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Blake
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Brainfallocatione
Oct 2000
time: 17:33
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This challenge was a favorite of mine, the premise is simple. Play one faction until it gets to the top of the power chart, then switch to the weakest faction. Repeat until victory is achieved.
The rules are simple, switch once your at the top of the power chart or after a century if your in the top 2. You must use the scenario editor to switch to the weakest faction. It is acceptable (but optional) to gift your new host tech only. Not bases or credits, unless this is part of your normal submissive reconstruction efforts. Keep in mind too many gifts will make them no-longer weakest 
Now follows the Story of my latest game: SMAC, thinker, large map, blind research
Miriam and Me,
the tale of a switching sides game.
I joined the Spartan Federation wanting to give that whole survivalist thing a shot, actually it was the only way I could get on the Unity in the first place. But anyway soon after planet fall I was appointed head strategist and power behind the throne. The continent was a large one, recon rovers were quickly constructed and sent east, where they found Sister Miriam and her Believers. A believer base was immediately captured, and Miriam met with me to negotiate a full surrender. The battle had been largely bloodless and the captured base was returned to Miriams control, the believers resumed expansion. I noticed that the Continent we inhabited also extended to the West, an Impact rover was sent over the narrow land bridge and almost immediately ran into a Peacekeeper Colony Pod, which was spared, but only because of a more tempting target to the north. The Impact Rover attacked the peacekeeper base, wiping out a score of scout patrols, yet Lal kept replacing them and eventually a probe team captured the Impact Rover.
At this point it was 68 Years after landing. My comm. chimed, and it was CEO Morgan. This was quite the surprise because even Santiago didn’t have contact with Morgan.
Morgan was in quite a fix. Turns out he was incompetent to the extreme and desperately needed some strategic advice. At first I wasn't convinced of the wisdom of switching from the Dominant military power to the weakest faction on the block. But Morgan threw in a Jacuzzi, and let’s face it; where else on Chiron can one find such frivolous luxuries?
So I boarded the next Chopper to Morgan Industries, a rickety old thing found in a unity pod which I had hidden away in case of emergencies, like Santiago wanting to behead her strategic adviser for allowing the Spartan Military to get bribed by the Peacekeepers.
Morgan’s empire was pathetic, two small bases, absolutely no trace of terraforming. Morgan hadn’t even heard of a Former. What’s worse, he had made war with both The Hive and University, and it appeared their forces were actively besieging Morgan Industries. Without delay I separated Morgan and positions of responsibilities. Then I groveled before Yang and Zak and got truces, in exchange for Morgan’s technology.
The Morganites were so delighted at having a new Leader that they forgot about their troubles [AI factions experience less drones] and set about forging a real faction, new bases popped up wherever there was room, soon the small peninsula was packed with bases. Dee of the Gaians completed the Empath guild and I was back in touch with my old pals Lal and Miriam. Lal isn’t the smartest guy around having forgotten about my role in ordering the invasion of PK territory and quickly pacted with me, although this might have been something to do with said Spartan forces, now under the command of Santiago ruthlessly crushing the Peacekeepers.
Miriam, bless her heart, was back at war with the Spartans. Although I had hoped Santiago would respect the surrender Miriam had surrendered to Me, and Me alone so the pact was resumed and much fruitful technology trading done.
The PTS SP was completed and the expansion continued, pushing back hive borders and even slipping between hive bases. Meanwhile Santiago had been continuing the persecution of the Peacekeepers, In fact it wasn’t long at all before Lal and his henchmen were forced to board the ACME Escape Pod that catapulted them to a nearby island. I called Morgan and demanded to know why I didn’t have henchmen.
Santiago was also crushing the Believer rebellion, but thankfully believer Perimeter Defenses halted the Spartan advances
While the Spartans spread like a disease across the Southern continent The Hive spread across the Northern Continent, soon exterminating the University and securing the entire continent except for Morgan Peninsula. Yang seemed to be getting increasingly agitated with his borders being pushed back by Morganite expansion, and I decided that the inevitable Hive-Morganite war must be started on my terms. Superstring Theory and D:AP were appropriated from Hive datalinks and overnight the Morganite empire switched to producing military, the Morganite probes besieged hive bases, bringing down the perimeter defenses and Morganite infantry charged in. Soon after Morganite researchers discovered Fusion Power, here was Yang’s greatest mistake – in killing Zak he had lost access to new technology. With fusion reactors the Morganite war effort entered full swing, SE was changed to Fundie/Simple/Wealth and cheap fusion chaos needles entered production. Yangs fission forces dropped like flies, the Morganites power soared past the Hives rapidly plummeting power. Lal stood staunchly behind me, despite the odd lecture on the evils of fundie blah blah blah. Miriam, my ever faithful friend, continued to hold ground against the still dominant Spartan empire, even as it crushed the peace loving (although not Morganite loving) Gaians.
In the following years the Hive was crushed by Morganite forces and reduced to a shadow of it’s former self. The Spartan War machine exterminated the Gaians and had bought the Believers to their knees, just one base Terribly Swift Sword, barely afloat and it’s existence slightly prolonged by the presence of Morganite chaos noodles.
Then the evil witch Santiago gassed Terrible Swift Sword. It was year 2266. Also in this year another important event happened, the Morganite air force launched a full-scale assault on The Hive and it’s bounty of secret projects. The Hive fell to Morganite forces. Miriam, now huddling at the remnants of Terrible Swift Sword begged for salvation from the evil Spartan Empire. I had no other choice, the final surviving Chaos-noodle protecting Terrible Swift Sword collected Sister Miriam and her Henchmen (DAMNIT WHY CANT I HAVE HENCHMEN) and flew them to The Hive, which was immediately transferred to Believer control along with it’s score of SP’s and another Hive base containing a SP, I also transferred a portion of the Morganite airforce. The Peacekeepers were now firmly in at the bottom of the graph (it may seem I’m flaunting the rules by saving Miriam with gift-giving so I don’t have to control her… I am, but I also like Miriam this game).
In year 2267 after transferring all Morganite tech to both the Believers and Peacekeepers I boarded my flight to UN. Planning Authority; the new UN Headquarters. It and 4 other small PK bases are situated below the vast Spartan Continent on a small island, only a narrow channel protects it from the vast Spartan land armies.
Lal welcomed me at UN Planning Authority, I had gained some respect for the man, after all he had survived all this time, Lal’s first action was to remove himself from the leadership position, putting the fate of the UN Peacekeepers and the free world firmly in my hands.
I rang Morgan who was in a great mood, having his faction returned to him in a fairly secure position, the war vs The Hive won if not quite done. He had enemies across the sea, but things were looking swell.
Then I rang Miriam, who had a treaty with the Peacekeepers, she immediately offered a pact now that I was in charge. She told me my PK democracy was godless but I know she didn’t really mean it.
And that is where this installment ends, I have control of the PK, who have no infrastructure as such but a multitude of useful technologies to exploit, from fusion to orbital spaceflight to environmental economics and a cash reserve of 800 that Lal had been saving for a rainy day (the unity core had just been salvaged). Starting with just the 5 small pathetic PK bases I must bring the Mighty Spartan Federation to its knees and their evil leader to my personal punishment sphere.
Last edited by Blake on 07-01-2004 at 15:31
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07-01-2004 15:26
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