Part 70: Episode VI: 2650 - 2675
Episode VI: 2650-2675
Just a few years ago, fleet strength was virtually nil. Still would really like to see the Meklar expand, but they keep getting slowed down in the nebula and haven't been able to do so yet.
** Silicoids(18)
** Humans(16)
** Meklar(9)
** Alkari(9)
** Bulrathi(8)
** Mrrshan(2)
The cats have been relegated to the lower-right. My goal with the Dreadstars is to knock out some of the nearby Silicoid and Alkari planets, and engage the big fleet of the rocks also given the opportunity. This will protect our planets indirectly, by making them travel a longer distance to reach us. If given the breathing room to do so, I'd also like to try for Orion. I don't want to take out too many Silicoid planets, at least not yet -- I don't want to make the Bulrathi our Council foe. I'll probably focus on the Alkari for invasions.
We've only got 7 of them right now though. I'll wait until there's 20-25 before making a move.
Research is slowing with most systems focused on building ships, but that's temporary.
It's 2656, and Altair/Guradas are quite lightly defended. We have 18 Dreadstars operational, so I decide it's time to start using them. We'll colonize/invade each planet we attack, not because we expect to keep them, but just to keep others from having them. That goes esp. for the Bulrathi, who we'd like to keep at just the size they are. I also start shifting systems back to research once they've completed their latest Dreadstar.
Now we'll journey back through the lower-level Force-Field options, three or four of them left.
A couple of years later, another long-standing productive system, though a smallish one, falls to the Silicoids. However, we have a chance to invade Obaca here and hopefully capture some tech.
Or not, as the Bulrathi incinerate the planet -- and capture Fierias for good measure.
Little more than annoyance at this point, but still aggravating.
Our first successful ground invasion of the game, believe it or not. We were outnumbered 53-21, so we've got a nice kill ratio here of almost 3:1. The same year the Mrrshan send 28 transport to Guradas. Only one defender is lost.
Useless at this point, but here's the human salvager portrait. We also get Cloning, which will rarely get used.
The next year, Rana and Guradas are destroyed from orbit, while we re-colonize Fierias expecting to lose it again soon. And so it goes.
A couple of new things here. I think we are slowly winning this chaos. We just captured Quayal, and while who owns, if anybody, many of these systems is constantly in flux, it does seem to be trending in our direction. We've also moved the rally point to Ursa. It was terraformed Gaia by the Bulrathi, so it has a max pop of 250M and grows people like crazy. Right now it hangs out at about 150M, growing slowly but also sending transports out for invasions where needed. The Meklar fleet over Altair, for example, gives us hope we may keep that for a while.
Here's our latest fleet. I've always thought the capital-ship portraits were generally ugly for all of the various ship sets. We've been gradually upgrading the capabilities of ours, and also can now build ships capable of colonizing any planet(and with reserve tanks just for the fun of it) at destroyer size. Once the cruiser ones(top line) are used up, we won't make any more of those. This makes it even more trivial to ensure we've got a dozen or so at all times for spamming to wherever they are needed.
We've also finally got the Bulrathi back in a full alliance, which should prevent any more 'accidental invasions' like we've had a couple of from them. They refused earlier, but we attacked their enemies enough over the last decade to change their minds.
This is rather hilarious, esp. considering we had just achieved one the best mistakes I've ever made. At some point I accidentally started doing espionage on our next ally -- and got Robotics V! We're currently at IV, so now industry can get upgraded. As Computers experts, the Meklar are one of the hardest races to steal from, and I wasn't even trying. Very weird, but apparently we didn't get caught.
2670: The Silicoids break the Meklar protection on Altair, and the colony is destroyed again. Oh well. I send everything there, but they are gone by the time we arrive.
The Cloaking Device is in. Three more to nab here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhdhq4XTHxE
In 2672, the best thing I could see to do with the fleet was to expand the conflict. This is our first assault on a fortified planet -- the Alkari in this case. Almost out of bombs by the end of it. We definitely aren't ready to take the more heavily-guarded planets that are around, just not doing enough damage to the bases for that.
'73 now. This allows for a new strategy. Hyper Drives(Warp 9) are next, and a second invasion of Vox fails. The Alkari are proving remarkably stubborn. They had to bring in troops and ships from nearby Vega to stop us, and even then they aren't going to be able to last.
The alternative strategy using combat transporters here would be to just spam population at the enemy planets, no matter how fortified. Half of them would be destroyed, but half would make it through.
** OOC: Obviously not, as the thread discussion between updates revealed they are bugged.
This would allow us to whittle down the Silicoids. Right now though, I think I'd rather keep our economy up and keep the ships and research coming. I may consider doing this later though against the Silicoids, at least on a limited basis(or not, in retrospect).
Finally, in 2674. Didn't discover anything immediately useful, but collectively they did help with minaturization and cost-reduction. Now we can fit more bombs, faster engines, tougher armor, and 19 Particle Beams on our ships.
*Yawn*. Round 13 of this prize-fight. The Silicoids have expanded their numbers and are once again in veto territory.
** Meklar(7) -- Johann III
** Bulrathi(17) -- Johann III
** Alkari(6, -1) -- Granid
** Mrrshan(2) -- Granid
** Humans(19, -1)
43-35 the final count. In our favor, but this time 9 votes shy of victory, 3 more than last time. This galaxy just steadfastly refuses to crown anyone.