[spoilers] Centauri alpha female

[Iskender]

A brief update on what has happened since turn 2200:

Discovered Mass Driver and started constructing Thermal Boreholes. 5-6 built so far.

Discovered Holographics and Planetary Networks. I wanted to try some spy ops vs. Mardoc, but it seems that presence of a 'defending' probe team prevents any operations.

Discovered Fusion Power for Nuclear Reactors (a building that halves maintenance including hydroponics maintenance) and for Navigation I and II for Submarines.

Mardoc uses Drop Troops to defend bases. I have no means to tackle them (yet) so I've changed the doctrine. I'm hiding:

There are several subs with Stealth and Deep Pressure Hull in Pirate seas and several more near Pirate borders. The subs also have that +25% vs Boat and Infantry promotion (Photon Wall?) and Combat I, which makes them stronger in trenches than unpromoted Drop Troops (5.4 vs 4.8 if got the % modifiers right) and not so bad vs Deep Pressure Hunters (5.4 vs 6). Not that I'm going to use those subs to fight. I'll try to keep pillaging and hiding while researching Fluid Dynamics (=aircrafts and missiles).

[Iskender]

I pillaged 21 Pirate improvements, mostly mining platforms (including one on oil - a happy resource) earning about 300gp. Too bad that units lose Invisible after pillaging. That wasn't part of the plan

[Iskender]

I'm likely to spend the rest of the game in always war.

THIS IS SPARTA!

Stay tuned for updates.

[spellman]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Iskender]

Another 12 improvements pillaged. I even captured a little base defended by a single Submarine:

[Iskender]

Year 2134

Skirmishes with the Pirates. Mardoc sank 2 of my Subs and pillaged 4 improvements, I sank a Sub and a Hunter. I've been also softening the defenses of two Pirate bases, which should keep Mardoc alert (and maybe a little bit paranoid).

[Qgqqqqq]

ANy plans for a full attack?

[Iskender]

There's going to be one sooner or later - the InVitros are getting bored. It might not be aimed at the Pirates though.

[Iskender]

Year 2135:

Bunkers are quite fun. Even more so if their range is 4.

Precision (a special ability) is even more fun. Here's my Submarine picking off a damaged Sub in a Pirate base.

My assassin Sub won and retreated to Morgan Polysoft. In total, this turn I sank a Pirate Sub, Hunter and IoD and lost one Sub. I'm still mostly focused on economy (building Formers and Nuclear Reactors) and on getting aircrafts.

[Iskender]

Year 2136&2137

An assassin Submarine destroyed a Pirate Bunker:

Not a huge win per se, but it shows how sea warfare is going to look like: collateral and killing off the most damaged units. I'm quite looking forward to that


I planted a Probe Team in one of the northern Pirate bases. Not sure what to do with it, steal a tech maybe?

Also, I am no longer the most powerful faction:

Mardoc's panicked military buildup elevated him to #1. Which is very good. He built maybe 20 Hunters, almost none of which with any decent set of special abilities/promotions. I think this pillage raid idea has served its purpose, without it Mardoc would have been like ~1000 hammers, several dozen worker turns and who knows how many beakers ahead.