29-07-2005 09:54									#31
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Update on building the AV at Ironholm

If we send the flying gin freighter there, it, plus 2 crawlers and 60 credits will instabuild it. And it's no cheaper (there) to wait for upgraded crawlers, 'cos we'd still need two, one of which would need to be upgraded for 90 credits)

But AU needs a Research Hospital prolly before FS needs its Hybrid Forest (but, of course, the FS HF would eliminate the ecology problem we have there. In several openings of the turn to look at data I kept getting mindworms - even a locust swarm (4) at FS, so we need to be on the lookout for that problem)

But if we upgrade, say, 4 crawlers to synthtrance ECM (110 minerals, at 120 each to upgrade) or to simple synthtrance (80 mins, 90 each) we'll be in good shape for MM'ing in the next few turns

	29-07-2005 16:54									#32
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Observations:

quote: we ready the invasion fleet for Operation JumpJazz

Shouldn't we keep all ships in the range of Angel planes inside our harbors for the moment? A penetrator would toast them and they're expensive and long to get.

quote: I changed all the formers that were building a mine on a rolling rainy farm towards building a condenser.

Aaaaaaaaahhh!! The Messena Syndrome!! Aaaaaaahh!!
(If it were for me, we would only plant forests, and build mines on rocky tiles, while waiting for MMing facilities to make the most of it)

-- An H-F at Fort Sup isn't mandatory but would largely outweighs its cost, even short-term: immediate anti-ecodamage, massive boost in economy and in labs, and green light to go to pop 16 and 40 mins/turn. I'd say now. Trying at all costs to reach the HSA is even more urgent now that we're at war (cause it seems we are! ) with the Angels.
-- If we instabuild the AV, can't AU wait 2 turns more if we build a CDF this turn (2 drones more quelled)?
-- Laconia has a lot of crawlers. If we want to upgrade crawlers before we cash the AAs, why not these ones? (or to MM at Gythium Harbor, Vlad or elsewhere).

	29-07-2005 19:33									#33
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Patel nudged his wife, Nathoo, and pointed out of the darkened window of the command squad rover as they swept through the suburbs of Arcadia Regional Command.

“That’s new,” he commented, pointing out the fortifications of the Perimeter Defense . “More troops around, too”

Nathoo nodded. She’d only been to UN Headquarters once before, shortly after she and Patel had been married, but even now her recollections were vivid.

“Much more order – less chaotic” was her terse comment. I don’t know if I like it, though. All that black – on uniforms, and so many weapons in evidence”

They rolled up to an imposing looking building, whose portico was embellished by a banner reading “Arcadia Regional Command Center”

Patel snorted. “That’s the old headquarters itself. Even that has changed. And look, across the square, where the old recreation Commons was” he pointed to an ugly, squat functional building that looked totally out of place among the sweeping spires and rounded domes of the former Peacekeeper office and administrative sector of the base. It had a more permanent façade, with the inscription “Naval Command – Southern Fleet”

Patel shrugged his shoulders – “I guess to the conqueror the spoils,” he muttered. “They can do anything they want to us – we were pretty defenseless against their military might”

The rover rolled up to the steps leading to the Command Center, and the driver hopped out and opened the rear hatchway for them to exit. A guard detail was waiting to escort them into the building.

“This way, please,” the guard commander said, leading the way up the stairs. “The Colonel is expecting you”

*************************************************

The Colonel was tall and graying, and rose to meet them as they entered the briefing room.

“Would you like refreshments?” he asked. “It’s been a long drive for you from Aid Station”

“Some fungal tea would be nice” said Nathoo.

“Done” said the Colonel, gesturing to one of his aides. “With ginger?” Both Patel and Nathoo nodded.

“I never did develop the taste for that”, opined the Colonel. “Personally, I prefer the kelpjuice with peppermint. I always though the fungal extract was better distilled.”

Patel nodded. He had tasted it, but it was a luxury on a farmer’s income.

After the refreshments arrived they got down to business.

“So, tell me in your own words what you saw,” the Colonel said, unrolling a map on the conference table for them to look at.

Patel began:

“Well, it was getting towards dusk, and we were in the fields harvesting the crop, and we first of all heard the noses – at first we thought it was thunder crackling, but looking up we saw some contrails – about 3 dozen or so, and they seemed to be arcing towards us. We then thought that it must just be aircraft on maneuvers – we’d seen the old PK airforce once or twice - but as they got closer we saw that they were smaller than that. In fact, as far as we could tell, they were individual sled like craft each with one person aboard.

“The bottom of the sleds seemed to be glowing, almost like the old Earth vidflicks we say of space re-entry vehicles, but that effect lessened as they descended. They landed pretty much within a square click of each other, in the forest just to the southeast of our farm.

Our son, who was driving out to pick us up, saw them too, and managed to get a somewhat grainy picture of them - we brought it with us. We cant afford holo equipment, and as I said, it was getting dusk, so the quality’s not that great. But at least you can make out what’s what”

The Colonel’s ears pricked up. That hadn’t been in the report he’d received after his agents first interrogaed the couple and their son.

He tapped a key sequence on his control pad, and a small recess appeared in front of the couple, showing several insert bays.

“Let’s have a look, then,” the Colonel said, “third one from the left”

Obligingly Patel reached into his pocket and inserted the filmtape in the receptacle, and sat back to watch again.

“He started filming right after the noises – which of course we now know were sonic booms”

The Colonel nodded, and looked intently at the screen.

They resembled a small meteor shower, as the glowing specks ahead of the contrails grew larger, heading across the southeastern sky towards land, across Drogue Narrows.

As the ablative heat skids cooled, the glow lessened and the figures got larger, coming into focus at what seemed a couple of thousand meters or so, in a graceful parabola across the evening sky. They descended finally out of sight of the camera into the forest in a tangle of skids, broken branches, scattered equipment and the occasional short fireflare as the dry timber caught remnants of the re-entry heat

“Interesting”, the Colonel said, then thanked the couple who were then taken to their accommodation for the night.

*************************************************

After they left, the Colonel turned to his team of staff and adjutants.

“What do you make of this?,” he asked

One tapped some keys, and a spreadsheet repalced the grainy film on the screen.

“Here’s what we know, Sir,” she said. “From our intelligence files on probe teams. They are similar to ours”.

quote: #PROBE TEAM Complement: 16 Counterintel suite: ShieldSafe V 6.0 Armament: Cyberlinks\mind control Armor: Passive (Applique)

“As well as what we know about drop technology – available to the Angels since the discovery of Mind-Machine Interface”

quote: #DROP PODS Desc.: Aircushion LCs Effect: Can make airdrops Limits: None Domain: Land

The Colonel looked across the table at his staff.

“Threat report?”

One staffer replied:

“Angels, no doubt of it. Interesting what they have done. If it were just one team, then we have the capability of interrogating them and sending them scuttling home, but by stacking the teams like that it’s not an option we have.

“Thus, definitely hostile. Arrowed towards either Aid Station or Arcadia Regional Command. The former would be my guess as they are adjacent to our road network. Took some damage on landing – around 10%, but definitely elite units.”

“Recommendation?” asked the Colonel. “Essentially a let them be or a destroy them choice, as I see it.”

The staffers nodded in agreement.

“Sir, I say we take them out,” replied his senior aide. “We can’t just let them roam around our territory like that. Their action is tantamount to declaring vendetta on us.”

The Colonel nodded. “Are we all agreed?”

One by one the Crypteia executive nodded.

“OK, then, I’ll put it to the Junta. Meeting adjourned”

*************************************************

Horst gunned the engines as the Skanky Sileni Division rovers swept out of Aid Station on the road south towards the forest.

They too had seen the contrails and heard the sonic booms, but hadn’t been close enough to see what had transpired,, but the early morning briefing had unraveled everything.

The division rode south in silence – preparing for battle. They understood that it wasn’t the same as dealing with mindworms – the Angels probe teams didn’t use psi warfare, so essentially they were unarmed against the might of the rovers, but Horst was talking no chances, and had deployed his division in battle formation.

As they climbed the hill to the south they could see the top of the monolith poking out above the trees.

“We’re getting close now,” he said into his throatmike. “Increase vigilance”

“Objective in sight – engage individually, but report your targets”

The Angels probe team members could be seen in the forest, having set up camp as they waited for further instructions and healed their minor injuries sustained upon landing.

Horts’s commanders sang out their intended targets.

“Engage” said Horst

As one, their muzzles roared and the probe team operatives were scythed down.

“Threat removed,” Horst reported to the Base Governor. We are returning to base”

At Arcadia Regional Command Colonel Googlie got the news, almost simultaneously with the threat alert warning on his console.

He turned to view it, and with a half curse half chuckle activated his commlink to Colonel Maniac.

“Pedro – Scott here. You’ll never guess what happened. Some artificial intelligence program residing on Gaian software has responded to our surgical operation against the Angels by automatically declaring vendetta on us. This whole mess that the Data Angels started looks like having Chiron-wide repercussions.

“Ah well, we’ll talk to them – I don’t know if that’ll be their official position, or just a programmer’s error. Prepare for the worst, though.

“Googlie out”

	29-07-2005 19:43									#34
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quote: Shouldn't we keep all ships in the range of Angel planes inside our harbors for the moment? A penetrator would toast them and they're expensive and long to get.

arent ships in harbors even more weak to needles then on open sea? or do we have air cover?

and what is the idea with the invasion force? a raid or a full flegded invasion?

	29-07-2005 19:44									#35
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quote: Originally posted by vishniac Aaaaaaaaahhh!! The Messena Syndrome!! Aaaaaaahh!! (If it were for me, we would only plant forests, and build mines on rocky tiles, while waiting for MMing facilities to make the most of it)

Ah yes. With the Ascetic Virtues a tree farm strategy becomes more profitable than a condenser farm strategy
The condensers currently under construction or already built are no waste though. Even under a tree farm strategy, some condenser farms are necessary, to bring in some extra nuts to bases that support specialists for drone control reasons.

quote: Trying at all costs to reach the HSA is even more urgent now that we're at war (cause it seems we are! ) with the Angels.

Ah is that still possible? What is the plan to achieve this? I thought that due to the surprisingly fast research rate of the Angels, and the fact that they're researching Pre-Sentient Algorithms (which we know becaus of the PK info!!!) the Angels already have the HSA in the pocket.

Edit: cashing in the artifacts I see.

	29-07-2005 20:14									#36
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quote: Originally posted by Googlie The thought was to build it up as our Arcadian super city (being the HQ, no energy loss was appealing) The tomcats in that triangle - SC1 - SC2 - GH have a slew of rainy tiles t9o farm/condensor for pop growth (note the trance policeman there, so we don't need to upgrade to a cdf - there's a couple of these around now)

I agree about popbooming SC1 asap of course. But how about popbooming Olympus Academy first? That base already has a rec commons, so it'll be less costly right now than popbooming SC1 which would require a creche and also a rec commons.

	29-07-2005 21:07									#37
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Here's a turn with some worker shifting done. I activated all crawlers that weren't working mines and then checked if the base's needs could be fulfilled by workers only. Which we can. Seems to me we have lots of crawlers available we could use for MMing if we want.

Attachment: acdg3-sparta-2181mid2.zip
This has been downloaded 1 time(s).

	29-07-2005 21:46									#38
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Another idea: we need some SAM missile rovers in Arcadia!!! Is it not the usual maneuver to stack invading units with a needlejet, which can only be taken out with a unit with SAM (and SAM needlejets don't work well because they will attack at half-strength against the strongest defender)? I wouldn't rule out a fleet of Angel 6-3-1 drop troops and penetrators invading south arcadia next turn. Thus, I propose we upgrade our 6-1-2 to a SAM 6-1-2 and keep it back out of penetrator range, but still in position to pounce when needed. Also, aerospace complexes? How quickly can we get those up where we need them?

Are we really considering an invasion of the Angels? I'm thinking we better switch over to fundy before we try that. One thing is certain: infiltration is priority #1. If we can manage to empty any bases, we need probe teams there ready to capitalize on it.

Edit: This could be a possible diplo message to the Angels:

"We regret to inform you that your drop probes in Spartan Arcadian territory have been neutralized. Unfortunately, we had to declare vendetta in order to remove the probe teams. In our view, this vendetta need not persist. We greatly appreciate your mindfulness of our concerns regarding the Angel needlejet that srecently trayed into Spartan territory, and we hope that our cordial relations can continue. You must understand, however, that we find the presence of foreign probes on Spartan soil to be unacceptable under any circumstances whatsoever. It is only natural that we responded as we did. What would you do if Spartan probe teams landed next to one of your bases, stacked, no less, so as to preclude a simple interrogation and peaceful removal? I am sure you would not tolerate that either. Thank you for your understanding."

Last edited by Zeiter on 29-07-2005 at 22:06

	29-07-2005 22:05									#39
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quote: Originally posted by Zeiter I wouldn't rule out a fleet of 6-3-1 drop troops and penetrators next turn.

We can't have drop troops. We haven't researched (stolen) MMI yet.

quote: Are we really considering an invasion of the Angels? I'm thinking we better switch over to fundy before we try that. One thing is certain: infiltration is priority #1. If we can manage to empty any bases, we need probe teams there ready to capitalize on it.

It's time for serious brainstorming and planning now, and it deserves its own thread.
However, I agree infiltration is paramount.
About Fundy: in 6 turns (and I hope 5 with MMs efforts) we'll know whether we get the HSA.

	29-07-2005 22:11									#40
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Oh no, I meant seeing a fleet of Angel drop troops. That's what I'm worried about.

	29-07-2005 23:39									#41
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quote: Originally posted by Zeiter Oh no, I meant seeing a fleet of Angel drop troops. That's what I'm worried about.

Remember that it is a) very espensive for them and b) easy to counter. The second part looks like this: We have enough cash to radically improve our offensive cababilities in areas where we already have the numbers. The recently conquered UN territory is one such area.

	30-07-2005 00:23									#42
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May I suggest building the Ascetic Virtues in Fort Soup, and next turn a hybrid forest?
That way we won't have to spend unupgraded crawlers that are working mines, if we built it in IH.
The hybrid forest could then be built next turn with the fungal gin freight.

Also, what do we want to build in Fort Buster?
Some options:
a tree farm for builder actions
a F-6 for more air defense

	30-07-2005 00:25									#43
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Should we put a treaty in the Morganic and Gaian diplobox?

Edit: Updated, but I made a little mistake. I sent a crawler to harvest minerals on a forest, but then realized the crawler was homed to the rioting base GH, meaning production is stalled. So I changed the crawler to harvesting a single nutrient.

Edit2: Second mistake; should've moved the fungal gin freighter to the AU condenser farm.

Last edited by Maniac on 30-07-2005 at 02:02

	30-07-2005 00:53									#44
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I think an F-6 at Fort Buster is much needed. We could potentially have a 3 vs. 1 situation very soon.

Edit: Building the AV at Fort Sup sounds good. As for treaties in the Morgan and Gaian diplo boxes, wouldn't that seem a bit...desperate on our part? I don't know. Maybe it's a good idea.

Last edited by Zeiter on 30-07-2005 at 00:59

	30-07-2005 00:56									#45
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I'll crawler-hurry one then, and hurry the one under production in OA.

	30-07-2005 01:34									#46
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It could seem desperate.
But we don't have to send a Treaty offer to Morgan: we already did in the last offer we are waiting an answer for.

As for Gaians, deflecting the automatic vendetta would also be in their best interest: they are the weakest link and we could well play 'cold war' with the Angels (each one on his own continent) while sending the amphibious force eradicating the Gaians!! If someone could tell it to them in some diplomatic way...

	30-07-2005 02:01									#47
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I've done all that I could for the builder part of the turn. The turn is now sent over to Arcadia Regional Command for some military action.
(Production in Central and Southern Arcadia isn't hurried yet. I'll also leave that to the military turnplayer to decide.)

Attachment: acdg3-sparta-2181mid4.zip
This has been downloaded 2 time(s).

	30-07-2005 06:04									#48
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Unit moves

naval

• Slow trannie in the Straits of Thebes crosses to just offshore AU (with its AA cargo)
  
• Foil transport and SNC Heimdall (cruiser transport) in Southern Arcadian ocean move southeast and are joined by the SCC Minas Tirith – flew the B-6 at Kel out to provide CAP
  
• remaining foil transport sails for Kel Harbour, anchoring in the bay
  
• SNC Mercury, with its AA cargo, sails north to the Tegea Fjord estuary, accompanied by the SCC Iaci
  
• SCC Vlademorei commences relocation south to the Angels theater (anchors east of Mendelev College

Last edited by Googlie on 30-07-2005 at 07:48

	30-07-2005 06:25									#49
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quote: Originally posted by Googlie do we want to spend some credits this turn in upgrading crawlers?

If we want to spend some cash on crawler upgrading, I'd suggest two crawlers between FL & TH, so we can use them for tree farm hurrying. If we still have too much cash after that (though we need to keep some in reserve if we need to upgrade some units to SAM next turn), a crawler near Argos would too be neat.

	30-07-2005 06:27									#50
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Btw, love the story.

Will we post it in the general forum, as explanation of our vendetta?

One minor suggestion, how about changing the commander of Skanky's Sileni from Horst to Major Burns?

	30-07-2005 06:34									#51
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Done - (see the "Sisterhood of Chiron" thread.) Changed Horst to Burns, and added some fluff about our lack of options, along the lines of Zeiter's post above

	30-07-2005 06:38									#52
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quote: Originally posted by Maniac If we want to spend some cash on crawler upgrading, I'd suggest two crawlers between FL & TH, so we can use them for tree farm hurrying. If we still have too much cash after that (though we need to keep some in reserve if we need to upgrade some units to SAM next turn), a crawler near Argos would too be neat.

- and at Argos* we want to rush a NN for cashing in that AA on its way north (the northern AA will cash in next turn at AU)

* unless we want to rush an NN at Vlad - it's got a better minerals base and would replace a crawler much easier than Argos could - but of course, when FS gets its HF it can prolly produce a crawler per turn

But do we upgrade to just trance, or trance-ECM (see the dif above in an earlier post)

	30-07-2005 06:45									#53
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For tree farms a trance-ECM would be best. The 11-row crawler fits perfectly for hurrying a 12-row tree farm. For an 8-row network node an 8-row trance-only crawler also fits perfectly.

	30-07-2005 07:44									#54
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Rushed the CDF at TH for 5 credits, and upgraded the central crawler there to ECM trance - we can instabuild a tree farm next turn and take advantage of the creche there

Upgraded FL's nutcrawler to ECM trance. it too has a creche already, so a Tree farm next turn would be awesome

(good planning to instabuild a handful of additional cdf's in Northern Arcadia to take advantage of our +2 POLICE rating after the AV becomes active)

Upgraded Argos' crawler on the AU mine to Trance - MM a network node there next turn for the AA coming in

We have 19 bases producing a unit next turn, so should get a significant stockpile energy boost in 2182

If we are happy with the diplo mesages in the boxes, the turn is now final and can be sent on (offered Treaty to Morgan, Gaians and the Angels, with an "apologies - you gave us no other choice" message to the Angels re their probe teams)

Attachment: acdg-3 - sparta, 2181 final.zip
This has been downloaded 2 time(s).

	30-07-2005 10:07									#55
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There being no comments or other considerations, the above turn is indeed final, and has been sent on to the Gaians

	30-07-2005 12:39									#56
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quote: Originally posted by Googlie (the northern AA will cash in next turn at AU)

Don't we want to wait until we get AMA?
It would double our chance to get PSA and the HSA.

	30-07-2005 13:25									#57
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I think waiting is better. Thanks to the Angelas, we already have something to instabuild. No need for a new one, yet. Especially if we can get a better boost that way.

	30-07-2005 18:05									#58
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quote: Originally posted by vishniac Don't we want to wait until we get AMA? It would double our chance to get PSA and the HSA.

Isn't it the same either way? It's 3 techs whatever we do - the one we are currently researching and two AA'd ones.

But if we wait, I suggest we try to get Centauri Empathy from the Gaians, Bio-engineering from Morgan, and AMA and MMI from the Angels, even if (with the Gaians) it means giving them, say, 3 techs for the 1 they have that we don't have. That way we maximize the value of the AA's by not researching something that others have (but I doubt that the Angels will trade anything to us, now that we have gone ahead and built the Ascetic Virtues)

	30-07-2005 18:35									#59
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I don't know the mechanism by which an AA gives a tech.

So, I'm afraid:
-- that it could give us AMA, thus wasting more than 1000 lab points accumulated.
-- that it wouldn't give a tech without all its prerequisites already researched, thus excluding PSA from the list of possible ones.

	30-07-2005 21:41									#60
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If the AA does give us AMA, then that's good, because we get to choose a new tech to research, and all of the lab points carry over. In fact, that would be ideal, because then we could research PSA and have the HSA very quickly.