Part 5: Turns 79-88

An endless sea of bugs (spawning inside the sun) Lets Play Sword of the Stars 2: Hiver Imperium

Update 5. Turns 79-88

In which I am only half paying attention to writing this update because I am too exhausted to get alcohol and write it totally drunk.

First up. Lets talk about the party happening at the Ilona system, where we found that race of independent aliens.

The beaker icon indicates that there is A science station around it. It should actually be BUGS yellow because it's my starbase but this isn't the combat UI so it's wrong and broken. I also threw down a colony on the habitable world in the system to stop the Morrigi getting it. Plus it's a good world.
I am researching the special project I get for having a science station over their planet though.


Despite there not being the population to support it, the AI tries to build a station here. I wonder what kind it will be?


Also, meet our new battle cruiser - the Mercon's Folly class. Rocking 4 Heavy Lasers, and 8 mass driver point defense batteries, it should be a mainstay for our cruiser squadrons.

Some day I'll even research the module I want to put on my engineering sections!

Since I've noticed/had it pointed out that Diplo points DON'T ACTUALLY MATTER, I offer the Morrigi a Non-Aggression pact. I guess I could've offered incentives. Eh, maybe if it doesn't take I'll try that.


Also, despite fighting the same foe, Negative Forum Posts go further and further towards hating THE BUGS.


Oh, FYI, GDP doesn't update until you leave the diplomacy screen and come back.

Of course. Though to be fair? or accurate, at least, nor do planetary shipyard build times.

I also throw my research into another Industrial Tech that I researched 60 turns ago in SOTS1

And by research I mean studying whether it's even researchable.

Then for no reason I can fathom, my Infrastructure spending bar is tiny.

I actually thought it was the game getting patched, but looking at another new world, that doesn't seem to be the case.

:mystery: Further examination indicates it might have something to do with clicking on the independent world.

In a shocking development (ha!) next turn:


Somewhat less shocking.

No indication WHY of course. Best guess is opinion. My last attempt to influence that failed though, so eh.

The fact we're at war doesn't stop Kerberos ASKING for help, of course.


No-one in the world could've predicted this development! (I would name names, but super-lazy right now)


Prepare to meet one of three most annoying fleets. They will be frequently encountered for the rest of the update. Though I may skim over it eventually.


I respond by ordering my most heavily armed fleet to patrol and intercept them.


See if you can figure out why we didn't engage before I tell you!


I checked the Diplomacy screen. We are still at war. Maybe the wrong mission type? I order a seperate fleet to Strike the Wester system, their next destination.


So? Figured it out YET?


It took me more than a few minutes of staring at the game going WHAT THE FUCK before I did.

See, Suul'ka ships travel through their own Nodespace. They use Bore ships to open, and maintain tunnels. They don't LEAVE nodespace when they enter star systems on their path. So not only can you not intercept them in nodespace. You can only fight them at their destination if they're travelling along an established node path. Augh! I know one of the worlds was a former colonial holding that I can't steal because of its environment, too. And they send colony fleets later as well as construction fleets. SO RUDE.

Lets talk about being rude back. I have assembled a number of Mercons Follys, and am ready to fleet them up. I look through my list of Admirals - most are awful, but this guy looks useful!

Also note - I have 26 Admirals total. More than half of them are useless, and you can't fire Admirals. You have to wait until they retire or die in battle.

The fleet is ready to get its murder on.


Nodespace protected...


I also gather a lot of the reserve ships into another fleet.


And our old pals come say hi. It's only a single 20k spacebux freighter, I don't actually care besides it meaning I have to micro.


I also get a lucky breakthrough on turn 84, 3 turns into the research.


Since the special project is a few turns from completion too, I nab this to keep the independents safe.


Me and Tarkabros are a bit mad. I do have a fleet on its way to where they came from though! Presently it takes ~10 turns to reach Kerberos Interactive's systems.


I forget why I didn't field my new ships against this fleet.


It would appear they read the previous LP, and engage with a significant number of missiles.


While I manage to blast one of their cruisers mission sections, my own ships aren't faring much better. And they have more than me.


Even in close quarters, the Suul'ka fleet is able to exchange an alarming amount of fire. And these ships are not fully equipped with Point Defense.


I've already lost one cruiser, this is just mean.


This is, of course, the special attack of the Suul'ka Boreships. It opens a hole into Nodespace. For human and Suul'ka ships, which are designed to handle Nodespace, that's fine. For everyone else, it HURTS.
Doesn't actually take out any of my ships though.

They just die to missiles.


That hurt a lot. The only consolation is they got neither the system's Gateship, nor the colony.


I am adjusting the research budget to keep me from hitting debt. There are two values here. Can you guess which one is used in the below calculation?

Whether it's that, or it just applies the cost for the next construction, regarless of when it's going to be charged, I can't say. Multi-turn starbase constructions and the like show up on your savings projections every turn until it's done. I guess they're expecting a breakthrough on station construction? Not that that can happen.

The Kerberos fleet moves deeper into our systems. I throw our new fleet against them. They are more heavily armed, and better defended, they should go well.


Even despite me putting the squadron too far out of the system.


Not an ideal start. So many missiles.


We're not even in heavy driver range, and a cruiser has already broken up.

Another is soon to follow. I have ordered close to attack.

The Second Folly breaks up as we reach Heavy Driver range.


We do get our heavy cutting beams to draw a bead. Hopefully we can start evening the casualties up.


The rest of the squadron fails to bring its beams onto the target as the missile storm continues.


They avenge their fallen brothers.


As our cruisers continue to take a beating, their gunnery crews forget how to aim.


There is little more good news to be had.


The only good news is we managed to eliminate their Bore ship, halting their advance.


Given the poor performance of the new cruisers against the enemy missile cruisers, there is only one viable answer among our current technology.


Fuck prototyping.


And because holy fuck I am tired, I am going to leave this update here. On turn 88 after our new ships got turned into burning wrecks. Find out what happens next time!

(I have played up to turn 100, so I know what happens. Just wanted to get an update out tonight.)