Part 104: Episode X: 2400 - 2425
Episode X: 2400-2425Ok, time to get back at it. Assuming there is no supernatural intervention, what we're really talking about here is whether or not I make it through another century. The record for quickest loss was 75 years(Episode II, first Klackon game). So at least I've already surpassed that.
Hey look -- we still suck. Go figure. Though we can see the impact of Wayne's point about us having good early economic techs. About a third the planets and half the tech, yet we are doing better than that in production. That's unusual for this point in the game. It's not good enough, but things could be worse.
Here's what we know about our tolerators the bears. I'm hoping the re-upped trade deal of 375 BC we just signed will help keep them pacified. Good news is they don't have Robotics III yet. Bad news is pretty much everything else. No planetary shields yet so we could attack their planets -- but they'd just counterattack and we could do nothing really about that. Then their ground troops would crush us and that'd be that. The alliance with the Alkari sort of shoots that whole 'attack at Rigel' plan so long as it's in effect. As does, you know, the fact that we can't get there yet.
We are about to get better range though, and a new toy for the fleet.
2403. We sign a 225-BC trade deal with Farseer, who leads an empire of Aggressive Expansionists. In other words, they'll take our territory if they think they can. And they can. I have a feeling a bribe is in order. Personal Deflector Shield is accepted as 'reparations' for our 'crimes against the Alkari Empire'. That we have just met. What crimes?!?
This makes us look a little better. I also like the fact that the Bulrathi-Alkari alliance is dead. For the moment.
Just Altair and Rigel. There are indeed a lot of factors which would point us in the direction of attacking the Alkari, or at the very least putting ourselves in position to do so. I want to see what technology they have first though -- and besides which, we do not have the range to reach them yet. A weak race(in the long term at least it seems) who is siding with the Silicoids(probable victors) and no current allies? That's definitely a prospect worth investigating.
The situation is desperate enough certainly to at least try out the advice given in the thread by those who don't have my 'espionage curse'. Here, I've set spy spending to the amount(2% of imperial production) required to get one spy each year into the Alkari. Every year that I have at least one active spy I'll do espionage. Every year that I don't, I'll hide to attempt to get one in. The spending here will also be adjusted annually to keep at the 1-spy-per-year goal.
We'll see if I can steal something roughly once a decade -- or if I merely flail miserably in abject failure, per usual in espionage efforts. Of course, accompanying this is the need to start gradually ramping up missile base production. If they catch us, I'd like to have some kind of chance of fending off their attacks should they strike first.
Soon the Alkari form an alliance with the Silicoids. Awesome. I decide to keep on though, with my only small comfort being that we haven't met the rocks yet. This is really risky -- but do we really have anything to risk?
2406: Dotomite Crystals are in; Energy Pulsar the only option. Investment returns to the usual planetology-heavy focus.
A couple shield advances but that's it. No engines, no anti-ship weapons, no computing improvements. We aren't going to get it to look any better. Ok, so what's the best way to handle their fleets? We've got a weapon still in the prototype phase, so I want to wait for that. I realize that we've really got to choose between the typical missile-base buildup and getting a fleet going. Can't do both as small as we are.
The approach of the LP thread here makes the decision between the two; I'll take the rare(for me) aggressive tack. Base construction is halted again, to get the research done.
Against the odds, Bio-Toxin Antidote comes first. I want Controlled Toxic here next, just in case we find anything hostile to attack/colonize. Failing that, Advanced Eco would be nexst.
LOL. First possible turn, 4% chance. Weapons are up to over a third each year on the probability, and I get the Ion Cannon as well. Now we're in business. And by the way, several years into the spying adventure, I haven't even been able to turn on espionage. The spy is getting caught either before or just after insertion every single turn. Several in a row. This, uh, isn't going well.
New research selections are Zortrium Armor(to move things forward) and Merculite Missiles(in case things go south). Next step is to see if I can trade for anything combat-related with the Bulrathi.
All depends on what type of war I want to wage here really. I go with the Fusion Beam, which I think will give us cheaper weapons to pack on. Bio-Toxin Antidote is the only thing they are interested in, so it's just a one-shot deal. The Alkari have nothing we want, but I do finally have a spy in place to start trying and steal from them anyway.
It's 2410, and I need to see what kind of ships I can make to threaten them. With their lack of anti-ship weapons, I think the main concern is their shielding(Class III). They do also have an ECM upgrade. I don't think this is a case for my usual stand-by, the hit-and-run missile tactics. Our Hyper-V Rockets won't be able to get through their missile-base shields, wimpy though they are.
Attempting to make use of what I have(namely, the inertial stabilizer), I opt for Destroyer size here. The Spirit has a Mk I Battle Computer(only one we have) and it'll miss them a lot but fusion beams are far better than anything the Alkari possess. When it hits, it'll hurt. Meanwhile, the Nuc Bomber has ECM Jammer I, to make it a little harder to take out with missiles. At least right now, we'd be a lot faster than any Alkari ship.
The decision is then made. It's Rigel or Bust. A minimal amount will be left in research, but the main goal is build up a respectably-sized fleet(as defined by a combination of our maintenance budget and their comparative strength on the status screen) and then go pay them a visit.
The next year. This I do not understand. But I'm not complaining. Much. We acquire Hand Lasers.
After several years of buildup and no more notable news, a Recon reaches our first Silicoid system. Looks like they just colonized it(Rana). Ahh well.
And then the cyborgs. This is Nordia fully developed. Meklon we also find, much closer to the galactic core. So we're basically cut off from peaceful expansion. As anticipated.
At this point(2418), our fleet is almost as large as the Alkari's. They also have developed Duralloy Armor. And Merculite Missiles. That's really going to suck. A Recon is on it's way to report the situation on Rigel. Much will depend on what it finds.
20 missile bases, each with a trio of Merculite launchers, can do 600 damage per turn. That's not counting the ships of course, but enough Spirits could probably take them down. Probably. Still, that's enough firepower to probably take out our whole fleet in 3-4 salvos. I've got no choice but to basically max out if I still want to make a go of this. If they build up much more, it's going to be impossible.
Sensible. Just as I'm preparing to set off on what will likely be a doomed invasion, the Council votes again. Same nominees.
** Silicoids(16 of 54)
** Alkari(2) -- Smurch. Interesting.
** Bulrathi(16) -- Two powers of this size at least ensures the game goes on a while.
** Mrrshan(10) -- Granid.
** Meklar(6) -- Granid.
We abstain again with our four. Granid leads 32-18, four votes shy of the victory.