Completed Let's Multiplay Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (PBEM) - Game 1

[Kalin]

Mission Year 2100

The UN Starship Unity has arrived in the Alpha Centauri system after a forty year voyage. All contact with Earth has been lost, and a reactor malfunction has prematurely awakened the crew from cryostasis, mere days before the arrival at the planet of Chiron. Despite valiant efforts to repair the damage, all hope of saving the Unity is lost when vicious infighting breaks out among the crew, causing widespread mayhem and destruction. Following Captain Garland's assassination by an unknown assailant, the crew splits into seven different factions, each seizing control of one of the Unity's escape pods. Among these factions, three in particular stand out as being especially monocled, set to shape the destiny of mankind as it has just made PLANETFALL!


Since there can never be enough Alpha Centauri Let's Play action, this is a new PBEM match between Cassidy, Hellraiser and myself. The game is just starting and should hopefully be enjoyable!

We are playing on the Huge Map of Planet, and are using the latest version of Kyrub's 444 AI Patch for the original SMAC (so no mecha ogres, pirates or other weird stuff in this one).

The rest of the factions are AI-controlled, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out with them.


Human-controlled factions:


Morgan Industries

Spartan Federation

Gaia’s Stepdaughters

PBEM rules:

Spoiler

A player may not:
1. Reload the game multiple times or load the game into the scenario editor
2. Conduct diplomacy prior to having met in-game
3. Use colony pods to increase a base beyond its maximum population limit
4. Use build queue manipulation or other exploits to hurry production at reduced costs, or build something that could not directly be built
5. Take advantage of the stockpile energy bug by adding it after units in build queues
6. Upgrade crawlers before adding them to secret projects
7. Make social engineering changes and then change back in the same turn
8. Connect multiple artifacts to the same network node (supposedly possible if you rename the city)
10. Trade or give away bases to AI factions
11. Setting the home of a unit to the base of a pacted AI faction
12. Transfer missiles to AI factions
13. Start a terraforming task in one square, cancel it, move to a different square and then finish it there (in case of combat terraforming)
14. Perform an act of aggression against a player and complete pending negotiations in the same turn

Reverse-engineering is however allowed. As for probe teams, detected actions must always result in the harshest reply (dissolve pact/treaty). Finally, Planetary Council information must be fully shared with all players.

In-game rules:

Spoiler

Turn-order:

Gaia’s Stepdaughters - Kalin
Morgan Industries - Cassidy
Spartan Federation - Hellraiser

 

[Hellraiser]

Planetfall

The escape pod shakes as the decoupling mechanism fires, putting it into a spin around its front-back axis. Water vapour crystallizes into ice as the retrograde facing thrusters fire thus covering the few portholes on the lower decks of the pod with a layer of frost. Unity, mankind’s first and only interstellar vessel, is slowly disappearing behind the icy curtain. A majestic carrack of the fusion age, once powered by the spark from the heart the stars themselves, is now a wounded swan hurling towards the ground. The colonization vision of the UN has failed. A new order of things is needed, born out of the tragic circumstances that have come to pass.

“Pilot, status.” Colonel Corazon Santiago asks.

“Separation from Unity is a success, current velocity is 47578 m/s relative to Chiron.” The pod’s pilot answers. “Remaining Delta-V of our pod is 45670 m/s, considering additional acceleration caused by the planet’s gravity and the safe powered descent requirement we’re at least 6 km/s short of a safe landing.”

“Mierda!” Santiago curses as she furiously turns her head in the direction of one of the nearest porthole. Behind it Unity’s steel carcass is now resembling a shiny dot, tens and soon hundreds of kilometres away. “Do we have any options?”

“If we reduce cargo mass by 2% and put ourselves in an aggressive atmospheric entry trajectory we might have enough.” The pilot replies.

“Dump half of our water and food supplies.” Santiago orders in a strong almost masculine tone.

“Colonel?” One of the officers asks. ”But we’ll starve to death.”

“Do it!” She roars. “I am enacting strict rationing for non essential personnel, 50% of emergency rations. Military personnel, engineers and agrotechs get priority. We’ll eat the dead if we have to.”

“What about the children Colonel?” A Unity security grunt asks.

“Unity and Chiron are no places for children, only the strong will survive." Santiago tells him. "The weak will surely perish, we must not prolong the inevitable at the price of our own chances of survival. Pity the UN never understood that.”

“Should we leave them on the hills for the ferocious beasts as well, just like the Spartans of old did with their weak babies?” The grunt quips sarcastically.

“If it will be necessary we will.” The Colonel states coldly. “Survival is paramount. You will comply or I will consider you dead weight that needs to be jettisoned if we are to survive, just like the supplies are.” She looks in his eyes, dominant, determined, unwilling to tolerate dissent.

The grunt remains silent.

Two hours pass before the pod enters the upper atmosphere. A blazing trail of plasma envelops its hull, the pod shakes violently. Santiago and everybody aboard feel the heavy force of deceleration exceeding 10 gees. Many lose consciousness, but not the Colonel. She has had a centrifuge built inside her Villa in San Juan, after resigning from the military to join the Unity colonization mission to Alpha Centauri. Training hours a day, she became as resilient to G forces as the best astronauts and fighter pilots on the planet. Self-improvement, discipline, ambition, those were the values needed to survive on the frontier, she thought.

Some seatbelts broke from the stress induced by the massive force of deceleration, no doubt they were built by the lowest bidding subcontractor Nwabudike Morgan could find. Those unlucky enough to have been fastened with them end up with skulls crushed against the insides of the pod. Blood is everywhere, people are screaming. A monstrous *crack* fills the hull of the pod after the supersonic parachutes unfurl, slowing down the craft even further as it plunges into the depths of Chiron's atmosphere.

Five minutes later the engines fire one last time. A loud *thump* signals the end of the journey. Planetfall, this is how the Colonel decides to name this event and day. After helping with the mess inside the pod, the colonel dons an environmental suit. She steps outside the airlock, gazing upon a mostly brown field of dirt covered by the occasional patches of lichen, moss and what is possibly grass. Odd fields of pink cover the distant plains. The land looks harsh.

“To survive here we will need to become as the Spartans of old.” The Colonel said as the glare of the twin suns reflected off her helmet’s visor.

 

[Shadenuat]

What? ANOTHER SMAC LP?! But it's not my birthday!



spartan-guy give them a chance before destroying with unity rovers and scouts plz

 

[anus_pounder]

Spoiler

Hopefully cassidy does not get a corrupt save!

Spoiler

Still love you & your LPs

 

[Hellraiser]

Cassidy should post his nigerian Morganite scam mail he sent me with the latest save file. Gmail actually put it in the spam folder by default

 

[Cassidy]

Dear Respected One,

GREETINGS,

Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your contact from the Planetary Datalinks. I prayed over it and selected your name among other names due to it's esteeming nature and the recommendations given to me as a reputable and trust worthy person I can do business with and by the recommendations I must not hesitate to confide in you for this simple and sincere business.

I am Shawneeqwa Morgan; the only Daughter of late Mr and Mrs Nwabudike Morgan. My father was the wealthiest man on Planet before he was assassinated by an agent of the ruthless Chairman Yang. When my mother died on the 21st October 2284, my father took me and my younger brother Tupac special because we are motherless. Before the death of my father on 30th June 2288 in a private hospital here in Morgan Industries. He secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of E12.500.000.000.000 (Twelve Trillion, five hundred billion Energy) left in a suspense account in a local Bank here in Morgan Industries, currently under siege by the Human Hive, that he used my name as his first Daughter for the next of kin in deposit of the fund.

He also explained to me that I should seek for a God fearing foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose, (such as real estate management). Sir, we are honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways.

1) To provide a Bank account where this money would be transferred to.

2) To serve as the guardian of this since I am a girl of 26 years.

Moreover Sir, we are willing to offer you 15% of the sum as compensation for effort input after the successful transfer of this fund to your designate account overseas. please feel free to contact ,me via this network node mail address
shawneeqwa@morgan.planet

Anticipating to hear from you soon.
Thanks and God Bless.
Best regards.
Miss Shawneeqwa Morgan

PLEASE FOR PRIVATE AND SECURITY REASONS,REPLY ME VIA:
shawneeqwa@morgan.planet

 

[Kalin]

Mission Year 2104

The heavy rainfall brought along by the western winds had abated during the night, and sunshine was now gradually starting to illuminate the humble domes of Gaia's Landing – a sparse but functional little base, currently serving as headquarters for the more free spirited and ecologically-minded souls from aboard the Unity. Its sheltered location was ideal, situated along the coastline among a lush and rolling landscape, blessed not only with ample minerals but also a rich native plant life which closely resembled that of Earth, at least in a superficial sense. A closer look had revealed most plant specimens to be quite deadly, containing high levels of toxic nitrates and chemicals.

With some skill and patience, however, Gaian scientists had managed to employ careful processing methods to extract several useful proteins, greatly complementing the yields of their more traditional Earth-based crops. For the last couple of years, nutrient production had thus not only sustained the community, but even allowed for a healthy surplus of food to be stored away. Positive about the future, several colonists had taken to procreate quite liberally, in full accordance with the democratically enacted "free love" policy, resulting in a rapidly growing population of planetborn children. This new generation of Gaians were the pride and hope of the colony, pure and unburdened by the haunting memories of the devastation of the Crusader conflicts, nuclear fallout of the Pakistani-Indian Twelve-Minute War and the near-perpetual, toxic smog cloud of Imperial China.

Despite the early hour, the normally tranquil and relaxed settlement was bristling with human activity. The fourth annual Planetfall ceremony was fast approaching, and this year the anticipation was running at an all-time high, prompted by the imminent unveiling of the project which had absorbed most of their limited resources these past years: a brand new Terraformer Transport, no doubt the first of many to come. The massive crawler platform was reportedly capable of carrying a wide array of equipment and smaller terraforming vehicles, while at the same time providing living quarters for dozens of engineers, agronomists, geologists, prospectors, empaths and security experts - all while being regulated by top tier vehicle emissions controls to preserve and protect the native ecosystem.

Bruce Hoadley the Younger, Unity Forestry Officer and elected member of the Inner Council, was not quite as energetic about the vehicle as the tambourine-toting self-identified starchilds he passed along the way to the dining gardens – after all, he had been intimately involved with the project since the earliest days of Planetfall, and the particulars of the engineering feats leading to its creation were of little interest to him. The possibilities it allowed, however, were staggering, and he could not help but smile with pride at the thought of his mission ahead. Hundreds of modified tree hybrids, most of them designed by Lady Skye herself, would shortly be planted along the entire coast, perhaps even reaching The Flowers Preach, the faction's second, and so far, only other base. If successful, this would be the first large-scale introduction of Earth-born trees on Planet, which aside from providing a beautiful symbiosis of Terran and Chiron-based life would also contribute greatly to the growth and vitality of the Gaian community.

Gazing out across the glistening ocean, he found himself thinking of the events which had brought him to this point, and how very different his life could have been. Up until the last hour aboard the Unity, he had fully intended to follow his Christian congregation, and had it not been for the fanatical zealot who had assaulted his colleague from the U.N. BioCrops Department, putting a shredder pistol to his temple and blowing his brains out to prevent "perpetuation of devil wheat" - whatever that meant - he could very well have been working for Miriam by now (and perhaps, in some twisted parallel universe, he already was). Fortunately, he had managed to slip away from those crazies and make it back to the main hydroponics lab, where Lady Skye and her followers were busily working to save what they could. In the end, he did not regret his decision to join them.

His thoughts were gently interrupted by the muted vibrations of his wristwatch, as an automated message reminded him of the soon-to-be-held meeting of the Inner Council. More slog, no doubt about the Xenofungus reports. Gaian scouts had returned from the distant red fields the day before, a trip finally made possible by the acquisition of Unity Rovers from a reclaimed supply pod. If initial readings were correct, the fungus could be of paramount importance to the future of the faction. It was going to be a long day, and he rather wished the Xenobiologists could soldier through without him - after all, this was not related to his area of expertise. Fortunately, he did have the plantation of the new White Pine hybrid to look forward to, a grand event planned for the upcoming ceremony. Proper, honest work which would leave something behind for many generations to come. The hassle of democracy and endless meetings aside, it was a splendid time to be a Wood Expert.

 

[JoKa]

Damn, would've loved to play SMAC MP again...but then again, I suck at LPing, so carry on while I weep in my corner.

Spoiler

Watched Thread.

 

[Hellraiser]

New geothermal turbine in Zone Beta powers all of Sparta Command
7th March 2103, 1532 hours zulu, Sparta Command

Following the discovery of geothermal hot springs beneath the southern Zone Beta last year, the engineering corps has put
major effort to strengthen the power grid by utilizing the abundant natural energy for the benefit of all Citizens and the Federation.

High ranking officers have praised the efficiency of the engineering corps. Colonel Corazon Santiago herself has said that quote "our increased
energy capacity will allow us to speed up manufacturing significantly".

Already major farming and mining equipment has been moved from Zone Alpha to Zone Beta to utilize the new power source, optimizing the
colonial development of our primary base. While high command is unwilling to disclose vital energy security information at this time, it is expected
that energy rations will be increased, allowing citizens to enjoy more military training videos, computerized strategic combat simulation software
or time at the lasertag shooting range.

Furthermore there is speculation abound that new Recon Rovers will be constructed in the near future thanks to the increased power supply and ahead of schedule.

Milnet news hub report by Private Lisa "Hotwire" Thompson, Milnet cyberwarfare trainee, Age 15

EDITOR'S NOTE: Private Lisa Thompson has been suspended in her duties and sentenced to three days in isolation for unwarranted speculation and divulging of potentially classified information without the approval of her superior officers. Loose tongues lead to loss of life citizens. Gossip on subjects of strategic importance will be punished.

Spartan Federation Citizen Militia Radio Report Transcript

Mission: Recon Rover Alpha-3 Survey Mission "Torchbearer" code: M034, 07.08.2104 1700 hours zulu.
Commanding Officer: Sergeant Major Semen* "Metalcraze" Klymenko

Covered 400 klicks of ground to grid one-niner-seven by oh-two-eight.

Reporting presence of xenofungus fields in grids zero-niner-seven by oh-two-eight, survey from hilltop at 0138 hours zulu reveals field stretches as far as grid four-niner-seven by oh-two-eight.

Recovered unity pod with survey data at 0342 hours zulu. Confirms presence of xenofungus at grids as far as zero-niner-seven by two-two-eight. Also reveals presence of vegetation and surface water around grid three-niner-seven by niner-one-eight.

Recommending changing the designated colonization site towards grid three-niner-seven by niner-one-eight if survey confirms the accuracy of the pod's data.

Rover condition good, suffered no major malfunctions, minor scratch on the outer frame. No critical damage that needs to be repaired.

Continuing survey in the direction of grid three-niner-seven by niner-one-eight.

Will maintain radio silence until next scheduled contact time. Over and out.

*yes, this is a real Ukrainian name.

 

[Kalin]

 

[Kalin]

TL/DR:

Spoiler

Also nearly lost the brand new Unity Rover to a Mind Worm attack, 90% damage will eat precious turns as my -1 Morale hippy military recovers!

 

[Cassidy]

*Edit: Can't wait for The Virtual World so I can post some ads of Morganite F2P MMOs for it.

 

[Hellraiser]

Ironholm base has reached self-sustainability.
9th July 2108, 1232 hours zulu, Ironholm

Following the discovery of vast lush and fertile fields by the Torchbearer survey rover expedition, the colonization effort in grid three-niner-seven by niner-one-eight begun to utilize these fields for major agricultural development. The base of Ironholm rests in the sight of green hills, a major river called "Santiago's Rapids", away from xenofungus and a mere 270 klicks from Sparta Command. Citizens are encouraged to move into Ironholm and mandatory contraception has been suspended for all Ironholm citizens to ensure rapid population growth, with procreation highly encouraged as a way to strengthen our numbers and ease tension after live fire training.

High Command has announced that further colonization efforts will be made as soon as Vanguard-1 and Vanguard-2 rover survey expeditions map terrain as far as 1000 klicks from either Sparta Command or Ironholm.

Presence of other humans on Planet has not yet been confirmed. However considering that six other escape pods have separated from Unity and departed on a descent trajectory, it is possible that they may indeed be other groups of colonists on Planet. However if that is indeed the case, they may be far away from us, beyond the range of our surface radios and indeed way too far away to pose an immediate danger to our well armed and trained Citizen's Militia.

Milnet news hub report by Specialist Lisa "Hotwire" Thompson, Milnet cyberwarfare operative, Age 20

EDITOR'S NOTE: Specialist Lisa "Hotwire" Thompson has been demoted to Private First Class and flogged as punishment for damaging morale and combat readiness by putting doubt to the fact that the enemy is lurking in the unknown ready to strike at any moment. Stay vigilant citizens! A weapons maintenance procedure skipped is a citizen lost to a surprise attack!

 

[Hellraiser]

IMPORTANT SPARTAN FEDERATION HIGH COMMAND ANNOUNCEMENT

Contact has been made with a group of colonists known as the "Peacekeepers" lead by "Brother" Pravin Lal.

Group appears to follow a false ideal of "democracy" and "disarmament" per the UN Charter.

Commercial exchange of non-strategic assets has been allowed by High Command.

Military personnel is forbidden from engaging Peacekeeper forces or entering their territory without direct orders from High Command.

Citizens are advised to do the following to avoid committing acts of treason when interacting with "the Peacekeepers":
1) Do not divulge information relating to military operations.
2) Do not divulge information relating to Spartan infrastructure.
3) Do not engage in "small talk" with them.
4) Do not show them military hardware.
5) Do not engage in sexual acts with them.

Milnet Engineering Corps News Wire Q3 2109 Report
17th May 2109, 1803 hours zulu, Sparta Command

Rover Unit 3 finished ahead of schedule with use of unity materials pod.

New industrial machinery and materials introduced thanks to know-how exchange with Peacekeepers. 3D printing fabrication process improved.

Terraforming equipment prototyping complete.

Firearms and munitions stockpiles at maximum capacity.

Build, maintain, persevere.

Spartan Engineering Corps Secure Intranet, unauthorized access and data probe attempts will be met with use of lethal force

 

[Kalin]

Mission Year 2110

Due to their very remoteness from Gaia’s Landing, the vast expanses of Xenofungus on Planet, often stretching for several thousands of square kilometres, had remained largely isolated from the everyday lives and dreams of the citizenry. Although the fungus had originally been the subject of much theorising and excitement aboard the Unity, Gaian efforts following Planetfall had been aimed towards securing means for survival and future growth. Studies of the native flora and fauna had of course been undertaken as part of this process, but had been limited mainly to the temperate hills surrounding the two bases. The fungus, as such, had remained an untouched mystery.

In the years since, new living quarters had been built, gardens had been planted, and the very first Earth-based forests now covered the lands between Gaia's Landing and The Flowers Preach. With the additional establishment of ecologically sustainable crop cultivation, gathering of minerals and harvesting of solar energy, the faction now finally considered itself both self-sufficient and secure. Granted, the people still lacked most of the luxuries and conveniences available on Earth, or even the Unity, but materialism was by now typically frowned upon. Indeed, the Gaians had adjusted to take pleasure in the richness of nature and life itself: a beautiful sunset, the liberating moves of rainbow rhythms, the exquisite flight of the Razorbeak or the warm embrace of a lover - all of this constituted far more profound experiences than anything the hollow consumerism of Morgan and his voracious suits could ever offer.

Livin' it up, Gaian style!

As a direct result of this newly won stability of life, the Gaian populace had found itself in a unique position of being able to focus their energies outwards. Following the exploits of Captain Dakota Wind and her 1st Recon Company, as well as the young Empath Amanda Tangerine Starshine who had miraculously tamed the ferocious Mind Worms, it was scarcely surprising that the Xenofungus resurfaced as the topic on everyone's mind.

Whereas Major Scott and his Xenobiology Group were actively putting forth ambitious theories on how to extract trace elements from the fungal tubular shoots, not to mention raise and train additional boils of Mind Worms, the Temple of Gaia, a new semi-religious movement, was publishing spiritual reflections on the intricate, seemingly all-encompassing symbiotic relationships among the species of Planet. Further, Gaians stationed at Birkenstock Base had taken to venturing into the fungal zones alone, claiming to experience a phenomenon known as the Planet Song. Despite some unfortunate casualties - a few especially devoted enthusiasts had removed their breathing masks for the enhancing, psychotropic effect - the trend showed no signs of receding.

Some Gaians were of course less enthusiastic about the fungus, not least the vocal minority of friends and families of the lost and maimed soldiers in the squad of deceased Empath Danna Moonbean. Some of the survivors had suffered such extensive emotional trauma that some even argued nerve stapling as a last resort. The treatment, of course, had been outlawed during the Great Gaian Commune of M.Y. 2101, and the patients were instead committed to a scientific psych ward. If anything positive could be said to come of the ordeal, it was that parts of the Gaian research effort into Social Psychology had been considerably aided by the new test subjects, resulting in a major breakthrough the very same year.

Exploration of the Xenofungus and the intricacies of the human mind continued at full speed. Telepathy, as Starshine had demonstrated, was a very real ability, and the Gaians intended to use it to their full advantage.

 

[Hellraiser]

TOP SECRET
SECURITY CLEARANCE OMEGA

Spartan Federation Citizen Militia Radio Report Transcript - Monolith

Mission: Recon Rover Alpha-3 Survey Mission "Vanguard-1" code: M057, 25.04.2110 1300 hours zulu.
Commanding Officer: Command Sergeant Major Semen "Metalcraze" Klymenko

Interaction with progenitor artifact complete. Reporting on contact with alien object designated as a "monolith".

Object scanned rover with strange beam. Rover not only didn't suffer any damage, it was in better condition than when it left the factory.

Crew reports increased response times and improved reflexes, also better stress-resistance. Corporal Laskaris who suffered from planetfever since yesterday was miraculous cured, all symptoms subsided after encounter. Some report feeling more vigorous, happier and even ecstatic upon interaction with monolith.

Engineering Specialist MacKay ran a series of experiments, tossing damaged ration containers into the vicinity of the monolith. Monolith scanned and repaired containers, rebuilding even missing damaged parts out of seemingly thin air.

Infrared scans confirm alien power source active within monolith. Specialist MacKay speculates that the monolith is either a universal constructor or advanced form of 3D printer, rearranging basic elements from its surroundings into simple components and parts, even nutrient paste.

Specialist MacKay suggests that the monolith could be used as a power source for industrial development, a mining and manufacturing device or even as an alternative to farming. Unlocking the secrets of its alien technology could bring forth a post-scarcity economy on Planet.

Will maintain radio silence until next scheduled contact time. Over and out.

Spartan Federation Citizen Militia Radio Report Transcript - Mindworms

Mission: Recon Rover Beta-2 Survey Mission "Vanguard-2" code: M059, 03.05.2111 1532 hours zulu.
Commanding Officer: Sergeant Major Moshe "Jackpot" Goldmann

Indigenous lifeforms spotted at grid eight-eight-seven by five-three-eight at 1447 hours zulu. Proceeded to drive close to inspect swarm of worm-like animals.

Corporal Ajax suffered panic attack at 1454 hours zulu, started pointing weapon at fellow soldiers. Failing to stand down he has been terminated as a threat to the unit's safety.

Further crew members started to experience feelings of dread and terror as the worms began to move in our direction rapidly.

Private Muller has become paralyzed with fear, worms burrowed into his environmental suit causing major trauma to left forearm and right thigh. His condition is now stable.

Worms have also damaged suspension and plating on two of our rovers with corrosive secretions.

Cool minds and superior discipline prevailed, fired incendiary rounds from rover-mounted 20mm autocannons. Alien lifeforms have been terminated.

Brining back the body of Corporal Ajax and burned "mindworm" husks for further study back at Sparta Command.

Will maintain radio silence until next scheduled contact time. Over and out.

 

[Hellraiser]

Time for image spam:

In other news I have been murdering a ton of mindworms and my rovers found a landmark that gives bonuses. Not saying which one yet as that would spoil where I am located, since we are playing on a huge map of Planet.

No sign of other factions yet, besides the peacekeepers to whom I got a radio frequency from a unity pod. Rovers should run into somebody sooner or later.

 

[Kalin]

Mission Year 2115

Gaia’s Landing and The Flowers Preach had continued their expansion outwards, greatly encouraged by a series of fortunate events. In M.Y. 2111, the re-organised 1st Recon Company had once again ventured forth into the Xenofungus, locating yet another Unity Rover Supply Pod. The discovery effectively doubled the amount of vehicles under Gaian control, prompting the formation of the 2nd Recon Company under the command of Captain Angelica Harmony Sunbeam. Since Gaian technicians at home lacked both the resources and expertise to replicate the vehicles, the discovery significantly bolstered the exploration effort.

In early M.Y. 2112, the 2nd Recon Company detected two additional - and by now, quite well-known - Unity Supply Pod signals. The first pod had crashed into Xenofungus, and was quickly revealed to be a data pod, containing vital scientific information and technological blueprints. Unfortunately, it had been thoroughly penetrated by Mind Worms, and in their dutiful adherence to natural instincts, the crafty little fellows had rendered all data completely irretrievable. The second pod, however, had landed safely a few hundred kilometres off the fungal mat, and contained highly advanced tools, robotic machinery and manufacturing supplies. All of these were retrieved and put to good use hurrying the production of two new colony pods.

Later that year, Gaian researchers made significant breakthroughs in the field of Biogenetics, discovering new ways to counter Planet-based diseases and improve the human genome. Once gene splicing was perfected, it would be quite easy to purge physical and mental flaws such as avarice, psychopathy and congoid traits, allowing new generations of perfectly healthy, beautiful Gaian Planetborn to populate their paradise gardens in never-ending peace and happiness. Or at least, that was how the reasoning went - actual implementation of such a grand design would require both popular approval and additional research. In addition, truly meaningful results would likely require a massive input of resources, not to mention several decades of hard and uninterrupted work.

In M.Y. 2114, any remaining misgivings about utilising the tamed Mind Worms quickly dissipated, as Empath Starshine and her growing herd of squiggly, ten-centimetre long companions successfully tracked down yet another Unity Data Pod – this one being a comparatively tiny construct of a mere sixty cubic metres, lodged so deep within the fungus that it had been rendered thoroughly undetectable by conventional means. Following its excavation, all of its information was downloaded and installed into the Gaian Datalinks, providing the faction with both industrial blueprints for small-scale manufacturing and advanced knowledge of synthmetal.

Meanwhile, Starshine’s herd of Mind Worms continued to grow, absorbing several independent larval masses, and back in the colonies, the young Empath was increasingly elevated to celebrity status. Recruitment posters now covered the walls of most every common area, depicting her in the suggestive, light-green micro dress of the Garden Sentinels. Among the young Planetborn, there was no greater honour than to follow in her footsteps, causing a stream of eager academy graduates to apply for service at the Empath Guild. Most, of course, would likely end up dismissed for lack of affinity, and among those lucky enough to pass screening, the vast majority would assuredly perish in the empathy process. As genetic engineering and eugenics improved, however, the number of new Broodmasters was set to increase.

In late December, M.Y. 2114, Captain Sunbeam and her scouts recovered a large and relatively intact Unity Materials Pod, which in conjunction with the new knowledge of industrial manufacturing allowed for the speedy completion of brand new Recreation Commons in The Flowers Peach. As the scouts continued on their mission, the citizens back home could finally take a moment to relax in true Gaian fashion.

 

[Kalin]

Oh yeah, also reached a juicy landmark, good times ahead!

...well, unless we found the same one, in which case:

Spoiler

 

[Hellraiser]

I doubt it since I scouted almost the entirety of it. Then again my recon rovers of rape may very well be one turn away from noticing your scouts. Who know what fabulous things a well disciplined crew firing an autocannon can do to cowardly space hippies?

 

[Azira]

Gotta install SMAC on my work computer...

Wonder if I can sneak the install disks with me tomorrow?

 

[Hellraiser]

Gotta install SMAC on my work computer...

Wonder if I can sneak the install disks with me tomorrow?

I think you can just copypasta the full installed game to a USB flashdrive and it will still run with no issues whatsoever. If your office doesn't have a restrictive attitude towards USB memory it should be a piece of cake.

If they allow you to take work laptops home for remote work via a VPN it's even easier since nobody will check what you do with it home.

I dread the day when cloud computing terminals become the norm in offices, only way to install SMAC then will be to either befriend the IT dudes or to pray somebody does a cloud-based port you can play through a web browser (if they give you access to more than just the company intranet).

 

[Hellraiser]

 

[Kalin]

Yeah, I reckon we will go with screenshots around the time we scout each other out. Could always edit out the critical parts.

Also figured it would be easier to keep it going with 3-4 players. A full Codexian game would be super groovy, but it would also probably grind into a halt very quickly. Of course, if we could really get enough players and if everyone could play daily, I would definitely be up for trying with a larger group. Would have to be after this one, though.

Then again my recon rovers of rape may very well be one turn away from noticing your scouts. Who know what fabulous things a well disciplined crew firing an autocannon can do to cowardly space hippies?

[Initiating empathic transference]

Spoiler

Sup bro, make peace, not war! ☮

Chill mate! Relaxio! Would you really fire on these chaps?

Trees are awesome - y u hatan bro?

Peace yo! Brooooo!

Snazzy? Sure is! Just chill and relax!


Peace bro! Gaia's Landing best colony!

Brooooooooooooo! Yo yo yo yo BRO!

 

[Shadenuat]

Trees are awesome - y u hatan bro?

Peace yo! Brooooo!

Meanwhile, at enemy's base