Part 174: Episode XVII: 2375

Episode XVII: 2375 -




The few Silicoid systems we've seen have been the usual 'meh' fare in terms of size for the most part. They're off to a good but not overwhelming start, which is about how I'd like them.




They're still allied with the Alkari. I recently boosted our spying efforts because they started catching more of them. I actually had a couple years where I had to take espionage off because we had no spies in, which is totally unacceptable. I think I'll keep spending about here for a while and see what happens. I'd like to have a few active ones if I can without breaking the bank.




The rocks are expanding away from us mostly it seems now. Also noteworthy is it doesn't look like that yellow star basically directly below us is a homeworld. There could be opportunities out that way if we can handle the range in time. Which would mean stealing it, really.

I expect to add Gorra and Galos soon, and Tundra is entering prototype right now so we'll get that and another couple systems. That would put us at 13. Having the Silicoids next to us means we can't steal hostile landings from anybody yet, which isn't good. A core of five systems is now more or less fully-developed, so steady research should be a permanent thing and we can start building bases and whatnot, but I'm still nervous about being able to get enough systems here.




That's a blow to moving further along the top.




Clearly a big moment here for us.




Hiya back. Ruthless Ecologist is a rare type of bug. No current alliances. For now we match the spying investment, meaning 8% of production is now going there. It's one of those things where we're screwed if it doesn't work, but it's our best chance. 275BC trade deal is signed to keep the peace.




They have a dozen systems, and appear to be curling around our upper flank. Fairly boxed-in though at this point. Having two sizable foes means the galaxy may be fairly evenly divided. We can hope. Clearly our scouting work is basically done at the top here. Several recons are dispatched on the long journey towards the lower-right quadrant, where we'll be increasingly pivoting to soon.

The Klackon fleet, tech, and economy are all much better than either ours or the Silicoids, as one might expect.




Played ring around the rosy for years with the Alkari, to discover there was nothing here. Super-great.




Tundra arrives a bit late, but it eventually gets here. We've found no Toxics, but there are a couple or so Infernos scattered about so this is an easy choice. It's also time to diversify research. The only hostile environment we haven't had a shot at is dead. I hope we aren't using up all our good luck, because I want Radiated bad.




This is extreme of course, but I'm still counting on us being able to steal enough to make up the other categories.




That's definitely worth having.




This seemed an appropriate time to start building missile bases on those systems that were developed and not working on Colonizers. The Silicoids encouraged me in that direction -- they've got a destroyer and a colony ship headed to Gorra, so I don't know if we're going to keep it or not.




Our first theft from the Klackons in 2382, and it could hardly have been a better one.




They weren't happy about it though. Relations dropped to Restless and I have no useful way to bribe them at the moment. I decide to back off and just maintain the spies we have until we can normalize relations again. They've allied with the Silicoids and I don't think I can afford to have a war with them right now. Really walking a tightrope here. The rocks have moved their ships on -- I think they are headed for that jungle system, and if so they'll get there well before we do.







Both Tundras are settled in 2385. That brings our total to 13 systems. 14 for the Silicoids, the Klackons are still at a dozen. So we're even with them in territory for now.




Anything we can do to keep them happy. This exactly doubles our initial agreement.







Bungling? I think they've been reasonably successful, actually. But ok. They're down to Wary, and we'll back off there for the time being as well. They've researched three computing techs, and we've stolen two of them.




I surmise from this that the Humans are off to a bad start. It may well be that our top rivals are those we've already met.




Deep Space Scanner comes in, and because of the things we've stolen we basically skip a tier here. Battle Computer IV is the next thing we probably steal from the Silicoids, so I'm definitely going with Improved Space Scanner here.




It appears that the Silicoids bypassed Jinga, the jungle planet at this red system. They were vectoring towards it, but I think they kept going to the purple star above and to the right. So we've got an extended-range colonizer en route. Fingers crossed.




A few years after relations returned to Unease and I resumed espionage, this comes in. Construction was the only available field, so I must have gotten a low roll with the infiltration. I don't think we got caught, because they have nothing to say -- until I look at relations, which are down to Tense. Sigh ... back to hiding you all go. I was researching this, and Industrial Tech 8 is the only choice.




Hand Lasers come in the natural way the same year. I don't think we'll use either anytime soon, so of the two next-tier options I go cheap with the Fusion Bomb. I'm hoping for a missile soon.




Everything but Computing was available. We needed range for our pivot to exploring the lower-right quadrant, and this will do nicely. Same warning from the rocks as before, and they're all the way down to Troubled. Well then. Looks like we're done spying for a while. We throw them the Deep Space Scanner plans, and it causes a slight upgrade to Restless. The Klackons are interested in more of our stuff -- we hand over Tundra(they already have Toxic) and the ECM we stole from their allies ... and then start spying on them again.

This gameplay loop is really quite hilarious. Bribe them with stuff we stole from somebody else, so they will put up with us stealing more stuff from them, which will then be used to bribe their ally, Lather.Rinse.Repeat.




.... as a bribe, after stealing it from your ally. Don't forget that part. This they say when we ask for a boost in trade(275 to 575 BC).




We have found homo sapiens. Sol in fact. That is a homeworld ... so what on earth(pun intended) has humanity been up to all this time? Why have we not seen them before, if they are that close?? Jinga joins the empire as well, which is quite nice. The Silicoids did take that purple system, Rotan, and can use it as a base to clean out some of other hostile systems in the upper-right corner(two tiny inferno, one radiated rich). They haven't done so yet, but it's a constant concern.




2398. This is a big success for us, both in framing and in moving computing forwards.




We run into another human colony in that band across dark space, but this one isn't taken so an 'end run' around their territory might just still be possible.




Another Dead. That means our current colonizers are paper-weights. It's time to start shifting more resources into planetology and get Inferno ASAP. Right now, it would give us up to four more systems. None of them are good ones, but it's still territory to extend our range and grow eventually.




We'll go with the cheaper PDS here.




This ends the opening century of play, putting us at 15 systems. Nearly useless on it's own, it brings Yarrow just within normal ship range.