will only be of use to the Silicoids.

I'm going back for +30M Terraforming, as it's the most cost-effective here. Soil Enrichment actually wouldn't do as much for us, while +40 Terraforming is just slightly better and over twice the cost. Time to switch over to the reduced waste job now.




Already our homeworld has gone from spending almost half it's income on waste cleanup to this. Incredible. That's low enough that I decide to go back to normal research investment instead of crashing the reduced waste project. It'll come in it's due time, and there are other things we need.




We've got Darrian, the last colony, maxed out for industry and managed to re-up trade deals from 250 to 550 each. There's really nothing else to do though but stay turtling. Research as much as we can while continuing to build up our defenses, and hope to eventually do something in whatever conflict eventually breaks out.

In other words, we're waiting for the Psilons to decide it's time to eliminate the 'lesser races'. Thankfully that time has not yet come.




2445. This is more or less useless now as we have little reason to build ships. Keeping the Silicoids away from those rich planets isn't really compelling. Might be better for us they got them. Not sure what to take next so I just go with cheapest advancement, and that's the Energy Pulsar.

Meanwhile GNN informs us that our fleet sucks(last). Duh.




It's back to Zygot v. Smurch.




Not by much though. Granid staying on the sidelines could well mean a hung Council.




They are such close friends of Zygot, I'm glad they are tiny.




Allies recently, so this was foregone.




15 votes. 50% more than the Bulrathi, who are closest. Soon they will point at things with vague indifference, and those things will run in terror if not die instantly at the mere thought of the Psilon gaze.

For now though, we are able to take our whopping four votes and curry favor with the Psilons.