Imperium 36 - Z Extreme

[Zieman]

Start: Scrap unnecessary ship designs, pour reserves to speed up industry. Build a couple of fighters to scout the nearby stars.
2305: Kakata (the nearest one, big red 2 pc to east) was empty, but Rana (big green 3 pc southeast) is Terran 105 !
2324: Meklon at 211 factories, time to open research with 20 RP & build a couple of Colony Ships. Helos is Terran 95 another 2 or 3 pc southeast from Rana, other nearby stars harbour one Barren, one Tundra & one Inferno planet. Have to keep those small laser popper stationed there, Silicoids & Sakkras are included in this game. We're lucky to not have Psilons or Klackons around this time.
2325: Add one Dead (southern white Keeta, pop 70 max) to the mix, yeah. BC 2, Waste 80%, Shields 2 & Gatling Laser forced on me, took IER over Barren and Range 5 over Range 4.
2331: Our first colony, Rana established.
2336: Uh-oh, Sakkras already have 8 colonies, while our 2nd colony ship is still enroute...

2338: Helos colonised, whee.
2342: Waste 80% pops, IIT8 only choice.
2348: Chased away Bulrathi Colony Ships from two eastern planets (Desert 45 & Terran 90 U-Poor). Shooed Silicoid Scouts from same systems earlier at arrival. Very much doubt that I can colonize either, just hoping to stall the AI a bit since they got a head-start what with having initial fleets intact and we not.
2351: Range 5 pops, but IER refuses to, just sits there at 10-12 %. Nuclear Engines now in the pipeline.
2360: GNN reports us to be the most bacward race technologically, no surprise there (especially as this is Impossible difficulty). Finally IER pops, Controlled Tundra next. Gonna crank up some more factories on Meklon too.
2362: Oh yes. Silicoids take the U-Poor planet. I'll try to grab those 2 Desert worlds (one east, one south of Helos), let's see how it goes.
2364: Yay, the rocks agree to 50 BC trade. Don't want to trade any tech though. Wow, Artifact planet northeast. Too bad someone has alredy scouted it, and it is beyond our range for now.
2365: BC2 -> BC3
2373: Desert worlds colonised, Meklon maxed out. Beta Ceti colony brings us in contact with the lizards, now with 9 planets against our 5 (of which 2 brand new).

2375: Damnation, Silicoid poach the Artifacts world, single Scout couldn't withstand the missiles of their Colony Ship. 5 Scouts were enough to stop them taking that Barren world close to us.
2381: Gatling Laser, yay! Ion Cannon next. Runaway Sakkra to fend off, doesn't look too good. Let's just hope they piss off the others enough to stay off my back for a while...
2383: Tundra & Speed 2 pop. T+20 & Inertial Stabilizer next. Sakkras agree to trade 125 BC.
2386: Personal Deflector Shield up, Class IV Shields next. 1-laser small fighters destroyed a Sakkra Colony Ship at Keeta (Dead 70).
2389: ARGH! Damned rocks appeared at berel with a HUGE escort ship with their filthy colony ship, on same turn as my Tundra 2 went there. Looks like the planet grab is over for me, time for lots of turtling.
2390: As tempting it would have been to glass Berel now, I can't afford a war with the rocks yet.

2396: BC3 -> Improved Space Scanner.
2400: IIT8 & IT+20. ARU & Inferno next. Dead planet (soon) lost to Sakkras, too many large escorts. Let's see if I can hold the rocks off long ebough to take that Inferno planet myself.
2401: Whee, Silicoid poach Keeta right in front of the lizards' snouts! Ugh, cheesy alliances about . Traded IIT8 for Hyper-V rockets wit the rocks, wouldn't want to get caught with only Nuclear Missiles to play with...
2404: Whoop, Ion Cannon pops, Ion Rifle next to boost our feeble gropos.
2410: Improved Space Scanner -> BC4 & Inertial Stabilizer -> Speed 3.
2418: Inferno Landing OK. Bio Toxin Antidote upcoming.
2420: Against all odds, I get to colonise two Inferno planets: Exis pop 60 and Lyae pop 35 Rich, yippee! Sakkra-Silicoid Alliance seems to have ended and lizards have a task force of 45 million colonists to take over Keeta, there's gonna be a war soon...
2423: Yes. Exis is mine. And noooo - Sakkras & Silicoids are allied again! Shields 4 pop. Ugh, no Planetary Shield V, have to settle for Repulsor Beam.
2424: Ion Rifle -> Stinger Missiles. Vote next turn?
2425: Nope, no vote yet.
2427: Sub-Light Drives -> Fusion Drives. And contact with Darloks. Started trade for 200 BC with them. Upped trade with Silicoids from 50 BC to 300 BC. Did some risky trading: swapped Inertial Stabilizer for Class V Planetary Shield, T+30 & Duralloy Armor, then Tundra landings for ECM 1.
2434: Building shields everywhere, keeping base construction on at low levels.
2435: Ouch, according to GNN we have second biggest population - doesn't look very good.
2445: AI Alliances seem to come and go, have to hope that when the vote comes, they won't all be allied with Sakkra. Got Automated repair Unit and Fusion Drives. Waste 60% & Range 8 next.
2449: ECM4 & Stinger Missiles. -> Advanced Space Scanner (what, no IRC in the tree?!?) & Anti-Matter Bomb.
2452: Bio-Toxin Antidote ready. Going for Controlled Radiated Environment.
2455: Traded Bio-Toxin Antidote for IIT6 and Neutron Blaster.
2462: Radiated landing ok, Atmospheric Terraforming next.
2466: Advanced Space Scanner -> IRC5 (finally!) & Range 8 -> Range 9 (blah). Sakkras have a scary tech lead.

2472: Anti-Matter Bombs -> Ion Stream Projector.
2475: Atmospheric Terraforming -> Advanced Soil Enrichment.
2480: IRC5 finally! Going for BC7 next.
2486: Here comes the vote! To my luck, it's the rocks vs. the lizards. I abstain, and the game continues.
2487: Darloks want to test our defenses, pretty nasty looking fleet trying to glass & recolonise Nitzer. We'll get some new Nexus battleships there asap and buld as many missile bases as possible.
2488: Yech, down it went. 2+2 Huge ships loaded with Omega-V Bombs & 31 Large ships loaded with Pulson Missiles & Omega-V bombs - no hope with so feeble shields we've got. Starting to look grim for us.

2489: Had to protest such barbaric action. Got 1125 BC as compensation and they left the planet for us to rebuild. Note to self: when we're ready to start rampaging, Darloks will go down first.
2495: Up to this point I thought I could pull this off, but not those damned slimeball rocks have sent their death fleet to Kronos.
2496: Phwew, a quick threat made Silicoids change their mind, and give us a little cash. But alas, Plague broke at Meklon.
2499: Darloks again after Nitzer, and so seem to be Sakkras.
2500: Another Sakkra-Silicoid tie in the vote. Darloks listened to reason, and gave us Omega-V Bomb plans to compensate for our inconvenience. Sakkra fleet worries me though...
2501: Blah, slimy lizards used biologicals to glass Nitzer, couldn't keep their cloaked ships away from the planet.
2511: Got Advanced Soil Enrichment, T+60 next.
2513: Darloks glass Silicoid U-Poor planet .

2514: Sakkras declare war, I rally Silicoids and Darloks with me, hope it is enough...
2517: Could barely hold off a Sakkra death fleet at Helos. Another, bigger fleet just ran away from Beta Ceti???
2524: Rana glassed by Sakkra death fleet. Managed to destroy one 100+ stack of Large missile ships, but another one was too much. Finally something not so positive for the lizards, they got a computer virus.
2528: Smaller fleet annihilated at my rich planet. Colonised Rana again, retained 500+ factories (bug?). Silicoids & Darloks agree to Non-Agression pact, hope they abide by it, especially concerning Rana...
2529: Well, the rocks didn't, so I had to threaten the shapeshifters, their fleet is too big to fend off with our current resources.
2532: Oh dear. Sakkra main death fleet striking Rana. They refused my peace offer, and the diplomat's gone.
2534: Rana glassed & colonised again.
2537: Nasty, now Bulrathis lay a claim on Rana too.
2358: Blah, Cloaking Device pops. Planetary Shield XV next, but I fear no realistic chance to get it in time to have an effect on anything.
2540: Finally, Sakkras agree to peace (after giving a bit cash & some obsolete techs to appease them).

Managed to save Rana from the teddies, hope the lizard fleets turns away now that we have peace again...

2542: Whoopee, Sakkra fleet didn't attack! Still hanging on.
2544: ECM7 -> IRC6
2457: Probing Sakkra fleet turned away at Rana without attacking, phwew.
2550: Vote me against Sakkra. Everyone else rallies behind me, but still not enough votes to win. I could have scored some easy brownie points by voting for Sakkra emperor, but accidentally voted for myself . Relations still good, my tributes when suing for peace seem to pay off.
2551: Another probing attack reduced base count on Kronos to 45 (from ~115). Hope the XV Planetary Shield comes online soon (already at 5%).
2557: Yeehaa! Class XV Planetary shield pops, making my missile bases immune to Stinger Missiles at last (only Class VI Deflectors known to us). Personal Barrier Shield next, being optimistic I dream of future conquests...
2559: Bulrathi temporarily colonise (Sakkra death fleet 1 turn away from it) the U-Poor planet, enabling brief diplomatic contact. I swiftly trade IIT4, Plasma Cannon & Class VII Deflectors from them, giving Cloning, Bio-Toxin Antidote & Cloaking Device in return.


2562: Phasor -> Pulson Missiles.
2563: Tritanium Armor & Ion Drives -> Adamantium Armor & High Energy Focus. Bulrathi destroy the comet threatening their Misha Colony.
2569: T+60 -> Universal Antidote. Every planet protected by 110+ Tritanium Armored Stinger (Soon to be Pulson) Missile Bases unde Class XV Planetary Shield & Class VII Deflector Shields. Sakkras seem to be busy harassing others for now .
2574: Pulson Missiles, at last! Gauss Autocannon next. Wonder if we get a vote?
2575: Nope, no vote.
2580: High Energy Focus -> Sub Space Teleporter.
2581: IRC6 -> BC10.
2584: Gauss AC -> Neutronium Bomb.
2595: Universal Antidote -> Advanced Cloning. Darlok up their trade to 1545 BC, I start trade wit Bulrathi for 850 BC & up my trade with Silicoid to 950 BC. Tech trades net BC8, IIT3, Advanced Clonig & Complete Terraforming, costing Universal Antidote, IIRC6 & IIT3.
2600: No vote year 2600 either. Going to try my luck wit Orion once we dispose of the Space Crystal heading our way.
2608: Neutronium Bomb -> Plasma Rifle.
2609: BC10 -> IRC7. Orion, here we come!
2611: Oops, our fleet wasn't up to the task. And Sakkras decided to wage war.
2615: Looks like we're doomed - depends on what do those 32000 medium ships carry.

2616: Tri-Focus Plasma & High Energy Focus. They retreat, phwew!
2622: Stole Industrial Waste Elimination from Sakkras. And captured Vox! Got major tech: Class XX Planetary Shield, Sub Space Interdictor & Neutronium Armor.


Class XV Deflectors being researched now.
2623: Lyae rebels. Vox glassed by Mauler Device -wielding Huge lizard ships.
2626: No vote. Plasma Rifle -> Mauler Device.
2627: We glassed one Rich Sakkra colony. Unfortunately a death fleet with 32000 Large ship is going to strike Rana this turn. Uh, peace might be in order...
2628: Peace Treaty makes Sakkra fleet turn back. We colonise Klystron & have to resort to threatening to turn Silicoids away from it.
2629: Contact with Alkari. Start trade for 650 BC. Exchange some obsolete techs, mainly to up Planetology level.
2632: IRC7 -> ECM9.
2633: Sub Space Teleporter -> Intergalactic Star Gates.
2637: Class XV Deflector Shields at last. No more techs to choose from Force Fields, same with Planetology.
2639: Traded IRC6 for Neutron Stream Projector and Lightning Shield for Hyperspace Communications with Bulrathi.
2643: Mauler Device -> Pulse Phasor.
2644: ECM9 -> BC11, Star Gates -> Inertial Nullifier.
2650: No vote.
2652: BC11 -> Oracle Interface.
2654: Pulse Phasor. Now only some skipped over Weapon techs left + Hellfire & Plasma Torpedoes.
2655: Inertial Nullifier -> Trilithium Crystals (Range 10).
2674: Sending a fleet to Orion again.
2675: No vote, but an Amoeba enters the galaxy.
2676: Orion is mine, yay! Got Death Ray (duh), Technology Nullifier, Disruptor & Megabolt Cannon - bwahaa, no better engines... Bulrathis kill the Amoeba.
2685: Hellfire Torpedoes -> Plasma Torpedoes.
2694: Darloks go crazy, they declare war!
2697: Oh well Sakkras & Bulrathis want war too. Time to start some major glassing.
2699: Will there be a vote?
2700: No vote this time either. Glassed one Sakkra world, Altair .
2707: Bulrathis destroy the Darlok empire.
2713: Several Sakkra colonies decimated. Established Vulcan (Artifacts) and will colonise Sssla next. Peace with Bulrathi, traded Warp Drive from them for Industrial Waste Elimination.
2724: Sakkra empire lies mostly in ruins. Meklars are 'outstripping' the other races with 17 colonies according to GNN.
2730: Sakkra empire is no more.

Others don't like it, Alkaris declare war & Bulrathis issue threats.
2731: Now Silicoids declare war, and we get to steal tech posthumously from Sakkras (bug?).

Proton Torpedoes gained. .
2737: Cryslon Nova event not too severe.
2739: We take one Alkari planet, teddies declare war.
2742: Ursa captured.
2746: Captured a couple of Silicoid planets. GNN tells me that we have now 27 colonies.

Silicoids want peace, I accept.
2748: A couple of nasty attacks on Kronos, me barely managing to build enough ships to defend it. Stellar Converter stolen from Alkaris.
2749/50: Alkaris vote me, Silicoids vote Bulrathi - Conquest victory! 66 vs. 29 of 95 (Alkaris had 2 votes, me having 64 of 95 which equals roughly 67% of votes).

2749 save attached.

[RefSteel]

Wow, that was an epic game! Quite impressive use of diplomacy in a game with (in this case) few or (in some other cases) no Council votes. I seem to recall that you limited yourself to the "Gentle" game last time, so it was neat to see you come in with an Extreme victory in this one!