Part 140: Episode XIII: 2317

Episode XIII: 2317 -

First colonizer comes out in 2327. Only problem is, despite an 80% chance of success, the research isn't done to go with it. Box is maxed out, Abu Dhabi almost halfway to max factories -- we're off to a good start development-wise. I'd almost forgotten what that was like.




Mrrshan researcher. Left ear twitches. Admit it ... they're cute. I can go Deuterium or Nuclear engines. I'll usually go with the engines but I'm going to want the range here I think.




With nothing particularly compelling at the moment I'll go with a broad-based general research plan earlier than usual. Abu Dhabi now does the usual split between industry, population incubator, research, and recon production. Busy busy busy.




With Colonizers coming out every three years, the other two will soon be ready to go. That allows Box to shift over to research/reserve mix and also aid in initial population transfers to accelerate development.




Seven parsecs out so we'd need to do some hopping to get there, but another big one at least.




A destroyer, but this is just an empty system. Still, they are definitely being aggressive and we'll need to watch them closely.




More crap.




And that's five planets. In 2338. That's a fast start, but we won't be getting any more for some while. They'll grow quickly; being able to do maximum population and reserve transfers this early in the game is just not something you can usually come close to pulling off.




Ok, here's how it looks from here. The two green 'U' stars(Tundra) are systems I'd like to guard with combat ships until we can research the ability to colonize them. The two yellow ones below and left(M and T) are 10M and 85M Poor systems. Not great at all, but positionally they have strategic value. I'd like to take a shot at them with battleship-sized Colonizers, resources permitting. I think we've got a little time on the tundras, as I haven't seen anyone in that direction and the Sakkra can't reach this far to the right. So first up is getting one of the big fellas out there. With the left side closed off, that quartet looks like it will determine whether we can get close to a competitive number of systems or not.




Gatling Laser is first in. Hyper-X here because it's the cheapest forward option and because we need a missile. Industrial Tech 9 is next, revealing only Industrial Tech 8. Still, it's good to get it while the first colonies are still building up factories.

2350: A fitting end to the first half-century as the starting over-sized Colonizer is completed and departs. We haven't seen any ships, Sakkra or otherwhise, in the last decade. I still assume there's at least one homeworld below us but the top goal remains pushing off that way. There wasn't quite enough reserve cash to fully fund the normal development cycle on Xendalla and Kakata(not Collassa, as it's poor and that would have been inefficient) but it was close. All of them have a quality start and are over halfway full; Xendalla is almost finished.