Part 146: Episode XIII: 2475

Episode XIII: 2475 -




There was a time when I was almost equal to the Alkari in fleet; that was about 20 years ago before I got terraforming in. Then they went on a building spree while our resources were spread more thinly, and the rest is history. While our total system count continues to dominate, many of them still aren't that great. Combine that with the fact that we are behind in industrial techs, and progress in the key areas of production and technology is very slow if it exists at all. That's a temporary situation, but since I've got an iron-clad long-term strategic grip on things I keep looking for a quicker way to end this militarily -- and then talking myself out of it.

The galaxy has finally - and right on schedule, too, late 25th century - divided into warcamps alliances. The three most credible powers(Sakkra/Darlok/Alkari) against the two weaklings(Human/Bulrathi). The presumptive losers there hold a combined three systems. I have thought of gaining from this situation, by building some bombers and going after Sol. It would seem prohibitively expensive for getting just one planet out of it, even a homeworld one. Or even two, if we don't care about the genocide penalty.




For quite a while now we've been holding at around 10% bases, 10% ships in maintenance costs. The range of missile bases can also currently be seen, with our targets in the 10-30 range roughly at the moment. There are a couple reasons I've wanted to go on the attack aside from just 'I'm obviously winning'. One is just to do something different. If I'm going to be aggressive - well, the Mrrshan are an aggressive race. And then there's all the Warcats; 150+ destroyers with Fusion Beams that will be obsolete soon because other races are going to at least potentially deploy their recently-discovered Repulsor Beams. That means attacking somebody; the Alkari are too strong, so we'll join in after the Humans perhaps. But even there, I'd need to design a bomber ship, and the Omega-V is plenty powerful but still takes a lot of space(8 per cruiser is what I can fit on), requiring a big investment in building those. And any attack against a fortified systems is still going to hurt -- a lot. Part of that is due to speed; we have Sublight(Warp 3) engines and need to get that a couple notches higher before we even start to overcome the natural advantadges that missile bases start with. The inexorable calculations of MOO are what they are; attacking before you have a moderate amount of tech is a costly proposition.




Of course, this is the other reason why it really doesn't pay right now. Along with range and deflector shield improvements, we're about to join our three primary competitors in the modern age of robotics, and embark on an economic expansion. Doing more than getting started on the next-gen fleet with a few Sabretooth cruisers just isn't going to happen until that process is finished. And even afterwards, building that foundation and transitioning to the new ships while trying to at least catch up in tech given our strong, nearly impregnable position is the most sensible play. Not what I want to do, but it's what the situation calls for. If I'm patient, there is absolutely nothing they can do to threaten Mrrshan supremacy. And so patience and continued growth is the move here.

By the by, the Alkari have hilariously not come after the Toxic systems I'm guarding once, and none of the others have developed the ability to do so(jury still out on the Darloks tech development though). I never would have guessed that only one race would get Toxic and none Radiated. All of that distributing the Warcats around turned out to be ultimately unnecessary, but was still clearly the right move. One can't predict things like the random, unsuccessful cross-galaxy trips the Alkari have chosen to engage in, or the remote odds of the tech falling this way in the first place. In a sense the Warcats were purely wasted - but really, they have served a preventitive role. It's just one of those things where I put a lot of energy and time playing the game and sending them out, not to mention the BC that went into producing them. Having them involved in only one or two small skirmishers with the Darloks, in which their efforts weren't even really necessary, isn't much of a payoff.

That was rather wordy. We have a Colonizer ready and are building another in case there's an opportunity to go 'spoils of war', which would require somebody taking down a Human system. Failing that, Nermal will let the others bleed themselves in a destructive war while we continue to ramp up and prepare for the real conflict to come. Another option I considered was espionage against the Alkari(to get Toxic tech), but the risks of getting into what would be a purely defensive war seem to clearly outweight the unlikely benefit. In the meantime, we'll be able to draw on more trade income than they can, since we're engaged with both sides and just sitting on the sidelines munching popcorn basically. That trade for Industrial Tech 5 has been quite useful already, and is clearly going to be much moreso in the years ahead.




Takes two years for Class V Deflectors to be next in. I can't find a compelling argument for getting a marginal boost to those over taking Repulsors for a little under half the price. It seems to be the right time for that. Also, in an interesting nod to miniaturization savings, base maintenance drops by 1.5% instantly.




That's 'Empress Nermal' to you, Lasitus. This will be a hilarious fail on your part considering the empires already arrayed against you. It's 2479, and Uridium Fuel Cells show up. We'll go to Impulse Drives(Warp 5) next. That'll bring us the mobility we need, and three more unoccupied systems are now within reach.




Nice try. You're not taking these Toxic planets. Trying to expand will be dangerous ... for you.




Ummm ... ok. Why nobody has yet bothered with a Tundra system to this point is beyond me. But sure, we'll take that. It'll be simple enough to divert some of our existing ships as a garrison until it's built up, and now a couple more systems are within scouting range ...




You rule only Ursa, idiot. Which is just above this.




Had to include this shot as much as I've mentioned it. Took it's sweet time in prototype phase, arriving in 2484. Now we can ramp up again and see where we sit economically compared to the others now that we'll be on even footing. ECM Jammer V is our project of that strain.




Lol. Dorks. Sakkra gave us a stern warning as well. They've allied with the Humans which looks like the reason for this. Recently colonized Whynil is really the only system I consider to even be at risk here. However relations with the others are dicey as well. We're starting to get a big 'size' hit to those. Looks like it'll be 'gang up on the Mrrshans' time again soon. Only this time the Mrrshan are holding a very strong hand.

I think about going for the usual Security investment, but decide to wait until we've got most of the factories built.




With the arrival of Pulson Missiles, we are left with these choices. New ones are the bottom three. Gauss Autocannon and Particle Beam are both of the 'halve enemy shields' branch which isn't really what I was hoping for here, which makes this a tough decision. Having just gotten a missile, I also don't really want to go for another one. There's also the fact that neither of the beam weapons here have the range I'm looking for to counteract repulsors. I decide to go with the Hercular Missiles since the others aren't really going to help us at all from what I can see. We've already missed the first level of Torpedoes; I'm really hoping we get the next one.




We reach the next two systems at the same time; one is uninhabitable but this one is very fine. Criminal that it hasn't been settled yet. Most of the fleet will be sent there immediately in an effort to hold it, but given the position on the extreme left edge it will take at least five years for our ships to arrive. Eight years for troop ships with colonists. The two red stars in the extreme upper-left remain outside of our range even with this acquisition, but everything else has been identified as either taken or empty.

Interestingly, the very next year an Alkari colony ship, with no escorts, shows up at Maalor. The lone Sabretooth still there(the destroyers were all sent on) handled it easily.




Had to give up Pulson Missiles to get this, but it's a nice upgrade for us. The Sakkra are the only race with torpedo tech but they aren't sharing it. Darloks have also recently acquired Toxic Landings, joining the Alkari with that, but neither is interested in giving it up either.

Most of the empire took three years to finish upgrading the factories, at the end of which we were one of three economies standing above the rest. It looked like Darloks first, us second, Sakkra third. Not as good as I'd hoped, but better than we were. Really need better terraforming to unlock the potential of our systems. Sakkra are ahead of us there at least, with +40M and Atmospheric Terraforming. The latter would be huge for us. We've already missed on soil enrichment, but Atmos and Advanced soil enrichment are still coming up in the tree so we could get those yet.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2n45Fnms-I



2489. Finally we are challenged by the Alkari, who take Morrig. Nobody has come for Moro, the rich system I sent the destroyers to. I still plan to make the birds our first victims, it's just going to take a bit here. After toying with the idea of starting that fight now I decide it's still better to wait. The two new systems are the tipping point in that calculus; I want to defend them with the fleet until they can't defend themselves anymore. Then hopefully we'll be ready to strike out.




The Antidote is in, and nice choices here but I'm defintely taking Atmospheric Terraforming. I'm also shoving more funding than usual into research in general; I want to get the Repulsor Beam before I build the next ship class.

In 2490, the Alkari are back at Maalor. 3 Colony Ships, no escorts, and once again we easily dispatch them. So far just the one system has been lost from our blockade. The Repulsor comes in 2495, at which point I've got the reserve up to my target(equal to annual imperial production of over 6k now) and have been funding extra research on Abu Dhabi for a few years. Class VI Deflectors, one better than our current V, is the only available force-field tech.




Here's the new ship. Even with the repulsor added, it still is able to carry an extra heavy fusion beam over the current Sabretooth's loadout. The Hyper-X Rocket is just the best thing available to use up the remaining space; they pack enough punch to get through currently available shielding for minimal damage. A destroyer-class bomber is also designed, called the bobcat. One of the oldest destroyer classes had to be scrapped to make room, but these should be effective against any enemy.

In 2498, Lasitus of the Humans requests peace, having never once made a single move to attack any of our systems. We agree.




2499, as we prepare for the next vote. I was probably about a decade away from making this move myself. They really just did me the courtesy of doing it for me.

Nermal and Sauron are nominated once again:

** Alkari(4) -- Sauron




They're not at war with us anymore, but have been with the Sakkra for a long time.




Sauron's not really getting any bigger.

** Darloks(7) -- Abstain
** Bulrathi(1) -- Sauron

We have 12 votes out of 34, giving us a veto ability. Abstaining is the only move here. Looks like a military conquest has basically been thrust upon us whether we wanted it or not, but since that was the plan anyway, it works out.