Part 13: Turns 220-240

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

Update 13. Turns 220-240


First up, I grab the ability to mine...IN SPACE.


This adds the last station to our list. You know. If I didn't already have enough micro to deal with.


And, they cost no upkeep.


Also with Anti-matter drives, we can upgrade our stations to level 3. It doesn't add anything significant to the stations.


Before I make new ships to mess around with, I want one last tech. This will pretty much make our ships invulnerable from the front.


While I'm messing around, lets see how our Drone Cruisers fare against the Liir.


Point defense seeks to be kind of effective. Well, that and AM torpedoes.


Really effective.


Drones - still useless when the enemy has PD.


Now I can start working on sweet new Cruisers


Most of the time, our casters are precise enough to let even my fusion fleets get there on the same turn that they are cast.
Or, more, they are cast, and then get to move in the same turn. Which means that a Hiver fleet arrives anywhere within casting range in ooh. 2 turns.


Oh right, I was trying to get super-fast ships. Sadly it is not to be.


This might help matters too. If only there was a technology to remove feasibility studies.


Rather than Microing building all the mining bases, you can throw Stimulus money at them and it will use arcanery to sometimes build them. There is limited correlation between the amount of money, and the frequency they build.
Since I am also unsure how exactly they actually affect things, just letting the civilian systems build them is at least the easiest option,


In a 'Feature" that isn't the best option, when you click the X to delete a design. It doesn't delete it, it just ROLLS IT BACK. you have to delete the MK 1 to actually remove the design.
Thanks, Mecron.


Anyhow. Now that's over with, I can commission new designs. Which of course will need prototyping...


Apparently Fusion engines include Anti-matter ones.


Anyhow. The new classes are, in order: Command, Boarding, Heavy Missiles, Barrage, Gate, Impactor, Repair.


While I was looking for the message log, I found this window. Note that I'm on the starmap when I took this.


Also got these to help me clean things up.


Meanwhile, I continue to kill dolphins with my Fusion era ships.


I also finally research these. Maybe Raiders will run into some Qs and die so I'm not getting a combat or more a turn.


Oh. That would've been useful 5 turns ago.


I should have researched this before I researched Dreadnought construction.


This is a Q ship. Despite having built a bunch, this is the only time this update they appear. They have more hull, and 10 more medium turrets than regular CR frieghters.


Also - Super fast Gunstars. 6 medium guns is pretty nice.


Civilians build us a mining base finally.


Also, there are 2 mining bases around the same station here. Note that Mining stations have absolutely no modules to be fitted. There is no reason to ever click them in this menu. And civilian bases show up here and look identical to player built ones. INTERFACE DESIGN.


I also upgrade our Torpedos. Because why not.


Quickly followed by this. Now I can invite the surviving independants to join the Imperium, Hooray!


Lets see what they say.


Why would you not want to join us.


This might help.


I try to board the Morrigi ships.


They don't approve.


Not one bit. Also, shields are BRIGHT.


Note that this ship is textured differently to the rest of our fleet. This is the Missile barrage ship by the way.


The Liir are researching the latest weaponary.


Also, a million in bribes gets us a new world!


And we continue using fusion powered ships to take enemy stations via explosive delivery.


This time I remember to actually build and load Battle Riders for my fleet.


Spoilers - a lot of the screenshots in the rest of the update from battles are from near my battle riders.


I researched this on turn 232. I pretty much felt like "I GUESS I can research Dreadnoughts." Not like I need them. Or anything since I got point defense modules.


Battle riders are really good at clearing the orbital defenses out.


And I thought I was being harsh making fun of the game. The Tarka are using turn 1 outfittable cruisers still!


Oh, I almost forgot. Remember how Battle Riders don't have interstellar engines?
Yeah. I can't figure out why they need 5T of endurance either.


Wiping out the Retailers clears the Finished Product's event history.


Also, the Liir killed THREE whole cruisers last fight!


Look ma! Crews missiles!


I love battle riders.


Also, Time to make some broadside cruisers. Or see if I can stick these in spinal mounts on Battle Riders.


Also, looks like we used up the pool of names for salvage!


There aren't many dolphins left.

So, since I'm running out of things to talk about, I'll probably finish this next update. Do people want to see DNs, or just finish the game with a storm of battle riders?
I guess I'll have to war with the Tarka too, but I can't imagine that taking long, even if I have to make a whole new set of ships since they're not using energy weapons.