Part 165: Episode XVI: 2375

Everyone's so positive … even when things are going well.


Episode XVI: 2375 -




Never gets old to see the Psilons have the smallest empire, yet be crushing everyone in tech anyway.




A recently-signed NAP with the Mrrshans to help maintain positive relations. I've decided to do a couple things to improve my play a bit in this game. One relates to trade here. In the past I've sort of just guessed at when I'm going to be able to double trade agreements.

** Pro Tip: The most a trade deal can be signed for is one-fourth of the smaller of the two economies involved.

Based on that, we'd need to be at 1.2k annual production to double the Mrrshan deal to 300 or more, and 1.4k to boost the Psilon arrangement.




Here's what the eggheads have so far. Now this is important because I tried doing some tech trades, but there is only one thing both races want: Tundra Environ. They're offering either Hand Lasers or other stuff I'm researching right now and isn't of immediate help. I don't think it's worth it, since it would rob us of a current strategic advantage. Note that while we are well behind them in tech at the moment, they have no hostile landing advances yet. Same for the kitties. I have to think it won't be that long before they get something along those lines, it's quite rare for it to take this long, but I sure don't want to help them expand. Right now we have a pair of Toxic and a pair of Dead systems picketed by Recons, along with the tiny Radiated system in our corner. I don't expect to get all of those but the longer it takes the better, and there are almost-certainly something in the Tundra/Barren range that they aren't picking up elsewhere in the galaxy because they can't land there. I'm sure not about to speed that process along for them.

Also, it appears that everyone is allying and ganging up on the Klackons, just like they did last time. It's good to see such early wars between the other empires, even if nothing eventually comes of them ... and it also means I want to keep making nice.




The first shield advance and reduced waste are coming in soon. Haven't made the slightest progress on Toxic landings, which is by far the most expensive thing going, and minimal movement on the next range boost as well.




Our income is not quite high enough to boost the trade deals, but it will be soon. We're almost up to break-even on the current ones. The reserve is starting to grow slowly(Ursa and Kailis contributing), with the other systems a mix of fairly well-developed and needing-assistance stages. Also, this seems a good point to blather on a bit about the other aspect I want to improve.

Since fairly early on in this LP, I'll been using a methodology of building missile bases based on the average tech level. I.e., in the previous shot you can see that would currently be at 2.7 -- I'd want that many bases per 100 million in maximum planet size, with multipliers for rich/poor/artifact/etc. systems in order to represent their value. Most of the systems would then aim for 1-2 bases, with Kailis and Ursa at 3, then ramping up as tech increases. This has resulted in things being roughly in a range that has worked in terms of being a balance between deterrence/defense and the cost involved. However, it also means that depending on the robotics level, how much I invest there has varied widely and sometimes it's been too high. I've decided to use a specific spending level to aim for as the guide instead; 10% in general but I'll drop it a bit for the Bulrathi to 8% since we ought to be able to defend ourselves better against any invasion. Deterrence is valuable enough that I don't want to go too low. Right now that math would give me about 30 bases to spread throughout the empire, with four at the most. I think I'll want to start putting some funding into that soon, but not yet.




Our first ecological improvement. Meanwhile, Klackon transports are inbound to Zhardan. Twice our number, so there is a bit of danger here. I'll have to be careful. Next up is Industrial Tech 8 or Duralloy Armor. I could go either way with this, but I decide to take the cheaper factories. Might come back for the armor if we don't get a better one fairly soon.




Another wealthy(if small) Toxic system is discovered in 2379.


Invasion of Zhardan



Almost literally unbelievable. I'm getting an awfully large amount of bad luck on these battles. I had more transports coming in but they didn't get there in time. Still, I should have lost 13M troops here on average. Now I can only hope they'll be content with taking one system.




The irony drips.




Just their third system. If they keep ticking everyone off, they may never become a real threat. Erratic Ecologists. I've got half a mind to just try to take Zhardan back anyway, since they are at war with like the entire galaxy and might declare on me just for the fun of it. Yeah, I think I'm going to do that. Not even going to bother with any diplomatic efforts here. I can yank 30M troops from Vulcan(poor). If they're killed, well I didn't lose much.




The 'relief force' from Firma, which is going to have it's first missile base up soon, recaptured the system the very next year. Umm, barely. I think there's something else going on with the ground combat rolls though, because we lost almost as many as we killed again despite the racial edge and no difference in tech. Even so, this should be an automatic war now.

"Prepare to perish beneath the wake of the Klackon storm."

"Contact has been broken with the Klackon empire!"

LOL. Sorry, couldn't hear you there, transmission must be breaking up ... *click*. Seems like their initial invasion was of the bs/cheese/range-cheating variety. Also, an armed Meklar colony ship showed up at Arietis(Dead), but couldn't land there. More good news for us.

2381: Proteus and Talas both hit their factory maximums. The economy is starting to really mature now.




A yellow start just off-set from the middle of the galaxy? That's particularly dastardly. Kholdan is one upper-left from here, they also have the green one below it(Tao). Looks like this is part of the reason why they've had problems; the other being the Mrrshan to their left.

Meanwhile more Klackon stuffs including a few destroyers heading for Zhardan. We may well lose it again ... looks like our transports from Vulcan probably get there the same year.

Deep Space Scanner is in. I'm sure I don't have to tell you by now what the choice is here, since Robotics III is available. Then the Klackons take Zhardan again in 2386; we take it back the next year, once again arriving just too late. However this time they'll have to send a more sizable force to keep the pressure on I think. The fact that they don't have the range with their fleet yet is our saving grace here at the moment. Only question is whether or not that lasts long enough to get defenses up.




So far so good on the diplomatic front aside from the bugs.




Now I have to decide how greedy I want to be. This is good enough to be worth deploying, except against the Psilons who I don't want to fight anyway(they have Class V shields, the jerks). I think it's worth starting to switch investment to Planetology now and going for those toxic landings so we can grab up more systems. Next up in weapons is Merculite Missiles, a considerable boost to our base defenses which are slowly but steadily getting built up, but if we can add a few more planets we will be in a really good position. I'm not at all sure about the call here but I think it's the right time for it. The fact that the Klackons are out of range and under so much pressure, combined with our good relations elsewhere gives me a reasonable amount of confidence that we can afford to be more aggressive.




Same year(2387); we redoubled with the Mrrshan about a decade or so prior.




All good stuff here really, as Industrial Tech 8 is in. I still want to push for Toxic though. I'll take Battle Suits, and split off most of the funding for the moment.




The situation here is heating up. The Klackons are sending in Avenger-class cruisers now. Don't know exactly what they have. Nearby Firma has just finished its complement of bases. I don't want to start shipbuilding just yet but it may not be long. If I had another decade, Zhardan would probably be able to get a few bases up and try to defend itself. Not yet though. We may well lose it again. I wish the Klackons would fixate on something else, goodness knows they have enough other enemies.




The next year the Klackons bombard Zhardan ... with a colony ship. Also, it looks like the Psilons are coming for Berel. That's more of a concern. I throw everything we have at them(Industrial Tech 8, NPG, even Tundra since we haven't found any more in their neck of the woods). It isn't enough to get them to sign an alliance. Berel is mostly developed so I'll try to throw up a base and we'll see what kind of weapons their ships have ... and whether they're willing to fight for the system.

The next wave of Klackons to hit Zhardan is a disaster; 17M killed for 4-5M Bulrathi. That's more like it.




Yeah this probably isn't going to end well. One base couldn't even take out one of those Star Wings before getting destroyed by the others. I'd need time to get more going to have any chance of fending them off that way.




Irridium(Range 6) is in and I see no need of this immediately. More diversion to Planetology ... and more scouting as well.




Here we go. Took quite a bit longer than the last couple of games. I think it's safe to say this is the first time I've seen a Bulrathi vs. Mrrshan council ...

** Psilons(4) -- Shandra. Jerks.
** Mrrshan(7)
** Klackons(1) - Shandra, naturally.
** Meklars(4) - Abstain. There's some justice, at least.
** Sakkra(5) - Bullux. We haven't even met them yet, but thanks! Looks like the lizards are a reasonable player in things, at least so far.

We have 7 as well, which I think would be just enough to give the Mrrshan the throne if we voted for them. It'll end 12-5 in their favor out of 28, as we abstain. Notably, the Klackons are the only really irrelevant race, even though they keep trying to stick their nose in our business. Also, their Avengers have either returned or been scrapped ... apparently they figured out we're too far away.




At least as of right now, the eggheads haven't invested in much tech for their troops. Their fleets are a bigger threat than their armies. We only lost a handful here, but you never know when they'll lose patience and start bombarding. One of the problems with being relatively large, is you also make a great target.




Took nearly a century to run into them anywhere. This is Dolz, 90M pop. and it appears they have Duralloy armor, which isn't surprising. 20 bases. Just a scouting expedition.




Zhardan really has a freaking bulls-eye on it this galaxy.




Well, isn't that not the least bit exciting. Let's all meet and pointlessly discuss who we aren't going to confirm as High Master ... after slaughtering another 14M Psilon troops. Which now have Zortrium armor. Tick-tock.

** Psilons(4) - Abstain. That's better.
** Mrrshan(6, -1) - Interesting. Perhaps their fighting with the bugs is taking a bit of a toll.
** Klackons(2, +1) - Shandra.
** Meklar(4) - Shandra. Grrrr.
** Sakkra(5) - Bullux.

We still have seven, which makes us tops. Same exact vote total at last time, though achieved slightly differently. One century in the books. It's been a little tense and is likely to remain so, but soon we'll find out if we are going to get another wave of additional systems. If we manage to pull that off, then Shandra and the belligerent eggheads and bugs can pretty much surrender.