Part 86: Episode VIII: 2325 - 2350
Apologies for the FRAPS counter shown on some of the screenshots in the last couple of updates. That's not intentional(and in fact rather distracting), and I'm not sure how many of them there will be but I don't usually have FRAPS on when I MOO. I'll try to make sure I don't in the future.Episode VIII: 2325-2350
Our second system here will split effort between getting a few more recons out there in time to be ahead of the colonizers, and continuing to put some into research to build up for that need. First Colonizer is done in 2329, six years ahead of last year but we had the range obstacle then.
It'll take a really long time to build Rhilus up. Four new systems come into range. I was a year late getting them out there, but five were built so that's not bad in terms of timing it out. Selia is indeed in range, and there's just enough time to use the Reloc trick to get a colonizer there a bit faster. More Recons are now coming as well.
The next year, 2333, with the second Colonizer on it's way. The latest issue now is how much to invest in research vs. building up the industry on Meklon more. I elect to go with a 50-50 split until we get closer as not much progress has been made yet. That'll slow us down some now but still make progress towards a better industrial foundation. Meanwhile Dolz sent 14M colonists to Rhilus initially and will send more each year to the large planet.
Another nice one. Lots of large systems, and still no contacts.
The trend continues. It's 2338, and Selia is colonized the same year. As anticipated, everything we can land on is four parsecs or more away. Almost in prototype range, so with Meklon at 243 factories, just over 60%, I shift back into research at this point. Could use a lot more industry of course but I just don't think I have the time with all of the worlds waiting for us to settle them.
Everything upwards is six or more out, so that still won't be happening; we appear to have plenty of room to expand left and down though.
Another hole in the galaxy.
Got pretty good luck in acquiring the fuel cells in 2342. A more combat-heavy race would go after the Inertial Stabilizer, but we'll go Nuclear Engines here; they are less than half the cost of the others.
Now the real push begins, and we'll find out how many of these systems we can get before anyone else does. Some work will be put into reduced waste but only at a minimal level -- Dolz is also throwing out some more Recons now that we have a longer reach.
It would be the bloody Psilons first. We chase their scout away as we arrive at this star, only to find it's a third uninhabitable one. Most likely they are on the left side somewhere.
Best one we've seen yet, and I'm quite surprised it's not taken or a homeworld.
Right in the middle of the galaxy.
2346, and we find another foe. It was a colony ship, but unarmed so we were able to scout the system. Zoctan(Inferno, 35M). Nothing worthwhile. And then this.
The Psilon scout we chased was headed to the same place, and so probably encountered the same fate.
This is the largest use in this LP I've found for a technique that was suggested in the second or third game a while back. Rhilus was colonized 15 years ago, but just recently started spending anything at all in ecology. Letting the waste build up when a planet has a low population is actually beneficial until it's halfway full. Factories can get built a bit faster and it helps population growth if anything.
The homeworld has been doing a lot of this lately; spending whatever the 'remainder' is above what is necessary to get a Colonizer out in the minimum number of turns on industry. Very slowly progress is being made there.
2348, and the last few of the current wave have arrived at their destinations or are about to. Yet another good-sized, standard, unclaimed world.
The top-notch systems just don't stop, and this was the last chance at basically having a homeworld on this side of the galaxy. This is really turning out to be an incredible starting location for us.