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Seems like the Morrigi need a little lesson on "Lost & Found"; which can be arranged when they have a salvo of our missiles in tow as well... ;)

 

::

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0010-20.jpg

Yeah, baby!

 

p.s.: *oh noes, the major bender will render them even more useless* ;)

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The most noticeable problem we now have is the lack of a big weapon. Everybody is starting to field a lot of point defence and our missiles are becoming old news, so we go for the only (relatively) cheap large weapon. Also, this alone will not help, we'll need armour piercing tech as well and it is available.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0015-7.jpg

 

All our designs are updated to the researched node focusing, which you can notice on a new engine section with cool spikes and some added armour.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0016-13.jpg

 

In the southern front we decide to take initiative. We've waited for peace with Tarka long enough.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0018-10.jpg

 

Also we decided to punish Liir for their divine intervention.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0019-12.jpg

And we fail. I've seriously underestimated the defence forces at this Liir colony... We'll be back.

 

Ah, the view of a Tarka colony... Lit up by assault shuttles.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0021-10.jpg

 

But obviously they had plans for us, too! They sent 29 ships, and we also discovered an artifact at their HW.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0022-8.jpg

The speed difference between their ships and our ships gives me plenty of time to take a "defensive detour" through another of their colonies. But we sent a police ship that was takes along by mistake back to... raise the morale. People aren't happy with multi-turn fireworks over their planet.

 

Ha, no go. I'm guessing but it could be that one can't steal an artifact if there is a repair and salvage cruiser present.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0023-15.jpg

 

Than Liir remind me that there are colonies in the "north", too...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0025-9.jpg

 

We send a payback raid against their colony and try to build ships at our.

 

This... is not a nice sight...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0028-6.jpg

 

Our four missile cruisers weren't able to stop their bioweapons. This is bad... very bad...

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Thorondorus, excerpt from "Of Bright and Blight"

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/crying.gif

 

When I saw their fleet it really made me https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/smcomp_hate1.gif.

 

Than I remembered the comp is not to blame.

 

BTW, have you seen the results of our payback raid? That was a disgrace... The fleet at our size 9 planet was one of the earliest. I would have done better to scrap them and build new ones but I hoped to catch them off guard as they just sent a fleet towards our second "north" colony. That is no more.

 

I guess I'll have to film an update soon, the pics tell less and less as the situation changes.

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https://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101207231148/lotr/images/d/d0/Screen_shot_2010-12-07_at_6.10.31_PM.png

I so gazed into the stone and saw strange, distant things, far removed from what I knew ever to have existed; yet I did not fear the calling.
- passage from "Of the Seeing Stones"

 

::

 

Shrewdly pecked at from multiple sides. Best be careful not to overly disperse our available forces in too many fronts...

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Thorondor, you're an inspiration. And you always have something wise to say.

 

I just always have something to say... ;)

 

I'm not sure what to do in this position really. I'd love it if I didn't need to fight almost all of them. And the one I'm not fighting is the biggest threat. To even have a slight shot at ending the war on a front or two I'd have to invest into Xenotechs a lot more, with no guarantee of success.

 

Perhaps I'd try to convince Liir into a ceasefire, if nothing else it would give them a chance to start fighting Morrigi. They are at war but Morrigi are keeping distance and colonizing far and wide while I keep Liir at bay. OUR bay...

 

The Tarka only have one neighbour anyway. Who knows, perhaps they too would want some peace at their worlds.

 

Right now I've gone towards DNs in research but as far as I can see, we might not have money to build them anyway.

 

OK, writing this actually helped. I'll research the basic Xenotechs for Liir and Tarka and see if they consider peace a viable option. Researching for Hivers is not necessary as they can propose a ceasefire if they want to - they researched our Xeno.

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Full speed in DN direction!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-37.jpg

 

In tune with the https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/peace-and-love-033.gif epiphany a post or two ago I stopped the research and researched basic Tarka and Liir languages.

 

Both with excellent results! There will be more fireworks! ;)

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-26.jpg

 

Some fishes decide we piss in the water far too much for their liking.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-35.jpg

 

A Tarka scanner satellite in an... undesirable situation.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-34.jpg

 

And a Hiver gate in just such a situation.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0009-15.jpg

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0010-21.jpg

Well damn... They have 3 already, we have 1 and there is one at Tarka HW. The players are known.

 

Hivers decide to take a more active role. As Humans we have a big problem intercepting them.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0011-19.jpg

 

This too was a waste of time and resources.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0014-16.jpg

Reflective coating becomes less and less important as lasers fade from scenery, replaced by PD and better weapons.

 

I was sure the Tarka were investing all they can into pursuing our fleet ravaging through their territory...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0015-8.jpg

 

...but I was wrong. Their surprise attack almost destroyed our colony, making a dent in the trade network.

 

While our forces fight for their lives, Morrigi enjoy the view and count the profits.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0017-12.jpg

 

Finally I realize there remains much to be seen. But it takes small fleets of scouts to go past enemy colonies. At least some make it and explore the void.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0018-11.jpg

 

We continue toward DNs.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0019-13.jpg

 

What I did was prioritise the research until we got to 50%, which also meant to live in red numbers for turns and turns. Now we cut the research waaay down and hope for a breakthrough.

 

Red numbers started to affect our people as well.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0020-7.jpg

We build police ships and try to max the trade routes.

 

Both Tarka and Zuul front are doing just fine.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0022-9.jpg

 

Still, the war effort is hurting us the most. At least Morrigi got into an open fight with Liir. With some luck they may get back to war footing with Hivers, who they are NAPed with at the moment. That would be fun, with gates all over their planets...

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Addendum

 

The four contesting ship designs.

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-38.jpg

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-36.jpg

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-35.jpg

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-36.jpg

 

The heavy combat lasers are getting a bit old news and there is no development possible in that direction ATM. Considering speed there is little question. Also we are short on cash.

 

At least as our working horse, WE GO CHEAP!

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At the edge of the blade, there are those who part, and those that conjoin. Neither will be the same again.
- Councillor Yun Tsoo

 

::

 

Economy doesn't seem to have kept pace with the investment going into extending our reach. Might it not be the time to consolidate key positions instead of continuing to expand?

 

Soon, I gather, we will be holding the only artifact the Holy ones crave...

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Economy doesn't seem to have kept pace with the investment going into extending our reach. Might it not be the time to consolidate key positions instead of continuing to expand?

 

Soon, I gather, we will be holding the only artifact the Holy ones crave...

We did not invest to extend our reach, we invested to survive. The only ones we DECIDED to attack were Zuul (not much use trying to do anything else really) while both Tarka and Hivers made the decision for us. True, Hivers offered a NAP and I refused, not wanting their gates at all our systems in 20 turns. That didn't mean they had to drop the ceasefire.

 

New colonization is necessary though as if we don't take the conquered worlds, Morrigi definitely will. And profit from them, too.

 

After DNs and Armada CnC research will be redirected into non-military technologies, exactly the consolidation you wrote about. But these two will give us a big lead in military conflicts for the moment AND also allow us to minimize the losses! Those are the biggest draw on our budget, ships cost aplenty...

 

Than we can afford to research (and use, constructing a mining fleet is far from cheap!) techs like mining and finally use the resources that are lying around at uninhabitable worlds. Also megafreighters and on and on.

 

That reminds me, I need to prepare a new bunch of pics... ;)

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Aaaaaaaahhhh... THIS

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-39.jpg

 

was a NIIIIICE surprise... After a gazillion of failures... this happens in the second turn of lowered finances...

 

Just a couple of designs I was toying with immediately:

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-30.jpg

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0006-25.jpg

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-29.jpg

 

The last one will go into production not only because of the cost but also because it doesn't rely on heavy combat lasers too much, but having some included in the package is nice. At least it looks cool! ;)

 

First two are being built at our HW (the incoming Hiver fleet is up for a nasty surprise) and on Tarka front to help end the conflict.

 

The third will be built in near future on the northern front to fend off the Liir. The bastards.

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0009-16.jpg

 

Morrigi still don't trust us... I'm sure they know why. ;)

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-27.jpg

 

Full speed ahead!

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-37.jpg

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MUUUUAAAHAHAHAHAAA!

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0010-22.jpg

 

Also a Liir attack ended quite ok on the northern front, though it dragged forever...

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0011-20.jpg

 

Beauty itself.

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0012-15.jpg

 

A size comparison:

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0014-17.jpg

 

And there is another Hiver fleet incoming to Sol. Our DN is waiting, MMMUUUUUUAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHHAA!!!

 

MMMUUUAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAAA

Aaaahahahah

haha

ha

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0019-14.gif

 

ah

ahah

ahahahaaaA

AAAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAUUUMMM

 

Can't I just become a supreme ruler of the universe and everybody would bow to me?!?! DAMN DAMN DAMN!

 

And we have no Armada CnC yet... Nor will we have one when their fleet arrives... I am pretty scared as there are two kinds of DNs in their fleet so it is pretty likely that they DO have Armada CnC...

 

The Kladivo [Hammer] DN from the Tarkan front is rerouted.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0020-8.jpg

 

The design that seemed dysfunctional at the (previous) moment, having no big targets to aim its extreme number of heavy combat lasers into, is put into action.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0025-10.jpg

 

All DE guard ships in the vicinity are sent to Sol to add to outnumbering bonus. It is not like they are extremely useful with randoms at 0 and no DEs flying around any more...

 

This does NOT help.

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0027-7.jpg

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Ok ok, an early update!

 

I found this Hiver DN at another location:

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-40.jpg

 

This is a Feeder class ship, so the same class as THIS Feeder:

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-31.jpg

 

No additions in naming like mk.1, that could be VERY deceiving as the AI does try to trick the player this way. No additions means the same ship.

 

Mind you, that is NOT a CnC ship. It is a blazer - battle bridge (I think) ship, so the incoming fleet has either no Armada CnC or it has 3 armada CnC ships, which is unlikely. Even with 3 CnC DNs it would mean seriously lower combat capabilities, so we probably stand a chance.

 

From that same battle; the gate destroyed, let's get our ships out of DN's range!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-38.jpg

 

On another front, we leave our ships in the asteroid shadow as Zuul still rely on missiles a lot.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-37.jpg

 

Luckily only one of our ships was caught in this... Introducing node cannon.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-36.jpg

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Unless... I do something stupid...

 

I except! For now this is a blessing.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-41.jpg

Actually I'm not even sure if we can jointly win the game. Perhaps we can!

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-39.jpg

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-38.jpg

 

We get the second DN from a ship number bonus!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-37.jpg

 

And I was right! No armada CnC!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-32.jpg

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-30.jpg

 

In the second turn things go well...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0006-26.jpg

 

On the sensors screen I can see that they have a DN and a CR fielded. Naturally I assumed it was a CnC CR and a battle DN. But... you see... they didn't have any more CnC ships... And I was just a second too late to realize that, the idiot. These are HIVERS, remember?!?!??!?!?!?!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0011-21.jpg

 

I managed to destroy only the control section of the gate. The gate remains.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0015-10.jpg

 

This could be a game breaking error. Seriously... who knows what will come flying through the gate in the next turn... If they managed to acquire Armada CnC in the meantime, we are screwed. SCREWED!

 

Not bad enough?

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0017-13.jpg

 

Still not bad enough?!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0014-18.jpg

 

And lastly, on another side of the galaxy I do better, BUT I could do a WHOLE lot better.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0019-15.jpg

 

I attacked their colony and remembered (too late) that it would be wise to let the gate survive. This way the Hivers could send a relief force to their colony instead of an attack force to our homeworld... Now they can't. Too bad.

 

On the side;

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-28.jpg

That is interesting because the damage done by HCLs seems lower than expected. Really, these first tier HCLs may not be the best option any more.

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I'm fully in the "one more turn" mode, so known from X-COM... Can't help it, so you end up reading volumes and volumes of updates. :laugh:

 

SAVED, AAAAHAHAHAHHAA, SAVED!!!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0020-9.jpg

 

The only good gate is a DEAD gate!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0024-11.jpg

 

The game diplomacy deteriorated into an alliance bug (allies, not allies, allies...), meaning that (I think) it is no ceasefire, NAP or alliance bug, it is simply a diplomacy bug. Guessing here, but it seems as though the game diplomacy falls into flip-flop when it is on the edge of a decision between the two options. Or something.

 

Trying to get further on the good side with them, I help in their defence. They didn't ask for this help so I'm not sure this will help at all.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0021-11.jpg

 

Liir show up with a shield that I have never seen yet (and I played the game A LOT, considering). Our beams seem to be completely stopped. Luckily it only covers their front, just like deflectors. Checking the tech tree, they also branch from deflectors and stop all energy weapons, so these are an energy image of deflectors, named Disruptor shield.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0027-8.jpg

 

I can't believe I'm dragging this Zuul offensive for this long... Finally we go after their home.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0029-5.jpg

 

I'm sure the Zuul are not enjoying the view as much as we.

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

 

Guess which research was finished...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0032-3.jpg

An Odrešitev [salvation] class CnC dreadnought.

 

We research some techs we should have long ago, but survival didn't let us breathe.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0031-3.jpg

 

On the northern front, where we fought Liir previously, the combat continues, but with Hivers. This is where the Hivers colony I wrote about leaving the gate alive is. Hivers launch an offensive from a neighbouring colony. Leaving it near defenceless. A mistake.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0037.jpg

 

A large part of Sol defence force is shifted to Tarka front. Launching a large fleet against our biggest colony in the south, Tarka find that out the HARD way. We won't stop now.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0039-2.jpg

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I don't mind. I still have half a bowl of popcorn left so bring it on!

:laugh: Glad you're enjoying the AAR!

 

I'd buy more popcorn if I were you, the fiercest combat is yet to come.

 

Especially now that Morrigi managed to steal the second artifact... For the life of me, I don't know how. When I moved the Sol defence fleet, they have suddenly acquired it. This happened despite the fact that I still had ships present, along with a repair and salvage cruiser.

 

As I don't want to go to war with Morrigi (just yet), we'll have to press the Tarka to the bitter end and take their artifact. Than that artifact will NOT be taken to our HW but guarded at a remote location.

 

When the war (if it is necessary at all) starts, it will be taken to Sol.

 

Right now the plan is to start mining like dwarves (HHHMMMMM, a Gimli class cruiser is obligatory, unless Gimli protests) and go for Artificial Intelligence. No virus, as promised. :oh:

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A research update;

 

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-42.jpg

 

Terraforming bacteria was researched to help lower the price of new colonies, taken from Zuul. They have a very different climate hazard setting and shooting at their worlds doesn't really make them more hospitable. And I'd rather take them than let Morrigi do it - they send ships to conquered worlds ASAP and if they didn't find our colonies there...

 

Than we sped through Tarka xenoresearch. It took us seven turns (with regular failures, naturally) but third tier will help us demand a planetary surrender which may be quite feasible with DNs over their worlds. Also incorporate will let some of the Tarka to live on the conquered worlds and add to civvies without overpopulation. I thought about going even further (as we can) but AI will help more and we can research more and faster before the Human-Tarka war is over.

 

So, AI it is. Research rate set to very high, no speeding it up. And there will be no virus research, meaning that we will most likely stop at AI, if we get there...

 

EDIT: Expect a video situation update.

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