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

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Kalin

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GAIAN NEWS NETWORK

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Eco Warriors STRONG!

Better embrace that peace and love, Spartans! In a swift surprise raid PsyOps Militia defenders were blasted to smithereens by our Toxic Avenger Chaos Guns!

Morgan-supplied needlejets won't save you from the Will of Planet either! Gaian forces come with AAA tracking by default!


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Peaceloving Gaians commemorating victory, Fallow Time - Datalinks

(Take your cues blackshirts - love and harmony prevails!)
 
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Kalin

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Mission Year 2250

All across the garden colonies, free-spirited Gaians of all ages were busily celebrating the Sesquicentennial Anniversary Foundation Festival (commonly referred to simply as "SAFF", or "Saffron Day" in honour of the great hero Fiona Saffron). In even the smallest bases and outposts, the governing officials had went to great lengths highlighting the cultural advancement and harmonious relationship with the ecosystems they had achieved in their one hundred and fifty years on Chiron. Much had transpired since Planetfall, from early events such as the cultivation of hybrid trees and taming of the Mind Worms to the development of robotic industries and the glorious purification of the gene pool, all obvious signs of Gaian superiority. Further still, the last decades alone had brought amazing refinements of the genetic engineering arts, development of global economics and - as of last year - the spectacular re-discovery of Orbital Spaceflight, thanks in no small part to the Eco Rangers operating within the Human Hive. Already plans were being drafted for the ambitious Sky Hydroponics Lab "Bean Sprout", set to become the very first orbital platform of mankind in this new world.

In light of these accomplishments, as well as the prominent position which Gaia’s Stepdaughters had assumed among the factions on Planet, most citizens did not merely expect their good fortunes to continue. They envisioned an even brighter future still, true planetary domination, with all of mankind pruned and perfected, united by love, peace, veneration of nature and complete adherence to the sacred Will of Planet.

Even the Council could not help but adopt some of this abundant optimism. The ongoing meeting in The Flowers Preach was filled with more vitality and excitement than the assembly had experienced in countless decades, stirring even the honoured ancients from their traditionally "contemplative" and "relaxed" participation. Councillor Amiga Haze, senior even to Lady Skye at his impressive age of two hundred and fifty-seven, had recently concluded a passionate statement on the marvels of the new Harmony Gardener - commonly referred to as the "super former" by the unenlightened impures. Shortly after, Archdruid Starfruit had reported on the state-sponsored "New Asceticism" movement in Gaia's High Garden, and Purity Officer Azura had followed up with a report on the settlement of the University question. At the moment, Major Windsong was going through the details of Operation "Anvil of Dawn", the latest of several military campaigns sanctioned against the Spartan Federation and their new allies, the Human Hive.

"No serious losses yet, Lady. One of our Isles of the Deep were ambushed by the Hive Navy near the Mouth of Hercules, sustaining some minor casualties. The worm colony will likely need a year or two to regain its full potential, but our amplified Empaths rallied and won the day. Admiral Starflower believes our naval superiority will remain for centuries, and I am inclined to agree, even though air power will likely diminish its role somewhat. Mainland operations will definitely see more casualties, however. The Spartans have yet to engage our Elite Eco-Warriors in battle, but it is only a matter of time before they do. As it is, our raiders are sorely outnumbered, and without reinforcements and air support, we will once again have to retreat at the loss of more than a few lives.”

"That much is to be expected" Deirdre Skye said with a slight shrug. "Their noble sacrifice is appreciated, of course" she added, almost as an afterthought. Looking no older than the day when she had first joined the crew aboard the Unity, highly sophisticated gene therapy treatments of the Gaian Biology Research Unit (and, according to vicious rumours, harvested bio-material of thousands of University citizens and Spartan prisoners) had kept the revered Prophetess of Planet in an artifical state of youth and semi-immortality, greater even than that of her Councillors. Unlike her demeanour, however, her mind had constantly evolved, and most of the naive idealism from her early Planet years had been gradually worn down with each and every ecological offense perpetuated by the other factions. While she still held dearly to the concept of a diplomatic solution, any previous illusions that her enemies would submit freely, and out of the goodness of their hearts, were long since gone.

"Lady, with all due respect, with some additional battalions and air squadrons..." Windsong began, only to end up silenced by an amused look on her faction leader's face.

"..and we could take Terra Sparta? Yes, I am aware of your opinion" Deirdre said with a small smile. "And yet, we do not need to conquer them, nor can we afford to at this stage - our forces are needed elsewhere, and any increased military production would only hamper the great project. Harassment is sufficient for now - keep them on their toes, scrap their facilities and by all means, do let them waste what minerals they can procure to mass their forces in defence. As long as their industry remains primitive and their growth is contained, they are no real threat to us. Chairman Yang, however, definitely is, and that is where we should concentrate the majority of our resources."

"Understood, Lady! Does this mean we will deploy the Garden Purifiers?" Windsong asked hopefully, visibly eager to test the controversial designs.

"Yes, Amanda" Deirdre replied, pursing her lips. "I do believe it is time. Even if only half of what our Sentinels have reported is true, the Hive Aerospace Project simply cannot be allowed to continue. If left unchecked, these "planet busters" will sunder the very face of Chiron. In this particular case, the ends really do justify the means."

"Indeed, Lady!" Amiga vigorously agreed. "Leaving Yang to fester was a grave mistake. We should have rid ourselves of that contemptuous weed many years ago, just as I always said. Still, better late than never, eh?"

"You said!?" Windsong exclaimed. "I have been the sole voice arguing for action against the Hive since my inclusion on the Council! From what I recall, *you* have been too busy enjoying their 'enlightened poetry' and 'copulation therapies' to even notice-"

"Well, let's not argue over who said what", Amiga retorted with a dismissive gesture, worthy of the best politicians on old Earth. "The main thing of importance, Major, is that we are all in agreement!"

"Quite!" Deirdre broke in, quickly changing the topic to postpone the inevitable squabbling to come. "Amanda, get in touch with Adelaide over at Eastern Command, I trust you to direct this curbing of the Hive in person."

"Yes Lady!" Windsong said, snapping to attention.

"Meanwhile" Deirdre continued, "where are we in regards to the great project?"

Purity Officer Azura stepped forward, gently tapping her temple to access the latest reports through her neural interface. "Everything is proceeding well, Lady. Children Crèches are up and running in all major population centres save for Harmony Plain and Birkenstock Base, whereas Hoadley's new forests, the kelp farms around Planetneck and our Eco-Wheat farming convoys should be more than sufficient to cover all nutrient needs. Further, this does not account for the launch of "Bean Sprout". Assuming it goes well, sky farms should provide a fair amount of sustenance as well, primarily in Gaia's Landing, Garden of Paradise and Gaia's High Garden, and more bases still when additional Aerospace Complexes are constructed."

"Thank you, Azura. I take it, then, that we are still on for M.Y. 2260?"

"Very much so, Lady" the Purity Officer replied. "Initial reforms will consume approximately forty-seven point nine per cent of the annual budget, but our reserves are strong, and the rewards will be considerable. By M.Y. 2283, the golden era will already have begun in earnest!"

"Excellent!" Deirdre said, looking very pleased at the news. In her mind, she already saw her beautiful new generation of perfects, the glorious triumphs to come and the futile, outraged responses they would induce among the remaining rival factions.
 
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Kalin

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We're actually at M.Y. 2254 though, but I took my sweet time toting that together.

Ascetic Virtues is just finished so Gaian bases now get +2 population limit, and nerve stapling is finally possible.

Spartans are massing needlejets, and could cause problems if they redirect them to Hive bases, since I am currently raping them. On the other hand, that would leave them open to raids from the north. I only have one air squadron so far (interceptor kind), but it won a battle against Spartan planes in Budushii Dvor thanks to superior chaos armaments. AAA tracking is also quite effective on the ground units, but really, harassment of Hellraiser only serves to keep his economy down, while I sit back and prepare for the much delayed pop boom.

Cassidy is pushing for Fusion Laser, so that will put a dent in the Gaian advantage. Meanwhile, Hellraiser and I are both researching Mind/Machine Interface, which allows construction of the Cyborg Factory, the much-dreaded copter units and the Supreme Leader Council proposal.

We also salvaged the Unity fusion core, netting +500 energy credits to all factions. I sneaked an elite probe team into Spartan territory and used my share to mind control their base in Garland's Crater, stealing some Heracles Rovers in the process. After that, I bullied poor Lal into giving me some of his cash to make up for the shortfall. Eco-taxation at its finest. :lol:
 

Hellraiser

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I could really use a couple of singularity planet busters right now just within range of the bulk of Gaian bases.

But besides that it's pretty much same old same old. Bunch of Gaian units take my shittiest base, strip it off all the facilities and try to starve the population to death by turning everyone into specialists, I counterattack and they run the second they realize I am prepared. A bit gay but quite frankly I'd do the same in Kalin's place. Well maybe slightly differently but definitely as gay.

I finally found that fucking rover that killed my undefended base way back, also killed a mindworm thinking it was safe hiding in fungus this turn. Besides that I killed one of the invading ubermenchs hippies by cockblocking his way back with a needlejet and gangraping him with rovers (only lost one). Saw two gaian units trying to take my base at Garland Crater, rovers sitting on standby move in for the kill and again I lost one but killed two Gaian units. Would have also destroyed the remaining ubermensch occupying my northern base with an Icarus doing a bombing run but the 11:10 odds still ended with the defender winning. Overall when I saw what he sent my way I thought this was going to be a grinder but it turned out rather easy.

All in all, sans the probe team mind controlling my base at garland crater along with the three rovers inside of it and the PsyOps Gendarmes guarding it (quite butthurt about that, but it could have been prevented if I prepared for that), the losses are acceptable*. Most of the shit I did after the last bit of fighting worked as planned.

*Well pity about the base facilities but whatever, not like it was possible to win this match with them.

Also Miriam beat me to a plane by TWO FUCKING TURNS. Still Sparta STRONG! REMOVE GRANOLA FROM PREMISES!
 
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Guide to the Garden Colonies - M.Y. 2154

Stretching from the Great Dunes in the east to the jungles of New Amazonia in the west, the Garden Colonies comprise mankind's largest, cleanest and by far most beautiful sovereign territory. Formed around the sacred principles of environmental preservation, respect for eco-systems and holy communion with nature, the Gaian nation is known wide and far for its harmonious coexistence between species of Planet and the Earth of old. Its fair, peaceful and genetically superior populace truly lives side by side with the native flora and fauna, not least demonstrated by plentiful hybrid forests, Centauri preserves and frequent interaction with the playful Mind Worms - hard-working, cuddly little caretakers of the beautiful Xenofungus fields, and - when the need arises - fierce defenders against would-be aggressors.

Listed below are some of the Gaian settlements which every citizen should visit at least once in their free and prosperous lives:


Autumn Grove - Formed in the early days of the Peacekeeper conflict, the base quickly rose to prominence as a centre of Xenology Research. Today it is the undisputed "energy capital" of the colonies, home to alien artefact studies, exciting scientific projects and the very latest in experimental hybrid forest plantation. Its ancient Monolith stands tall and majestic even to this day, making it a natural magnet for the more historically-inclined eco-tourists. Other sights include the advanced echelon mirror system, the lush farmlands of Starshine Hills and the ultra-tech entertainment facilities in the recreation district.

Birkenstock Base - Built in the shadow of the metropolis of Greenhouse Gate, much of the history of the base has revolved around providing support for the various large-scale projects of its neighbour. Despite its humble size, recent kelp-farming and development of the Isle of Saffron has stimulated both growth and industrial output. Given its proximity to the Southern Wildlands, it has also become a popular destination for adventurous Gaians who crave more "hands-on" experiences than the Fallow: New Vegan and Planetwind hiking simulators can provide.

Fallow Time - As the latest addition to the family of colonies, the base lacks many of the facilities and services of more established Gaian population centres. While known primarily for its Eco-Police Garrisons guarding against Morganite environmental exploitation in the north, it is also houses the headquarters of the Temple of Gaia, and maintains regular trade and sea-traffic with the lovely and tranquil Sunbeam Isle, well worth visiting for its unique scenery and unrivalled organic seafood.

Gaia's High Garden - Situated along the shore of New Amazonia, this jungle paradise is set to become the leading base of the faction. Enjoyed for its beautiful surroundings and vibrant jungles, it has experienced near-unrivalled growth in the last decades. Home to the Gaian Defence Force Headquarters, it is also a major site of military bioenhancement, cybernetic augmentation and studies in advanced telepathic amplification, fielding some of the finest Eco-Warriors Planet has ever seen.

Gaia's Landing - The first settlement of the Garden Colonies, and to this day undisputed Headquarters of Gaia's Stepdaughters. The base has mostly remained an administrative centre throughout the years since Planetfall, catering to officials both within the Gaian state and the Planetary Government, headed by Governor Lady Deirdre Skye since M.Y. 2158. In addition, its impressive Aerospace Research Institute recently gained Planet-wide fame following the launch of mankind's first major satellite "Bean Sprout", the friendly sky-farm. Furthermore, tourists are particularly fond of the exquisite gardens, ecological preserves and the beautiful ocean view, making Gaia's Landing the number one destination for any self-respecting friend of Planet.


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Note: Strictly Holoreel and PSI-vision! Only depraved eco-rapists would waste rocket-fuel on pleasure rides!


Garden of the Deep - Strategically situated to guard the sea lanes leading in and out from Planetneck, the first aquatic base of the faction also provides the perfect environment for deep marine research. Somewhat smaller than the average population centres, life in the floating colony is nevertheless rich and enjoyable, with a great variety of activities for visitors of all ages. Make sure to try the appreciated Isle of the Deep tours, and visit the Grand Museum of Kelp on 3rd Mellow Street for a truly memorable experience!

Garden of Paradise - This megapolis is the final northern frontier against the Upland Wastes, a true no-man's land where Morganite Corporations and Peacekeeping bureaucrats squabble over territorial boundaries and much-coveted mining rights. The fortified hills around the base provide excellent defense against any profiteering fat cats looking to extend their greedy tentacles across the wrong side of the border, and though surrounding farmlands are rather sparse, convoys from mobile Eco-Wheat Farmers ensure that the booming population remains well-fed. Highly mechanised, eco-friendly mining provides ample materials for robotic manufacturing, and it is fair to say that the base is quickly becoming the leading production centre on the continent.

Greenhouse Gate - The sprawling city of Greenhouse Gate immediately stands out by its unusually large military population. Wherever one looks, men and women in uniform can be seen scurrying forth, dressed in everything from the loose-fitting, lavender pink robes of the Eco-Warriors to the lime green micro dresses of the Empaths, forming a literal rainbow of colours representing the many branches of Gaian Defence. Most common are the maya blue tunics of the Navy Cadets, as the Gaian Naval Academy - the Maritime Control Centre - is by far the largest institution. Worth noting is that the Xenofungus is particularly abundant around the base, courtesy of the Xenoempathy Research Unit. Xeno-enthusiasts are highly encouraged to seek the Planetsong in the fungal gardens, where many reputable sources claim that it is particularly potent.

Harmony Plain - Named after the Gaian hero Angelica Harmony Sunbeam, this relatively new base covers the vast plain directly west of Sunny Mesa, directly at the outlet of Rainbow River. Trade and contact with nearby Peacekeeping bases is frequent, and together with its southern sister-colony Velvetgrass Point, it forms the definite commercial centre of eastern Terra Monsunia (all planetary import and export companies are of course carefully monitored by the Environmental Agency).


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Your natural guide to sightseeing, travel and xenofungal hiking


Pinewood Shore - Until recently a sleepy little community situated just south of the Great Dunes, Pinewood Shore has experienced rapid growth as of late. Serving mainly as a centre of weather forecasting and development of new hybrid plants, it has attracted citizens from all over the garden colonies for its peaceful surroundings, excellent Algae-cuisine and relative remoteness from inter-faction trouble, having been consecutively voted "the least likely colony to be obliterated by planet busters" for the last three years and counting.

Shady Sands - Originally a desolate and harsh place in the once unforgiving Great Dunes, Shady Sand is no doubt the base that has benefited the most from Gaian terraforming. Advanced tapping of aquifers, manipulation of wind patterns and development of brand new genetically-engineered trees has transformed the surrounding landscape into a lush and fertile paradise. The settlement has grown accordingly, housing well over one hundred thousand citizens, and much like Gaia's High Garden in the west, it is an important military and bioenhancement centre. Its local sights are as plentiful as its inhabitants, and is a definite must-see for any eco-tourist worth his salt (Figuratively speaking, of course! Table salt is a proscribed substance as per the White Poisons Decree of M.Y. 2184).

The Flowers Preach - Second base of the faction and legendary home of the Human Genome Project, which led the Gaians into their glorious era of racial purity. To this day it remains a leading genetic research centre, providing countless improvement services, most popular by far being the Saffronian filter-lungs, allowing men and women to breathe freely without the need for cumbersome equipment. In addition, the base houses the Garden Sentinels Guild, well worth a visit for anyone interested in the finer arts of the mind. In the outer perimeter, the forest-clad hills are particularly stunning, and it should be noted that its condenser is the oldest standing on Planet.

Towers of Love and Peace - The twin towers stand as solemn guardians across the northern landscape, blocking all kinds of traffic throughout the strategic choke-point by means of advanced bunker complexes, Anti-Aircraft Defence Systems and dedicated Empath patrols. Agents of avarice and destruction will have a hard time indeed making it past the Eco-Police, whose highly efficient customs services have kept the gardens safe for close to a century. While the bases are primarily defensive installations lacking most services one might expect to find in major cities, they do provide an unrivalled "down-to-Planet" experience. Surrounding fields are primarily utilised for soy crops and renewable bio-fuels, but for the committed nature enthusiasts among us (and who isn't one?) tree farms and ecological preserves are currently being built at full speed. Plenty to look forward to, in other words!


This guide was brought to you by Garden of the Blessed and:
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Remember, utilisation of private motorised transportation is a Class 2 infraction of the Environmental Code! Always travel with eco-certified Gaian Public Transportation - the only other acceptable means of travel is by foot (sock-and-sandal clad or barefoot only!)

Any person engaging in littering, trampling of plants or the barbaric Spartan custom of "hunting" is subject to immediate termination as per Council Order No. 571: Eco-Protection and Preservation Measures.


Pending submission before Planetary Authority and resumption of peaceful, loving concord, Spartan and Hive citizens are currently prohibited from entering Garden Territory.
 
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Kalin

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After that unholy wall of text some pictures are called for:


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Shady Sands - the little desert community that could - busily creating new instruments of war and destruction peace, love and understanding.


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"Bean Sprout" launched, nothing can hide from the everseeing eye of Planetary ECO-NSA.

Also note reports of Spartans killing their own kind for the mere crime of embracing brotherly love!


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Airstrip One, latest frontier base against the totalitarian eco-raping Hiveling hordes of Terra Nautilia.

(Appropriately, it is currently getting hit by conventional missile salvos)


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Note how the base-borders north of Ironholm form an obvious swastika. Coincidence? Possibly - but I don't think so!

(Also salute to my brave sleeper rover, waiting patiently to upgrade to fusion-laser and nerve-gas variety to raid Sparta Command - I didn't account for Icarus needlejets scouting the fungus though!)


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:x

GOING TO ECOCON 2!
 

Cassidy

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Conveniently ignoring the fact all that forest near the borehole was built by Morgan Industries.

So much for pacifism and impartiality, eh?
 
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Kalin

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"A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad act the good."

Being in contravention of the "Planetary Ecology Code" is serious business! :M
 
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Pope Amole II

Nerd Commando Game Studios
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Gaia's stepdaughters; the new Believers faction?

Every ideology is the Believers faction. Zealots are the same pretty much everywhere, it's just that some zealots like to state how reasonable/progressive/humanitarian they are, which doesn't really change anything for, once their zealotry demands it, all those statements are instantly forgotten. For the greater cause! And pretty much every faction has one in Centauri, it's just that the Believers are most direct in this department and are the easiest one to mock.
 

Azira

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Great. Now I have a mental image of Miriam Godwinson being the queen of Borg. "Resistance is futile, you are already being assimilated"...
 
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Ulminati

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That's part of what makes SMAC so wonderfully dystopian and why the CiV-in-space spinoff is going to fail horribly.
 

Hellraiser

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Peacekeepers are pretty cool bros, just a shitload of UN redtape and socialism, worst that can happen to you is death by comical levels of bureaucracy. Uni, Sparta, Morganites and Gaians can be portrayed anywhere from not a bad place to live to outright dystopian hells. Hive and Believers are impossible to portray positively within the freedom-loving context of "western" culture.
 
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Kalin

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In the hands of the ruthless AI they can still be insufferable though. Years ago in one of my games as Morgan, I was quietly minding my own business on a little island in the middle of the map, trying my best to stay at peace with everyone and rake in those precious shekels. Went just fine until the Peacekeepers, upset that I wouldn't join a vendetta or something decided to probe the Hive and then blame it on yours truly. Long story short, underground communists came knocking with bombers and hostile landings, ravaging most of my ill-prepared corporate state. Made the game a lot more fun, of course, but still, I could never look at that supposedly "harmless" Pravin Lal in the same way again.

(If memory serves, they are also not strictly pacifist, having 0 on use of force rather -1 like Morgan and Deirdre, so they will pull off atrocities from time to time. Never trust those Pakindians, I say!)
 
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Kalin

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Once again the Gaian army secures Fort Superiority, this time by means of bribery, infiltration and large-scale telepathic subversion.


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Deserters and PSI-converted troops are quickly sent against their fomer brethren, capturing Bunker 118 in a surprise raid!

At the same time, Eco-Rangers manage to disable the Pressure Dome in Sparta Command.


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Back in the colonies, Eco-Warriors stationed near Fallow Time march straight into Morganite territory, furiously beating their eco-drums, shaking their tambourines and chanting neo-pagan battle mantras at the top of their lungs. Fully determined to heal the wound in Mother Planet, they pay no heed to the vocal protests at their intrusion. Gaian High Command is similarly oblivious, even when requests for withdrawal are made by the very CEO himself.

As the foul contraption known as the Thermal Borehole is forcibly disabled by the fanatical expeditionary force, the Gian-Morganite Treaty of Friendship is effectively broken as well, at least in the eyes of the inter-planetary community. Official statements to the contrary stressing the legality of "ecological self-defence" largely fall upon deaf ears, convincing none but the most zealous of environmentalists.

With no shots fired and no human* casualties on either side, it remains to be seen whether the conflict will be mended as quickly as it flared up, or if a prolonged vendetta is indeed on the horizon.

*An entire Isle of the Deep was lost in the northern ocean to an Internet Explorer Blue. Turns out they are near-invulnerable to PSI attacks!
 
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Pope Amole II

Nerd Commando Game Studios
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So this LP reawakened my desire to fiddle with SMAC(X). Specifically - to test the "Captain Morgan" maneuver. You see, I saw how screwed Cassidy was by getting spawned with two factions on his continent (whereas Morgan absolutely requires solitude) and thought - but what if he chose to go into sea early? Like, rush the doctrine:flexibility (well, probably after getting at least free market, and maybe even wealth) and go for the geotermal shallows ASAP, especially since his starting location isn't that far from them.

However, after a couple of attempts I couldn't perform this maneuver adequately (though I'll have to say that I play with tech stagnation and without pod scattering, which changes the picture a lot). I dunno, the issues with Morgan are:

1. His starting 100 cred are almost useless if you're not lucky enough to get a fast enough pod/comlink with centauri ecology, biogenetics or, at the very least, information networks. Yeah, spending these money to have an (ideally) day 2 former or recycling tanks can change the picture of the game a lot, but otherwise they don't really do anything. Which leads us to...

2. In the end, Morgan's biggest weakness is that his money don't allow him to do anything that other factions can't do - like, yeah, you can rush things, but Yang & Domai just build them quickly without having to pay for it (especially after their planned economies kick in). You can probe things in, but so can Miriam and Rose (and much better than you). You can put that energy into research, but how do you intend to rush Zakharov & Consciousness? I guess you have the benefit of being able to do lots of things at the same time, but, on the other hand, until the rather late game you can't just rush & probe things left and right, as your credits will run out rather quickly. So, once again, it really depends on your starting area, pods & neighbours. I understand that it is true for all factions, but some are less vulnerable to it and some are more.

3. His early and mid-game income also depends on truces, which, of course, no one will ever sign with him.

And I dunno, he's supposed to be a builder, but his profile doesn't really play into that. Other builder factions bonuses scale - like, Zakharov's +20% research, the bigger your economy is, the more virtual lab points you get out of that. Also, other builders really benefit from building facilities and improvements, but Morgan, I dunno... Your +2/+4 economy (depending on how you roll) already give you +1 energy from each square and energy bonus at each base (more so with treaties if you're lucky to secure them), so what's the point on wasting time on facilities? In the end, you really wanna be hitting colony pod after colony pod, trying to grow as cancerous as possible. But that's where efficiency & drone penalties hit in, and if efficiency can be negated by going green (after all, the biggest advantage of Morgan is being able to squeeze +1 energy from each square), what about drones? You can invest in psych, of course, but that'll kill your research - or do you go early fundamentalist Morgan and just steal what you need?

Hard to tell. In the end, Morgan has to jump through so many hoops to succeed, when compared to the other factions.
 
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Kalin

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Al Scandiya
I don't think solitude is strictly necessary for Morgan to succeed. It is an unforgiving faction, but you can actually benefit from an early war, especially if you have probes for mind control and some crawlers to support military production. Probing isn't really that reliant on a high social probe rating, I had no problems mind controlling Hellraiser, for example. Far more important is hefty supplies of cash, which Morgan gets in abundance. Cassidy got a really bad starting location though (loads of fungus and only a few sea minerals nearby) so it might have been best to migrate towards the granola jungle early on rather than to stay put and go for sea bases (which are not that snazzy in SMAC, especially not given the atrocious sea terraforming speed).

Cassidy also made the mistake of switching to Free Market before his faction was ready. As he commented early on in our turn-tracking thread, he should have build a lot more bases before switching (like you say, the energy for each base is great, so it is best to spam loads of them). Both Cassidy and Hellraiser were also quite late to get Secrets of the Human Brain. It only costs 10 credits to upgrade a scout patrol to give it +50% PSI defence, so there is never any good reason not to replace basic units with trance varieties as soon as possible. Would have saved many units from dying to the worms (which are much more difficult to spot in PBEM, since movement isn't displayed like in single player), and who knows, it might even have prevented the loss of Omniventures (assuming it wasn't another holohaux).

Funny thing is, despite being much smaller, Cassidy still out-teched me last time I checked. If he had gotten some ten extra bases up and established the Morgan Fruit Company before I secured all of New Amazonia (the granola jungle is almost the same distance from both of our landing sites), things would have definitely turned out very different. In fact, if I hadn't secured the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm, I would be mighty worried right about now given his hordes of armoured elite Internet Explorers. He gave them hypnotic trance, too, so my worms can't even touch them.
 

Cassidy

Arcane
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
7,922
Location
Vault City
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Other news: Peace and open trade reestablished with the Gaians thanks to the bravery of a fleet of Internet Explorers -- Pact of Brotherhood with Spartans continues in spite of the peace treaty with the Gaians as a safeguard against future aggression -- EA defected to the Gaians after Morgan mercifully refused to nerve staple or leave EA drones to die of starvation in spite of a riot, heavy competition between Morganvision Blizzard and EA expected -- Morgan Seafood continues to prosper in spite of borehole sabotage -- hybrid forests planned for maximum potential future population growth -- Public honors and reward distributions to the families of the Internet Explorers who gave their lives for the foundation of Morgan MTV will happen next month -- Lal continues to refuse peace and insists in the continuation of the Vendetta he started for no logical or sane reason -- "Oy vey" chosen as the main message in this M.Y. time capsule -- Morgan Doublefine fails to meet another deadline for their Kickstarter project, promises they won't fail again.
 
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Pope Amole II

Nerd Commando Game Studios
Developer
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
2,052
So I've tried to perform this "captain Morgan" maneuver once again today and while I haven't succeeded, I've found other interesting stuff...

1. It seems that one of the most important thing for Morgan is spending on psych. For the early stages, 30-40-30 scheme seems to work very well, whereas in the late game you can relax a bit and go for something like 40-20-40. It seems somewhat counterproductive, but at the same time it allows you to go for the free market ASAP (and free market can be your first researched tech) and rush wealth afterwards without much hindrances. All while spamming bases ad and/or crawlers ad infinitum because who cares about police if you don't need police? Also, golden age isn't that bad to have (especially once you start building hab complexes, because Morgan has real problems with the growth of his bases), and one thing I haven't testet is golden age's economy bonus - will it, when coupled with Morgan's natural bonus, cause his bases to produce +1 energy from each square? Because in the end, this is the most vital economy advantage and rest is pretty much gravy, especially in the late game. If it works that way, you can easily build no free market/wealth Morgan with psych (which has its merits in certain situations).

2. Following that up and answering Brazilian Slaughter's green Morgan question - actually, one of the Morgan's greatest strength is that you can reach the "+1 energy per square) without going for the free market. Just wealth is enough and if you have lots of bases (which, in some cases, you will), green efficiency bonus will produce almost the same benefits. Not to mention that mindworms will stop being such a threat. And it's a great thing to do if you're neighbouring Deirdre/Cha'Down, else they'll march to war with you almost instantly (Down still won't like your wealth, though).

3. As for the fundamentalist Morgan - haven't tested it, but it may work quite well. The idea is that, after you spam enough bases and get the essential basics, you say screw it all to research and just go total mindwar, investing all of your scheckels and efforts into it.

4. Another extremely important thing for a Morgan is to screw building facilities and spam crawlers. You can get them incredibly early (the only one who can do it faster is Zakharov) and in terms of investment they're rather incredible. Often whenever there's a question of building a crawler or something else, crawler is the answer.

5. Captain Morgan probably won't work, though. To survive in the sea, you need to be either Svensgaard (getting minerals out of it) or have serious industrial output (like Yang or Domai). Sea crawlers sound nice, though - sure, they cost twice as much, but at the same time they provide twice as much and, if you hide them well or if they're in the continental sea (like the freshwater one), aren't as vulnerable to the enemy raid.
 

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