Imperium 13 - mostly_harmless

[mostly_harmless]

I have played and won on impossible before, although not with the Alkari, but mostly with Humans.
So I have a tiny idea what awaits me.
Still, should be fun.
I decide to have events turned off.

Scouts send out to the blue star west and the blue star SE. The colony ship goes towards the green star nearby.
Turns out to be Esper 30 Steppe. Not the nice planets I am used to from the last Imperium, but still.
So, thats it. We need range to further expand.
I open up propulsion, an are the birds are excellent in and yeah! range5 pops up.
Scouting, scouting, scouting. Looks like Tundra would be a nice thing to have.
Also, always sucks to have Orion so close by that eats up one scout that early on.
Scare away three Sakkra ships at Drakka.

2339
With the settling of Firma we make official contact with the Sakkra. Agreeing to minimal trade.
They already have 5 stars including 3 yellows. Not bad.
BUt they are peaceful in nature, which will be quite helpful throughout the game. Even better with events off, I am not running the risk of that dreaded rogue diplomat event.

2366
Amazingly we are the first for the 8 star system warning. Very good.
2375
Managed to get NAP with Sakkras.

A bit later meet Darloks, a scattered 5 planet empire.
They are in war with the Bears and Meklars already. Excellent.

2377
Ajax, my first Rich world settled.
Official contact with Psilons.

Research controlled tundra and manage to get to that ultra rich planet south of the home world first.
Trade inertial stabilizer for controlled toxic and expand, expand, expand.

The first election comes in 2423.
Hoho close one. Sakkaras almost went home with the game here. It is clear I have to get more pop to avoid that. Luckily soil enrichment is currently researched.

Then I have misplaced my notes.
I went through a clockwise conquest of the galaxy leaving the sakkras for last.

2575 Glassing the last Sakkra world, with small neutronium bombers and hyperdrives, I rule!

Fun game. Having peaceful Sakkras and trading IS for Controlled Toxic were the keys to success for me here.

mh

[dathon]

Not much to comment on, but looks like you had fun!

dathon

[RefSteel]

The first election comes in 2423.
Hoho close one. Sakkaras almost went home with the game here.

(Emphasis mine.) I think I neglected to mention in my report that this map featured the latest first election I'd ever seen or heard of in an Impossible game to this point. The dearth of engines, the player's lack of controlled environment tech above Tundra, the stunting (in most cases) of whatever races might have had Radiated, and the sheer number of Rad worlds in the galaxy, were all no doubt responsible. Just crazy!

Anyway, great win! Right up through 2340, I was expecting my early game to go more or less like yours did ... but then the Sakkra made their out-of-nowhere surprise appearance in 2341 with heavily-escorted colony fleets, and it changed the whole complexion of my game.