Imperium 12: Slugfest turned into victory

[TheArchduke]

I had a great game, and the difficulty in waste cleaning sure made this a rough ride, if not for some big luck right at the start.

First of all I turned planetology research down, never to be upped again. I started off as usual but soon become involved in a slugfest against the Klackons which proved to be a boon as several other races seemed to have taken a severe dislike on them.

After countless fights with laser frigates (and laser frigates with better CPUs, woohoo , I managed to beat the Klackons back from right my doorstep. From Berel The long version comes now:

2304

I colonize Paranar.

2312

Trying to assess our immeadite surroundings the Klackons smoke my scout.

2313

And the next turn my 2nd scout dies to the guardian. As this is going to be an extreme adventure I begin to build LR Las guys. Judging from my experience with the Meklars you can´t wait till you max out. Meklon slowly starts on a colony ship, Paranar on LR Las ships.

2334

Jinga is colonized.

2335

Zoctan in the south is visited by Psilons, Bulrathis and Klackons. My lone LR Las ship holds them off. Hopefully in time to snatch the 5 planets I can colonize without planetology.

2344

Kakata to the south is colonized. I am unbelieveable less fast then with the Klackons and a ultrarich planet.

2346

Berel is colonized by the Klackons, a colony ship escorted by 30 small ships. Not good. Trade is started with the Klackons.

2350

War starts with the Klackons. NOT good. I upp weapons research to Hyper-Vs and begin to erect bases, my only chance.

2353

Zhardan is colonized. I also start to massively spy on the Klackons, who knows if we are at war I might benefit from it.

2354

Immeaditly I suceed, gotta love the Computer advantage. They only got Propulsion and Planetology techs. Ah well. Already half of my production goes to cleaning up planets.

2365

I start bombing undefended Berel with some LR Las I squeezed out whilst teching to RObotic Controls III. Yay, more pollution!

2366

Deep Space Scanner is stolen from the Klackons. The KlackonFleetofDoom arrives at Berel. My one laser/CPU I small hold him off.

2372

Anti Missile Rockets are stolen and I actually manage to beat the Klackons. Frantic buildings of laser ships has brought the Klackons to the peacetable. I decide to continue bombing Berel and steal techs nevertheless.

2381

Berel is slowly whittled down. And a huge espionage success. I get REDUCEDWASTE80%. A much needed tech.

2383

My own research nets me neutron pellet guns and nuclear engines. Coupled with the fusion bombs by the Klackons, I can build some serious ships. (Well semi-serious)

2389

Berel is exterminated and contact with the Klackons is lost shortly. (Class III shields were stolen shortly before..)

2390

Contact re-established thanks to our new colony at Berel. Niceties exchanged and we decide to prolong the war and espionage mutually.

2407

My forces loose berel to a 500 Laser ship fleet. I decide to not let them take over Berel and design a shield 3 anti laser ship design, nearly impregnable. In the midst of the war Whynil turns poor, hah take that Klackons!

2412

Well, they weren´t impregnable enough, Berel falls. Peace is declared, though I won´t accept it. I immeadilty begin building a new fleet, colony ship.

And in 2412 the Council vote comes up.

ME versus the Klackons. And they have made many enemies, we get the Human votes, the Klackon votes and the Psilon votes and WIN.

Well that was sure lucky!

[TheArchduke]

In any case, I like my early win, but I felt like I was robbed a good game by that vote, and so I decided to play on. And it became much more challenging and fun this way.

2409

The date where I drop back into the game, this I won´t accept the victory and play on (because this variant deserves playing through.

2410

Once again, I loose Berel.

2412

As expected all the galaxy leaders want me to rule, only the Klackons without a minority to block me vote against me. I decline the nomination and don´t vote for myself this time around.

2415

I bomb down Berel with my new Las 2.0 design (as they have no shields, I decide to forego the pellet guns again. And colonize it in

2423

A fleet consisting of 120 bombers with rockets, 5 large and 420 small ships is barely beaten off by Berel. The high losses bring the Klackons to the peacetable, I accept as Berel is down to 8 pop and I finally need to stand it up.

2425

This vote seems me loosing by 1vote, as the bears decide to abstain. Which only shows, how lucky I was the first time around.

2435

Reduced Waste 60% comes in and my empire goes into tech mode, as the Klackons seem to shoot past me. My fleet is good in the defense, but the Klackons tech advantage especially in armor makes an offensive impossible. Especially as I am not able to take over planets.

2453

No stolen tech since 30 years, despite a 6% investment, the espionage efforts drain my economy. Thus I decide to go for war while I still can.

2454

Berel, only 20 pop, becomes rich. Yay.

2465

I steal ECM IV and go for Incendius, west of the Klackon homeworld. Way too late, I fear.

2486

My ragtag fleet together with a gravitonstream, autorepair Huge bombs Kholdan into oblivion.

2488

Incendius burns under my 2nd huge and my fleet at Kholdan reinforced by another Huge is attacked by the Klackon main battle fleet. 140 large, 500 mediums..

50 Large with Blast cannons means my huges are nice but no match for this fleet. I retreat, leaving Kholdan agian.

2489

Incendius and Kholdan are burned to a cinder.

2491

I colonize Incendius with my main fleet and make contact with Alkaris, Bulrathis and Psilons. Finally. Relations with Psilons and Alkaris are at peaceful thanks to my attacks on the Klackons. I start trading with all three and ally with the Brains. The Bears stab the Klackons for ECM IV.

2492

I defend Incendius and find the planet to be totally polluted. Nicely within the theme, though the Klackons made the mess. I focus everything on keeping that base now.

2493

Zoctan and Kholdan are bombed into oblivion by me. Psilon ship help me defend Incendius.

2498

I burn a barren colony on Arietis.

2500

As the humans are now my adversary in the galactic senate, the easy days are over.

2502

And the Alkaris turn their back on me as the Psilons demand a dow from me on them. Not wanting to loose them, I dow the Alkaris, who are allied with the Humans. Gone the easy days with only the Ants as an enemy.

2507

The Humans make contact and I immeaditly bring them on the Anti-Klackon side of the galaxy, asking them to dow Alkaris and Klackons. For Anti-Matter bomb they accept. Easy choice.

2510

Another race has 12 planets outstripping all others.

The HUMANS. Not good, not good. Despite the fact that I gain a third planet of the Klackons which is terran: maretta, I start to worry. I decide to exterminate the Klackons and Alkaris for good to gain more planets then the Humans.

The Humans also use repulsor tech making my graviton huge ships obsolete.

2512

An espionage success against the Bears turns to naught as I can only get Planetology techs. Damn.

2513

Another only planetology espionage against the Ants. DAMN!

2514

Altair is bombed into Oblivion and recolonized in

2515

2517

Disaster strikes:

The Psilons demand my dow on the Humans. There is no chance I could survive that war and protect my 4 new colonies (without bases) that I gained from the Klackons. I decline.

2518

Espionage planetology success against the Brains, I decline. I reduce my espionage budget from 14% to 2 % aimed only at the Humans.



2520

Things really go down the drain. My spies get me neutron blaster and fusion beam from the Humans and Klackons and the Humans immeaditly dow, making the galaxy an all out war anarchy. I design a new ship and pray that I can hold on to the planets I got.

2521

My carefully trained 8 spies strike success after success against the superior Humans.

2537

After many turns of burning, the Klackons are no more and 7 more worlds are mine. As the Humans don´t want to make peace, I assemble a taskforce near Altair to bomb SOl to dust.


2546

Sol is taken. And Altair burned down by the Humans who manage to get by my bases.


2550

Altair is retaken and I decide to peace the Humans.

2551

Altair is sporebombed by the Psilons.

2561

I try to burn Mentar, but the Merculite missiles of the Psilons are my doom. They are the only one in the galaxy not missile understrength, I up my espionage efforts to them to 6%.

2563

Incendius is nearly lost due to my vulnerability to Death Spores and my missile weakness.

2569

I loose total control as the Humans redow me and they are allied with the Psilons..

2570

Better news, I get merculite missiles making my bases worthwhile again.

2575

Altair is burned down again.

The Psilons insane tech advantage make things more and more difficult.

2576

I stab the Alkaris for peace with the Psilons. Now I just need to kill some for my diplomacy to work again.

2583

The Alkaris are done.

2584

I manage peace with the Humans and Psilons, who are allied. Now I try to bomb some Bears to get one of them on my good side.

2594

Without my doing the Psilons dow the Humans.

I immeaditly dispatch ships to hmmm, well whom? I decide on the Psilons as I need help to take them down.

2595

I bomb Mentar! Finally as their fleet is gone, my Phasor 5.0 design can dent their PULSON (ugh) bases.

2600

I own 18 systems. The game seems won finally. Especially as the new high energy focus makes my fleets unbeatable.

2612

After burning some Psilon colonies, an alliance is forged with the Humans.

2616

The final straw.

Adv Damage Control, High Energy Focus and Plasma Cannons, the end of the humans is near.

2624

The Psilons are done and victory comes with the next voting round.

[TheArchduke]

After the thrilling, or boring writeup on the fly, some more comments from me.

First of an excellent variant and a true challenge. I hope it was ok that I reloaded and replayed 3 turns to have 2nd go at this game.

The amount of espionage successes I had to turn down, the impossibility of planetary invasions and the huge production loss early in the game sure made this game a memorable affair. Despite that, the key to victory was once again a huge self-repair design and constant espionage.

Also I haven´t had ancient wars (las popgun fighters pitted against each other) in a long time. I forgot how cute those wars can be.

I also nearly screwed up the diplomatic game when the Psilons dowed the Humans. As I expected both would turn on me sooner then later. But still in the end I got my deserved (and not so lucky victory vote) With 2 races notably absent.

[dathon]

Good game Archduke I don't think anybody will mind you going for an alternate victory. We routinely turn down diplomatic victories in SG's. One thing I would say is I think you started building ships way too early out of Meklon. I'm all for building colony ships alongside the last 20-30 factories at a homeworld, but 2313? I think that really hampered your growth curve. Given the isolated start, I actually think that gong to 200 factories before col ships was the right move. But still, a good game nonetheless.

dathon

[sargon0]

Good idea to continue past the early winning vote. As you say, it was a challenging theme and fun to play out. Well played.

[RefSteel]

I hope it was ok that I reloaded and replayed 3 turns to have 2nd go at this game.

You won't hear any complaints from me! After finishing the game with good early luck of a different variety, I went back and replayed the whole thing from the beginning! I agree that it was a very enjoyable game - well worth replaying, indeed!