109 replies to this topic

[Space Voyager]

Ok, it is no secret that AARs are the hot thing here at StrategyCore. In an attempt to lure people to this godforsaken part of the forum I'll start one as well! :blush:

This time there is no voting, we owe Human race enough as it is. Also this is how the Antiquarians scenario is meant to be played.

Why this scenario? It came in the latest 1.8.0 ANY update and it shows a piece of SotS][ in several ways.

I want to show you all that there is to see I'm going to play a normal difficulty game, I don't have the nerves for a hard game and loosing several times after all this time of gaming inactivity.

Let's set the game up.

Mind you, you can shift to HD if you want to read the scenario description easier. And see better in every way, naturally.

[Thorondor]

Amid the dust-covered surfaces a display blinks to life...

Strange imagery is conjured into existence, and a sequence appears to be initiated.

::

"System update..." a female voice utters - and, somehow, I know there is no turning back.

[Space Voyager]

You make it seem like Alien! And we know how THAT ends!

Just a quick description of the SotS][ tie-in; the scenario starts in fusion era and with cruisers available, also a lot of basic weapons are already researched. This is also where SotS][ will start. Also, if you read the scenario description, we need to put all the artifacts together.

I have a slight picture about what happens from the Kerberos forums but I have never played the scenario through myself, so it is new to me, too. I was hoping Kerberos would release another patch (and they probably will, but who knows when) to remove a slightly unnerving bug in this scenario, the one-turn ceasefires. This bug used to burden the whole game but is was patched in 1.8.0 and is (oddly enough) only found in this scenario now.

SotS][ is coming nearer and nearer, so I thought this would be a good time to do an AAR, patch or no patch.

[Thorondor]

One... to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them; a glitch in the system...

::

The artifacts. Find them - all of them!

[Space Voyager]

All races are participating in this dance.


Scenario uses real space map and our empire already spans the stars.


Just in case you wondered what it would be like to gaze upon the Sun from AC+ 71 532, this is it:


This is our mission:

We need to discover the artifacts with a deep-scan ship (advanced sensors are available) and so these are sent out all around.

Soon our scouts find other races.


Luckily not all of them are trying to kill us.

We'll have to learn their language, it could prove beneficial.

The tech tree is already quite branched with a lot of techs researched. This doesn't stop our scientists to fail at both techs we additionally researched.

I long for Tarka honour system, I want them DEAD.

[Thorondor]

Lots of religious-minded races out there, it seems (Faithful, Holy, Merciful).

Remind me again - what do the numbers at the bottom-right corner of each race's portrait mean?

::

As for our shameless scientists, I guess they're too busy dreaming up ways how to spend all that moolah on their next night out to focus on little ol' research...

[Space Voyager]

Thorondor, on 29th January 2011, 1:32pm, said:

Lots of religious-minded races out there, it seems (Faithful, Holy, Merciful).

Remind me again - what do the numbers at the bottom-right corner of each race's portrait mean?

Yes, Arinn Dembo draws a lot of the inspiration from religion. Not just Christian, ancient cultures and religions, too.

Those numbers are rankings, but what you see was taken at the start of the game, so IMO us being last is more or less a trick of the numbers, all players are probably equal, with minimal differences.

Thorondor, on 29th January 2011, 1:32pm, said:

As for our shameless scientists, I guess they're too busy dreaming up ways how to spend all that moolah on their next night out to focus on little ol' research...

They fail to understand that if they don't do good, they will not be able to spend that money... A coastal resort with ueber high radiation is hardly a good place for vacation.  

[Space Voyager]

Finally we discover our first artifact! It is on the fringes of the map.


Objectives are updated accordingly.


In terms of research we went for the biggest firepower boost available; Data Synergy. This way we get to field more ships. And the next tech will help build them.


The map so far;

[Sunflash]

Sounds like this setup might favor those who can think fast and react faster!

[Space Voyager]

Sunflash, on 30th January 2011, 6:06pm, said:

Sounds like this setup might favor those who can think fast and react faster!

I guess this is universal. Though fast reactions are somewhat abstracted in turn based games, abstracted to correct decisions in the given circumstances.

The artifact is collected! I needed to bring a research and salvage ship "Delavnica" [Workshop].


A few turns later it is towed to our Sol.


Now the game has turned into more conventional waters as nobody can win without out artifact. Now we need to collect the others, probably a bit harder to do than this one.

We'll most likely need some missile defences (didn't we always), so we go for it.

[Space Voyager]

A non-update. So far one research was completed on time. All the rest were late. Gotta love SotS sadorandomiser, the bloody bastard.

[Thorondor]

Bludgeoning hopes and budgets since 2405 ™

[Space Voyager]

:laugh: True, so true...

After researching fusion warheads we went for some diplomacy.


I don't want to end up fighting everybody. And we already have good relations with Morrigi.

The rest of the update would be a lot of writing that would mean very little to you without some graphical representation, so it may as well be a movie. Comments are given with SotS inbuilt system, so go for HD and read. Don't forget the pause... Sorry for mistakes, I noticed some after already filming and didn't want to start again. :blush:

BTW, I'm not sure about that ceasefire bug... My ceasefire with Morrigi seems to hold just fine.

[Thorondor]

Green visibly grows, as green will - but take care to watch thine back, homunculi, lest tables turn...

::

Next up: think pink - a plush, spacious place to expand towards...

p.s.: I sense a disturbance in the force - might there be an artifact over yonder pinkness?

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[Space Voyager]

Yes, Morrigi are expanding fast. I'm sure those can't all be worlds with ideal climate hazard so some colonies are probably needlessly draining their economy.

All artifacts seem to be on the fringes so yes, Morrigi probably have at least one as well.

For now I'd rather stay on their good side, I have my hands full with Zuul and Tarka. But we will be colonizing some less ideal worlds in our back yard as well, just to prevent Morrigi from doing so. And they would be able to, as they sent me a message


I accepted as this will make our life "in the North" a bit easier, also we will be able to travel past their worlds, scouting a lot more of the map and colonizing a world or two that were out of reach right now unless we started a war.
After the Morrigi xeno research was over, I proposed an alliance.


No go. Perhaps this is even better for now.

We go for trade.


Second Zuul colony falls.


Currently we are mopping up Zuul reinforcements that came to aid their worlds. Our first military goal is definitely eradication of Zuul. And populating their space.

[Space Voyager]

Trade researched!

Same view, in political and trade view.





Pretty cool, right? Now we can peacefully commit to trade and prosperity, right? WRONG.

Incoming Zuul fleet.


Incoming Tarka fleet.


And, as if all the sh.. decided to land on us at the same time, the damn overgrown canaries decided to cancel our NAP, while our fleet of some warships, colonizers and scouts was en-route past their colony... I hoped us not destroying it would help so we held way back, only using PD, but that didn't convince them. In the next turn they opt for war.

And they have several ships going towards our colonies, some of them completely new and defenceless. Even a DE scout can destroy them...

I was too shocked to record the downfall of diplomacy.

This is the only logical answer.


Meanwhile we construct ships wherever we can, mostly arming them with mass drivers in a hope to stop them before they can get to our colonies.

[Thorondor]

So, the scheming xenos show their hand... appendage, whatever...

They no doubt hunger for a certain artifact in our possession, and might have allied to secure that prize, perhaps distractedly plundering and picking apart our modest domains in the process as a bonus.

::

Such boldness, though misguided, should not go without proper reward, wouldn't you say?

[Space Voyager]

Thorondor, on 3rd February 2011, 11:26am, said:

Such boldness, though misguided, should not go without proper reward, wouldn't you say?

Yes, reward... I'll look into it...

[Space Voyager]

Interesting. I load the game, end the turn and expect several fights against Morrigi. They don't happen... So I check standings and...



I guess it was not a ceasefire bug but a NAP bug?

Seriously, I don't know.

ANYway.

This is going to hurt enough.


First turn of third-world Zuul battle is over.


I correct the formation, so that assault shuttles are hidden at the start of the combat. A PD cruiser Podpora [Support] is put in front to destroy incoming missiles. These PD cruisers were put into service right after we researched PD, to supplement existing battle cruisers that had no PD coverage.


With some luck our CnC ship survives, otherwise we'd be in serious trouble. We only have one. Next to it is PD cruiser and there is a Zuul populated (read: infected) world in the background.



GAH. We stand at 0:2:quiteafew in terms of breakthrough:on_time:overbudget.

I'm thinking of opening a [real] champagne for the first breakthrough research.

This is gonna huyt.


Yup.


We will take it out on Zuul.

[Thorondor]

Such fear do we instill in our drained enemies...

::

Hmmm... wait a parsec - I thought you said no to bio weapons.

*loud alien snoring chorus*