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The Black Swimmer


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Superlative is your voice, young song brother.

 

Thank you, dear friend. There are people who would fiercely disagree though. :D

 

I hope you are right at least from the AAR point of view.

 

We are doing far better than I thought we would. Hope for the Song remains and our goal really is an all-allied victory.

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Strange that Zuul are so close to each other and still none joined forces.

 

True. Probably this is caused by our empire and Hivers standing in between, so they never had any conflict amongst each other.

 

I will not complain, especially since Zuul CH is almost identical to Hiver CH, which is very close to ours. We're building as many colonizers as warships! happy.png

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This is more or less a research update as nothing much was going on for the last few turns.

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh, sooooooo much candy...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-75.jpg

Antimatter was already researched with whole income going into labs. We have enough money
reserves to both research at maximum and build warships at the same time. It will be quite
a technological leap.

First the ultimate drive tech, so that we will have all AM ships going at the same speed.
Phaser PD is always welcome, most of all against Zuul where all support ships have boarding pods
included. It is not funny destroying their fleet, thinking that you are over the worst when
support ships start dropping into the fray - when suddenly half of your fleet is under Zuul
command.

Another jump to advanced DNs, then we cool off for a while. Absorbers researched at normal rate.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-51.jpg

What we know of.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/Turn158stateoftheempire.gif

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Blue Zuul empire (The Chosen) has really gone into stations. Which is probably what cost them
everything else. Nevertheless stations (and a constructor) make for a nice view. While they last.

(click for large pic)
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-91.jpg

Research goes into communications.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-76.jpg

Cruising through clusters far away from home, beautiful worlds are found. This one will make
a great outpost among Morrigi colonies.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-72.jpg

Comm research is very fast with our income and it also gives us a surplus that we can use on ships.
Older fusion ships take ages to get anywhere - speaking from a current perspective. Plans are made
to retire whole fleets and replace them with new ones. Scuttling whole fleets can be a huge waste
of resources, the impact of which will be lessened by Zero-G deconstruction.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0013-36.jpg

Knowledge is the key to success. Knowing others' colonies is a large part of that knowledge should
it come to war. Our recent research venture is used to secure a NAP with Morrigi. This way we can
visit their colonies and get to know them a lot better. From a practical point of view one does also
not need to keep a constant watch over what the destination of our scouts is. With only a ceasefire
a scout that ends up at a colony can start a war.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0016-34.jpg

First alliance is forged between Humans and Morrigi. We have NAPs with everybody except Zuul.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0017-27.jpg

Yes, Zuul. We do what we can to speed up our conquest in their clusters. Also it is an element of
role play to research what we can to prevent the total slaughter of Zuul. In SotS ][ a part of Zuul
joins Liir and starts to live a lot different from their current savagery and scavenging. To put it
in Liir terms, they join the chorus.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0026-17.jpg

Trade income surpasses other forms of taxation.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0033-11.jpg

First large fights start as orange Zuul (The Nameless) build larger fleets. Luckily they are still
behind us in technology so mostly battles are controlled by our forces. The Nameless also suffer
from their early research decisions, like very early dreadnoughts. Especially from not going for
Armada CnC and using those dreads properly.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0039-7.jpg

Our friends have wishes. A small fleet of three ships was formed and used to aid them as fast
response forces where we can.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0040-5.jpg

The Chosen are offered a way out both on an empire and colony level. So far they refused them all.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0041-4.jpg

It is high time to take a walk on the wild side. Research is thrown into what has been our goal from
the start, a Liir only technology added with ANY. You'll need to read a bit more to find out what
it is, unless you have guessed it already. Luckily, our research tree is really rich and we are not
stopped by tech tree sadorandomizer. I got a bit scared when fusion projector was researched but
our desired link did not show - than I remembered that this link is very likely to have other
demanded prerequisites. Later on those.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0044-2.jpg

Throwing a quick look at the former Tarka colony reveals that it is already making money. Hivers
are more numerous than our own kind as they were able to settle the colony much sooner. Also, it is
ideally bugformed. Hmmmmmm, perhaps I should fiddle the sliders to allow a full Hiver population.
Anyway, the Tarka that are left are happy.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0052-1.jpg

Love these little touches Kerberos made. I don't want to know what this Zuul must have thought about
while floating in space, spending his last seconds looking at a huge dreadnought that ended his dreams of pillage.

(click for large pic)
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0055-1.jpg

Second Tarka cluster and Human cluster are being intensively explored. This is mostly done by "Morje"
(Sea) class refinery cruisers that brought our exploration/colonisation fleets this far. They can
travel very far so there is no need to give new orders to ships with lesser range all the time.
The distance between the two clusters is 91,6LY, a distance that can be travelled in mere eight turns
with state of the art engines.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0056-4.jpg

I have no idea why, but I just remembered that it would be wise to send a propaganda cruiser to all
empires - BEFORE wars break out.

Last piece of the puzzle is added.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0060-3.jpg

The Nameless surprise us with an attack further from their territory than we thought they would
travel. While defences are scrambled I remember that we have Hiver gates at that colony... Why not
make use of those? A phone is used, nice words are chirped. And we are refused. When the fight begins,
Hivers have a huge host present.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0058-1.jpg

But what it does is protect the gates.

(click for large pic)
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0069-1.jpg

Finally we dive where no other can. Shield projector is a step towards Shield focusing, which gives
us a Protectorate ship mission section. Put on a cruiser it can project an Mk3 shield over destroyers,
on a dreadnought it can also cover cruisers. A fully armed cruiser force, additionally shielded by
a protectorate, is definitely something I want to see. BTW, have you recognised shield projector?
It was nicely seen in the Peacekeeper Enforcer vids, where PE deploys those little shield hats on the
strings. They will be used on our ships, too! A forward looking moving all-stopping shield projector,
costing us a large turret but able to stop a barrage of heavy combat lasers, must be seen in action.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0078-1.jpg

Our intermediate goal is reached. Playing a hard AI game I was afraid even this would be unachievable.
This deserves a full design screen. A "Materin objem" (Mother's Embrace) dreadnought.

(click for large pic)
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0081-1.jpg

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Meson shields only stop energy weapons. Zuul are fielding heavy stormers quite a lot - those meson
shield sections could break like paper. For now I'm quite happy with all-around versions. Both meson
and mk4 shields are available but protectorate section gives all surrounding cruisers a free mk3
shield, at no loss to their original armour and firepower. Something I wouldn't want to pass, especially
since it is a Liir-only technology. Oh, and projector looks really cool!

A lucky break in a form of a salvaged technology! What a difference a turn of research can make.
Expert systems are immediately on the menu.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-79.jpg

Hmmmm, this alliance does not seem to be very stable.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-57.jpg

Cloaking is snatched for a case of needed covert ops, sadly advanced version is not available. Fusion
warhead is the first in the row of colony defence strengthening techs, also we need an alternative should
enemies start fielding absorbers.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-52.jpg

Our colonies dot almost all clusters.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0018-29.jpg

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After meson shields are grav shields which stops all ballistic weapons

 

And no energy weapons. One would need a very specialized enemy to field any of those. I guess meson shields are useful much more often as heavy combat lasers are the standard in SotS but frankly I like ships with more firepower and less shielding. They make a nicer show! ;)

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But now you are sacrificing DN firepower for some protection. It would be easier to sacrifice some CR firepower in command section than whole Mission section for DN. And remember that Armada CnC have enough CP to add one DN and few other CR's.

 

Also during my Morrigi play I said that 2 Messon Shielded barrage type CR's stopped 5 Tarkasian Dreadnoughts without taking a scratch. Sure I was using Meson Projectors and Pulsed Grav beams but the ammount of DN firepower and shields didn't even flinch.

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Also during my Morrigi play I said that 2 Messon Shielded barrage type CR's stopped 5 Tarkasian Dreadnoughts without taking a scratch. Sure I was using Meson Projectors and Pulsed Grav beams but the ammount of DN firepower and shields didn't even flinch.

 

Damn, I'm convinced. It seems almost cheating (against the AI) but hey, it's hard AI... I'll definitely go with projectors and protectorate first, just for the looks of it all, then meson. Especially if peace scenario fails. Ehm, even if it does not fail, I'll probably provoke a war from a saved game after finishing the AAR. I play Liir so rarely that I wouldn't want to end it too soon.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally our first alliance is forged. Hopefully this is just the first step in the making of
a galactic peace.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-92.jpg

Becoming an ally also means sharing all information. Humans reveal all the missing data on their
and also Morrigi colonies.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0012-42.jpg

Currently we have two strong alliances.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-80.jpg

The number of Hiver members of our societies is large enough to drop all overpopulation. With
these many Hivers they will fill the void fast and our trade won't suffer too much.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-73.jpg

Research on the planetary defences is halted for the time being. Let's see where beams take us.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0006-53.jpg

Zuul remind me that the time of fusion ships is over. The remnants of the fleet take refuge and
await scuttling. What we have left from fusion fleets is put on guard duty, only until our
advance forces arrive and go past them.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0017-28.jpg

Hm, a Hiver ship just hanging out there?

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0019-28.jpg

No, it is a missed farcasting effect. Not that it is a problem at the moment but knowing Hivers
have farcasting is essential.

In The Pure's cluster (what is left of it) we find a nice surprise. It seems as though they lost
their HW at some previous event. Soon this will be a huge thriving Liir colony.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0020-24.jpg

Incredibly, beams go all the way. I see pulsed graviton beams for the first time.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0015-32.jpg

The Chosen can stand our pressure no more.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0022-20.jpg

As Zuul have a CH almost identical to ours, there is no scouting. We send colony ships to all
worlds that we have not yet explored. We grab the main prize, most worlds with infrastructure
almost intact.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0031-10.jpg

Morrigi decide to join us! We welcome fellow singers.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0023-35.jpg

Propaganda cruisers, Poet class, reaches the last of the empires and weaves epic songs of pain
that lead to universal peace and harmony.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0034-8.jpg

Research takes us further.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0036-9.jpg

Then suddenly a weird fight is started. Our intel was unable to tell who is friend and who is
foe before the fights started, but then Morrigi drones took of in the moment they spotted - us!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0045-6.jpg

I can only speculate what caused them to fall from alliance to hate this fast. Perhaps the Poet
at their world was writing worst songs ever or perhaps they just aren't into singing and wanted
us to shut up. More likely though it is a result of Morrigi seeing all our colonies and freaking
out. They didn't scout any of our clusters earlier so it must have come as a shock to them to have
30+ colonies revealed, and new ones appearing each turn.

At the same time, The Pure stopped struggling. Mostly the result of Humans and their swift advance.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0047-4.jpg

We need to achieve as little bloodshed as possible. For now ceasefire is enough.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0054-3.jpg

I hope Morrigi will get over the shock soon and realize that winning with us is much better than
fighting against us. Not really a happy ending of the update, but at least we have prevented the
war for now.

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Finally we catch a glimpse of our "Materin objem" protectorate DN in action. First of all I was surprised
to see that shield projector only projects a single umbrella. Frankly I was expecting something in the range
of Peacekeeper.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0056-5.jpg

Whole protectorate thing proved to be very micromanagement demanding. You need to babysit the formation like
crazy, especially when you do not want the DN to be overly exposed. Not to mention rotating ships that lost
the shield to the back until it is back up, then back to the front etc... One of those toys that followers of
RTS will love. I don't.

We have all the toys we wanted before constructing the love and joy of SotS ANY, a flagship. Voilà!

(big picture)
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0058_velika.jpg

Research speeds on.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0061-1.jpg

A try to prevent further bloodshed. A failure.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0065-2.jpg

Just an illustration of what trade sectors look like in a huge galaxy like this. Trade view is only helpful
as far as checking the sectors' numbers for each cluster, so that you can manage trader construction in the
specialized trade sector listing, a really useful tool.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0069-2.jpg

As somebody was kind enough to give us drugs, we take measures to keep them under control. And a jump to
HPMs, a real pain for our potential enemies. Orbital complexes are put on hold for now.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0073-1.jpg

A video update to help visualize all my rambling.

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In case you haven't noticed, you'll need to go to YT and enable HD to read the accompanying text in video updates.

Next few turns are mostly spent with grinding the last remaining Zuul empire and avoiding fights with Morrigi. And
research, naturally. The dark side of Liir, biowar. This is how we freed from Suul'ka, and if need be, this is how
we will achieve harmony in the Song.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0081-2.jpg

Researching bioweapons is always hazardous, even when you are not speeding up the progress. I sure don't need to
boost the labs but accidents happen nevertheless.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0087-1.jpg

Another weird fight is triggered at Pyyrus. What now? Morrigi aren't even there and it is an unclaimed world,
so we must have yet another enemy!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0082-1.jpg

But no, it turned out much differently. Morrigi ARE there, their ships cloaked.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0085-2.jpg

The fight was between Morrigi and Hivers, not us! Morrigi seem to be gaining enemies, I don't like the looks
of it. How are we to bring them all together? Another realization that came with the fight; both Morrigi and
Hivers use a mix of ballistic and energy weapons. Hivers already have impactors, too. Meson shields are kept in
reserve for now. So are our "Fotosinteza" (Photosynthesis) absorbers class DNs, two already built.

Battling Zuul, our flagship is used for the first time. No flashy showdown, Zuul are not capable of providing
a real fight any more.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0096-1.jpg

Research readies us for possible biowar. Nano virus is researched as a precautionary step for the predicted jump
into AI research.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0091-1.jpg

"Nemi krik" (Silent scream) cruiser class is designed. It has not yet been decided whether to build them in advance
and park them at every allied planet, just as an insurance.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0101-1.jpg

They will not be used against Morrigi yet though. If they can not be reasoned with we'll research further
assimilating techs for dragons.

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So you are fighting for world peace I see?

 

Being Liir, this is a part of role-play.

 

I'm definitely thinking about proclaiming myself for a god Suul'ka. Which would change the rules of role-play dramatically. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/smgoodbad.gif

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I definitively want the stuff he drinks.

 

 

 

 

Being Liir, this is a part of role-play.

 

I'm definitely thinking about proclaiming myself for a god Suul'ka. Which would change the rules of role-play dramatically. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/smgoodbad.gif

 

Right... tell to the other fish which were on war path in all my gameplays :P

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